Manic Focus gives the remix treatment to synth-rock band Jimkata’s “Bonfires”

Posted by VMan on June 17, 2022

Synth-rock band Jimkata emerged from their four-year hiatus last summer with their galvanizing Bonfires album; a 10-track LP that found the evolved trio stretching their boundaries with bold, intoxicating arrangements fueled by swirling synthesizers and anthemic hooks. 

After showcasing Bonfires across the country this year with coast-to-coast performances and festival appearances at Summer Camp Music Festival and Gem & Jam to name a few, Jimkata has tapped Denver-based bass purveyor Manic Focus to remix the album’s title track.

Drawing inspiration from his roots in funk and soul, Manic Focus’ euphoric rendition layers soaring synth progressions and scintillating basslines atop singer/guitarist Evan Friedell’s stirring vocals. Transforming “Bonfires” into a wispy, euphoric anthem that’s destined to soundtrack festival stages all summer long, the classically-trained musician showcases his prowess for genre-crossing production work.

Manic Focus’ remix follows widespread acclaim for the Bonfires album, which has already garnered 1,000,000+ combined streams across platforms and been praised by taste-making outlets like American Songwriter, Earmilk, and Wonderland. 

New York-bred band Jimkata has been pairing playful, buoyant melodies with weighty, emotive lyrics since its members – three lifelong friends – formed the project in 2005. The group notched nationwide festival performances and released a series of celebrated studio albums before taking their hiatus in 2017. Since reforming last year with a renewed sense of purpose, Jimkata has charted a course for nonstop growth as they look toward a summer brimming with East Coast tour dates and another Bonfires remix coming down the pipeline from rising electro soul artist Phyphr.

A multi-dimensional artist with a rowdy style that spans multiple genres, Manic Focus fuses soulful blues with heavy-hitting bass to create a tone that’s entirely his own. A true beat-making machine, Manic Focus has released six full-length albums over the last ten years and continues to push himself to new musical limits by incorporating original, sample-free recordings. Since dropping his last LP Lost in a Digital World in 2019, the Denver-based producer has released 15 singles and a handful of EPs including collaborations with Break Science, SoDown, Marvel Years and Mersiv. Manic Focus has also remixed heavy-hitters like Louis the Child, Zeds Dead, Pretty Lights, GRiZ, Umphrey’s McGee, and Lettuce, in addition to taking the stage at festivals like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, Hulaween and North Coast Music Festival.

Tags: Manic Focus, remix