Introducing Mehdi Maloof

In February 2016, a moody, mellow tune called ‘Do Hi Rastay Hain’ quietly made its debut and the musical career of Mehdi Maloof began.

A simple, unassuming song with quirky lyrics and a chorus that seeps into your soul, until you catch yourself humming it subconsciously, it was featured on Patari and amassed an immediate cult following. It’s a song that encapsulates a feeling, a lightness of being, a sense of hopefulness and comfortable resignation; a song with a gentle, inviting flow that takes you on a twilight journey. And it immediately propelled Mr. Maloof into our collective musical consciousness.

The song was followed up by another sharper, peculiarly worded anthem, ‘Gandi Si Building’, that painted the pain of living in a squalid apartment building and played like an ode to the sprawling metropolis of Karachi, with its blocks upon blocks of flats and apartments. Easy listening music with unconventional lyrics, almost conversational in their tone, it spoke of an artist who looks at the world with a unique perspective but also doesn’t take himself too seriously.

He later collaborated with Talal Qureshi for a brilliant single, ‘Peero’, that he performs in an ironically out of tune voice live, which effectively rounds up all his recorded music, available online.

After watching him perform fantastic ‘new’ songs at the outdoor showcase at Lahore Music Meet 5 (LMM5) and at a small, intimate gig at the True Brew Records studios (where his natural engagement with the audience kept them as entertained as his music), Instep caught up with the artist to help understand his music, off-beat lyrics and the reason why he hasn’t released new music, despite it being ready for recording.

A CSS officer, Maloof’s work has taken him across Pakistan on rural sojourns that have both aided his musical journey and hampered its production. Maloof credits the remote locations for helping with the lyrics and drawing out his eccentric inner poet but also explains that his duties make it impossible to take time out expressly for music and dedicate it to producing an album. “I would’ve definitely recorded more music by now, since its all ready; the lyrics, composition of each song etc., but I haven’t had the time off from work or access to a regular studio which has affected the release of new music,” Maloof says. “I’m hoping to change that this year. The aim is to find a producer and the time to put together an EP if not a complete album,” he elaborates further.

“I guess I’ve always been singing and writing music. It’s something I started doing when I was young and it’s a medium of expression I plan on exploring for as long as I can,” Maloof explains, adding that he belongs to a family of writers.

Maloof’s command over Urdu, his vocabulary and choice of words and the content of his songs sets him apart from the mainstream musicians and music that form pop culture these days. His music doesn’t feature romantic ballads or hip, disco inspired couplets but his lyrical prowess is absolute and positions his songs uniquely, in a country that has no dearth of talent.

Does he enjoy performing? Was there any difference in performing at LMM5 as opposed to the more personal set-up at True Brew? “I definitely enjoy playing for a crowd though honestly, I didn’t find any massive difference in playing for LMM5 or at the studio because the crowd was almost the same,” he opines.

Speaking of his new music, Maloof reveals that the unrecorded track, ‘Masjid ki Deewar’ alludes to Sufi philosophy, inspired by the works of Ibn Arabi, the Arab Andalusian philosopher and Data Gunj Baksh, a local saint whose shrine provides patronage to art and artists. Another song, titled ‘Haqeekat aur Gumman’ tells the story of a man entering a haunted house juxtaposed against the opposing concepts of perception and reality.

Maloof’s music is spiritual, existential and not for everyone. It appeals to those who are looking for intelligent lyrics and word play. His sound is not the kind you blare out at parties; it is the kind you listen to on long drives and days of solitary musing.

While Maloof’s genius and ability to make good music is evident, it’s also hard to be a fan of a musician who hasn’t released new music in some time. As much as we appreciate his new songs live, without them available online, his audience is left high and dry. We’re hoping that he remedies the situation in 2020 and provides his listeners with an album at least, to make up for lost time.