Manik

The latest release from Josh Wink and King Britt's Ovum imprint launches with airs of street wisdom via samples from 1979 cult film The Warriors. Songs such as "My Hood ― Armies of the Night" and "We're From Coney" link to that cult flick about NYC's underground gang world, while Manik's mid-tempo deep house with breaks acts as a solid audio root structure for the inner city vibe sprouting throughout. The Queens, NY native has a strong ability to create emotion from sound, as demonstrated by "Don't Stop Don't Run," a tense track opening with a wavering siren, then moving into a motion of drum noises and vocals saying "not to stop, not to run and not to hide." Beautiful transitions exist amongst the songs. Hype vocals and jazz horns decorate steady urban beats on "Nightfall," while deep house synth rhythms spread warmth amongst the soulful vocals on "Lose My Mind," "Delorean Soho" and "Talk To You." Manik extends devotion to the streets via an urban sound sophistication that's equal parts deep and funky.