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Music

Stream the Varying Shades of Man Power's Eponymous Debut Album

The producer's identity remains unknown – but the music speaks for itself.

With anonymity comes great freedom. Freedom from expectation, labels and predictions. Man Power, is the chosen name of the incognito producer releasing his debut solo album on Correspondant. The elusiveness of his or her identity has led to much speculation as to who is behind the music, with guesses suggesting it could be anyone from Michael Mayer to John Talabot, who has previously released Man Power material on his imprint Hivern Discs. THUMP are very excited to have an exclusive stream of Man Power's self-titled LP, and if it makes anything clear, it's that whoever is responsible for the music is a secondary concern to the tunes themselves.

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With anonymity comes great freedom. Freedom from expectation, labels and predictions. Man Power, is the chosen name of the incognito producer releasing his debut solo album on Correspondant. The elusiveness of his or her identity has led to much speculation as to who is behind the music, with guesses suggesting it could be anyone from Michael Mayer to John Talabot, who has previously released Man Power material on his imprint Hivern Discs. THUMP are very excited to have an exclusive stream of Man Power's self-titled LP, and if it makes anything clear, it's that whoever is responsible for the music is a secondary concern to the tunes themselves.

Man Power is an immensely rich exercise. Given the complete lack of pre-dictated identity, the producer is able to stretch across a variety of dynamics and landscapes, creating something varied but wholly singular at the same time. Opening on the barren "A Start of Sorts", it could be assumed the album would be a relatively cold but thoughtful affair, which is in some strokes true, but it doesn't preview quite how many deft touches and moments of lightness there are to come.

The ebullient "Bielsteiner" is a trippy highlight, a sort of slow-mo take on acid house featuring Mick Rolfe on restrained vocal duties, so it's no surprise to discover that its video is equally cosmic. This track then gives way to the sinister pulse of "French Basic", a perfect cut for nighttime drives. This effortless switching of identities is a crucial quality: the record is playful, but decisive.

There's the elegant and haunting "Hunting Swan" that spirals a soft beat off into a bursts of warped jazz. Then, "Tofu Ist Der Teufel" breaks out into stabs of funk horns against a backdrop of rolling synth pop. It is this calm unexpectedness that drives the record. Softly, and often inconspicuously, Man Power builds strange and exciting rhythmic landscapes from a peculiar and completely engrossing imagination.

Man Power is out on the 25th of May. You can preorder it here and also follow Man Power on Facebook.

Man Power will be playing alongside Rebolledo as part of the Topaz Efimero project in June.

Follow Angus on Twitter.

Man Power is an immensely rich exercise. Given the complete lack of pre-dictated identity, the producer is able to stretch across a variety of dynamics and landscapes, creating something varied but wholly singular at the same time. Opening on the barren "A Start of Sorts", it could be assumed the album would be a relatively cold but thoughtful affair, which is in some strokes true, but it doesn't preview quite how many deft touches and moments of lightness there are to come.

The ebullient "Bielsteiner" is a trippy highlight, a sort of slow-mo take on acid house featuring Mick Rolfe on restrained vocal duties, so it's no surprise to discover that its video is equally cosmic. This track then gives way to the sinister pulse of "French Basic", a perfect cut for nighttime drives. This effortless switching of identities is a crucial quality: the record is playful, but decisive.

There's the elegant and haunting "Hunting Swan" that spirals a soft beat off into a bursts of warped jazz. Then, "Tofu Ist Der Teufel" breaks out into stabs of funk horns against a backdrop of rolling synth pop. It is this calm unexpectedness that drives the record. Softly, and often inconspicuously, Man Power builds strange and exciting rhythmic landscapes from a peculiar and completely engrossing imagination.

Man Power is out on the 25th of May. You can preorder it here and also follow Man Power on Facebook.

Man Power will be playing alongside Rebolledo as part of the Topaz Efimero project in June.

Follow Angus on Twitter.