Manami: The Ransom Note Mix

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Music

Manami is firing on all cylinders.

If you’ve spent any time on a dancefloor over the last decade, you’ve likely crossed paths with her. Born in Japan and raised on Bristol’s foundational dub, house and bass scenes, she’s built a fierce reputation for holding down a room with unmatched energy and a distinct sense of community.

From early days raving at Livity Sound, Futureboogie, Timedance and Deep Medi to co-founding Bristol’s Better Days parties, her musical DNA has always balanced the deep and the progressive. Now, she’s channelling that background into a distinct sonic realignment. Her latest productions and a new hybrid live set setup lean heavily into sub-heavy 140, breakbeat, jungle and footwork, all tied together with those familiar progressive sensibilities.

Beyond the booth, Manami is mentoring FLINTA talent with Saffron and connecting East and South East Asian creatives through the East & Most initiative.

With appearances spanning from Berlin’s Atonal to unforgettable sets at UNFOLD, DGTL, Junction 2 and Boiler Room, she remains one of the UK’s most reliable, anything-goes selectors.

We locked her in for a mix. Check it out now.

Ransom Note · Manami: The Ransom Note Mix

Who are you?
Manami 🙂

Where are you right now and how did you end up there?
At home in New Cross Gate. I’ve moved around SE London since moving to London. I’m lucky to have found my area that I feel super happy to call home at the moment.

Monday morning – are you genuinely excited about your week, or just pretending?
Grateful to say excited.

Talk us through this mix. Where was your head at when you made it?
I hadn’t recorded a mix in a while so I wanted to consolidate the sounds and elements I’m currently into in the context of 140 and soundsystem music: proggy tinges, jazz harmonies, heavily swung grooves, dub space practices and dutty sound design.

Where should someone be when they listen to this? And what should they definitely not be doing?
Road trip, car sound system.

If this mix were a meal, what would we be eating?
Probably pie and Guinness. Weighty and grounded. But maybe not a strictly traditional filling, like curried short rib.

What’s the first record that made you feel something you couldn’t quite explain?
Steve Reich Electric Counterpoint. The third counterpoint came up in gcse music, and then I remember listening to the first. Remember very vividly thinking how something so repetitive and minimal felt so dynamic and absorbing.

First record you bought with your own money versus the last one – what does that say about you?
I remember the first vinyl record I bought was a 80s disco VA in a shop on Gloucester Road in Bristol. Last record was some 90s DnB from Killa Cutz in Amsterdam. Speaks for itself I think.

What record do you own that you love but have absolutely no idea what to do with?
Probably that VA, but maybe it’ll come in handy at weddings or something, there’s a couple classics on there.

What’s something you’ve been listening to recently that has nothing to do with dance music but is bleeding into your sets anyway?
I don’t know if it bleeds into my sets, but I’ve been bringing back some of Aunt and Uncle’s Jazz CD’s every time I go to Japan. I’ve been reaching for more sax samples in my productions recently.

Does being “part of something” even interest you?
Yes but not in a fixed identity sense. I’m more interested in participation through sound, context, and collaboration than belonging to a single defined thing.

Has London changed since you moved here from Bristol? If so, has that affected how you play music and put on parties in the city?
I moved to Peckham when I first came to London, and even that area has changed a lot since then. Being in a city where so much of the music I play has deep local roots, and seeing how quickly those spaces are shifting through gentrification, has made me more aware of context and origin when I play. I still just put my party on in Bristol though.

Walk us through a typical day when you’re not thinking about music at all.
That is though but I’ve been trying to be a bit more intentional with time switching off recently. Usually involves a lot of cooking, big on veggie breakfasts at the moment, and having the time to try new recipes 2 hours + vibe.

What job did you think you’d end up doing when you were younger?
Deep down I knew I wanted to do something related to music, I just didn’t know what. On a side note when I was really little I was saying I wanted to be a dentist. Parents were gassed about that but it was defo only because I fancied my dentist who gave me fun stickers after appointments.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever had and did it teach you anything useful?
I worked at a fancy hotel but specifically for weddings and conferences. Met characters that did not treat people good but to stay composed and not letting things affect how you carry yourself.

You’ve just had a blazing row with your best mate. Do you wait for them to apologise, or do you crack first?
I’d like to think I’d be the first one to address. I don’t like letting things sit unresolved.

If you had a working time machine right now, where (or when) would you go, and what are you hoping to find there?
Maybe the late 80s early 90s in Shoreditch and Dalston, and see how some of the OG clubs and dances were meant to be experienced.

What’s coming up that you’re actually excited about?
Just finished up an EP for my best friends label <3

What question were you hoping we’d ask that we didn’t?
What’s my favourite animal: Mountain goat. Their hooves are astounding.