Album Notes

It's rare that one encounters an independent musician who has overcome the general malaise of the music market, but Anders Manga is a shining example that the 'DIY ethic' still holds merit. With a long and strong background in the horror and fetish film world, his musical project was surprisingly founded less than two years ago. Anders rose to success from the rather unusual locale of Charlotte, North Carolina, due to persistence, sheer talent, and the word-of-mouth power of the Internet, success has been a whirlwind.

Self-produced in his home, his debut, One Up for the Dying, arrived in 2005 with a sound and style that was distinctly gothic, yet painted upon a canvas of electronic dance instrumentation and arrangements. Similar to perhaps the recent goth-friendly works of Gary Numan, DJs and scene journalists began referring to his work as 'gothtronica,' a label that seems to have stuck with him. His first single, "We Won't Stay Dead," became an international club hit; combining Anders' distinctive baritone fog with insistent thumping beats and fluttering fuzzy arpeggios, it was like a missing key between the estranged sub-genre siblings, goth and industrial.

Amazingly, Anders Manga is equally productive in the visual arena, his debut alone boasting an extravagant appendix of four music videos. With a professional polish to all these works, it is clear that Anders' days as a film auteur have been a definite asset for fleshing out his vision.

Early in 2006, Anders conjured up another full-length album, an amazing feat considering less than a year had passed since his arrival. His sophomore release, Left on An All-Time Low, not only expanded his project's line-up from a solo effort into a capable quartet, but it also found a more organic niche between his electronic rhythms and his voice's Lestat-like countenance. Now an actual live-performing force, Anders Manga left the studio and set foot to blaze a trail across the American festival circuit, with appearances at Gothstock, Convergence, Eccentrik and Dracula's Ball thus far under their belt. Further festival appearances are planned for his future, four more videos for Low are already complete and available online, and even a third album "Welcome to the Horror Show" plus a DVD are glimmering on the horizon. Certainly, one could never label Anders a lazy man. - Vlad McNeeley