In 2012 Manuel spent a year living in Ibiza, the birthplace of his father and somewhere he has always felt a strong connection with despite never having lived there. This period became something of a sabbatical, a year of orientation both privately and musically and despite managing to visit not one single club in his entire time there the esoteric and cabalistic nature of the island clearly became a big influence. Ara Anam sets the tone with it’s warm, minimal approach, a sure- fire dancefloor pleaser highlighting Manuel’s production skills and giving a glimpse of the new direction Manuel has taken with this LP. Next up we have title track Es Cub (taken from his pet-name for his impromptu studio set up in a box room in his Ibiza home) which continues with the deep, techno influenced sounds. Hints of clipped minimalism combine with the driving, analogue synth sounds of say Baikal or Amé. Flipping over we’re treated to About To Fall and Werk containing both depth and a certain majestic beauty gained from the simple, stripped back rolling beats and flowing pads. Expect to be hearing much more from Manuel in the coming months. He has become in demand for his mixing skills, working regularly with Andre Hommen for Objektivity, Shit Robot for DFA and Marcus Worgull for Innervisions.