Manuel has been putting out house music since the early 2000’s and has released tunes on Berlin’s Tooman, UK’s Drop, and Detroit’s Kolour as well as remixing Warren ‘Hanna’ Harris, Robert Owens and Patrick Chardronnet. He brings a freshness and eclecticism to his productions that fits in perfectly with the Freerange ethos of forward-thinking house music loaded with warmth and a touch of soul.

The ‘Closest Star’ EP is a superb four-tracker that draws on diverse influences to great effect, and is one of the most original, yet floor-friendly sounding collections of music we’ve heard for a while.

The title track is an epic, glittering bundle of arpeggios, electro toms and 70’s string stabs, all sitting perfectly on a sequenced Italo-esque bassline. Imagine combining all the parts of your favourite disco records and then giving them a cutting-edge contemporary flavour and you’ll have an idea of what this highly effective bubbling groove will do to your dance floor.

‘On Point’ sees Manuel pile on layers of intricate rolling percussion, warm pads, electronic squiggles and distorted vocals for a highly distinctive take on the deep house template, one that’s both underground and simultaneously accessible.
‘Awake’ features another superbly tight underground house groove and an insistent disco riff. Part pristine 80’s pop and part French Touch, ‘Awake’ pays close attention to detail in the production and it comes with a killer arms-in-the-air phased breakdown to maintain the energy.

The EP finishes up with ‘Juno Ride’, a nostalgic yet contemporary collection of metallic synths, gentle synth chords and counter melodies, all riding a fat Moog b-line, with just a hint of the very best of 80s synth-pop. The pristine percussion and a seriously effective dance floor-targeted arrangement all add up to a highly usable DJ weapon.
All in all, a super-original sounding house EP, perfect for summer rooftops, beach parties or indeed the heaviest early morning club sessions!