Mal Not Bad channels their inner chaos with new single “Life”

Collaborating and touring with the likes of fellow rising dreamy electronic acts Mkgee, Skullcrusher, and Jay Som, Mal Not Bad is carving out their official spot in the spotlight. Having released two EPs – In Free Fall and Continuous Short Feature Film, their newest single “Life” only helps solidify their peculiar, electrically atmospheric sound.

“Life” is a momentary glitch in the day-to-day, the sound of an oddly quiet rainy morning. It’s an out-of-the-ordinary change from the typical indie-acoustic track. The spaced-out instrumental features several chops and hitches in the latter half, scrambling their vocals perfectly between the silence. Their voice doesn’t ever come above more than a soft whisper, adding to the mysterious, fragile energy of the distorted track. Despite the contorted synths and unstable percussion, the lo-fi track is an addictive listen. Equipped with the perfect blend of acoustic and digital sounds, Mal Not Bad creates an alluring experimental piece with infinite replay value.

At its core, the song is an ode to the continuous, unstoppable cycle of getting older. Lyrics like “tighter and tighter you’re holding on / till your fist turns white” echo against the melodic twists of the guitar. It’s clear that the seasons of life are passing by, and no one is able to return to a place they’ve existed in before. As they question the purpose of their existence, the world never stops to answer them. “Death keeps coming up again from the grave and the coffin / guess it’s the change of the season” explores their anxiousness towards the uncertain change that life brings.

The final piece to their upcoming album This Is Your New Life, “Life” is accompanied by a hazy music video inspired by a series of slow-shutter photos and an abstract piece. As Mal Not Bad climbs to higher ground, they still stumble through the daunting phases of life. Carrying their emotional baggage, grief, trauma, or sadness in the form of a black backpack, they symbolise the feelings of going through the motions of life. Mal Not Bad explains that this baggage and inner chaos is always there: “It’s the relationship to it that matters and that they have a say not in the situation itself, but the emotions surrounding it.’