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Thriving during a global pandemic is exactly what Manish Khullar is doing - his music in demand with soft drink and sporting giants alike.

Maniscooler

̨ÍåÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ Leicester’s (DMU) ‘Alumnus of the Month’ – known as professionally – is behind the music in the  featuring rappers Kamakaze and TrueMendous.

“You’d be amazed by how many cans of pop I had to crack open to get the perfect sound,” said the 27-year-old from Leicester, who was responsible for both the beat in the background and all of the sound effects.

“It’s the biggest thing that’s happened in my career so far and life-changing in terms of my portfolio.

“Once the advert was actually out I could relax. Seeing it everywhere felt pretty normal because music is what I do every day, but my mum enjoys this part because she thinks I’m a celebrity now.”


Still of TrueMendous in the Pepsi Max ad

The opportunity came shortly after Maniscooler’s track Shanghai, released in 2019 and featuring close friend Kamakaze, was included on the .

DMU’s Creative Music Technology graduate said: “Sharing this success with one of my best friends is so amazing. Me and Kamakaze grew up together and it’s thanks to him that I got this publishing deal which led to the one with Pepsi MAX.

“The coolest thing for me is not only featuring on the soundtrack, but seeing my name on the poster alongside some really big artists,” he said.

It’s been a year of successes for Maniscooler, as his 2018 track Friday – featuring Jafro and Lowpass Luke – exceed one million streams on Spotify.

Maniscooler name-checked on the NBA 2K Beats poster

He said: “It’s a bit of validation because I’ve only been actively releasing music since 2017. For my career to take off in a year like this is a reminder that if you just keep at it you can succeed.

When he’s not making his own music, Maniscooler works as a freelance producer and audio engineer at Leicester’s HQ Recording – the very label he is signed with as an artist.

“Yasin El Ashrafi, the owner of HQ Recording, took a chance on me after I graduated five years ago and I’ve been here ever since,” he said.

“The support I’ve had from him is amazing, including helping me to set up my own record label called Maniscooler & Friends. Instead of seeing that as a threat, he’s happy to help me grow.”

Still of Kamakaze in the Pepsi Max ad

Coming from a background where music wasn’t considered a suitable career path, Maniscooler’s family realised he was serious about pursuing his passion once he started higher education.

After studying the Music Technology Foundation Degree at Leicester College for two years, he progressed to complete his degree with a final year at DMU.

Maniscooler said: “The facilities at uni were great and I have a lot of love for my tutors. They taught me everything I needed to know, gave me confidence in the studio and shared realistic industry insights. I had a great year at DMU and it made me a stronger individual.”

Despite giving up on the PGCE that he started after graduating from DMU to pursue his music career, Maniscooler also finds time to teach music technology to children with special educational needs at Millgate School in Leicester.

“I wasn’t the best kid growing up and lots of my students face the same challenges I did, so it’s nice being able to relate to them and knowing that I can help them,” he said.

“I really enjoy sharing my skills and knowledge because if it wasn’t for music I would definitely have gone off the rails,” he said.