The dance/pop producer Minus Manus enjoyed a successful summer, and hit us hard with his floor-ready single ‘I Love This Club.’ We wanted to hear a little bit more about what makes him tick as a producer, and what he wants to bring to the table in the near future.
Check out our exclusive interview and the ficial video to his recent hit below.
Many thanks for joining us! How would you best introduce yourself?
Thank you so much for having me! My name is Magnus, and I’m an overly positive songwriter and producer and proud father 3 chickens, 4 bunnies and a weird cat.
What is the Minus Manus sound all about? When did you start making music?
I’ve been writing pop songs since I was 10 years old, but really got into producing about 7 years ago. The Minus Manus sound is a mixture house and deep house with pop melodies on top.
What do you love most about doing this as a job?
I guess what I love most about this job is how unpredictable it is. You never know what the next day will hold. You get to travel the world and meet new people every day, and in the end, it’s all about the music.
Where did your musical love story start for you? Do you remember any key early influences?
It started when I was 10 and got my first guitar. I remember writing my very first song after learning 3 chords. My first big influence was Max Martin. In the beginning I didn’t realise it was him, but his songs made a big impression on me as a kid. When I got older I looked into his history and was blown away. At one point I remember making my own Excel sheets as I was going through and analysing all his songs, looking at BPM and song structures, trying to find that secret recipe.
Who or what are you currently really into, music-wise?
I’m so into Lauv right now – he writes amazing melodies. Production wise I’m really into Louis the Child and Flume. They both take their productions to places I could never imagine.
‘I Love This Club’ is out now and a great track! Did it take you long to produce?
Thank you so much! I wrote the first version the song in a really fun session with Karl Zine in London. I kept working on it when I got back to Norway, and had Oda Evjen Gjøvåg rewrite the lyrics. Overall I think I produced the track in a couple days. It was the kind track that had a clear direction from the very start, so I didn’t spend any time fumbling around trying to find a sound.
Are you happy with the end result?
Yes, absolutely! Even if I’ve heard the song a million times already, I’m still very much in love with it.
Who would you love to remix or collaborate with?
Having Sia on a track would be an absolute dream. Even though my sound is very electronic, I’m still very pop at heart, so anyone from Zara Larsson and Bebe Rexha to Bruno Mars.
What do you have coming up next?
We have my next single ready to go whenever the time is right. I also have between 10 and 15 songs done to follow up, so I think we have some fun times ahead.
Is there anything else we should know about you?
I know this might be very controversial, but I actually do like pineapple on my pizza.