CD Review

Mana ERG – “Red Dust”

By Marcus Pan

Trippy and trapping, Red Dust is the latest from the Mana ERG camp – brainchild of Bruno D. Angelis. I enjoyed The Blind Watchmaker[1] from them, which is actually one of the few CDs that have come in that has been added to the vaulted personal collection of yours truly. It’s rare when I keep a CD as many will know. Red Dust is similar in Angelis’ scope of weirdness, a bit more new-waveish at times and enjoyable.

Walking a fine line between the real and the surreal, with smooth fluid like motions of basswork anchored by both female and male vocals, The Ditch opens this three track EP. For nearly five minutes you ponder the girls’ “Don’t let the leaders lead you to the ditch,” occasionally split asunder by brilliant lacings of steel pan electronics. EA 1729 meanwhile will pump up the lower tones a bit creating a song that will move you from stompy fun with branches of trancy tendrils that reach for the backside of your brain. Living Room will meander between tightly controlled drum ‘n bass and speedy runs through a distant memory, a different one every time.

Nicely done again, if a bit short. Mana ERG hoped to reach a larger audience with the Red Dust EP, dusting down their normally “elctro-stoned” music to make it a bit more palpable with a wider reach. The surrealism is still there, but its riveted inside a steel cage with fewer trips into total strangeness and brushes the subconscious with a wire wisk instead of using a whirling blender. It should certainly reach a larger audience, but still enthrall those of us who enjoy Bruno and Mana ERG’s previous works of strange intensity.

Contact Information:
Glyptique c/o Apdrama Organic
Post: 10 Rue Bleriot, 38100 Grenoble, France
Phone: +33 (0) 6 85 05 34 39
Fax: +33 (0) 4 76 49 08 25
E-Mail: organic.land@free.fr
Web: www.conapt-sounds.com

[1] Reviewed in Legends #153.