Rediscovering Mansun: How a '90s Band Shaped My Music and Life
Written by Siteng
Published on 22 Feb 2025
Published on 22 Feb 2025
I've been a massive Mansun fan since probably middle school. Back then, I used to print out the artwork for Attack of the Grey Lantern and stick it to my dormitory wall during my monotonous, suffocating high school years, listening to their songs on repeat. For some reason, I keep revisiting their songs at different stages of my life, and the resonance only gets stronger as I grow up. I just keep falling in love with their lush arrangements and bizarre, introspective lyrics. Surprising, It wasn't until recently, while listening to AOTGL and Six again, that I realised that the band that influenced my music style the most is actually Mansun.
I find this theory quite true: the music we listen to between the ages of 13 to 16 most likely shapes our lifelong music taste. Back in my teenage years, I discovered tons of indie gems on Xiami, a now-defunct Chinese music streaming platform – unfortunately, it was shut down in 2021, but its legacy lives on. That's also where I was introduced to Mansun, David Bowie, Tears for Fears, Depeche Mode, The xx, and so on – some of my favorite artists to this day. My taste always seemed a bit more eccentric back then than my peers, especially as a Gen Z girl growing up in a historical Chinese city. It was hard to find anyone who shared a silimar enthusiasm, so my listening experience was always solitary and introspective.
Reflecting on how Mansun has influenced my style, I realise that I've been unconsciously mirroring their cryptic lyrics, surreal narratives, cinematic strings, and theatrical vocals – in my own songwriting, there's always this blend of alternative rock and synth-pop – as in "Broken (Home Is My Prison)". When I first learned to produce music, though I was drawn to electronic sounds, my approach to arrangement was deeply inspired by Mansun's layered textures. Recently, I felt a magical connection when picking up a guitar again – returning to my alt-rock roots.
The rest is more about my life. Despite the release of EP Violent Divinity in spring 2024, my life had been a bit gloomy since, weighed down by tremendous stress – I worried I wouldn't be able to continue building my music career in the UK anymore, among other existential crises. It was hard to feel proud or enjoy the moment. Coming from this darker place, I wrote lyrics that were self-deprecating and nihilistic. When I revisted Mansun's epic prog-rock album Six, the lyrics suddenly hit home for me. "Life is a compromise anyway" ("Six"), "I feel so drained, my legacy / A sea of faces just like me" ("Legacy"), or "I'm emotionally raped by Jesus" ("Cancer") – lines like these used to haunt the 16-year-old-me, and now they ring true again.
After a period of internal turbulence, I'm in a better place now and looking forward to seeing these materials evolve into full-fledged music projects in 2025 (here's a teaser). Aside from replacing existing synth parts with electric guitar, I might also try Mansun's signature segue approach, gluing tracks together into a coherent piece. Lyrics always take me longer to finalise, as I love planting cryptic clues here and there – every word matters – but I can see the vision. It'll be a mixture of surreal fiction and my artistic life.
I have to admit that writing this journal makes feel good again. Mansun's short-lived glory is certainly tragic, but their discography remains one of the most unique and glamorous. I can loop their albums endlessly without growing tired, obsessing over intricate nuances with every listen. Looking into the lyrics, I can't help but think they might have woven their fate into their songs – a confessional rock 'n' roll fable. "Nobody cares when you're gone" ("Legacy") – I don't know why, but this candid absurdist negativity somehow empowers me.
ST xx
22 Feb 2025