Máni Orrason – „I Go Up“ + Exclusive Interview

Riddled with fidgety energy, his off-kilter pop single, ‚I Go Up‚ is the first to be revealed from an ambitious project by the enigmatic artist. His new EP BABY ANGEL LOVES YOU is a collection to be released later in 2020.

1. Hello, thank you for your time, please introduce yourself in a few words!

Hello twisted male mag, thank you for emailing me these questions. I am in self-isolation at my parent’s house and am very happy to be doing something other than playing animal crossing and watching the sopranos.

My name is Máni, I’m 22. I make music, currently in a basement. I’m from Iceland but I’ve lived in Berlin for the last 2 years. I like sad music and also music with bass in it.

2. Please give us an update about – new single, new album, tour dates, new videos?!

Last thing I released was a song called “I Go Up”. It’s a 2 minute,189bpm, three-chord pop-punk song (woh-oh’s included). We made a video for it in which I wear a red jumpsuit and Adidas sambas and destroy a car in a warehouse with a sledgehammer. All things pretty straight to the point. You should watch it! slaps

I’m working on a new record called “Baby Angel Loves You”, The first half is close to done. It’s been in the works a long time, I hope to release the next single very very soon.

Soo I still have no idea whether this tour I  have booked to play in May is still on. I’m not very hopeful now but I will have to see. It really sucks to have to cancel stuff and I don’t deal with last minute changes very well. I get all anxious and neurotic

3. Name 5 things we all should know about you as an artist?!

I lived on a farm for a long time, it’s where I got into music. I found music on youtube and through it I got into photography and skateboarding, I used to skate at a stable lol

I collaborate a lot today with produced Nikolai Potthoff. I met him on my first trips to Berlin before I moved there. I’ve always found it really really hard to let other people into my music but it’s always been so easy and open working together.

I’ve been releasing music since I was 16. It’s been through a lot of different genres and directions since and I think it’s quite hard for someone that’s never heard of me to run through my discography and define myself as something specific. So I guess people should know not to have any expectations of what I am or what I sound like. My new music sounds like my first albums worst nightmare lol

I can’t come up with more….

Fav song? Next level Charli – Charli xcx

Fav show? Twin peaks

Fav game? Tony hawk pro skater 3

Fav beatle? John

Sexuality? Sure

4. What can we expect 2020 from you?

Hard to plan things in the time of covid-19 but I will definitely be releasing loads of new music. I’m so restless so share everything I’ve been working on these last months. I hope I get to play all these shows I have scheduled for the rest of the year!

I decided to go to Spain last minute before they closed their border, so I’m kind of stuck here now. I’ve been working on loads of new music and trying not to go crazy, so that’s good!

5. Do you have bad habits? A guilty pleasure you can’t seem to quit?

Instagram explore page? That shit is so toxic and bad for my brain but I can’t quit it. The algorithm has learned that my weakness lies in slime videos, Matty Healy dancing, Bernie Sanders memes.

Peanut butter? I have a peanut butter problem. We’re in crisis but I just got back from the store with a lot of peanut butter. Peanut butter. Nut. Butter.

6. Besides music, do you have any special talents?

I can make a certain farting sound when I press my neck into my right collarbone but that is about it, I think

I work cleaning apartments so I gotta say, nobody scrubs the tub like I do

7. Being on stage feels like….!

I’m so shy and anxious as a person! But on stage, I feel confident and mostly in control! I feel good on stage. Like how I wish I could feel all the time.

8. Must Have – and No-Go in your Wardrobe! – Favorite Fashion Brand and Fragrance?

Must have? My “let’s rock” hoodie

No go? As in something I own but refuse to wear or something I would never keep in my wardrobe?

I have this knitted sweater with a portrait of Jesus on it that says “happy birthday”. Own it, can’t throw it away, would never ever wear it.

I would never buy fur or a new leather jacket or anything like that. That’s not hot.

9. A question you’d like to answer, but never been asked in an interview before?! + Answer pls:)

Máni, was your first instrument really the tuba?

Wow no one ever asks me that, thank you for asking nardwuar. Yes, I wanted to play the clarinet but the school orchestra only needed a tuba player. So that was the start for me. But I found the tuba quite shit after a while and started playing guitar.