Mahrad Enlists Producing Legend David Banta To Create 'Devilish'

Rising Iranian-born beatmaker Mahrad has teamed up with legendary producer David Banta to release his emotionally-charged new single, “Devilish.” Mirroring the push-and-pull aesthetic of The Pixies' classic hit, “Where Is My Mind?,” sampled on the track, “Devilish,” which is available to stream and download, aims to capture the raw emotions Mahrad experienced during some of the most challenging periods of his life. 

“There have been times I’ve fought with addiction and let myself completely be taken over by it,” he admits. “There have also been times when I was stuck in a toxic relationship and completely changed my values and priorities in life. It’s strange how similar addiction and relationships can be. With ‘Devilish,’ I wanted to portray that feeling. I wanted everything to start out fun and upbeat, but by the end, push you to realize something is wrong.”

With the help of David Banta, who is best known for mixing and mastering a majority of Grammy Award-winning Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s tracks, Mahrad created this environment by reversing all the instruments near the end of the song, which launches listeners into a chaotic atmosphere that swirls around them.

The guitar-driven, indie-rock leaning crossover track “Devilish” follows “I Keep Stix" – a hard-hitting rap track that explores the daily struggles of an artist and young man living in a world where inequality, poverty, and violence are rampant – highlighting the diversity and flexibility in Mahrad’s ability as a producer. Driven by emotion, regardless of genre, Mahrad captures intense life experiences to create his art from a candid and relatable perspective that helps him earn the trust of his listeners.

Mahrad, a native Iranian who relocated to California, found his musical muse early in life through a fortuitous garage sale keyboard. The fascination birthed in fifth grade grew throughout high school, where he honed his free-styling and production skills. However, pursuing his dream had to pause due to family issues.

Nevertheless, this period further fueled his passion for music, as he penned down song ideas and envisioned a future bright with musical endeavors. Now, Mahrad navigates through his tumultuous past and lifestyle changes, rekindling his love for music.

With a peaceful spirit and deep-rooted emotions, his music resonates with messages of hope, love, and revolution, inspired by influences from 2pac, Nirvana, Bob Marley, and Depeche Mode. Though his sound nests in the hip-hop genre, Mahrad's mission transcends labels. He is not living to make music, but making music to live, to uplift souls, to ignite change. His voice is yet to echo globally, but it's only a matter of time.