Hailing from Bogalatladi Village in the Sekhukhune district of the Limpopo province (South Africa), Walter Manala aka Walmanner is the founder and owner of the Artsoul Record label, which currently focuses on deep house music. Walmanner just recently dropped his 3-track EP “On My Mind”. The project is brimming with soothing soulful charm, hooky melodies and buttery house vibes – the perfect tonic for a good-vibes atmosphere. The South African producer’s brand of house music is always deep and heartfelt. All his musical influences are deeply ingrained into his system and has a huge impact on how he express himself creatively.
Rather than just collecting a small handful of dancefloor singles on one record, Walmanner has a knack for nuance. This EP is a profoundly rewarding listening experience rather than a collection of quick thrills. His music has depth, dimension and flow.
“On My Mind” is the perfect soundtrack for hanging out at home, on a road trip down the coast, or in your headphones while you’re walking down the street. This is soulful underground deep house music at its best.
As his own label boss, Walmanner works with the flexibility and freedom to express his sonic inspirations unhindered. Hence, he always tries to make music that resonates and connects with music fans on many levels – from dancing to chilling and reflective listening.
The EP opens with the title track, “On My Mind” – a beautifully warm track with a steady mid-tempo beat, which is enriched with plenty of Walmanner’s lush keyboard riffs and extensive chord structures.
The opening track is also embellished with sultry female vocal hooks, and soulful sax interludes. Together, the vocals and horns elevate the groove of “On My Mind” with extra layers of emotive soul.
This is followed by “Pure Attitude Walmanner Altered Too)”, which rides on an energizing rhythm, twisting synth, and Walmanner’s signature shimmering keys. The melodies and various sections explored, are sophisticated, as there is emphasis on capturing an intimate feeling through the subtly driving instrumentation.
The EP closes with “The Groove”, which moves the musical intensity up another notch. The music is a powerful and hypnotic mix of dancefloor orientated deep house that pulls you in with its ethereal majesty and doesn’t let go until the very end.
Walmanner channels the best energy and inspiration possible from his mindset into the production. The incredible spirited keyboard stylings add an illustrious sonic ride, in front of the lush pads and a smooth yet irresistibly thumping musical backing.
As one can surmise from the aforementioned descriptions, there is no bad track on this EP only unbelievably good tracks that just make you smile. Due to the 3-track runtime, the project is over in a flash, hypnotizing you and then leaving you craving more.
From mellifluous melodies, to warm chords, and enchanting vocal hooks, alongside soothing basslines and flawless percussion, Walmanner has pulled out all the stops to grace us with an awe-inspiring, tantalizing and grooving deep house EP. “On My Mind” is by no means to be missed.
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