Down to Mars is a "dynamic Martian Funk/R&B/Hip-Hop duo and production company" that was formed here in Louisville. Consisting of producers Malachi Mabson and Pinky Liberachi, the team has a goal of "bringing earthlings everywhere DOWN TO MARS." They are the technicians behind Louisville native Zaniah's most recent and upcoming work, and they have a new single "Kombucha" coming out tomorrow. I got a chance to speak to one half of the extraterrestrial team; check out what Malachi had to say about Down to Mars, the new single, and what's to come.
Are you from Louisville?
I’m originally from Lexington, Kentucky. I moved to Louisville in 2013 where I lived for 6 years before moving to New York. [Pinky Liberachi is currently based in Louisville].
How do you approach long distance collaboration?
It’s pretty easy because we are both producers and have setups where we can record. We send a lot of beats back and forth. Sometimes tracks with no drums or tracks with just drums. We also have taken trips over the past year to link in person and record, as well.
How did you meet each other?
We come from the same church home in Lexington and also went to high school together. We weren’t close at that time although we were always around each other in different circles. We connected in Louisville some years later and moved in together. That’s where we started to make music consistently.
How does the process of producing for another artist differ from creating for yourselves?
Producing for other artists is a bit different because they have ways they hear a song that we have to adapt to. With our own music, we have full control and don’t have to adapt to anyone’s expectations or sounds that they hear.
Tell me about the new single “Kombucha”.
Kombucha started as a drum loop that I made my first time drinking kombucha [laughs]. I sat on it for quite a while before me and Pinky finally sat down and put more instruments on it. I put a verse on it and ended up changing it after moving to New York. And Pinky sent his verse in from Louisville. It’s been a song that took a while to finish. But we’re happy with how it turned out.
What can listeners expect from Down to Mars in the near future?
Shortly after kombucha is released, we’re going to release another single with a visual, and an EP around the first quarter of the year.
Listen to their 2019 single "The Loneliest Number" here!
