Maff: ‘Hawaii’ from ‘Melaniña’ EP release on 2 April 2018

Chilean shoegaze quartet Maff will be releasing ‘Hawaii’, a new powerhouse single off their coming ‘Melaniña’ EP, slated for release in April. This is Maff’s first sonic offering since blazing a remarkable trail through shoegaze, alternative rock, and noise pop territory surrounding their debut album ‘Maff’, released in 2015.

This follows up the release of ‘Desfile’, their first Spanish-language single, having only released music in English before this. ‘Desfile’ is about feeling trapped in your life and being in a place you do not deserve to be, surrounded with toxic people and feelings. Gomez sings “Soporto un dia mas, con desechos me toca desfilar” (I hold on one more day…I’m in a waste parade”.

Formed in 2012 in Santiago, Chile by Ricardo Gomez and Nicolas Colombres, Maff’s music blossomed from a love affair with guitar pedals. Their sound was greatly influenced by The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Pixies, Ride, Sonic Youth, and My Bloody Valentine. The current line-up is Ricardo Gomez (vocals, guitar), Nicolas Colombres (drums), Valentina Cardenas (bass) and Martin Colombres (guitar).

Maff is also teasing the new EP with a video for ‘Act 2’. This is the sequel to ‘Act 1’ from the band’s debut album. The video was created by Pennsylvania’s Tim Busko, who also created the video for ‘Act 1’.

The new album was inspired by Gomez’ first child Augusta. ‘Melaniña’ is an acronym combining the word ‘melanin’ (a group of natural pigments found in most organisms), chosen since Augusta is slightly albino, with the word ‘niña’, Spanish for little girl.

Created by Nicolas Colombres, the album cover artwork features an image of Augusta, who witnessed the whole process of creating this EP (songwriting, recording, mixing). “She has been my source of inspiration. This is my gift to her,” says Ricardo Gomez.

“During our break between albums, I learned to be a father and learned to play the guitar. I started to write music surrounded by new feelings in my life. It is always fascinating to keep learning new things, and I was fortunate to have these two moment’s crash together in the same period of my life. I locked myself in my home studio and started to write music”.

Maff is virtually the only Chilean band ever to have caught the attention of Creation Records founder Joe Foster, well renowned for his knack for identifying great artists and trends, who says “Maff’s music shows the worldwide spread of this particular style of very non rock electric guitar music. A whole world exists in which these guys excel. Love em”.

Foster also provided mastering support, with the bulk of the mastering performed at Black Bacon Sound by Tomas Stewart. This EP was recorded by Eugenio Larrain at Fat Master Studio (Santiago) and Chilean producer Victor Schlesinger at several locations, including Santiago, in a cabin on Mantagua Beach, and surrounded by the vineyards of the Casablanca Valley. Schlesinger also mixed the EP and produced it, together with Ricardo Gomez. These recordings also feature guest appearances by Alberto Parot of Weiza (drums) and Tomas Vidalof Condor Jet (synths, guitar).

Maff ‘Hawaii’ will be released on March 2 via online stores and streaming platforms. The full ‘Melaniña’ EP, which is slated to release on April 2, is already available for pre-order via Bandcamp.