Manna's debut for Apollo followed only a single, "R-Earth" (released on Wau!/Mr. Modo and included on the vinyl version of Manna). Although producers
Jonathan Quarmby and
Kevin Bacon's tertiary relationship to the experimental electronic scene is revealed in the naiveté of some of the arrangements, they more than make up for it in the production, which is nothing short of shimmering. And while many of the tracks fall into a somewhat static mold of ambient techno explored years earlier by artists such as
Speedy J and
Biosphere, the group's knack for hand-painted sounds and deep atmospherics makes for an extremely listenable update.