Manual (band)
Encyclopedia
Manual is the performing name of electronic musician
, Jonas Munk, from Odense
, Denmark
. Manual's music is considered to be in the styles of ambient
dream pop
and indietronica
. His sound tends to contain a mix of software synthesizers, guitars (sometimes sampled or heavily processed), and various digital signal processing effects. Mixing elements of pop
, glitch
, and indie music, Manual is compared to artists ranging from IDM
artists, such as Boards of Canada
, as well as shoegazer groups like My Bloody Valentine.
Munk's output as Manual is strongly associated with the aesthetic of Morr Music
, the label that released his first two albums. He also is featured on the Morr Music compilation
Blue Skied an' Clear
, which was a Slowdive
tribute
.
However, Munk's artistic visions didn't fit into the narrow Morr aesthetic, and in 2004 he joined the American label Darla
. Simultaneously, Munk started a psych stoner band called Causa Sui
, and they released their self-titled debut album in December 2005.
, Simple Minds
, Japan
, David Sylvian
, Brian Eno
, Cocteau Twins
, U2
, Philip Glass
, Coil
, Jimi Hendrix
and Led Zeppelin
.
Electronic musician
An electronic musician is a musician who composes or plays music from synthetic sounds generated with synthesizers, samplers, drum machines or music sequencers....
, Jonas Munk, from Odense
Odense
The city of Odense is the third largest city in Denmark.Odense City has a population of 167,615 and is the main city of the island of Funen...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. Manual's music is considered to be in the styles of ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
dream pop
Dream pop
Dream pop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom in the mid-1980s, when bands like The Passions, Dif Juz, Lowlife and A.R. Kane began fusing post-punk and ethereal experiments with bittersweet pop melodies into dreamy, sensual soundscapes. The term was almost...
and indietronica
Indietronica
Indietronica is a music genre that combines indie, electronica, rock and pop music. Typical instruments used in indietronica music are electronic keyboard, synthesizer, sampler and drum machine...
. His sound tends to contain a mix of software synthesizers, guitars (sometimes sampled or heavily processed), and various digital signal processing effects. Mixing elements of pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, glitch
Glitch (music)
Glitch is a term used to describe a genre of electronic music that emerged in the mid to late 1990s. The glitch aesthetic is characterized by a deliberate use of glitch based sonic artifacts that would normally be viewed as unwanted disturbances reducing the overall sound quality and are thus...
, and indie music, Manual is compared to artists ranging from IDM
Intelligent dance music
Intelligent dance music is a term that describes an electronic music genre that emerged in the early 1990s. The genre is influenced by a wide range of musical styles particularly electronic dance music such as Detroit Techno...
artists, such as Boards of Canada
Boards of Canada
Boards of Canada are a Scottish electronic music duo consisting of brothers Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin...
, as well as shoegazer groups like My Bloody Valentine.
Munk's output as Manual is strongly associated with the aesthetic of Morr Music
Morr Music
Morr Music is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany, founded in 1999 by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music, electronica and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's personal taste...
, the label that released his first two albums. He also is featured on the Morr Music compilation
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
Blue Skied an' Clear
Blue skied an' clear (album)
Blue Skied An' Clear is a two-disc compilation, featuring various artists from Morr Music covering songs from the shoegazer band Slowdive on the first disc and composing songs "inspired" by Slowdive on the second disc. It was released in 2002 by Morr Music, and was the label’s 30th release...
, which was a Slowdive
Slowdive
Slowdive were an English shoegaze band that formed in 1989. The band formed in Reading, Berkshire and primarily consisted of Nick Chaplin , Rachel Goswell , Neil Halstead , and Christian Savill...
tribute
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
.
However, Munk's artistic visions didn't fit into the narrow Morr aesthetic, and in 2004 he joined the American label Darla
Darla
Darla may refer to:* Darla , a character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer* "Darla" * Darla Records, a record label-People with the name:* Darla Baker, American fashion model...
. Simultaneously, Munk started a psych stoner band called Causa Sui
Causa sui
Causa sui denotes something which is generated within itself. This concept was central to the works of Baruch Spinoza, Sigmund Freud, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Ernest Becker, where it relates to the purpose that objects can assign to themselves...
, and they released their self-titled debut album in December 2005.
Influences
In an interview with Pitchforkmedia, Munk mentions some of his sources of musical inspiration. They include: Talk TalkTalk Talk
Talk Talk were an English musical group, active from 1981 to 1991. The group had a string of international hit singles including "Today", "Talk Talk", "It's My Life", "Such a Shame", "Dum Dum Girl", "Life's What You Make It" and "Living in Another World"....
, Simple Minds
Simple Minds
Simple Minds are a Scottish rock band who achieved worldwide popularity from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. The band produced a handful of critically acclaimed albums in the early 1980s and best known for their #1 US, Canada and Netherlands hit single "Don't You ", from the soundtrack of the...
, Japan
Japan (band)
Japan were a British New Wave group, formed in 1974 in Catford, South London. The band achieved success in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when they were often associated with the burgeoning New Romantic fashion movement .- History :The band began as a group of friends...
, David Sylvian
David Sylvian
David Sylvian is an English singer-songwriter and musician who came to prominence in the late 1970s as the lead vocalist and main songwriter in the group Japan...
, Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
, Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins
Cocteau Twins were a Scottish alternative rock band active from 1979 to 1997, known for innovative instrumentation and atmospheric, non-lyrical vocals...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, Philip Glass
Philip Glass
Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...
, Coil
Coil (band)
Coil were an English cross-genre, experimental music group formed in 1982 by John Balance—later credited as "Jhonn Balance"—and his partner Peter Christopherson, aka "Sleazy". The duo worked together on a series of releases before Balance chose the name Coil, which he claimed to be...
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
and Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
.
Albums
- Until Tomorrow (2001)
- Ascend (2002)
- Into Forever (2003) (collaboration with Icebreaker International)
- The North Shore (2004)
- Golden Sun (2004)
- Azure VistaAzure vista (album)Azure Vista is an album by Manual. It was released by Darla on 3 May 2005.-Track listing:#"Clear Skies Above The Coastline Cathedral" – 8:38#"Summer Of Freedom" – 11:58#"Twilight" – 2:52#"Tourmaline" – 7:30#"Neon Reverie" – 8:27...
(2005) - Bajamar (2006)
- Lost Days, Open Skies and Streaming Tides (2007)
- Confluence (2008)
- Drowned In Light (2010)
- Epic (2010) (collaboration with Ulrich Schnauss)
Singles
- Resort EP (2000)
- Dry Moods Warm Nights (2001)
- IsaresIsares (album)Isares is a single EP by Manual. It was released in July 2003 by Static Caravan.-Track listing:#"A Familiar Place" – 7:27#"Stealing Through" – 2:38#"Wake" – 5:22#"Horizon" – 8:36-External links:*[ Allmusic's information page for Isares]*****...
(2003)
Compilations
- Blue Skied an' ClearBlue skied an' clear (album)Blue Skied An' Clear is a two-disc compilation, featuring various artists from Morr Music covering songs from the shoegazer band Slowdive on the first disc and composing songs "inspired" by Slowdive on the second disc. It was released in 2002 by Morr Music, and was the label’s 30th release...
(Morr Music'sMorr MusicMorr Music is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany, founded in 1999 by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music, electronica and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's personal taste...
SlowdiveSlowdiveSlowdive were an English shoegaze band that formed in 1989. The band formed in Reading, Berkshire and primarily consisted of Nick Chaplin , Rachel Goswell , Neil Halstead , and Christian Savill...
tribute album) (2002)