INTERVIEW: We Caught up with India’s Moh Maya as he Debuts on Human By Default

Hello, Moh Maya. Welcome to Music Is 4 Lovers! What have you been up to, and how is your year going so far?

Hey! Thanks for having me! 2024 has been very busy and exciting at the same time in the studio. I have moved more “in the box” or digital this year, as I have been travelling a lot over the last 2 years, and most of my inspiration for my music stems from this. My goal is to produce more EPs on the road and collaborate with more local artists as much as possible, especially in countries with rich cultures and histories, such as Turkey, Peru, and India, which were the main influences for the Alchemist EP.

Your latest EP ‘Alchemist’ just dropped on Bedouin’s Human By Default imprint. What can you tell us about the record?

Alchemist is a really special EP for me, and the inspiration for the title track comes from Paulo Coelho’s book Alchemist – where a Shepherd boy, Santiago – takes his heroic journey across the desert to find his love and follow his dreams and, most importantly to not give up, no matter how hard the journey gets. This EP felt like my hero’s journey to make a big comeback to my true love – Music! And the vocal on Alchemist really drives the mystical power of this journey in the best way possible.

The EP has many melodic calls and responses, very careful use of organic percussion, synth-driven melodies, and basslines, which gives it that underlying groove that draws you in.

This is your first release under your new Moh Maya alias. What was the motivation behind adopting this new moniker?

Before 2020, my sound with Karpe Diem, my old project, was heavily influenced by rave, acid basslines and driving percussion. All of which was inspired by my time as a clubber in the European raves and as an artist in the local SF underground. But suddenly, with the pandemic, all of that stopped, and I found myself listening to a lot of salsa, flamenco, and Hindustani classical, and I found my way back to progressive rock, which got me into music. Also, this was a time that got me into a lot of philosophy, and Moh Maya was a word that resonated with me, which means – that it is all an illusion. So, I did not want to be tied down to any sound or style but be very organic with my music, and this new project was born.

The record sounds more melodic and house-driven than your previous releases, as Karpe Diem. What drew you to this style, creatively?

I have always been inspired by organic sounds and using more vocal-driven messaging, but I have also used it creatively with well-thought-out messages, sound design, and mixing. Artists like Pink Floyd, Radiohead, and Bedouin really opened up my palette and pulled me in this direction, which is why the EP found its way to Bedouin first and then to their label. With this new direction, my goal is to collaborate as much as possible with other amazing artists and to produce music that really touches fans and dance floors in a profound way to leave them wanting more.

Were there any bits of equipment or plugins that were crucial to this release?

Yeah, I have gone back to using my trusted Sub 37 for basslines and the Arturia pack for emulations of hardware synths that are not in the studio. Omnisphere has also been vital for some organic sounds. I continue to use my Dave Smith Prophet to build lush-sounding pads and, finally, some Roland boutiques for percussion.

You’re now based in San Francisco. What can you tell us about the scene there? Are there any local artists on your radar right now?

San Francisco has been home for a decade now, and I have seen the city really transform itself from a very Burning Man driven music scene to now having artists across the electronic music spectrum. You can easily find yourself in a melodic house show to, a drum and bass warehouse, to an afro house afters the same night, and that keeps the city vibrant. Covid certainly drove away a lot of the OG ravers of the city, but slowly but surely, the city is coming back to life stronger than ever.

As for local talent, there are a few people really pushing SF on the electronic music map, be it on the Burning Man playa with Discow started by a close friend, “LateNightShri”, bringing in talents like Adam Ten and Mita Gami to play for the camp or throwing renegades in the city, and as a producer, co-produced tracks with Spencer brown. Then, there is Verlk with his collaboration with Hernan Cattaneo and as a promoter working with Christian at SET underground pushing good solid names in the city like Nandu and Ivory playing in SF this week, which is great to really expand the taste of the clubbers in the city. Also, Alec at Safra and Izi at Cloud 9 bring in some solid names like Alex Wann, Black Coffee, Mind Against, Yamagucci, Dor Danino etc., that help stimulate the city with good music taste and in the right direction. Finally, there are the OG promoters in the city, like Emily and Nate at Mioli and Rooz at Deep Blue, who have pushed hard to keep the city fresh and grounded – with new artists and stalwart artists like Bedouin, Solomun, Carl Craig, Damian Lazarus also in the city this week etc. All exciting and important steps forward to make this city a key destination for artists and clubbers. I am excited to see this city continue to be a pivotal stop for all artists that come to the United States.

Thanks for joining us today! Lastly, what’s next for Moh Maya in 2024?

More Music and DJ gigs! I took a break from performing for the last four years because I wanted to find my new direction, and now that I have found it, my goal is to start playing locally and in new cities that I travel to. As for production, I have a couple of new EPs almost wrapping up soon. This year, my other goal is to collaborate with a lot of local artists, vocalists, and producers to expand my creative arsenal and also vibe off other people.

Moh Maya’s ‘Alchemist’ is out now on Human By Default! BUY HERE

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