New York house producer (Chris) MANIK has just released his first EP on BRIT-award-winning UK label Black Butter Records. It’s his first European release, previously gracing some of the world’s foremost underground dance labels in Ovum, Culprit and Anjunabeats. Interestingly though, MANIK has always referenced classic hip-hop artists The Notorious BIG and Mobb Deep as fundamental influences. “Those specific artists are still a serious impact in terms of creativity and that distinct NYC edge,” he explains. “Hip-hop was an influence on a lot of New York artists – it was the birth of hip hop in NY, it’s a lot more prevalent than maybe Europe where you have a lot of different genres coming through over the same time period. But honestly man, I’m influenced by everybody. I’ve got loads of time for people like James Blake, for example. There’s a track on this EP called ‘Wanna Feel’ where I’m loosely playing with my own vocals and washing them with guitar pedals and stuff… In terms of influences you don’ really want to stick too closely to anyone for fear of not creating your own sound, but I guess I’m all over the place because I like a little of everything. This particular record I was just feeling a little more up-tempo and bass-orientated; I had a good couple of days in the studio and this is the result.” He makes this sound very easy.
MANIK’s burgeoning reputation in the industry has coincided with an especially florid period for the New York City dance scene: a number of notably good new clubs springing up, and for the first time in a long time, a bonafide community of clubbers and DJs. MANIK expands. “Places like Williamsburg and Brooklyn you now have places like Verboten and Output, TBA is also pretty decent – the resurgence in club culture and house music has literally happened over the last year; five years ago club culture was either super underground or super commercial and no-one was having any kind of longevity, you can’t cultivate anything like that. Right now there’s a lot of good nights and they’re selling these places out. I’m playing a party with Josh Wink and TEED next week, and it’s been sold out for ages. People just seem to be taking a more thoughtful, European standpoint and it’s really refreshing.”
As documented, MANIK has tactfully spread his releases over only majorly respected underground imprints: what has this actually taught him? “[That] It’s hard;” He laughs good-naturedly. “First and foremost you have to have quality over quantity but also because there’s just so much stuff coming out now, you have to keep your output at a certain level. The labels I’ve worked with have always been good guys and I felt they understood what I wanted to do. Then obviously I met the Black Butter guys last year when they asked me to do a remix.” This was for the Swedish producer Sailor & I, a collaboration that rapidly garnered critical acclaim across both sides of the Atlantic. “Honestly, labels are like families. You need to try and build a relationship with a handful and support each other.” So what attracted him to the London label? “Black Butter is a real label, a well-oiled machine… They’re really professional and just know how to run a campaign properly. It helps that they’re really nice guys.”
Meanwhile MANIK has a busy summer ahead: a different EP coming out every month until then: on Nervous, Ovum, Culprit, Anjunadeep; He’s touring Europe in May and June before returning to America and moving from his beloved NY to LA. “It’s a lot cheaper to be honest, you know how it is in New York, it’s like London – it’s fucking brutal.” It seems even hype DJs can’t escape the absurdities of a capital city’s housing market. “I would argue that there’s worse Indian food in NYC too.” He adds dryly. I ask if he remembers his last dream and he furrows his brow for a bit. “…Yes! It was weird because I don’t normally dream about stuff like this; I was at a house party and for some reason they needed to use my studio speakers – I have these nice Vokals that are pretty high-end, I would never even think of bringing them anywhere. So what ended up happening is that someone knocked them over. The thing is in reality, they’re so well-made that I think they’d actually survive, they’re literally 50lbs. In my dream they just cracked in half, I was going nuts in the party. I must really love those speakers…”
Because of You is out now. Head to Manik’s soundcloud to hear more.
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