LAMP Mix #325 feat. Manics
Hey LAMP Fam. We are back with another mix and interview for you. Joining us for our 325th mix is the group Manics. Coming from San Francisco and now based here in LA the duo is made up of Jordan Deherrera and Chris Sanders. They have a long list of accomplishments with some of the highlights consisting of playing alongside Digitalism, Destructo, The Faint, MSTRKRFT and so many more to go along with several festivals. Additionally the two own the long running label Popgang records with over 150 releases showcasing a diverse selection of producers and music. As if that weren’t enough they also have had several successful event series they put together over the years in SF and are looking to replicate that here in Los Angeles. You can find out more on that below as well as a whole bunch more about the duo in our exclusive interview. The mix from them is a 2 hr session from their recent performance at Sound nightclub so sit back and enjoy the music while you dive into the interview down below.
Hello Jordan and Chris. Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions and putting together our latest mix for our long running series here at LAMP. I’m excited to get to know more about Manics and Popgang as well.
Josh Brooks: I think we should lead things off by talking about your most recent release which just dropped a couple weeks ago called “Pastel Palace” on your label Popgang Records. How would you describe this album to someone that was just discovering your music for the first time?
Manics: Hi Josh, thanks so much for chatting with us. “Pastel Palace” is our first full length LP and we tried to hit every corner of the music we love while still sounding cohesive. There’s a lot of indie dance and nu disco influences, but also house and even some melodic EDM. We wrote the album over the last year (a lot of it during lock down) which gave us time to write in different genres. We’ve always been both a DJ duo and live band so we wanted to make stuff that works for both clubs and can be performed live.
Josh Brooks: Can you please tell me how Manics came to be and how would you say your music and style have evolved since the project began back in 2012?
Manics: We met in SF and were both throwing parties and DJing. Jordan was already producing music and Chris was trying to get into it and it just kind of clicked. The project has definitely evolved over the years (our first EP was half moombahton, half indie dance hahaha) We’ve always made music that we we’re into at the time and it shows.Our 2013 song “GIT WIT DIS” is a crazy blog house banger, and 2014’s “High Floors” was is a vocal heavy melodic EDM song. But by 2015 we found our footing in indie dance and nu disco more permanently. Also once we started performing as a live band, we really focused on making songs that can translate from production to performance which helped develop our sound a lot. With this new album though, we wanted to make sure some of the songs worked in DJ sets as well and finding that balance has been awesome.
Josh Brooks: In addition to Manics you both manage the label Popgang Records. What is the story behind the label and what prompted you to take on the daunting task of growing and managing a record label.
Manics: Jordan was running Popgang as an artist collective from 2009-2012 and we were producing events as “Popgang Presents” at that time. Eventually it just felt like a natural progression to turn it into a label and create a platform to release music by artists we were already working with. It can definitely be daunting at times, but we love doing it!
Josh Brooks: When did you both start writing/producing music - and what or who were your early passions and influences? What is about music and/or sound that drew you to it?
Manics: Jordan has been in bands since high school and Chris began DJing in college. The early blog house era had a big influence on us but a love of punk, new wave, emo (lol) and early dance music was also there. We also both found a love for analog synths early on.
Josh Brooks: For most artists, originality is first preceded by a phase of learning and, often, emulating others. What was this like for you? How would you describe your own development as an artist and the transition towards your own voice? What is the relationship between copying, learning and your own creativity?
Manics: Oh man yeah there are a lot of copy cat tracks on our old hard drives. When you hear something you like you immediately want to solve the puzzle of how its made. Whether its a new synth sound or playing bass along to a Ramones record, the only way to learn it to try it out. Once you get those foundations down you get to then ask yourself “what do I want to do with this” and find your own voice.
Josh Brooks: What were your main compositional- and production-challenges in the beginning and how have they changed over time?
Manics: Recording vocals haha. Getting a solid vocal melody and lyrics is hard enough, but figuring out how to make your voice sound good on a recording is a whole other challenge. We’ve had a lot of trial and error over the years and still look for new techniques.
Josh Brooks: Could you describe your creative process on the basis of a piece or album that's particularly dear to you, please? Where did the ideas come from, how were they transformed in your mind, what did you start with and how do you refine these beginnings into the finished work of art?
Manics: The music from Fantasia provided a lot of influence for the track ‘Golden Teacher’. The highly visual experience you get from the music of Fantasia has always been a goal to achieve. “Golden Teacher” goes through a range of emotions and movements with the intention to take the listener on a journey. At one point it was picked apart with the intention of making it more “palatable” for people but it was killing the original piece as it was intended to be heard. Somethings are better unrefined.
Josh Brooks: How is playing live and writing music in the studio connected? What do you achieve and draw from each experience personally? How do you see the relationship between improvisation and composition in this regard?
Manics: Some songs start out as a jam, and others are more composed in the box but we’ve tried to bridge that gap and make sure that whatever we’re writing it can translate to a live performance or a DJ set depending on the vibe of it. We also try to give ourselves space for improvisation in a live setting so that no two performances sound the same.
Josh Brooks: You have been producing some great events up in the San Francisco and you are now based in Los Angeles do you have any plans to take on the LA scene and produce more events down here? If so what can we expect?
Manics: YES! We brought back Popgang's house/techno party Cyber Rodeo (which we DJ at under our solo names BABY J (Jordan) and TYGRBYT (Chris) down here and its been amazing. The next one is August 14th at Catch One and it will continue as a monthly as El Cid starting in September. We’re also going to be producing some warehouse events in the coming months.
Josh Brooks: You have over the years had some amazing events you have produced countless other you have performed at and some incredible artists you have shared the stage with. Tell us about one or two moments that stick out in your mind and what made them particularly special.
Manics: Opening for The Faint was a bucket list for both of us. That band is like the perfect blend of electronic and punk and both of us were fans of them since high school. So it was amazing to share a stage with them years later. We also played a LAMP Coachella pool party with Miami Horror in 2016 was super fun ; )
Josh Brooks: Thank you so much for letting us dive into your world for a bit. Im really looking forward to connecting with you here in LA at some point. Please let us know about your future events and releases so we can continue to share them with our audience. Cheers!
Manics: Thanks Josh! As mentioned we have Cyber Rodeo at Catch One August 14th. We just wrapped a slew of Manics DJ sets at Sound, Sky Bar, a DTLA warehouse, Strawberry Disco in OC and Friend Bar LA. We should have some more events announced soon so please follow @manicsmusic for those. As for releases, Popgang is dropping something every week so make sure to follow @popgangrecords to know what’s coming next. Hopefully we can see you out somewhere soon!
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