Track of the Week: Manikin… 1970s Punk to 170 BPM.

He adopted his alias from his Dad’s 1970s punk band. Now, Manikin is bringing that same spirit of identity to the deep underground… fighting against short attention spans with patience, albums, and respect.

For Chris Fernandes (aka Manikin), the name isn’t just a tag… it’s a lineage.

“My alias is a nod to my dad’s band from the 1970s, ‘The Manikins’,” Chris explains. “I’ve adopted the logo and aesthetic from Boorloo’s first punk rock band into drum and bass 50 years later.”

While the aesthetic is borrowed from the raw energy of punk, Manikin’s sound is a deliberate counter-balance: Deep, Liquid, and patient. In an era of rapid-fire mixing and 15-second viral clips, he is choosing to slow down and let the music speak.

His latest release, a remix of Des McMahon’s “Hindsight,” is our Track of the Week. It’s a saxophone-infused roller that perfectly captures his refusal to rush.

We sat down with Manikin to talk about why he refuses to “rob” crowds of full tracks, why the Album needs a comeback, and why “Respect” is the only metric that matters.

🚫 The Resistance to “Clip Culture”

Manikin’s approach to DJing is a quiet rebellion against the industry’s obsession with speed. While others pack 60 tracks into an hour, he steps back.

“I keep DJing simple, and avoid cramming too much into one set,” he says. “Songs are made to be listened to in full, why rob people of that?”

This isn’t about laziness; it’s about trust. It’s about believing that a well-produced track deserves to be heard as the artist intended, not chopped up for a dopamine hit.

🧠 Earned Confidence

This philosophy requires a certain level of artistic confidence. The ability to stand in a booth and dictate the pace rather than chasing the crowd’s attention span.

“I play what I want to play, because that’s why I’m booked,” Chris states simply.

It’s a refreshing take in a scene often plagued by imposter syndrome and trend-chasing. For Manikin, the job isn’t to mirror the Top 100 chart; it’s to curate an experience he believes in.

💿 The Return of the LP

His “hot take” extends this philosophy to the studio. He argues that the scene is suffering from a fragmentation of art—singles and EPs designed for playlists rather than immersion.

“Nothing can beat putting on a full-length record and taking it in from start to finish… where every track resonates with the rest as one piece of art, not distinct parts.”

🔊 Respect the Room

The final pillar of Manikin’s ethos is Respect. It informs everything from his production to his venue choice.

He champions 201 Below in Walyalup (Fremantle) not for its size, but for its fidelity. “Best sound system in the broader city metro area,” he notes.

Whether it’s respecting the lineage of his father’s band, respecting the sonic depth of a venue, or respecting the crowd enough to play a track in full, Manikin operates on a frequency of integrity.

🎷 The Track: Hindsight (Manikin Remix)

Remixing a track with a prominent saxophone line is a delicate balance. For his take on “Hindsight,” Chris had to ensure he did justice to Korey Riker’s original sax performance while adding his own low-end weight.

The secret weapon? A nod to the old school.

“The bassline is made from Massive,” he reveals. “Underrated and still a staple in all my tracks.”

⚡ Quickfire: Manikin

🔌 Pass the Aux

We ask every feature guest to answer a question left by the previous interviewee.

Incoming Question from Shellaz:

“Are you for or against SYNC?!!”

Manikin:

“People should do whatever they’re comfortable doing! (But no, I don’t use it).”

Outgoing Question for the Next DJ:

“What’s a non-D&B tune you’d love to hear a remix of?”

Listen to “Hindsight (Manikin Remix)” on Beatport or on Spotify

Follow Manikin: [Instagram Link]