Maliki – Consortium – Secret Eclectic

With complex rhythmic structures and hypnotic riff repetitions, London based Maliki lure us with their charisma.

Describe your sound in 3 words

Propulsive, minimalist, journeying.

What is the story behind your name?

The project was unnamed for a while until one day Tom brought up the name Malik, which we both immediately connected with. I think after spitballing around with the name we decided on Maliki, though I think we grew into the name more than it immediately encapsulating the project to a T.

How does your creative process work?

Things always begin in the Hut (Tom’s shed in his house which functions as our rehearsal space), it’s usually that one of us shows the other an idea we’ve worked on in our own time and we just start jamming really. We tend to be really in sync when we stumble across something interesting when we’re jamming. The both of us immediately start picturing different paths for the idea to take, but that’s what comes with like 8 years of playing with one another.

Which artists have been most influential for you, as a band and as individuals?

Filip: We tend to be in to different things and then draw on those influences through our individual instruments respectively, for a long time I was into Mala and probably owe a lot of my approach to composition through him. But of course there’s a heap of artists that we both draw influence from such as Fela. We’re both big fans of the UK jazz scene of course so that stuff definitely informs our practice.

Tom: For me personally, I’ve been influenced by a wide variety of artists spanning across the whole of the musical spectrum. Early on in my musical life, I was drawn to the drummers of Africa and the various tribes that fuel everyday life with rhythm. Artists such as, Babatunde Olatunje, Doudou N’Diaye Rose and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan play a significant role in how I approach my instrument and the way I listen to music. To add, I’m instantly influenced by any artist that break down musical boundaries and question the status quo, Sun Ra definitely ignited my interest in that particular area of music.

What is your favorite album of the past year?

Memory Streams by Portico Quartet and Trust In the Lifeforce of the Deep Mystery by The Comet Is Coming

How do you relate to the London music scene? Which city do you think is the world capital of nu Jazz?

I think we definitely relate to it as fans, before all this craziness we’d get our fix from Balamii shows, STEEZ and ghost notes. Still yet to go to Steam Down though once things return to normal. In terms of the world capital of nu Jazz that’s a big question, but I think you’ve not got to look much further than London to see the variety in approaches people are taking towards their crafts. I like how you said Nu-Jazz though, could be a question as to what really is Nu-Jazz. A lot of cats out there at the moment, especially in London, perform music that has clearly been heavily influenced by jazz, but along with R’n’B, Pop, Reggae and Grime to name a few. So in my opinion there really isn’t a category you can put this music into, at the moment we’re hearing new music that is rich in all genres and I think it’s great.

What would be your dream performance venue?

Filip: For me it’d be a local one like Bush Hall, having seen so many shows there, just imaging being on the other side of the barrier would be immense. Festivals would be a vibe as well.

Tom: Venue wise, and it’s a long shot, the Red rocks amphitheatre in Colorado. Glastonbury is still top of my list however.

What does the future hold for you?

We’re in the process of making an EP which we’re hoping to have released in early 2021, it seems really far away but these things take time. And as our first real canonical release we want it to be the best it can be. We’re currently sitting on something to be released sometime after the summer, so that’s super exciting.