MYELE MANZANZA-ONE.

dereksmusicblog ♦ August 26, 2013 ♦ Leave a comment

MYELE MANZANZA-ONE.

Last year, Electric Wire Hustle’s eponymous debut album was released on BBE Music to critical acclaim and commercial success. Instantly, the album was hailed as one of the albums of 2012. This wasn’t just confined to their native New Zealand. No way. Britain, Europe, Australasia and North America were won over by Electric Wire Hustle. Soon, Electric Wire Hustle’s production skills were in-demand. Then there was the not so small matter of their sophomore album. Work would’ve have to begin on the followup to Electric Wire Hustle. To quote Booker T. and The MGs and The Clash, it was a case of Time Is Tight. Despite this, Electric Wire Hustle’s drummer Myele Manzanza managed to find time to record his debut album One. One which will be released by BBE Music on 2nd September 2013, sees Myele joined by a variety of guest artists. This includes Rachel Fraser, Ladi6, Amenta, Taay Ninh, plus Myele’s father Sam Manzanza, who played a huge role in his son’s choice of career.

Although Myele Manzanza was something of a late starter when it came to playing the drums, he had a head start. Myele might have been fourteen when he first started playing the drums, but had been able to hand drum traditional African rhythms before he went to school. His father Sam taught him about African rhythms. Sam was born in the Congo and is recognized as a master percussionist. When he moved to New Zealand, he was one of the first musicians to play traditional African and highlife music. He passed this on to Myele, influencing and inspiring Myele to become make music his career.

Having left school, Myele headed to New Zealand’s School of Music. He graduated in 2008 with a degree in jazz performance. After that, Myele figured that digital was the future for music production. “In the box” production looked like replacing analog production. So he immersed himself in digital music production. Not only was this the future of music, but allowed Myele to make music on the move. When he came to producing his debut album One, this would prove crucial. It would also prove useful now Myele had joined Electric Wire Hustle as drummer. His new band were heading out on the road.

It was 2008, just around the time Myele graduated, that he joined Electric Wire Hustle. The band headed straight out on the road. Myele was living a nomadic existence. He spent periods living in Berlin and New York. Everywhere he went, he took his laptop. This allowed him to make music on the move. Living in cities like Berlin and New York provided Myele with musical inspiration. So, whenever inspiration struck, his trusty laptop was nearby and Myele could make musical sketches. For two years, Myele’s life surrounded around traveling with Electric Wire Hustle. Then he caught a break that would help not just Electric Wire Hustle’s career, but later, his solo career.

In 2010, Myele was chosen to attend the Red Bull Music Academy in London. He was the only New Zealander chosen. So, he travelled halfway around the world, to learn his craft. Myele was able to hone his musical and production skills. The Academy was also a place where other students and lecturers shared their skills and knowledge. For a young musicians and producer, this was akin to a Swiss finishing school for debutants.

Following his graduation from the Academy, Electric Wire Hustle started work on their eponymous debut album. Electric Wire Hustle was released in New Zealand in 2011. A year later, it was released in Britain by BBE Music. Released to critical acclaim, Electric Wire Hustle was commercially successful. It went on to feature on many of the best of 2012 lists. Everyone awaited the followup, wondering the direction that Electric Wire Hustle’s music would head in? Little did they realize, that before Electric Wire Hustle would release their sophomore album, Myele Manzanza would release his debut album One.

The ten tracks that comprise One, Myele Manzanza’s debut album, were written recorded and produced by Myele on the road. This included Wellington, New York and Berlin. Balconies, bedrooms, kitchens, hotel rooms, parks and backstage at concert halls worldwide were converted into impromptu recording studios. Often, guest artists would join Myele for the recording of One. This includes Rachel Fraser, Charlie K, Ladi6, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Amenta, Taay Ninh and Mara TK from Electric Wire Hustle. The other guest artist is Myele’s father, Sam Manzanza, who features on One’s closing track Me I Know Him. Benny Tones, a fellow New Zealander and BBE Music recording artist mixed and mastered One, which I’ll now tell you about.

Neigbours Intro opens One. Not only does it feature Myele’s drumming, but puts a smile on your face. That is unless your Myele’s neighbor. A drum roll gives way to a telephone answering machine. It features a complaint from Myele’s neighbors about his late night drumming exploits. In between, he lets rips, demonstrating why he’s the go-to-drummer for The Jonathon Crayford Trio, Sheba Williams and The Recloose Live Band. As the track reaches a dramatic crescendo, it’s not applause that greets Myele. No. It’s another complaint on the answering machine from his neighbors. Seriously, have these people tried drumming quietly?

Thundering drums and space-age, sci-fi synths join vibes on Big Space. It’s a genre-melting track. Electronica, rock, drum ‘n’ bass and free jazz combine. Soon, the drums and synths go toe to toe. Stabs of piano add drama and urgency. As for the drums, they take flight, heading off at breakneck speed. Adding a contrast are ethereal harmonies. The result is a track that’s dramatic, experimental, melodic and sometimes, has a space-age sci-fi sound.

Pounding, pulsating and spacious describes the drums that provide the backdrop for Bella Kalolo’s vocal on Absent. It veers between wistful, heartfelt and sultry as a myriad of beeps, squeaks and drums float around and above her vocal. Sometimes it’s soulful, other times it’s jazz-tinged. Meandering and mellow keyboards provide an uderstated accompaniment to Bella’s needy, emotive vocal. This is perfect, as it allows her vocal to take centre-stage, where it quite rightly belongs.

