Under the Textbook Maneuver banner, Michael Keane—a pianist from the Bronx now rooted in New Jersey—brings a punk-rooted DIY spirit to his electronic output, fusing thoughtful audio crafting with story-like elements inspired by Genesis‘ Duke days, Rush, Gary Numan, The Postal Service, U.N.K.L.E., and Phantogram. This results in pieces that merge IDM’s inquisitive edge with ambient and progressive electronica’s emotional depth, ideal for media like films, shows, or apps, all while dodging simple labels yet staying approachable through improv and bold experiments. Hitting nearly 130,000 streams, the project gains traction in global IDM and experimental electronic crowds, boosted by chats in Magnetic Magazine and Illustrate Magazine, plus coverage from WWAM, Brazil’s Music For All, and Good Music Radar spotlighting his 2025 debut Adrenaline Slip. Echoes of Boards of Canada, μ-Ziq, and Squarepusher show up, alongside comps to Jon Hopkins and Nils Frahm, positioning him as a key player in the scene.
‘Nocturnal Musings’ plays like a tilted glitch realm, with erratic drums twisting amid piercing synth jabs, pulsing tones, and ethereal overlays that mirror a brain hovering in limbo.
Textbook Maneuver revealed: “I spent much of my time composing for the Strike Joy EP in a fully screened porch at night, during the height of cricket and frog activity, focusing on loops and sound design. Elements of the rhythms and tones from nature helped inspire ‘Nocturnal Musings’.”
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