Maliq Edelmann
On pandemic beat packs, struggle songs and rediscovered faith — a conversation about writing melodies before words, and making peace with yourself first.
When did you realise that you wanted to make music yourself?
At first, it wasn't really about the music itself. My best friend, who was older than me, made music, and I looked up to him. He led a very chaotic life, but one that fascinated me at the time.
It was only during the pandemic that things changed. I had plenty of time on my hands and realised that music is something I can pour an incredible amount of energy into without it feeling like a chore.
Since around 2019, it's become clear to me that music is more than just a hobby for me and that I should take it seriously.
During the pandemic, I worked intensively and started making music online with people from all over the world. These experiences have shown me that this is truly the path I want to follow.
Today, the joy of music is my main focus. Other things that used to play a bigger role have taken a back seat.
How do you know when something has inspired you?
I don't think my ego gets in the way of that. I have no problem acknowledging when an idea originally comes from something I've seen or heard.
I often even try to replicate something as closely as possible at first. But in the end, something unique always emerges anyway, because I automatically interpret things in my own way.
I jot down new ideas every day. Films, music or encounters with people can inspire me.
However, the people closest to me — especially my family — inspire me the most.
How do personal challenges influence your creativity?
As I usually record my music very spontaneously and rarely write the lyrics in advance, the songs often end up being snapshots of my feelings.
I often only realise in hindsight what I was actually processing through a song. Especially with emotional songs, I realise later on what was on my mind at the time.
When I'm feeling down, I often end up making more music. In the past, these so-called 'struggle songs' made up a large part of my work.
Nowadays, however, I try to keep music and personal problems more separate, so that music can simply be fun.
How do you go about writing a song?
Most of the time, I receive large beat packs from producers I work with. I listen to loads of beats and pick out the ones that appeal to me the most.
Ideas start forming in my head as I do this. I jot down interesting lines or develop themes that are on my mind.
For about two years now, I've also been starting with melodies. I hum the melody and only then think about which words fit it. That way, the feeling of the song takes centre stage.
Some songs come together in a matter of hours, others take several days.
What does your ideal future look like?
If artificial intelligence could actually help relieve people of monotonous work and thereby create more scope for self-fulfilment, that would be brilliant.
At the same time, the speed of this development also frightens me.
My personal dream is actually quite simple: I'd like to live close to nature, but still be close enough to a town.
Basically, I don't want a completely different future. If I can carry on living as I do today, I'll be happy.
I believe that peace in the world can only come about if people first make peace with themselves. Only when you're at peace with yourself can you truly help others.
Which of your beliefs has changed in recent years?
I've rediscovered my faith in God. That changed about half a year ago.
I don't belong to any particular religion, but faith (in itself) has once again become an important part of my life. I'm very happy about that.