Kevin Bronson on November 30th, 2023

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You’d be right in assuming that DJ and Stones Throw Records chieftain Chris Manak (aka Peanut Butter Wolf) has earned his merit badge in crate-digging. But what if new life were breathed into some of those obscurities from long ago?

Submitted for your approval: “Very Complex,” the first single from Campus Christy, Manak’s new collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Brian Ellis. The project’s name is derived from Manak’s high school garage band.

With Manak duetting on vocals with Say She She’s Piya Malik, the release is a makeover of a song penned by Rich La Bonté (who sang in the original cast production of “Godspell” and later collaborated with Kim Fowley) and released by the group Rich & Famous in 1978. Campus Christy’s version is a laid-back bop (maybe because Izzy Glaudini cameos in the video, but it feels like Automatic) that makes us curious to hear the original (our searches came up empty).

The video, directed by Nedda Afsari and Michael E. Linn, features Manak’s family and a bunch of the Stones Throw crew. Have fun.

||| Watch: The video for “Very Complex”