Interview: Five Minutes with Aero Manyelo

Aero Manyelo was raised with his father’s love of jazz, which would ultimately go on to influence his own music and give it a unique depth. Years ago, it was Manyelo’s ‘Mexican Girl’ that caught the attention of Oskido, a heavyweight in the South African music industry, who would help the single gain radio play and ultimately propel him towards stardom. 

The musician has proven that he has an arsenal of knowledge behind his work, having been awarded a bursary at the Soul Candi Music Institute, where he would study Sound Engineering. Aero Manyelo would go on to work at BlackwHole Entertainment, where he released his first vinyl and eventually began to make waves in the international music scene.

Aero Manyelo’s latest release is the EP Hold You Forever on Ryan Murgatoyd’s Swoon Recordings imprint, which you can find below along with an exclusive interview with the man behind the music. 

Which comes first when you’re producing – the sound or the idea?

It really depends, but for me, most of the time is the sound. I like playing around with sound a lot then whenever I got the one I like it’s easier to create melodies

Does your material feature any collaborations?

Yes, I do collaborations every now and then. It helps me go out of my comfort zone and explore different artists with new different styles

What’s on your current playlist?

Stephan Bodzin, Curtis Mayfield, Manyelo Dafro and Behr

Tell us about the chemistry you have with your fans on stage.

Well, the more I seem to understand the music language, the better for me and it brings out the best energy and vibe.

What techniques do you experiment with to get your original sound? *

Different kinds of plugins and synth’s, but I like sampling most of the time and re-creating melodies with differing kinds of ambient sounds.

Take us through a day in the recording studio.

Unplanned studio session sometimes brings better outcome

Was there a specific moment in your life where you thought, “this is what I want to do”?

Every day of my life it feels like I’m doing what I always wanted to do .

What do you keep close by while you’re playing a set?

Lol, 100% fruit juice

Any emerging artists on your radar?

I have quite a few, including,  Figo Da Dope, Benediction, Dafro and DJ Clizo.

What gets your creative juices flowing?

New samples, the cool studio temperature and some drinks 😉

Take us through your collection of gear, tech or software that accompanies your creative expression.

I use different kinds of gears and software.

My favourite plugs at the moment are Reaktor, Arturia Collection, Roland Cloud for gears Nord Lead, Moog Mother 32 and Roland System 8

Any side projects you’re working on?

Yes I’m working on Manyelo Dafro, Montparnasse Musique, ElvisWasHere and Lotolo

How have you refined your craft since you entered the industry?

I try something different every time

Breakdown the news for us: what can we expect from you this year?

Have few singles and EP’s lined up on my Aero Manyelo project and Manyelo Dafro project

Famous last words?

Go to school, don’t do drugs

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