Artist Profile - Not Mani

Meet Not Mani. He’s a Byron Bay boy, who works on a peach farm by day and throws down rompers by night. In 2016 he released three massive tracks on Front Left’s label, proving that he’s come a long way from listening to Ministry of Sound in the back of his cousin’s car. Diving into producing at the early age of 15, Mani’s sound has morphed from the “glitchy house” he mixed in his bedroom, to the progressive, melodic masterpieces we get the pleasure of fist pumping to on the Front Left dance floor (...or in our bedrooms - check out Soundcloud).

Over the past eight years, you’ve been hard at work in the studio transforming your sound to where it is today. How does a track go from a thought, to a thumper blaring through the Front Left speakers?The progression from where it starts, to where it ends up is just me experimenting and playing around with sound. I never really go into the studio with a concept in mind and come out with what I expected to. When I’m writing I kind of just go with the flow, allowing myself to focus without holding on to one specific sound too tightly. It’s all about having an experimental frame of mind, playing with different sounds, pushing their boundaries and coming back to the sounds I like. As the track progresses, I pick up different ideas and elements and that sound continues to morph right up until the track is finished. Sometimes a track will take me one 5 hour session and other times it will take me a week. It’s never really the same process and I make sure not to limit myself in that sense.

How does it feel when you do finish the track and throw it down to room full of punters? It’s honestly incredible. For me, writing a track is about the atmosphere I create with it. To see that come to life in front of your eyes, is out of this world. It’s also scary, because there’s always that risk that it’s not received by the crowd the way you thought it would be. But that’s where friends come in. I’m lucky that I’ve got old friends who are just as passionate about music as I am - so I often do a test run with them first.

What keeps you inspired and coming back for more? Hearing other people’s tracks, and the excitement you draw from that. You know when a song comes on and you’re just like what the hell is this sound, and how the hell did they make it? It inspires me to jump straight into the studio and start playing with sounds, experimenting and coming up with something fresh and new. It’s about pushing your own boundaries, through learning from other artists. The energy that songs like these create, is what keeps me coming back. I love dancing and getting down, and watching a room of bodies all move harmoniously together, even though there is an outrageously thumping tune playing. That energy is what really shines for me. Techno is good.

How did you become a part of Front Left? It happened through a few mutual friends, and it was just the right timing. Chris and Kiran had been wanting to do it for a long time, you know build a great party based on a community ethos of celebrating homegrown artists and the Inner West scene. We bounced a couple of tracks back and forward, and they really liked what I was doing. Not just that, I think we’re all on the same level, so it’s super inspiring to have such open, creative people to work with, where I can freely express myself as an artist. What they’re doing with Front Left is really cool. There’s this unique vibe that’s carried from party to party, all while bringing new a vision and experience to life. But there’s one thing we can all expect going into the parties and that’s to hear techno - flat out techno.