Maniac
Maniac is known to be the name of nine musical artists:
1. A pop group featuring members of The Matches and Something with Numbers
2. A punk band from Los Angeles featuring members of The Girls, The Cute Lepers, LA Drugz, Clorox Girls, Images
3. A grime producer from the UK
4. An Austrian speed metal band
5. A bounce musician from New Orleans
6. A French grindcore band
7. A Canadian thrash metal band
8. A Massachusetts straight edge hardcore band
9. A Memphis horrorcore rapper
1. A new project of The Matches frontman Shawn Harris and Something with Numbers frontman Jake Grigg. Formed in 2009 under the name Maniac, they currently have a blog for posting song clips of their covers of the current Billboard Hot 100 number one single. They have so far covered "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas and are set to release their debut album in 2010. Their debut album, Mania, can be previewed and purchased from their official website at http://maniacmania.com/
Maniac's first EP (2010) can be streamed on their "Extended Play Video" website: http://www.maniacmania.com/
Free tracks of their covers can be download by visiting their official blog, http://1thisweek.blogspot.com/
2. On MANIAC’s second full-length Dead Dance Club the Los Angeles punk band creatively crack the whip on a world wasting its beauty on bad times and boredom. The twelve tracks snap and bop by like any high quality-cum-octane vintage could we change this to LA and Pacific Northwest punk but without any sense of nostalgia or fetish for a particular scene. The melodically layered and trade-off vocals of “Post Post World” and “Neutral Libido,” the snarl-chants of “Children of the Dirt” and “Living in Stereo,” and the controlled frenzy of openers “City Lights” and “Subject to Change” start the album and set the incendiary blaze of terse, sharp lyrics snarled and shouted to the breakneck tempos.
Dead Dance Club comes out June 1, 2018 on Dirt Cult / Hovercraft. Although coherent in style, every song sounds different on MANIACs follow up to debut Demimonde, its antagonistic elements learning to dance with its irresistible rhythmic frenzy. The band first came together in 2012 when Andrew Zappin and ex-Seattleite Zache Davis (The Girls, Cute Lepers) would hit the dark night spots of El Lay together, bonding over classic power pop and a passion for creating songs about ‘weird times going pro’ (as Hunter Thompson once wrote). Adding Justin Maurer (Clorox Girls, LA Drugz) on second guitar and James Carman (Images, LA Drugz) on drums, solidifying the line-up.
The band has four songwriters, Zache Davis (bass and lead vocals), Justin Maurer (vocals and guitars), Andrew Zappin (guitar), and James Carman (drums and backing vocals). Davis says of his tracks, “‘City Lights’ is really about the annoying dudes on the boardwalk who try to sell you their CDs. ’Neutral Libido’ is post-relationship wave vibes mixed into a night of perceived bliss that ended in emptiness, and ‘Living in Stereo’ is a failed relationship.” He extrapolates, “Most of the songs I wrote are about a failing relationship, loss, and self-depreciation and realization; with some sprinkles of characters who play frisbee golf and some who lost money on a prostitute.”
For his contributions, Zappin infuses his compositions with hooks and atmosphere, and “I’ll toss in some oddball chord variations here and there to tweak what are otherwise pretty classic progressions. The same goes for songs to which I contributed parts. I try to serve the vision, put a little of myself into the thing. Ultimately, no matter who wrote it, everyone has a hand and all songs become MANIAC songs.”
Dead Dance Club was recorded at Station House Studios in Echo Park by Mark Rains; the band produced the album with Maurer taking a strong hand. As for Maurer’s own writing: “It’s current Los Angeles meets classic 70s/80s films like Blade Runner, Drive, Chinatown, LA Confidential, Over the Edge, Karate Kid, Lost Boys come to mind. My tunes come out of feelings of alienation, loneliness, heartbreak, restlessness, sexual frustration. ‘Children of the Dirt’ is about ‘Lost Boys’-Peter Pan type tribal kids in a ‘Lord of the Flies’ situation. ‘Post Post World’ is about post-irony, how contemporary society doesn't believe in anything anymore.” Dead Dance Club is whip-smart rock ’n’ roll art created out of their surrounding milieu: “I love West Coast lit, film noir, and Latin languages,” Maurer admits, “the mix of cultures in Los Angeles. Where else would you have Koreans eating Salvadoran food across from an Armenian kebab shop and a Thai grocery store?”
James Carman’s fever-pitch drumming infuses MANIAC’s music with crisp, rhythmic urgency and sophisticated flourishes. His angelic vocal harmonies are one of the stylistic backbones of Dead Dance Club.
Outside of music Andrew finds a lot of inspiration in film and photography. “Most recently in the films of Yorgos Lanthimos (Dogtooth, The Lobster) and Ruben Östlund (Force Majeure, The Square). Both are telling different kinds of stories and doing so with a dry, oddball sense of humor that I like. Also, just got a book of photography by a war photojournalist named Michael Christopher Brown. The book is called Libyan Sugar and it's all iPhone pics from the Arab Spring fighting in Libya.”
