Manik
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If music was an animal, what would it be and why?
A honey badger because they have good taste in music.
If you had a banana, 2 left ankle socks and a dwarf, where would you take them and what would you do?
Well it depends on the gender of the dwarf.
What has been your biggest inspiration during your dance music career?
Seeing people react to my tunes on the dancefloor over the years.
Manik
From the age of 16, Manik had a love for Hardhouse, purchasing a pair of Technics turntables at age 19, and writing and producing his own music soon after. Gaining influence from UK producers such as Paul Maddox, Dom Sweeten and Paul Janes, Manik’s natural talent for DJ’ing and music production has lead him to become one of New Zealand’s most well known hard dance producers.
Manik started his own label ‘Radioactive Recordings’ in 2006, and released the massive hit, ‘Lucid’ along with ‘Bad Girls’. Along the way Manik has had collaborations with some of the biggest names in Hardhouse including Ben Stevens, Adam M, Future Resonance, Dramatik and Jody 6 and has had a wide range of solo releases on various labels. After a successful first LIVE set, he then began promoting ‘Meltdown’ in 2008 which has gone from strength to strength and has now become New Zealand’s leading proper hard house event. With 12 consecutive sold out parties, the goal of Meltdown is to deliver the unique proper sound of Hardhouse to the New Zealand massive. Meltdown is renowned for selecting quality local DJs with Manik’s LIVE sometimes feat. MC D-Tox acts being the headline, off and on with strictly vinyl only events!
Worldwide recognition has also begun as he won the Killerhurtz ‘Luvd Up’ remix comp in January 2010 (gaining rave reviews from the scene leaders in the UK). In December 2009 he released his first album Meltdown Quarantine on Fevah Records, which received the prestigious Hard Dance Album of the month in the world’s premier dance music magazine Mixmag.
‘Meltdown: Quarantine’ brings together some of the finest Hardhouse tracks from one of New Zealand’s most innovative dance producers. This explosive album features new tracks ‘Lucid 2010′ and ‘Put It Down’ along with a collection of some of Manik’s best known dance floor anthems such as ‘Sedate Me’ and a remix of ‘Inside Your Mind’. (Available on Track It Down.net)’
2010 was a total whirlwind for Manik, not content on causing hard house mayhem here in NZ, he toured Australia twice played in Brisbane & Melbourne with the first trip promoting his 3 Track EP for Renewable NRG (AUS) and second trip with MC-Dtox.
Releases worthy of noting would be Toolbox Records (UK) – “Fiendish Behavior” & funky collab with Miro, “Hypnotise”. ‘Relocate’, ‘Obey’ and ‘Get Up’ on Ballistik Recordings,‘Waz ‘n Spaz’ on Vicious Circle and his collab with Adam M, ‘Anarchy’ on Fireball. With plenty of new tracks coming out on various labels it’s a wonder he’s got time to get himself from the studio into a club!!
2011 has landed and things are full on for the Meltdown brand. Meltdown Records launched in March and the first release ‘Roll the Dice’ shows what meltdown records is all about.
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Fallout Girl
If music was an animal, what would it be and why?
It would be a black sheep – light and fluffy but can also be quite dark. It can be part of a crowd if it wants but can also stand on its own two feet and be its own…sheep
If you had a banana, 2 left ankle socks and a dwarf, where would you take them and what would you do?
I’d take them all to my schitzophrenia support group with me. Then eat all of them except the banana which I would wear on my foot.
What has been your biggest inspiration during your dance music career?
Coming from Television. I have only just delved into the world of radio and have not yet developed a music career. I think my inspiration would be the voice over artists I have met at TV 3, they inspire me to work on my own voice and to really add character and enthusiasm in everything I say. Regarding dance music, I don’t really have any individual inspiration figures, more the people that have passion for what they do but don’t put themselves on a pedalstool. We were all once part of the crowd, and still are in a sense. And its not a bad thing – I love crowds, they’re fun and you get to meet lots of new people!
Fallout Girl
The name Fallout Girl came from the fact that I am a side kick for Radioactive Records. I met Manik at the UP FM 9th Bday and our goofy personalities clicked. By that stage I was already involved with UP FM doing voiceover work and really wanted to get into event planning and hosting. I helped Manik with Meltdown: Contamination which was alot of fun. My creativity plus his passion for music really came together well as it will for this radio show! I am not a DJ but am wanting to learn. But right now I am happy to explore gigs, festivals and raves with my friends and just be part of the fun loving crowd! I am going to learn as much as I can this year in pretty much every area of event management, radio and TV. I’m one of you, the only difference is that I now have a microphone infront of me!
