Meet Malachi Bray | Director of Marketing and Open Format Dj

We had the good fortune of connecting with Malachi Bray and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Malachi, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
In my role as Director of Marketing for Relativity Artchitects I think the most important factor in the success of our brand is that we view it as a living entity that is constantly evolving. What may work perfectly now may not necessarily be an ideal fit in the future as design itself is constantly evolving. We approach branding from a forward facing perspective which helps us to future proof our brand elements by forecasting and being in tune with where the future of design is headed. That said, we also have to be cognizant of the fact that the future can be unpredictable and so we try to be flexible and adaptable in our approach to our unique brand evolution. Branding is a huge part of marketing, and marketing only truly exists to support business development on a fundamental level, so we stive as a company to create a clear vision of our firm goals and where we want to position ourselves in the future as we continually evolve.

In addition to serving as marketing role, I’m also an open format dj with 20 years of experience playing a variety of events, and I’m still figuring out my individual brand as I evolve. For some reason it’s always been easier for me to formulate a brand strategy for a design firm rather than my own individual brand. I think it’s because I don’t like to limit myself to a certain music genre or type of event so it’s a little more difficult to pinpoint a unique brand story for myself. If I were to focus just on EDM or hip-hop, it would be more clear cut, but I’m passionate about mixing the best of all genres in unexpected and creative ways. Starting this year I’m working on getting more clear on where I want to focus my energies so I can create a more successful brand strategy moving forward. I’ve also learned recently that if you don’t give the market your own unique brand story, they’ll define your brand’s story for you. So my main goal in terms of branding right now is to be authentic and genuine to who I am, and to have fun with it so that other people will too.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a kid, I always knew I wanted to have a career where I could be creative since I couldn’t bear the thought of not enjoying my work. My biggest nightmare was ending up a lawyer or accountant. The two creative paths I was most attracted to since before I can remember were music and design. I started drawing at a young age and knew almost immediately that it did something to my brain that made me happier, more in tune with who I am, and gave me the opportunity to experience a flow state where everything else fell away and hours passed like minutes. I also got the same feeling from music, but I wasn’t gifted with a natural talent for singing or playing instruments. I tried piano, drums and saxophone and was at best mediocre at all of them. Then during junior year of high school my best friend brought me to my first warehouse rave and I was hooked. The energy the dj brought to the space and people dancing was otherworldly and almost magical for me. This was back when the dj would be more hidden on a balcony or small dj booth and was not the center of attention. The people back then were focused on the dance floor and didn’t face the dj with their phones in the air like they do now. I knew immediately I had to buy some turntables and teach myself how to dj so I worked two landscaping jobs to save up for my first dj pair of turntables and mixer. This was 20 years ago before djing was even remotely considered a viable career path like it is today, so I always assumed that djing would be more of a side passion or hobby for me and that I would have to focus on design for a more successful, long term professional career. Of course today there are so many superstar djs and producers out there that I sort of kick myself sometimes for not realizing the potential back then, but I’m still very happy with my marketing and design career and don’t think I would change anything. But that is definitely one of the main lessons I learned along the way – If you find something you love to do, don’t worry so much about the traditional career path constraints. There is a market for everything, and if you’re passionate about what you do, and you put in the consistent work to be great at it, things will work out. The other lesson I learned is that you have to be true to yourself when it comes to creating. I used to think being creative was about appealing to enough people to become popular so that you can be successful. But the reality is, creativity is tied to your individual talents, not the audience. I think the best art is not created for the audience, it’s more of a true reflection of the artist’s unique perspective and soul.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When friends come to visit me in LA, I like to play tour guide and show them some of the hidden gems around town. LA is pretty spread out, and traffic can be a nightmare, but I usually start out with a skateboard cruise from the Santa Monica pier to the Venice boardwalk and a stop at Perry’s Café for lunch. In the summer I like to play beach volleyball, and afterwards grab a cold beer at Big Dean’s Oceanfront Café. For nightlife, there’s an amazing sushi and robata restaurant downtown called Takami, which is connected to a roof top club named Elevate that plays great music. Sometimes you get hungry after a late night out with friends, and I know some amazing taco trucks downtown that are always open late. For some reason the taco trucks downtown have incredible salsa, better than any restaurant or store-bought brand I’ve ever tried. Sometimes LA’s real magic lies off the beaten path, and La Descarga is an upscale Cuban speakeasy that features amazing cocktails and the chance to enjoy a piece of beautiful Havana right in LA. I also like being active so I’m a huge fan of some of the great hikes, parks and beaches throughout the city. There are way too many amazing places in LA to list which is one of the best parts about living here.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to dedicate this shoutout to my wife Meg. She inspires me by being an incredible wife, mother, friend and business owner and pastry chef who is always thinking about how to make other people happy.

Instagram: @dj.malachi

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/malachi-bray-4a680015/