By: Staff
Finnish DJ and producer Rony Rex pushes creative boundaries once again with his latest track, "MANIMANI," featuring the dynamic energy of Japanese rapper and indie artist Nakamura Minami.
Known for blending unconventional styles and forging unexpected collaborations, Rony delivers a bold, bass-heavy anthem that fuses deconstructed club beats, pulsating synths, and thunderous drum patterns. This high-energy production serves as the perfect backdrop for Minami’s electrifying vocals, which radiate confidence and carefree charisma as she spins vivid, party-driven imagery.
“MANIMANI ft. Nakamura Minami” captures the essence of a cross-cultural celebration, combining the grit of Nordic electronic music with the punchy, playful lyricism of Japanese rap. The track’s long journey to completion, nearly two years in the making, highlights the meticulous care both artists invested in crafting a song that feels fresh, daring, and unforgettable. For Minami, this marks another standout collaboration following her feature on salute’s album TRUE MAGIC and her work with renowned acts like Anna Lunoe and TREKKIE TRAX.
For Rony Rex, “MANIMANI ft. Nakamura Minami” continues his trajectory as one of the most innovative voices in electronic music today. Building on the momentum of his EP Dopamine, featuring collaborations with global talents like Benni Ola and Ravenna Golden, Rony uses this track to explore bold new territory within house, bass, and hyperpop influences. With his fearless approach to production and an ever-growing roster of international partners, Rony Rex redefines what it means to be a modern electronic artist, delivering unforgettable club tracks that transcend borders and genres.
Stream "MANIMANI" by Rony Rex ft. Nakamura Minami now on all major platforms, add it to your playlists, share it with friends, and feel the pulse of this electrifying track today!
We had the chance to catch up with Rony Rex for an exclusive interview in "The Cage" Music Blog.
Here’s how it went:
Begin Interview
Hello Rony Rex, we’re thrilled to have you here for this interview! We've had an amazing time exploring your music and diving into your creative journey. Now, we’re even more excited to get a deeper look into both your brand and your personal and professional inspirations.
Your artist name, Rony Rex, has a memorable edge to it. Could you tell us how you landed on that name and how it represents the persona you’ve crafted as an artist? How do you see it connecting with your fans?
There was once a young boy desperately wanted to learn to dj but had no equipment. One time, we were at this club with my friend that had two booths, the second one being empty, I somehow got in and started to mess around with the equipment. My friend sneaked up behind me and gently reminded me that decks had no power. So, for a long time I went as DJ No Voltage. Deserved.
Later on, I was sitting in a car at six in the morning after a gig with the same friend, who had become my manager. We had agreed to launch my rebranding at a major festival and their announcement was that same morning, and we still did not have even a new alias. So, we went with instinct and it turned out it was a good move. Still happy with it. My real name is Rony, who usually has introvert tendencies, adding to it felt like it enabled me to be grow, to move more freely. Something chosen, not given. The intention was to have something quite over the top but still real. It stuck.
We’re fascinated by this cross-continental collaboration. How did you first connect with Nakamura Minami, and had you two worked together or shared any music interests before "MANIMANI"?
This is our first. I became aware of Nakamura through her work, that confident, ironic and playful style hit. I used to play her on sets and radio, and used a collaboration of hers with Anna Lunoe in one of my most popular reels/tiktoks where I was DJing in an ice hole, on sea ice. She later told me that she had seen the video, and when I reached out for a possible collaboration she thought I was mad enough and jumped on it.
For those of us who haven't experienced Finland’s music scene, how would you describe the Finnish market for electronic and club music? How does the local vibe shape your sound?
Finland historically has an ultra strong electronic music compared to the tiny size of the country. Especially in the underground, there’s active scenes even in smaller cities outside of Helsinki. A lot events.
There is this joke that Darude’s Sandstorm should be turned into the new national anthem – we have a lot of trance, house, drum and bass, dark techno – usually leaning to the moody or super emotional side of things. When starting out, I never found a home for my thing so I started doing my own clubs and pushing a more colorful sound which has proven a good choice, a change to all that melancholy.
“MANIMANI” has this powerful, bass-driven intensity that feels distinct yet fits so well with your existing work. Could you walk us through your creative process for this track? What inspired these high-energy, deconstructed club beats?
