The wearing of masks is a common tradition in many cultures. By masquerading, ritual dancers allow the souls of the deceased to escape to their final restingplace and to join the ranks of their ancestors, thereby restoring order to the universe. Over the evolution of civilization, the mask symbolizes different believes and found its way into our modern societies.

 

Ingo Möll, the creative mind behind Kabanjak and one half of the Ancient Astronauts,

captures this heritage with his project Deela and transforms the concept into his musical expression. For him, the skull mask represents the fact that all humans are equal beneath their skin. All forms of music draw their energy from the same source, the source of culture and nature.

 

Deela is producing music since the year of 2001. What started as a four-piece band ensemble is now Ingo Möll's own imprint for electronic world music. It's a funky fusion that fuels his inspiration from Global Bass, Latin, House, Afrobeat and Cumbia. The sound is a result of his experimentations with traditional and modern sounds, often ending up being mixed so precisely that the listener can't explain if the music is from a distant era or fresh from a computers' hard disk.

 

Although there are no oceans and palms surrounding his Evergreen Studio in Germany, he manages to come up with a truly tropical style that feels and tastes like a beady Cuba Libre at a beach in the hot summer sun.

 

Because of this unique sound, Deela gained a lot of international reputation by DJ's, musicians, press and fans alike. Artists like Ease (Nightmares On Wax), Diesler, Danny Massure or Mo' Horizons praise his energetic and moving songs, playing Deela's music on worldwide dancefloors. In the typical fashion of an electronic producer, he also remixed various artists like Issa Bagayogo, Gato Preto, Anthony B and many more.

 

Companies like Mini, Red Bull and many others developed a foible for his sound and used the music in various advertising campaigns and image trailers.

 

The Deela skull reminds us of our ancestors' traditions in a modern, hectic world. The interconnected aspect of our cultural diversity can be revealed through masked rituals,

and maintain their power and mystery both for their wearers and audience.