Maara Steps Into Her Power on 'Ultra Villain' Album [Q&A]

Montréal-born artist Maara has been stedily locking in her own lane, threading proggy rave energy with something more emotional and off-center. From standout sets at MUTEK, Sustain-Release, and Solstice to releases on labels like Kalahari Oyster Cult, Punctuality, and her native Canadian crew NAFF – a key creative home – alongside her own Ancient Records imprint, she’s solidified herself as a defining voice in the new wave of underground electronic music.

A member of the Beatport Next Class of 2026, Maara now delivers her latest album Ultra Villain via NAFF – a raw, narrative-driven project that leans into vocals, vulnerability, and full-spectrum feeling. Pulling from trip-hop, IDM, and leftfield pop, the record trades pure dance floor function for something more personal, unpacking desire, heartbreak, and the tension between chaos and control.

In this conversation, she unpacks the emotional weight behind the record, creative risks, and what’s next.

Ultra Villain feels like a full emotional storyline. Did you always intend to tell a bigger story with the album?

I think it’s something I understood more in hindsight. When I’m making music, it feels like a kind of emotional journal. Then, when I look back, I start to see the patterns and the narrative arc. It’s less about planning a story and more about realizing it after the fact.

I’m usually just responding to what I’m feeling in the moment, and it’s only later that everything starts to connect and make sense as a bigger picture.

You’re known for higher-energy club tracks. Did slowing things down and leaning into vocals feel like a risk?

Yeah, it probably seems unexpected from the outside. But before dance music, I was making more vocal-driven stuff, so it felt natural in a way. It is risky though. Putting out something different from what people expect can be scary, but I think it’s important to explore different sides of storytelling. At the end of the day, whether it’s fast or slow, it’s all connected in the process of making things. I guess I'm surprised by it as well. 

The title Ultra Villain is bold. Who – or what – is the “villain” in this story?

It ties into personal experiences and realizing you don’t have control over how people see you. There’s something powerful about embracing that and being okay with being perceived as the villain. It’s freeing. It doesn’t mean I think I am the villain, but owning that idea takes the power back.

“The Chase” got a striking visual treatment. What was your vision for that video?

It’s my first video under this project, and the album really called for a visual world. Working with Adam Feingold, we both really aligned on wanting to create something sexy, mysterious, and a bit surreal – like a mix between reality and dream states.

If the album were a film or TV show, what would it look like?

It would be like a lesbian drama series – kind of The L Word meets chaotic DJ life in Berlin. Lots of relationships, emotional spirals, and interconnected drama. Probably a bit like Real Housewives, but darker and more unhinged.

Was there a track that felt especially cathartic to finish?

“A Moving Blur” was really emotional for me. I started it alone in a hotel room after a festival when I couldn’t sleep. There was a lot on my mind, and making it felt like releasing something heavy. When we reworked it in the studio, it was a really intense moment – like tears-in-the-studio kind of energy. The track really encapsulated the miscommunication and pain I was going through with somebody and this inability to find a resolution.

You collaborated closely with Priori and Patrick Holland on this album. How did that shape the final result?

It was a big collaborative process. Francis (Priori) has been involved in my music from the beginning – he actually put out my first EP – so doing a full album with him felt like a real full circle moment. When I brought the material in, some tracks were already quite developed, while others were just rough sketches or one-minute ideas sitting on my computer. From there, it became a back-and-forth process of figuring out what really worked and what needed that extra push.

They were really good at hearing when something was close but not quite there yet. Sometimes it was just adding one more detail – a new synth line, a small texture, or reworking a section – that suddenly made the whole track click. Other times, we’d go back and fully retrack vocals or instrumentation in the studio, which brought a lot more depth and clarity to the songs. I tend to lean more atmospheric, while Patrick Holland has a strong musical and pop sensibility, so there was a nice balance in how we approached things. Bringing everything into the studio together really helped elevate the material and shape the album into something more polished and fully realized.

You split your time between Montreal and Berlin. How do the two cities compare for you?

Montreal feels a lot more grounded for me creatively – it’s where I feel really connected to what’s happening around me and to the community I came up in. There’s a sense of being locked into the scene there, like I understand the energy and how I fit within it.

Berlin, on the other hand, feels much more transient. I’m usually there as a base while touring around Europe, so I’m often coming in and out, and a lot of the people around me are doing the same. It can feel a bit like a whirlwind in that sense.

I wouldn’t say I feel as rooted there, but it’s still been really inspiring – just in a different way. A lot of that inspiration comes from personal experiences and relationships as much as the music itself. So while Montreal feels stable and grounding, Berlin feels more chaotic, but still creatively stimulating in its own way.

What are your priorities for 2026 and beyond?

Honestly, self-care and finding a bit more balance. Touring can be really intense, and I think I’m trying to be more intentional about how I move through it – just staying grounded, building some kind of routine, and taking better care of myself along the way.

It’s hard to separate that from music, because everything kind of overlaps, but I’d ideally like to shift things a bit – maybe do a little less touring and spend more time in the studio. I’m really interested in collaborating more, working with other artists, and even exploring more of the pop world in different ways.

Longer term, I could see myself moving a bit more behind the scenes – getting into things like film scoring or just being in the studio more consistently. It’s about finding a pace that feels sustainable while still evolving creatively.

Maara's album Ultra Villain is out now via NAFF. 

Get it on Beatport.