Malachiii Loves Wim Hof & Waking Up Early

This is Spinning Out, a recurring series in which NYLON spotlights the most exciting DJs working the circuit right now. Get to know promising upstarts and subgenre superstars — before they hit the big leagues.

You can argue nature versus nurture all you want, but for Malachiii, the answer is both. His musical upbringing in L.A. “set the bar high for me in terms of my creativity,” the DJ and songwriter tells NYLON, but his “studio rat” tendencies thereafter are all his own.

Between his 2024 summer anthem “Move,” featuring Camila Cabello, and his new single “It’s Your Life,” the 25-year-old has been on a tear, blending Afro-house percussion and Latin-inspired beats to create his own idiosyncratic sound. Ahead, Malachiii talks with NYLON about giving up 4 a.m. bedtimes, childhood dance lessons, and what to expect next from him behind the booth.

When did you identify music as your purpose?

A really pivotal moment for me was going on tour at age 14 with [composer] AR Rahman. It was my first professional gig, but I was actually there as a dancer. Growing up, I was in musical theatre and learned to play different instruments and write my own music. When I left that tour, I told myself the next time I would be on stage like that, it would be me in the front.

Wow, 14 is young to go on tour. Was your family supportive?

I was raised in an entertainment family; my dad is an actor, and my mom was a dancer on Broadway. I started dance lessons at 7 years old and that’s all I wanted to do: dance like Michael Jackson. When I first started making music, I was doing the typical thing with backup dancers, but as my music has evolved, my shows are different.

What was the nightlife scene in L.A. growing up?

I wasn’t really in the typical L.A. scene — a bunch of my friends and I were just doing music and everything, really, acting, dancing. They used to call us “the young Hollywood kids.” I’m such a studio rat. Most of the time I prefer to just stay inside and make music. It’s my favorite thing to do.

You seem dialed in. Something tells me you have a morning routine.

Initially, the vibe was staying up until 4 a.m. making beats and waking up at noon. As I matured, things changed. I try to wake up early. I meditate and I pray. I love Wim Hof breathwork. When I first started this practice, I would listen to guided meditations with different audio frequencies. Now, I combine everything I know and make up my own way [to meditate].

Does this practice influence your music?

100 percent. My spirituality has definitely bled into my music process, or at least how I express it. Having these morning rituals helps me be more aware of my thoughts and the things around me; it creates a sense of balance instead of a reaction.

What was the process like creating “Move” with Adam Port?

We’re now in this new era of world-music, dance-music vibe; before “Move,” I never made anything in this space before. It shot me into this whole new world of music I’ve been super inspired by since, and got me back in the studio for my new track.

What’s next in Malachiii’s universe?

I’m a bit of a unicorn, my music has no bounds. I’m excited for this next era of me.