Musician and producer Jonas Munk has remained pretty busy these last few years. Between releasing music with Causa Sui, ambient solo works, and putting out records with Auburn Lull’s Jason Kolb as Billow Observatory, he’s leaving a wide swath of sonic endeavors for us to get lost in. And let’s not forget running record label Azure Vista Records, as well as co-running El Paraiso Records.
Prior to all of this he was a solo artist that went by Manual. Manual was an electronic project that mixed everything from shoegaze to dream pop to downtempo, creating a dream-like sonic world touched on everything from Cocteau Twins to Ulrich Schnauss to Boards of Canada. Melody-driven electronic music that painted pastoral images and cloudless skies in the mind.
16 years after Manual’s last album, Jonas Munk has returned as Manual with the amazing True Bypass, an 11-track full-length that picks up where Munk left off. Filled with lilting melodies, understated beats, and moments of ambient beauty, Munk and Manual have released the perfect summer zone out record.
There’s an ease and eloquence to True Bypass. While capturing the spirit of records that came before like The North Shore, Drowned In Light, and Awash, there’s the feeling of time that has added an aged wisdom to the proceedings. “M2” opens the album on an understated, groovy rhythm while crystalline electronics emanate and uplift. “Goldmohn” has an almost post-rock feel, bringing to mind early Explosions in The Sky and Tortoise. “Blue Plateau” floats beautifully in clouds of sonic delights, moving along in a subtle rhythm and layers of echoing guitar.
The short but lovely “Mezzo” swells like bee swarm noise into title track “True Bypass”. The song escalates into a rising urgency as it builds into a climax. “Viraha” sounds like slowly waking from some hazy sun-soaked daydream, and closer “Rain On Gravel” stirs with acoustic guitar flourishes and a sense of understanding and contentment.
Jonas Munk bringing Manual back out into the light is a welcome return. These songs give the feel of new starts and beginnings. True Bypass is the sun-soaked album you’ve been looking for.
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