EPK

 

Mikael Máni

“...a thoughtful, deft musician ready to add his voice to the roster of Scandinavians who continue to sculpt a distinctive jazz sound.”

— Franz A. Matzner, All about Jazz

-About-

4 time nominee for the Icelandic Music Awards, Reykjavík born and bred guitarist and composer Mikael Máni made his name with his debut release entitled ‘Bobby’ (a concept album citing the life experiences of controversial chess grandmaster Bobby Fischer). It gained play time on BBC 3 & 6, Icelandic and French national radio and his most streamed song from the record has gained more than 1.000.000 streams on Spotify. His sophomore album Nostalgia Machine delved deeper into his musical landscape.

Although loosely categorized as jazz, Mikael likes to describe his music as ‘Jarm’ – a subtle blend of jazz, rock and impressionism. He aims to balance his work so that it is both accessible and demanding, in the hope that listeners are able to be stimulated both intellectually and emotionally. The album got praise from Cerys Matthews, was chosen jazz record of the year in Icelandic paper Morgunblaðið and was nominated for the Kraumur Awards.

-Press photos-

 
All images can be downloaded for press purposes in the download section below

All images can be downloaded for press purposes in the download section below

All images can be downloaded for press purposes in the download section below

All images can be downloaded for press purposes in the download section below

 

-Quotes-

“Mani et al offer innovation and tradition, reassurance and challenge. Highly recommended. - 5/5”
— Michael Boncza - Morning Star
“There’s a strong sense of wide-eyed dreaming about some of the compositions… the music blurring the waking and sleeping worlds. - 3/5”
— Jazzwise - Robert Shore
“The band should be praised for their subtle approach, improvisations full of finesse, sensitivity to dynamics and advanced harmony… an album you can enjoy endlessly and it is definitely worth staying with this album for a longer time. -5/5”
— Marcin - Stacjaislandia
“I have enjoyed Nostalgia Machine with the use of different instrumentation, the blending of musical styles and the linear approach to the album’s construction.”
— SimplyJazzTalk Blog
“…beautiful, full of intent, moving but only with careful steps but with an inexorable beauty that compels the listener to stand and admire. -4/5”
— Kind of jazz - Rob Mallow
“…crossover work of confidently understated melodic refinement.”
— London Jazz News - AJ Dehany
“It is rare to receive an album that is as layered as Bobby. By the first listening you can tell that it’s a magnificently deep, lyrical and tender jazz album that is both rewarding and demanding. Mikael Máni is a young instrumentalist that demonstrates both outstanding guitar playing and joy in his experiments. - 4/5”
— Morgunblaðið - Ragnheiður Eiríksdóttir
“The sound is formidable… Mikael Máni is undeniably a very talented guitarist, also a charismatic composer with sharp tonal language”
— Kulturbloggen - Mats Hallberg
 

-Contact-

Booking Iceland:
email: mikaelm27@gmail.com
phone: (+354) 6591820

Booking UK and Europe:
rupert@dynamicagency.co.uk

Other inqueries:
Phone (+354) 822-3780
e-mail: asmundj@smekkleysa.com