Straight away, Delay has a dubby sound. Echo and delay are added to the drums. Effects are also added to the keyboards as free jazz, ambient, electronica and dub unite. Musical genres and influences melt into one, as a hypnotic, mesmeric track unfolds. Gradually, the track loses its looseness, taking on a much more robotic, machinelike sound. Filters are added, before the track heads briefly, in the direction of drum ‘n’ bass. Later, it takes on a 21st century, futuristic sound. Best described as an innovative and genre melting, it’s a track full of subtleties and nuances awaiting discovery.

Elvin’s Brew is one of the best tracks on One. Whether it’s Myele paying homage to post bop drummer Elvin Jones, who knows?What I can say, is that Myele’s drumming is suitably innovative and inventive. The same can be said of Mark de Clive-Lowe’s piano playing. Pensive, spacious and imaginative describes their creation, as free jazz, avant garde, jazz and electronica unite. Add in bubbling, beeps and squeaks courtesy of the synths, and this cornucopia of disparate and eclectic influences and genres is complete.

Understated and reminiscent of vintage Nightmares On Wax, City Of Atlantis teases you. For forty-seconds, flourishes of ethereal music swathed in filters threatens to reveal its delights. Soon, Charlie K lays down a rap while elegant, ethereal music envelops him. Classical, trip hop and hip combine during a track that languidly, meanders along. Adding the finishing touch is Ladi6’s tender, beautiful and probing vocal. As she poignantly delivers the lyric: “do you really listen” the arrangement gallops along leaving you wondering?

On The Move is the latest single to be released from One. It features Rachel Fraser’s sassy, strident and strutting vocal. Just like other tracks, including Absent and City Of Atlantis, the vocal is at the heart of the track’s success. Here, Myele finds a groove, locks into and explores it fully. His drums provide the heartbeat while a pulsating bass and percussion combine. Strutting across the arrangement is Rachel’s soulful, sometimes jazzy vocal. It’s the perfect foil for Myele’s drums.

Bursts of buzzing synths and drums add a mysterious backdrop to Everybody Isn’t. Washes of synths probe, while the rest of the arrangement is dark, dramatic and gothic. There’s an air of mystery, which sometimes, takes on a cinematic, sci-fi sound. Stabs of urgent keyboards provide a sense of urgency or desperation. This adds to the drama of a track which majestically, paints pictures before your eyes.

Immediately, there’s a space-age sound as 7 Bar Thing unfolds. Space is left, adding drama and mystery. It also reinforces the importance of Miles Davis theory about the space between two notes being as important as the notes. Without the space, there wouldn’t be the same drama. Neither would the track unfold the way it does. From the there, the drama and urgency builds. The track heads in the sense of Afro-beat, Afro house and techno. A pulsating pounding rhythm section, washes of synths that later buzz and beep join a myriad of percussion. Combined with Mara TK’s haunting, and later and joyous vocal, they create a track that’s dance-floor friendly and uplifting.

Me I Know Him closes One. Here, Myele is joined by his father Sam. Thunderous drums and hissing hi-hats join Sam’s languid, heartfelt vocal. Synths and wistful piano join pounding drums before Amenta’s ethereal, tender vocal enters. Sam and Amenta’s vocals prove perfect foils. While Sam’s vocal is deep and powerful, while Amentha’s is ethereal and breathy. Enveloping them, is a dramatic arrangement. As it builds to a crescendo, it highlights and reinforce Sam’s emotive delivery of some poignant and moving lyrics.

Probably the best way to describe Myele Manzanza’s debut album One, is genre-melting. From the opening track Neigbours Intro, right through to, Me I Know Him, One is a musical melting pot. Disparate and eclectic influences and genres become one. Everything from Afrobeat, Afro house, ambient, classical, drum n’n’ bass, dub, electronica, free jazz, hip hop, jazz, rock, soul, techno and trip hop is thrown into Myele’s musical melting pot by Myele. Add to this, a whole cast of guest artists, including his father Sam. All that’s left, is for Myele to mix it all together. The result is a delicious dish, one that’s best tasted often. That to me, describes the innovative and imaginative musical collage, that is One, which will be released by BBE Music on 2nd September 2013.

What I find remarkable about about One, is that it’s Myele’s debut album. This isn’t an album by a musical veteran. Far from it. Myele is just twenty-five and has just released one album with Electric Wire Hustle. However, he’s spent the last five years learning how to produce music digitally. He’s also spent eleven years playing the drums, and is the go-to-guy for a whole host of New Zealand bands looking for a drummer. So, Myele has plenty of experience behind him.  The other remarkable thing about One, is the way it was recorded.

During the last couple of years, One was written recorded and produced by Myele on the road. This included Wellington, New York and Berlin. Balconies, bedrooms, kitchens, hotel rooms, parks and backstage at concert halls worldwide were converted into impromptu recording studios. A variety of guest artists joined Myele for the recording of One. This includes Rachel Fraser, Charlie K, Ladi6, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Amenta, Taay Ninh and Mara TK from Electric Wire Hustle. Each play their part in making One, an intriguing and innovative musical journey.

One is best described as a magical musical mystery tour, where a disparate and eclectic collection of musical genres and influences become one. They play their part in a series of soundscapes. Each soundscape is accomplished and intriguing. It’s also full of subtleties, surprises and nuances await your discovery. The music is made up of layers and textures. Sometimes, the music is experimental, challenging norms and pushing boundaries. That’s no bad thing. It’s also why Myele Manzanza’s debut album One, will follow in the footsteps of Electric Wire Hustle and be one of the albums of the year. Standout Tracks: Big Space, Absent, Elvin’s Brew and City Of Atlantis.

MYELE MANZANZA-ONE.