Name: Muziwakhe McVictor Mazibuko aka Muzi
Nationality: South African
Occupation: Songwriter, songwriter, DJ, producer
Current release: Muzi's album uMUZI is out via Fool's Gold. It features his new single "Queen" with Coldplay's Chris Martin on vocals. His collaboration with Kah-Lo, Pleasure/Pain, is also still available.

[Read our Kah-Lo interview]

If you enjoyed this Muzi interview and would like to stay up to date with his music, visit him on Instagram, Facebook, twitter, and Soundcloud.



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

It comes from the beauty I see I around me in my everyday life. Making the seemingly mundane extraordinary.

I love to create from a place of love for myself, my family, my continent and my people.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

Not at all. I follow the art. I follow the feeling.

This requires me to always have my soul’s window open so that I can be a proper vessel. It's a very fluid process, not much planning.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

Nope. I create with what's around me at that time.

With “Emsamu” for instance, I created those drum sounds using my luggage bag.



Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

I don't have any rituals. I usually just hear/see the ideas in my head and then I follow that.

I just love creating, it comes from within so the environment doesn’t really play a big role during the process.

What do you start with? How difficult is that first line of text, the first note?

I start with the beat usually, then expand on that using some outboard gear. It's a very thoughtless process for me.

I only think at the end when I'm mixing the song. That's when I start analysing. But during the process I just like to throw every idea in the mix until I'm out of them. Then I reduce.

When do the lyrics enter the picture? Where do they come from? Do lyrics need to grow together with the music or can they emerge from a place of their own?

It's a bit of both. Most times they come as the beat is being made. But sometimes, I have to sit and wait for the right words.

During that time I'm not really pursuing the idea, I wait for it to come back whether that's through dreams or sudden inspiration.

What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

Simplicity. The challenge is being able to paint a vivid picture using minimal words without overcomplicating the message/story.

To quote a question by the great Bruce Duffie: When you come up with a musical idea, have you created the idea or have you discovered the idea?

Neither. The ideas feel like blessings from my ancestors.

This ties in closely with my African heritage and spirituality. I wait for the blessing, I don't pursue it.
 
From your experience, are there things you're doing differently than most or many other artists when it comes to writing music?

Maybe. I suck in studio sessions. I can't create on the fly most times. I have to wait for it.

Sometimes this can get frustrating because other artists can just get into the studio and instantly create. I can not.

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

I don't like to have any control when creating. I follow.

Sometimes it's like the music writes itself.

Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

Yes, it definitely does happen. I can start having too many ideas, then not knowing which one to choose because I think they’re all dope.

Luckily, I have people around me that help me stop.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

What I do IS spiritual. I stay in this flow-state and only get out of it when the idea is done. It's like I'm in a trance, on some spiritual trip.

Sometimes this comes through in songs like “Slow Lane," or "The Calling.”



Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practise?

It’s very important because I get to hear it with fresh ears and a fresh perspective.

Some ideas are building blocks to the next idea so giving it time to breathe allows me to see where I am in the process.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? How involved do you get in this?

Because I didn't have the means to get a mixing engineer I taught myself how to do it via books, the Internet and a lot of practice.

I’ve grown to love all these parts in the creative process because they have different challenges which are exciting to tackle.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

I thrive in the state of emptiness because that's where I can get to just live life and live new stories which then lead to more creativity.

I believe that as I become a better person, I’ll be a better artist.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

I give the music making a lot more attention. However, this has lead me to not see anything as mundane anymore because of the unlikely sources of inspiration that have blessed me.

So as I've grown up, I've started to be more intentional with every part of me.