Mali Mali is on tour across the country for the release of his beautiful sophomore album As a Dog Dreams, with support from van Der Wel in the North Island and The Bonnie C in the south island.
Mali Mali (real name Ben Tolich) is a singer/songwriter hailing from Auckland, New Zealand. A young artist unafraid to plumb the dark depths of human experience, Tolich’s music explores the cathartic possibilities of songwriting. Mali Mali’s sophomore album As a Dog Dreams is a collection of Tolich's most raw and imaginative songs to date. Having cast off conventional studio trappings to work instead in his parents’ basement, the resultant LP is suitably intimate and self-reflective.
Tolich has released a steady stream of recorded output as Mali Mali, his debut album Gather 'round the Gooseclock (recorded in 2013 in tropical Cairns by Mark Myers of The Middle East fame) garnering acclaim. “I’m totally/utterly sold on the sound,” said Simon Sweetman at Off the Tracks. “Sweeping and majestic and there’s a touch of David Byrne to the voice and Ben Tolich (Mali Mali) is one clever f*cker.”
After a particularly intense period of touring, Tolich chucked in the live circuit to write and record As a Dog Dreams, sorting through the politics of his own mind by way of music. In spite of its heavy impetus, the album strives for enlightenment while embracing pain and wonder, coloured by Tolich’s own attempts to face up to his darkness. Sonically, it is lush, with precise melodies and dishevelled textures, tethered together by acoustic guitars and synthesizers.
Mali Mali has toured Australia with Jack Carty, shared stages with such international acts as Perfume Genius and Boy & Bear (including playing to a sold out crowd at Auckland’s Powerstation), and composed music for the eerie, picturesque video-game Desolate by artist Elliot Collis. Now, with As a Dog Dreams, Tolich has emerged from the basement with his most accomplished work yet.
As a Dog Dreams is available now digitally and on CD at www.malimalisongs.com
