MANICBURG is a union of two sonic worlds: that of NYC native Raymond J. Lustig and Italy’s Luigi Porto.
The New York Times calls Lustig’s previous work, “surreally beautiful…ecstatic…rapturous,” The Washington Post hails its “eerie prescience.” Likewise, Angelo Badalamenti praises Porto’s work as “abstract, hypnotizing, absolutely unique,” and Stuart Maconie highlights its “incredibly striking atmospheres.”
While the band’s stage performances hearken to antique and dramatic public rites, their forthcoming self-titled debut spans a vast sonic palette at times reminiscent of modern post-punk, dreampop and art-rock artists like Blonde Redhead, Bauhaus and Radiohead.
Ray Lustig, as a composer/performer (SEMMELWEIS, Latency Canons, Figments) has created for the symphonic stage, theatre, and mixed media, and he teaches composition at The Juilliard School. His music is performed and recorded by numerous orchestras, ensembles, and soloists around the world, at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Bartok Plusz Opera Festival, and Lincoln Center.
Hailing from the Italian underground and experimental scene, Luigi Porto has released albums under several monikers (Appleyard College, Mond), and toured with bands (Maisie, Anima Virus), scored films (Uljhan, Arbëria), and composed for orchestra and stage. Besides performing solo and with ensembles, his music has been at Carnegie Hall, La Croisette, Stanislavsky Theatre and many international venues.
The live band lineup includes guitarist/backing vocalist Rob Salmon, drummer Varo Barahona, and bassist Daniel Espinoza.
Manicburg released on October 25th, 2024 and is available on LP, CD and streaming/download via Respirano Records. Listen HERE.
Album musicians include An Outskirt, Leah Asher, Varo Barahona, Emanuele Calvosa, Carmine Cipolla, Sergio Cipolla, Paolo Gaudio, Andrew Miller, Chaitanya Sangco, Drew Schlingman, Joy Tamayo, Nadia Tamayo, and Vaikunta Tamayo. The album was engineered and mixed by Maximilien Hein, mastered by Andrew Yanchyshyn, vinyl lacquer cut by Scott Hull at Masterdesk, and printed by Southbound Press. Recorded at The Hit Factory (NYC), Bunker Studios (Brooklyn), The Brooklyn Pearl (Brooklyn), Benny’s Wash ’n Dry (Brooklyn), Respirano Records (NYC), our own Manicburg-on-Hudson (NYC, iSound (Rende, Italy) and Echo Mobile Studio (Bisignano, Italy).
Manicburg's video and photography partners include Robert Presutti, Varo Barahona, John W. Lustig, Ashish Pant, and Giacomo Triglia. Publicity is handled by US/THEM Group.
