Eight years of honing in his production skills certainly proves true the mantra that practice really does make perfect, at least that was the case with the uber-talented Manse. Still only in his early 20’s, the Swedish DJ is a prime talent that has swiftly risen through the ranks to become a label favorite for Revealed and Armada. Manse – real name Michael Hansen – has always had his eyes on the prize. His latest track, “Where We Want To Be” -out now on Armada, is a beautiful mix of deep and progressive house accompanied by the amazing vocals of Maruja Retana.
We got the chance to get together with Manse and talk about the future, food, his inspirations and a ton more. Manse also shared a delightful guest mix with us as well. Make sure to keep up with Manse on socials and check out the interview and mix below!
Guest Mix
Interview
What got you into making music, specifically Electronic Dance Music?
I've always had a music interest since my young years, dancing to Michael Jackson, and I’ve been listening to a lot of different genres. My interest in actually creating music came when a friend of mine introduced me to Acid Pro, where I started making hip-hop beats. Eventually I got interested in Electro House and Progressive House after going to Sensation White in Denmark back in 2008 where I fell in love with the Swedish House Mafia sound that Ingrosso and Angello played. Since then I've been DJing for fun, making EDM music as a hobby where I eventually got picked up Hardwell’s management and label.
Who are some of your biggest musical inspirations?
Rhian Sheehan
Michael Jackson
Armin van Buuren
Hans Zimmer
Hardwell
Swedish House Mafia
Eric Prydz
ABBA
Who are some artists you are listening to now?
Astrid S
Paul Rey
Avicii
OneRepublic
Axwell & Ingrosso
Garmiani
Tritonal
Your newest track is out on Armada Trice now and is title “Where We Want To Be”, what went into making this song? The vocals are killer, and this track has a very upbeat vibe to it, been digging it since release.
Thanks for the kind words about my newest single 🙂 I am very proud of this record, it was born already back in early 2016 where it initially was a deep house song. I felt I wanted to incorporate my Progressive House sound to it though, so I reworked it where a clearer lead hook was added and a more uplifting progression so it would be a sweet crossover between Deep House and Progressive House.
Thanks for the mix! What goes into making a mix like this, and what are some songs in this mix that stand out to you?
This mixtape is a mix between my favourite tunes I play at home but also some of my top tunes I play live, so this is a diverse mix between music that mainly work for your daily flow but also some tunes to expect to hear when I play live. Also added some new Manse IDs in this mix for my fellow progressive house lovers 🙂
What are some things you like to do in spare time when not making music?
My days are mainly fully packed with working on music, but when I don't make music, I enjoy hanging out with my family and going out with my friends to do fun stuff and of course I love to run in the nature to gather some inspiration 🙂
What does the fall have in store for Manse?
I am leaving for a minor Asia tour where I first going to visit Vietnam and then do a couple of club shows and festival shows in China. After the tour it’s time for the yearly ADE, where I am happy to be playing at Revealed Recordings label night at Q-factory on the 21th October. During these shows I am premiering a lot of new Manse music, mainly Progressive House and Clubbier bangers, but also preparing for some new releases where the sound is tad more experimental. Release wise I have a remix coming up for an Trance artist which is a Progressive House remix, and also going to release an Progressive House EP with 3 songs for my dear followers. After that more singles are coming and also some cool collaborations.
Favorite home-cooked meal?
Oven baked Salmon with mashed sweet potato and oven roasted vegetables, yuuummy!
Favorite junk food?
Kebab pizza
Burger with sweet potato fries and a chocolate milkshake