Manix:
Living In The Past:
Reinforced:
Out Now:
★★★★
I mistakenly had this down as a long-awaited re-issue of previously unreleased rarities and classic club-bangers but, as it stands, 'Living In The Past' is actually all-new material. Authentically lavished with biscuit-tin snare drums, heart-racing breakbeats and pitched-up fills, thrills and spills, Manix, alias Marc Mac also of 4 Hero, has recreated the hardcore sound of twenty years ago with considerable success. Feel Real Good indeed. Oh and the iconic Reinforced imprint has been given a buffing-up.
Available in various guises, such as 12" picture-discs and EP formats, I plumped for the straight CD issue for the full ten track assault, seeing as the vinyl offers only four. Certainly, the first handful of tracks are worth the admission alone with the Patois-packed 'Pull Up Tune' easily the highlight with its 'one more choon' refrain, pummelling piano hooks and wistful synth melody throughout. It's a belter.
To be fair, there aren't many low points or even average tracks, just wholesome uplifting hands-to-the-lazers, pill-popping soundtracks that will take you right in or introduce you to an era of naive but friendly entertainment, fretted over by the media and ruined by chancers and dodgy drug-lords. 'Your Love Is Over' represents the cheerful portion of Manix' canon, before the rather more junglist 'Original Stylee' kicks in like Bay B Kane, Blame or early Omni Trio on acid. Then everything gets multi-coloured and Balearic on 'Rave Fantasy' which recalls Manix own earlier recordings.
Overall, 'Living In The Past' may reveal too much with its title but with the future in music looking bleak, dance-wise, I'm happy to join in again.