No Mana cuts the brakes at 90 mph for ’13UP’ EP
It’s easy to see why deadmau5 decided to pick up young, relatively anonymous No Mana in 2015, adding him to mau5trap‘s illustrious list of talent it has accrued over the years (Rezz, BlackGummy, Noisia).
Like deadmau5, No Mana’s genre preferences remain fluid, and unfettered, regularly toying with techno, house, and electro. However, there is an elusive, No Mana-specific mist shrouding a great deal of his discography, felt even through his most spirited melodies.
No Mana’s latest EP, 13UP, is his most clear cut homage to deadmau5 to date, emulating 4×4=12 in its forthright chord progressions, dub stabs, and relentless, thumping beats. Comprised of just two songs, the EP is a lesson in simplicity. He’s traded the sprightly melodies for a high-speed electro/house venture, free of his usual layered complexity. “Loud Thoughts” kicks off the driving, atonal electro tailspin with pounding kicks and subtle glitch effects, heightened by some rousing tempo switch-ups. “Silent Cry” then begins with a deceivingly deep and vapory tech arrangement, soon jolting full-throttle into a looping, wobble-heavy electro-house vortex. While the EP may lack the frills and nuance of No Mana’s signature productions, it is a laudable execution of raw dance floor vigor.
Categories: Music