In the digital age, the term "up and coming" has become all but a watered-down cliche that most laugh at (at best). However, every now and then an artist comes along that truly fits the description of what an 'up and coming' artist truly is. That being said, if there's one guy out there who has the ability to find the 'up and coming' needles in the haystack, it's Josh Wink.
For roughly 15 years, Wink has kept Ovum at the head of the pack, consistently accelerating by introducing relevant talent to the marketplace. Ovum's latest find begins 2010 for them on a high note. New York's Chris Manik, aka M A N I K offers up the Park to the Slope EP; a three-track digital EP that's already gotten huge support from all the key tastemakers, from Joris Voorn, down to Steve Bug and Nic Finiculli.
So, whats all the hype about? Upon listening to the title track, Park to the Slope, it's easy to decipher the key ingredient making things move: focus. From the onset, Manik controls every move, covering you in a blanket of warm pads, then quickly throwing in shuffling hats and sliced horns to build the groove, which bounces along with a boppy bassline that keeps you swaying with the anticipation of whats to come. The recipe seems simple, but it's remarkably filling.
On the B-side, Manik moves into more tech-influenced territory. Rau down Low comes out of the gates swinging blips and bloops in every direction; but there's much more on offer as the plot develops. The main chord sequence progressively builds with each passing bar, without ever reaching a major crescendo, making Rau Down Low an extremely useful DJ tool. And as with the A-side, it's Manik's masterful use of simple percussion variations and subtle delays and effects that make the track shine.
To round things out, we have N Train To Astoria another display of craftsmanship in which Manik is utilizing deep pads and shuffling hats to keep things fluid. But just when you think you've got it all figured out -- in comes the 303. Manik effortlessly wiggles the acid line through the groove, forcing one to ask themselves, "is this deep acid house"? However, the sub-genre classification is really irrelevant. What matters is, it works (and very well, at that).
Overall, Park To The Slope is quite an impressive display of varying styles and textures, and it's no wonder M A N I K is quickly becoming a hot commodity. With additional upcoming releases and remixes slated for Fresh Meat, Dark Energy and four:twenty, it'd be a safe bet to say we will be hearing from this true up and comer for quite some time.