Meet The 'Masked' Men Of Music

Pop culture has time and again referenced a mask to portray a stronger, unbeatable character, superhero or otherwise. But in the case of musicians, is it something more? A way to connect with their audience through both music and style perhaps? Or more about 'hiding' their personality so you get to know them purely through their art?

Talwiinder might be the current masked sensation but there have been many such performers, each with their own stories and signature appearance styles. What's behind their masks? Let's find out!

Talwiinder

The Punjabi singer known for popular songs like Khayaal, Gallan 4, and Haseen is seen with a skull-face paint covering his face entirely. While Halloween inspirations cannot be ruled out, he says the idea of masking his identity stemmed from superheroes like Shaktiman, Joker, Superman and Mr India. When asked on a recent podcast, he gave out many reasons for covering his face – his father was a painter and so, the face paint is an ode to him and that it gives him the comfort of anonymity and stepping out in public without bodyguards. As a musician, he wants people to listen to his music rather than watching him. 

Sia

The Unstoppable singer who has also collaborated with Diljit Dosanjh for Hass Hass has a signature hair style that masks her face. Around 2012-13 when fame knocked her door and caught her unawares, thanks to her music, she decided to not let it impact her mental health. She bought onboard actor and dancer Maddie Ziegler to act as an alter ego and perform in her songs. The Cheap Thrills singer has talked about the negative effects of social media and fame on pop stars and said she doesn’t want it for herself. 

DJ Marshmello

Christopher Comstock popularly known as DJ Marshmello is known for wearing a white marshmallow like helmet on his head with a smiley face painted on it. The inspiration of the mascot head came from Deadmau5, who performs wearing a dead mouse mascot head. The idea was to create a brand that everyone can relate to, that is accessible to everyone, a universal character. As a result, the name ‘Marshmello’ was picked in a nod to his music’s mellow feel. Over the years, the helmet has gone through an upgrade. With an internal air conditioning system and programmable LED lights, the eight pound helmet costs $55000 and has gained immense popularity. 

Daft Punk

The 1990s saw the rise of French electronic music duo Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. The idea of their helmets was sketched by music video directors Alex and Martin and later developed and materialised by Los Angeles based special effects studio Alterian Inc. Its design has undergone several changes in all these years. At one point, Guy’s helmet was being planned to resemble NASA’s space helmet. It was post 2006 that their helmets went dark and a metallic finish was added. Initially, they wore retro disco-influenced outfits to go with the helmet. However, in 2005 designer Hedi Slimane designed contemporary biker-chic leather outfits for the duo.  

DJ Gesaffelstein

The French music programmer, DJ songwriter and producer Mike Levy is called the ‘dark prince of techno’. He is recognised by his stage name Gesaffelstein. Recently, at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, the DJ wore a black tuxedo with a black mask and black gloves. According to him, masking allows him to feel detached from reality and immerse in his art, also creating a powerful stage presence that fans resonate with. 

Orville Peck

South African country musician Daniel Pitout is known to maintain a signature cowboy style. He covers his face with a fringed mask. In an interview, he said he’s revealing a little more every time he comes on stage or in public eye as the size of his mask shrinks. However, the singer says he hasn’t decided what the future has in store – to show or not to show his face but says he wants to keep his vulnerability as an artist intact.  

Arjun Verma

Just when the conversation over AI music was falling into place, an AI spiritual rock band from India ‘Trilok’ was announced. At the time when Bhajan clubbing is gaining momentum, Indian talent management company Collective Artists Networks’ division Collective Media Network announced its virtual band. Its members – vocalist Arjun Varma, guitarist Aditya Rao, drummer Karan Tripathi, and bassist Viraj Rajan, all wear coloured masks (red, blue, green) in order to stand out.

Deadmau5

Canadian electronic music producer and DJ Joel Thomas Zimmerman aka Deadmau5 is always seen with a custom made helmet labelled the ‘mau5head’. The Grammy winner had confessed in an earlier interview that the idea to wear mouse ears had come up during a fun banter with a friend as a joke. When he sported the mouse ears on stage, it resonated with the audiences and became his signature style. Over the years, the helmet has come to signify freedom in creative expression and authenticity. He now owns more than 15 mouse ear headpieces with variations in colours and designs, some even fitted with LED lights.