Manix - Heading To The Light

Although all of the tracks on this CD are good in their own right, I feel Marc Clair's best tunes are on vinyl, it's a shame there is only three EP's on CD, especially for us modern day Hardcore Jungalist's.

Heading to the light, the first track, is a euphoricaly dark tune. After a brief trippy-drum intro there's a typical analogue synth breakdown with an anonymous diva wailing what sounds like 'do ya?' eventually followed by psychadelic strings and piano. Unlike the remix, this version doesn't feature the 'Heading to the Light' vocals.

'When you hold me close' sounds to me like a predesessor of Trip-Hop but is obviously a track that smacks of Jungle, if Jungle music had hoovers.

'Alright wid me' is the most intense tune on the CD with a tearing breakbeat and rising piano loop. There's another vocal section I can't quite understand, the word's which lead up to 'let the music play on' and there's another chipmunk sample which says 'pump it up this is high powered stuff' I'm not sure where if anywhere these acapella's come from, the Tek 9 remix of this track uses the 'Alright wid me' lyrics more often.

Reach out is a very sensitive sounding song, a signature piano tune from the 4-Hero man but the lyric's kind of take any rawness out of it.

Although this is a 1993 release, I really love the whole EP because it has the classic manix 92 vibe about it.
A1 152bpm is typical manix, nice vocal sample, nice amen beats, and good production. Track has enough variation to keep you interested, nice mellow synths, and stabs in the drops.
A2 150bpm starts with an amen break then a drop with a lovely vocal sample "when you hold me close". Quite a dark vibe and bassline, with jungley beats but the piano lifts it, and overall a very trippy tune.
AA1 150bpm and starts with nice mellow synth and simple breaks before vocal sample "ooooh" and then a drop with the sweetest piano you can imagine. In comes a full vocal line to complete the manix sound, and your cant help but move ya feet !
AA2 150bpm nice synth at start, simple jungle amen break before the typical manix drop section with amazing piano and vocal sample "reach out". The difference with this tune is the full vocal parts which personally I dont like as much, although others may like it. Still a great track though, and overall another quality 4 tracker from reinforced.