It’s always with these international collaborations things take time, this has been in the works for over two years. The long period allows for experimenting quite a lot. The original demo Nakamura wrote on and recorded was totally different, somewhere along the path we came up with this flute lead thing. We tried to forget it but it crept into our dreams…. Finally we gave up and rewrote the song around it, and very slowly it gathered more elements, starting with that bassline, finally ended up in it’s final form. That’s why you can hear quite a lot of different parts to it. Coming from a DJ POV, I tend to go for a dancefloor focused approach with energy builds inside the song being essential.
Japanese rap is an interesting and bold genre to bring into a Finnish electronic track. What was the spark behind choosing this style, and what do you hope listeners take away from the fusion?
It was only a matter of time, as stylistically i felt like this would be a perfect match. Like Nakamura said in an interview for Japanese magazine Spincoaster, “It might give you a headache but you’ll want more”.
Nakamura Minami's lyrics are playful yet relatable, touching on party themes like sake, nosebleeds, and brain freezes. How did this theme fit with your vision for the track, and did you have any specific narrative in mind?
According to Nakamura, the lyrics for this song started from her daily life, or rather, the fact that she does things that are normal for her, but everyone treats her like a weirdo – she performs at clubs on the weekends, and makes money by pouring herself into the brains of the fans along with sake. The artistic attraction force between fellow weirdos is real and to make that flow I always strive to make space for total creative freedom in the writing phase.
You’ve worked with a lot of international artists—Kitty, Ravenna Golden, LÂLKA, and now Nakamura Minami. How do these global influences shape your music? Is there a genre or region you’d like to explore next?
Being a curator first and foremost, DJing for 15 years and doing radio for than half of it, discovering new sounds and the digging is not only romanticized, it’s a principle, scheduled weekly and done religiously. I’ve essentially brainwashed myself. And it feels good. There’s so much going on now, it’s endless. It feels like every week there’s some mad scene bubbling somewhere at full force that I can only feel the tiniest waves of, compared to the real experience.
Lately I’ve been inspired of what comes out of Latin America, and have a collaboration with Mexican DJ, Producer and Synthetist Valentina Moretti in the works.
Playlists like Tokyo Club Beat and All New Dance are perfect for tracks like "MANIMANI." Do you imagine a particular vibe or setting when making music, and does that help guide where your songs might best fit?
The music always comes first and I try to schedule active studio stretches wherever possible, and for those everything must go. No social media, no references, no business. I’ve got a tendency to overthink. Need to protect the nature boi nrg.
With your EP "Dopamine" earlier this year and now "MANIMANI," you seem to be pushing boundaries within electronic music. What’s the biggest message or vibe you want to communicate through this new direction in your music?
I’ve had a rough patch in my life and feel like I’ve grown to the point where it feels like the magnetic pull of conforming forces around me has eased up. Slowly coming out to the healing side, it’s time to offload all that’s not necessary. Groove, but sharp, pop curious, but leftfield. For the club. Big drums, bold sound design. Natural but maximized. Through it, freedom of movement. It’s dance music after all. Antidote to purism.
Your music’s bass-heavy style is fresh and instantly recognizable. Do you have any particular studio techniques or unique instruments that help you achieve that standout sound?
Every project goes on it’s own terms. My plugin library is an absolute mess. Some usual go-to’s are Serum and Massive (x). Very original. Sampling is key though, one of the paths i tend to visit often is to try to find a few weird sounds from anywhere (I’m sucker for random genre sample libraries, the more out of context the better), and limit myself to them, to get going. Can I move to it, does it stick? Without any extra. What's the bare minimum? Then drums. After, it usually starts to form. Being a new dad I’m constantly time poor, and try to make fast ideas. And give love to only those that are alive after months or years. Can’t afford to spend too much nrg on shit that ultimately never gets finished.
Finally, what’s next for Rony Rex? Should we expect more collaborations, and if so, are there any dream artists or genres you’d love to work with?
Tracks for years. It’s time to unload. To name a few, next we have another Japanese collaboration coming up in december, with CHAMELEON LIME WHOOPIEPIE. After, we’ll start the year with a collaboration with one my current favourite Finnish artists, Knife Girl.
I just signed with a major booking agency (announced soon) and look forward to playing more shows. The past year’s have been about putting in work. Excited about what comes next.
Rony Rex, thank you so much, we appreciate you taking the time to talk to us!
End Interview
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We’re happy to have shared Rony Rex’s exciting journey with you and uncovered such inspiring insights about their creative process.
Now, click the links below to experience their incredible work firsthand!
Check out this latest release and listen to more of Rony Rex on Spotify & YouTube.
Comments