imanu


Each release, for him, is not a chapter in a catalog but a small world.


“Every EP is its own little universe. Peo- ple who come to them become part of a tribe. It’s curated to feel like a specific world, a vibe, an idea.”


Listening to IMANU feels like walking through a city that overwhelms you one moment and disarms you the next. His tracks do not just move from drop to breakdown; they rise like slabs of concrete, then collapse into light. It is the language of architecture transla- ted into sound.


He admits he no longer thinks of his music as tools for DJs, but as pieces meant to stand on their own. “I arrange them like songs. That’s more important to me than how easy they are to mix.” That choice is revealing. It places him closer to architects and designers than to pure technicians of the dancefloor. The aim is not functionality, but per- manence.


The Brutalism reference makes perfect sense. A block of raw concrete thrown against red brick and green space be- comes impossible to ignore. IMANU hears the same principle in distortion, where the meeting of harmony and percussion clashes with vocals. His work thrives in contrast, in the tension between noise and clarity.


I believe what sets him apart is that sense of environment. This is a scene obsessed with singles and algorithms, but IMANU insists on building worlds. And in doing so, he does not just de- sign songs. He creates spaces where communities can gather, bound by the architecture of sound.


CURATING LINEUPS


Beyond records, IMANU is shaping nights. From ADE showcases to under- ground clubs, his role as curator is as intentional as his sound design.


“I have to balance a lot of people: venues, promoters, the crowd, and myself. I want to support artists who excite me and create a safe, diverse space on the dancefloor. For ADE,


I always want one vocal artist who might also sing live. Then I fill in the night around that, making sure the flow keeps building.”


Flow, he insists, is the hidden architec- ture of a night.


“I care about the order of the acts. The energy has to rise. That might mean a bigger name plays earlier than expected. If we can get people to come early and stay late, then we’ve done it right. We have to put ego aside for it.”


He books a broad spectrum, from in- ternational headliners to local names. The common thread is energy and openness.


“If you make good music, create good sets, and are a good person to work with, then I want to support you. The best ni- ghts are the ones where everyone feels good. Artists, crew, crowd.”


Sometimes risks turn into revelations. “In New York, I booked Sammy Sosa. I didn’t know her that well, just scrolled through some mixes. She completely killed it. It went crazy. The same with Skala in London. She murdered it. The- re are so many DJs now blending styles in unique ways. That openness toward fusion is exciting.”


CULTURE, COMMUNITY & LEGACY


For IMANU, the rebellion was never against house or techno. It was against close-mindedness.


“I started as a house producer, then built a drum and bass project before IMANU. I hated how stubborn some drum and bass crowds were. Playing one non-DNB track could clear the floor. That pissed me off. My rebellion was against that. I was inspired by Noisia, who pushed for other music in their sets and got backlash, but also became more successful for it.”


COMMUNITY, NOT DRIVES HIM NOW.


GENRE,


“Music events are social events. People go where their friends go. That’s why I care about lineups. If I can attract good people, more good people will


follow.


I want a community that listens to different genres but is connected by the same open energy.”


He experiments in both private and public settings, knowing that not every idea belongs in the same space.


“I put a lot of my experiments on Patreon: weird time signatures, ambient sketches. My core fans enjoy those. For public releases, I still want accessibility. A track like ‘Sutekh’ streams well because the vocal makes it easier to digest. There’s a time and place for everything. Not everything needs to be 17/6 in an Ethiopian scale. Sometimes it’s just A minor with a 4/4 kick.”


THAT PHILOSOPHY EXTENDS TO HIS LEGACY.


“If my lineups and music make other people want to do it too, that’s the biggest compliment. I hope that in ten years, there are more lineups like mine. Diverse artists, diverse crowds, safe spaces, and sick outfits.”


IMANU is not just releasing tracks. He is building spaces; on records, on sta- ges, and in communities that refuse to settle into one box. His rebellion is not about tearing genres down but about opening them up.


“At the end of the day, I’m happy if peo- ple enjoy my non-traditional way of booking and creating. If it inspires them to try something similar, that means the world to me.”


The future he envisions is not about being remembered for one sound but for building worlds where sounds can collide and people can feel free. That is the legacy he is writing with De Verte: not just a project title, but a statement of depth, distance, and possibility.


67


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196  |  Page 197  |  Page 198  |  Page 199  |  Page 200