When the pandemic first closed the world down in the Spring of 2020, many creatives took the time reevaluate their artistic goals and develop their artistic voice. This, I had already been immersed in following the disbandment of two musical groups of which I had dedicated all artistic energy previously. The chime-y indie pop-rock group LADS, and the short lived emo project Original Handsigns (of which I still laude as the most interesting band name I have ever conjured). This extended period of isolation brought a focus of music production to my attention. Days were filled with learning how to sequence drums, barrow chords, and discovering my melodic voice through daily songwriting. It was during thing period of intense learning when I received the call from Manny to mix his EP.
Manny had reached out to me first in January of 2021 with the hope that I would mix an EP he was working on. After our call, it made more sense that he would come out to my home studio and track parts there, which later flourished into a production relationship between us two. By the Fall of that year, we had a full EP ready.
I have always considered Manny’s delivery to be more Nas inspired than any of the other greats. Rather than clever disses or overwhelming flourishes, Manny leans into his ability to paint a vivid picture in his bars. These grand vignettes in songs like Calls Me Back or the title track Takes Time capture Manny’s fleeting experiences with a longing sense of warmth. Double You, a retelling a long relationship’s wavering commitment, bring the intensity of this fleeting connection motif to its peak. The repeating hook feel like it's never gonna end, emphasizes how the past and the present struggles seemingly cave in on themselves for Manny. However, if you ever met Manny, you wouldn’t suspect such a dreary project to be written from radiant soul like his. Always smiling, always optimistic, unendingly faithful to his friends and family.
Whenever I produce for an artist, I start with energy. Manny’s conflicting spirit of hope and heartbreak rooted in memory led to sound that feels warm and nostalgic. We drew on inspiration from 90s R&B and hip hop of course, but also from live-instrumentation projects like FKJ and Kendrick Lamar’s untitled/unmastered.
Produced and Engineered by Logan McDonald