France · bass-house · house

Malaa

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Masked French producer who keeps the balaclava on and the basslines filthy — bass house with a permanent running joke about who's under there.

Malaa is a French producer and DJ who performs in a black balaclava, keeping his identity officially unconfirmed, a running speculation that has followed the project since it began. He is signed to Tchami's label Confession, where his single 'Notorious' became the label's second release and the track that brought him wider attention.

Musically he works in bass house and its harder variants: dark, minimal arrangements built around heavy low-end, chopped vocal hooks and abrupt drops. Live, the sets stay club-focused and percussive rather than melodic, built for continuous mixing rather than standout singles.

He has been associated with the French house circle around Tchami and DJ Snake, and his releases have circulated through those labels and networks. All three, along with fellow producer Mercer, make up the Pardon My French collective, which toured North America together in 2016 and 2017.

His recurring 'Who Is Malaa?' mixes, released through SoundCloud, run through ghetto house and future house tracks alongside his own productions. In 2017, Malaa and Tchami mounted the joint 'No Redemption' tour of North America, releasing 'Summer 99' to promote it. Speculation about who is behind the mask has pointed at various times to Mercer or to French DJ Sebastien Benett, though nothing is confirmed.

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