#45 Top Releases in Deep House

Release number forty-three is the fourth original release on Manjumasi from label co-founder Mark Slee. Whirligig leans hard into the quirky side of the label sound, with bouncy percussion and unhinged melodies slipping and sliding all over the groove. Its a minimal bohemian affair that lands somewhere between the circus tent and the spaceport. On remix duty we have the legendary producer Daniel Gardner, aka Frivolous, a veritable master of wonky melodic dance music in his own right. It is fair to say that Frivolous has been a serious influence on the sonic sensibility of Manjumasi over more than a decade of both atish and Slee following and absorbing his output. On this release he pushes Whirligig further in a classic house direction, with tasty electric piano chord hits, a funky walking bassline and artfully chopped vocal cuts. Perfectly playful and weird Frivolous vibes throughout.

Mark Slee

#87 Top Releases in Ambient / Experimental

Release number thirty-nine sees the return of Luis León to Manjumasi. Luis is no stranger to the label, having previously released the Flaming Tree EP with Padre, as well as remixing Jamie Stevens on the Titans EP. Luis now teams up with his production and Blankhaus label partner Unseener for a showcase of expressive and expansive modern uptempo grooves. The title track Silent Starts is an evocative tension-builder that pulsates with percussive energy and a sense of positive urgency throughout. Were thrilled to welcome London-based wunderkind Tom VR to the label with his absolute fire Anthemix of Silent Starts, reworking the track with his signature deep rumbling basslines and a humanizing vocoder part. Completing the EP are a second uplifting original, Infinite Joy, and Rebirth, a delicate ambient piece that highlights this production partnerships sensitivity to nuanced sound design.

Luis León, Unseener