MANIAC were finalists in LA Weekly's Best Live Band in LA awards category. There is something quintessentially LA about them, even if their punk rock would have fit perfectly with any decaying, hedonistic City of the West trying to abuse its body to believe in its soul. In the meantime, before the end of the world, they plan to perform West Coast dates this summer and hopefully Europe by Fall. Or, as Zappin says, “I'd like to load the band onto the back of a flat bed and hit the road. We could play every Olive Garden parking lot from LA to Portland, Maine. I'd also like to play Japan. Maniac should have a ‘Live at Budokan’ moment.” Those with ears to listen to Dead Dance Club will surely agree to that with a “hear, hear!”
Maniac’s debut LP, "Demimonde" was released in November 2014 on La Ti Da Records.
Maniac's sophomore LP, "Dead Dance Club" will be released in June 2018 on Dirt Cult / Hovercraft Records
Maniac's Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WeAreManiac
Maniac's Bandcamp: http://wearemaniac.bandcamp.com/
Maniac's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3b_xF_VBoappNLiLb42Uew
http://deaddanceclub.tumblr.com
3. Maniac, real name 'Brandon Jolie' is a grime producer from Bow, East London, and got his breakthrough in producing the track 'Bow E3', which was released on Wiley's third album 'Playtime Is Over'. He was brought to the attention of Wiley by God's Gift. He has made tracks for many MCs, including Wiley, Little Dee, Griminal, Riko, Tinchy Stryder, Asher D, Jammer, Kano, Chipmunk and JME. He is recognised as one of the best producers in the scene despite being only 18 years of age. He also featured on the soundtrack to the film 'Adulthood', with his beat being vocalled by Bashy.
He has released three vinyls, the 'Devil EP' and 'Sorry You Are EP' on Admantium Music and 'Bow E3/50:50' vinyl on Wiley's previous label, Big Dada. He has featured in an advertising campaign for Nike.
At the age of 16, Maniac was at a comfortable stage. He got his first play on legal radio station Kiss 100 in August 2006, as part of DJ Logan Sama's 'War Report' special. He produced two tracks on which resulted in a free give away (see influences section). Still 16, Maniac was asked by fellow E3 native 'Wiley' to vocal an instrumental entitled: 'Bow E3' which he heard whilst they were at studio. This was the song that propelled Maniac into the ranks, and brought him a high level of respect in the Grime scene. This track features on the excellent 'Playtime Is Over' LP, which is the 2nd album to come from Wiley. It has been named by many as their favourite track from the album. This track can be heard on EA Sports'Need for Speed (Pro Street, 2007).
Now, at age 18, Maniac is keeping a clear head and is not getting distracted by any negative influences around him. He is cruising past veterans with ease which brings jealousy and envy in Maniac's direction. In June 2007, Maniac was approached to do an official Grime remix of the hit song 'Do It' by Grime artist 'Doctor' which featured American R'n'B group 'ATL'. Maniac also featured in the July 2007 edition of 'Rwd Magazine' with friends and fellow musicians: 'Bless Beats' and 'Young Dot'. In August/September 2007, Maniac started the first ever 'Production War Report'. He aimed his violent beat at producers such as Davinche, Skepta and Scratcha/DVA. This was not a serious issue as he respects each producer, which fuelled his intent to attack.
Maniac has mastered the 'FL Studio' programme. He is also comfortable on 'Logic' and uses Reason occasionally. He has an enormous amount of 'VSTS' and samples which he uses in his production with style. Maniac is known for his angry, hype-inducing yet technical beats; and is one of the most highly rated producers in the Grime scene. "If there's one thing I hate; it's people that copy. Come as yourself or don't come at all".
Maniac is a member of Eskibeat Recordings, now largely known as a production roster/label. Eskibeat Recordings was established by MC Wiley
www.myspace.com/maniacpro
http://www.grimepedia.co.uk/wiki/Maniac
*UPDATE*
Maniac has been jailed for 14 years on 04/12/09 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to murder
4. Maniac is a Austrain heavy/speed metal. Formed 1983 in Innsbruck. They relase 2 albums: Maniac and Look out.
Line up: Markus Überbacher - Vocals, Guitar (SupermäÄäx)
Christoph Just (aka Chris Justin) - Guitar
Andy Marberger - Bass
Tom Peroutka - Drums
5. A bounce musician from Memphis that created the 1994 album "The World Of A Psycho."
6. Maniac is also the name of a french grindcore band.
7. Maniac is also an active Speed/Thrash Metal band based out of Toronto, Ontario Canada, on the indie label Bloodbucket Productions
8. Western Massachusetts straight edge, http://maniacx.bandcamp.com/
9. The Memphis rapper released one album in 1994, titled World of a Psycho. This album is far out even for the Memphis style, with unique format including short verses and extended choruses.
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