The Manic Boys And Girls Club are back in Blacked Out (Paul Andrews Remix) — showcasing today on Tinnitist.
The Toronto rock duo’s sonic distress call — which came dressed up as a high-voltage dance banger — receives a lush, ethereal new sonic treatment from composer, producer, and musician Andrews in this bold revamp.
“Blacked Out is a cry for help in disguise,” siblings Bela and Fernando Ferrieira explain. “We’re lost, overmedicated, depressed and hiding behind bathroom selfies, late nights, and lip gloss. Raised strict Catholics, children of immigrant parents, and sent away to live in rural Portugal with their grandmother — who had previously been a nun — The Manic Boys and Girls Club is more than a band. It is an escape from the submissive existence that was reality, an escape from the disposable music packaged for the masses, and an escape for any misfit looking to join the club.”
In its original form, Blacked Out raged out of the gates, unrelenting in its pulsating bass and ineffable synth. Andrews’ treatment reveals a nostalgic vibe unique to the composer behind scores for a host of TV shows and horror films.
“We met Paul in Los Angeles,” Bela recalls. “Neither of us remember who exactly put us in touch; I don’t know if it was the ‘European background’ thing, but we hit it off right away. We listen to a pretty wide spectrum of music. One guilty pleasure of ours is retro new wave, and some of the heavier electronic music that came from that. When we talked about doing a remix, our British friend with an industrial and goth background who now scores European horror films seemed like the obvious call we had to make.”
Fernando adds: “Besides being a great producer and musician, Paul is the best storyteller. Having had multiple record deals, tours, and even living in an apartment off Sunset Strip next to Motörhead’s Lemmy, there was never a shortage of material. Whenever we’ve been together to work, the time spent has probably been spent 10% on productivity, and 90% just hanging over beer.”
In The Manic Boys and Girls Club, the pair share equal responsibility to the group: Bela’s haunting vocals, balanced with Fernando’s savoury harmony, snagged the attention of producer Gavin Brown (Glorious Sons, Billy Talent, Mother Mother), who produced their EP. “We are pretty stubborn and very opinionated when we work, so the fact that an award-winning producer like Gavin Brown put up with us, and actually saw eye to eye with us on various ideas, feels like a miracle,” the band say.
The result is a collection of five songs recounting the two loners’ experience touring in a van, as well as relationships, and bad habits. “Every song starts with a lyric and a melody,” they say. “No matter how it is produced, every one of our songs can be a lullaby. When we play as a duo, our music is heard as it was initially written.”
Watch the video for Blacked Out (Paul Andrews Remix) above, listen to both the original and the remix below, and join The Manic Boys And Girls Club at their website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.
