Discipline & ANARCHY: Maŕa Peralta
PC: Juan Cano
Brooklyn-based experimental artist Maŕa PERALTA Is driven by a desire to be powerfully evocative and visionary in everything she creates. Having produced music for a decade, she now spans a thrilling cross-pollination of dark ambient, IDM, techno, experimental, and more. Her genre-spanning repertoire is best sampled in 2024’s debut album *Dawn*, a six-tracker that explores feelings of discovery, madness, sadness, disorientation, romance, darkness, and power. Released via her label and creative agency, Cultivated Sound, it reboots the imprint she originally launched in 2014 as an artist collective with events, radio shows, and more. A few years later, it became an outpost for records from herself, as well as Ariel Zetina, Anna Wall, Phon.o, Maria Chávez, Hiroko Yamamura, Frankie Bones, Phil Moffa, and Rosa Anschutz.
As already evident, Maŕa is multifaceted. As a DJ, she is a regular at The Lot Radio and has played at some of the city’s most notable venues, including Elsewhere, Bossa Nova Civic Club, Pioneer Works, Knockdown Center, Market Hotel, and Output. Her work, which explores the duality of calm and chaos, has been featured on Nocturnal Frequencies, Always Human Tapes, and most notably, Air Texture. Her track "Rebellion" landed on their charged compilation series alongside Silent Servant, Rrose, Octa Octa, Laurel Halo, and Luke Slater. A year later, she re-released the track on a V/A EP with remixes by LDY OSC and S. English.
Her propensity for pushing boundaries shines in her live performances, where she further unites her artistry in jewelry craft, fashion, sound design, and dance. Active in New York’s fashion scene, Maŕa owns the jewelry and accessories brand Maŕa Peralta Studio, with Eartheater, Julia Fox, and Tygapaw among those who have worn her striking handcrafted stainless steel pieces. As spotlighted by Paper magazine, in 2023 she debuted at New York Fashion Week, performing at House of Yes with the KRATER collective to showcase her new jewelry collection, ‘Destruction’. Collaborating with guitarist Wilson Flores, this immersive, exhilarating experimental set brought together a distinct fusion of fashion, design, sculpture, expression, movement, art, and techno.
In the afterglow of ‘Dawn’ she is preparing a collaborative album with Italian producer Mystics, one that emerges from a serene mixture of emotional decay and nuanced feelings to explore concepts of personal transmission and impermanence.
WHY DO YOU DO IT? WHAT DRIVES YOU?
I’m an experimental artist and musician creating sound in the genres of dark ambient, experimental, IDM, electronic, trip hop, and techno. My focus is to curate sound as music, with an emphasis on field recording, experimentation, and long-form improvisation. I work mainly with analog gear——Moogs, synths, drum machines, pedal effects, and electric guitar——but my primary instrument is my voice. My second medium is metal; I am a jewelry and accessory designer. My goal is to push the boundaries of jewelry design, creating pieces that can exist and evolve with you over time. I focus on making pieces that are durable, functional, and timeless.
What drives me is the desire to connect both mediums——sound and metal——and to reach people through a sonic or wearable experience. I believe in sharing ideas and emotions across time, whether past or present, and I hope my experiences resonate and make people feel something. WHAT IS ONE THING YOU DO FOR SANITY MAINTENANCE?
There are a few things I do for sanity maintenance. I love going to a rave when the music is on point. I also love taking long drives, upstate maybe, hanging my hand out of the window with my partner and our dog, Teddy. Visiting galleries and museums, drinking natural wine, and being in nature.WHAT IS THE SCRAPPIEST THING YOU’VE DONE TO MAKE OR SAVE $$?
I try to drink less alcohol, especially in New York, where prices are no joke right now. Honestly, let’s all just move to Europe!YOUR TASK IS TO PRESCRIBE ONE BOOK OR FILM TO THE COLLECTIVE FOR MANDATORY CONSUMPTION. WHAT IS IT?
I’ve been re-watching a lot of Hispanic directors. THE SKIN I LIVE IN by Pedro Almodóvar along with a few others like SANTA SANGRE by Alejandro Jodorowsky have left a strong impression on me. current obsession?
Craftsmanship of metal and leather! I just got my first pair of GUIDI boots for my anniversary, and their craftsmanship is beyond. The blend of leather and steel has me completely obsessed. Leather and steel are the materials I am using for the new collection, 004 CLÁSICO GÓTICO.During my travels in Argentina in May, I sourced materials from factories that specialized in metal buckles and leather.
Another thing I’m obsessed with is coconut water. Staying hydrated is so important for mental health and keeping your body balanced daily.
MOST USEFUL FAILURE?
My most useful failure has been the struggle of being an artist, both in design and music. There are so many challenges, technical and financial, that come up every day. The key is to keep going, even on the days when you feel like giving up. It’s just part of the process of becoming an artist and achieving true craftsmanship. However, I am also a firm believer of ruling your own framework and structure, not following any fashion seasonal schedule and so on.SELECTED Q FROM THE PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE: Where would you most like to live?
I would like to live by the coast, somewhere where I can fully enjoy nature and explore an alternative reality. For now, Paris or Berlin are appealing to me, but in the future, I’d like to have a place near my family in Buenos Aires, Argentina.WHAT ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING ON?
I’m constantly moving between music and jewelry. It’s interesting because, in the beginning, my music and its community inspired me to get into metal and design. I improvised with found materials to create an object. When I’m creating sound, I also focus on long-form improvisation. Now, both of these art forms live through me and make me feel complete.
I’m working on my live set for Uncensored New York on October 19 at Nublu, where I’ll be playing along with Liz Lamere and Death Dance Music. I just released my first debut album ‘DAWN’ and will have the record at the event on Saturday. I love this record. The cover is a scan I did of my face! I’m also in the midst of releasing my Collection 004, CLÁSICO GÓTICO, from Maŕa Peralta Studio. This collection is especially meaningful to me, as it’s inspired by my heritage and my roots in South America, specifically Argentina.
DISCIPLINE OR ANARCHY?
Discipline.