photo by MLou Elkins
Ryan A: drums, samples
Paragraph: guitar, vocals, music
Lillith: vibraphone, vocals, art
Kevin: bass guitar
Lcn1: synths, loops
Biography return to top
ManifestiV formed as an experimental industrial duo in Vallejo, California early 2014 by two morticians that met years prior in Dallas, Texas. Paragraph, guitarist & programmer, joined forces with Lillith, vibraphonist & visual artist. Paragraph wrote & tracked their debut Einer Sie Gern with Lillith while she built her vibraphone from an old set of keys that survived a marching band's trailer's totaling, in tandem with a custom oak hardwood flooring frame & K&K Sound pickups to make it electric. After a bit of US touring, the duo relocated back to Dallas (where they met) to write more music amidst longtime friends & influences.
After having recorded their sophomore release God Is A Martian at Prairie Sun (the go-to studio for Les Claypool of Primus, Tom Waits & more), the duo continued touring extensively amidst visits to Southeast Asia, Europe, Central America & Burning Man to help craft their sound influenced by tribal living and industrial strength. After releasing remixes & a Radiohead cover on 3vE in 2019, they recruited drummer Ryan A & bassist Kevin Porter from Paragraph's other band Secret Of Boris, debuting the four-piece lineup opening for Curse Mackey and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult at Deep Ellum's legendary Trees. Since then, the band also played with Mortiis, Living Dead Girl, and Stabbing Westward.
The four piece recorded Horsemen 2021 at ¶ & Lillith's 2 acre east Texan post-pandemic vegetable & egg farm, reading the writing on the wall and adding to it speechlessly, save a 'secret track' message on the State of the Planet from the UN Secretary General. This inspired the reunion of Lcn1 with ¶ & Kevin, who had recorded with him a score before. Demos for the new record in 2022 spawned a pre-mix album The Bitter Truth foreshadowing the 2023 epic dirge Legacy LP, both highlighting what humanity is leaving behind with its current trajectory.
All five ManifestiV members continue collaborating & writing surrounding the Dallas area for releases set for early 2025. The group persists in reminding all they encounter that anyone can celebrate their abilities to manifest their own destinies through careful & clear communication, self-care, compassion and journeys to enlightenment one step at a time, all enhanced by embracing realities & enhancing awareness as the apocalypse unfolds.
Press on ManifestiV - return to top
“ManifestiV definitely has a unique vibe. Dark soundscapes intertwined with layers of instrumentals, distorted guitars, haunting vocals, and Lillith’s homemade vibraphone all combine to create a unique listening experience, the perfect soundtrack for surviving the apocalypse.”
M'Lou Elkins - MusicFiends.com
“ManifestiV’s Legacy ...is immersed in dark & brooding soundscapes layered with intricate instrumentals & haunting vocals.”
S. Mayo - ReGen Magazine
“Somewhere between lullaby and awakening exists ManifestiV... soothing bells intertwine brilliantly with crunching guitars… all of which are crowned by haunting vocals.”
R. Ramos - Procession Magazine editor
“When the rhythms slow down, the menace increases.”
C. Pollard - ReGen Magazine
“The ManifestiV Traction mix of [fellow GIVE/TAKE artist EbE404’s] 'Slipping by One' expands a chugging guitar part and brings in [vibraphones AND] saxophones, turning the song into a neo-noir soundtrack.”
Justin Roby - ReGen Magazine
"..their rhythmic distorted sounds paired with vibraphone along with their stage costumes is something to be experienced. ...they had a presence along with a look which was different and unique but relatable."
Bryan Bardes - Audio Vein Entertainment
"they do have a unique sound: space-faring metal"
Steven Gullotta - Brutal Resonance Webzine
"There’s... a darker side to Dallas’ performance scene, one that post-industrial band ManifestiV has grabbed by the horns."
Erin Shea Devany - Dallas Observer (Dallas TX)
"This experimental industrial couple trades vocal duties while making music that sounds synth-backed and filled with crushed beats and fuzzy guitars."
David Fletcher - Dallas Observer (Dallas TX)
"Vocals and guitar crunch from Paragraph contrast with the ring of Lillith's vibraphone [& voice] in a relaxing way."
Juan Cornejo - Project Zer0 (Ft Worth TX)
"God is a Martian perfectly balances heavy grooves, guitar riffs and [vibes]/synth with smooth warm vocals... you would swear this was a 5-piece band at times. The title track closes out the EP with all the boxes checked as ManifestiV brings you home from their journey far, far away."
Bradley Amos - Deep Dallas Radio (Dallas TX)
"Heavy distorted guitars chugging under the unique sound of a vibraphone with the electric undercurrent works so well, and every sound is crisp & focused, that it’s easy to get pulled into their mysterious world."
Rob Bozzoli - Halfway Serious (Santa Cruz CA)
"Paragraph let loose... darting about the stage, thrashing around to the heavier parts of the tracks and even taking a mighty leap into the air at one point, all while shredding on his guitar. They have a strong industrial quality about their music, which often leaned towards more rock tendencies; though there were some nice slower, even melodic jams mixed in. The more experimental side of things came from Lillith, who played the vibraphone, which added a great touch to the songs; her luminous eyes visible from even far away, as they looked as if they were piercing through everyone watching."
Jordan Buford - The Music Enthusiast (Dallas TX)
"...the pair have made an album which is both hard-hitting and addictive... powerful and anarchic but also blends in enough pop sensibility to make them appealing... wanders effortlessly over an industrial ambient soundscape which lends itself as much to originality as it does to bravado."
Paul Scott-Bates - Louder Than War (Manchester UK)
"ManifestiV undoubtedly feeds off each other’s artistic talents. What caught my attention were the subtle movements Lillith does in between and during her harmonies, using her instrument as a canvas for so much more than a soundscape. To her left in sync, Paragraph magnetizes the set with his body, vocals, and piercing guitar."
Jessica Navarro - Rooftop Playlist (Austin TX)
"This is what music is gonna be in a post-apocalyptic world... I would call it experimental, but I would say these guys don't act like they're experimenting with anything. They've got it down to a science."
Matthew Blake - Whiskey Boy Radio (Dallas TX)
"If a heart can be naked and survive, this is the sound it would make."
TJ Walkup - Omnific Pictures (Vallejo CA)
Members of ManifestiV - return to top
Lillith | Paragraph | Ryan A | Kevin | Lcn1
Lillith utilizes Deagan Keys, K&K Sound Systems, BOSS Effects, Vic Firth Mallets, Glasser Bows, Fender Amplifiers & Cables, Sennheiser Monitoring and Shure Microphones. members/top
¶ utilizes Parker & Eastwood Guitars, Epiphone Basses, Fractal Audio Systems, Shure Microphones, Alesis & Mission Controllers, Logic Pro, Focusrite Hardware, Sennheiser & Jerry Harvey Monitoring, Dunlop Picks and Keith McMillan Instruments. members/top
Ryan A utilizes Tama Hardware & Shells, Roland Digital Percussion, Saluda & Zildjian Cymbals, Pro-Mark Sticks, Evans & Remo Heads, and CTM Monitoring. members/top
Kevin: live bass
