Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos issue self-released single ‘Witches’ (out now)
Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos
Costa Rican goth/darkwave trio Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos just released the digital single “Witches” today via Bandcamp as a name-your-price download. The track debuted live during the group’s 10th-anniversary show for “The Descending” at Teatro Nico Baker in April 2025.
Frontman Ariel Maniki says this on writing the song for the anniversary set: “We are always trying to do little things that make each show different and unique… That was when we came up with ‘Witches’ in a very spontaneous way… very naturally during practice. The beat is just another basic goth dance track, but I think it has some personality from the moment the bass comes in.”
On the lyrics and the band dynamic he explains that “when I wrote the lyrics… I looked at my band mates, Eva and Jan, thinking about how much we have gone through together… I started thinking on this song as a little anthem for them. Then… the song evolved into something more poetic that goes beyond ourselves, but they’re still there at its core.”
The recording features Eva Red (bass), Jan Black (keyboards/synths), and Ariel Maniki (vocals, saxophone).
Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos return to the stage in San José in Autumn:
- Oct 24, 2025 – San José, Costa Rica: opening for Dutch EBM/synth duo Staatseinde
- Nov 23, 2025 – San José, Costa Rica: billed with Turkish post-punk/darkwave act Ductape
About Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos
The band formed in San José, Costa Rica, in 2013, and is led by multi-instrumentalist Ariel Maniki, with Eva Red (bass) and Jan Black (synths).
The debut album “The Descending” appeared in 2015 (initially on CDr/limited CD), establishing the project’s blend of gothic rock, darkwave and atmospheric electronics. A follow-up release, “Labyrinth”, landed in 2016. Selected EP/compilation material from 2013–2018 was later collected on “A Brief Catharsis (2013–2018)”.
Over the years the band has partnered with independent dark-scene labels, including ANK Records and Deepland Records while the 2021 album “Black Light” was released via Deepland.
After “Black Light” (2021), the full-length “Fractals” followed in March 2023, with singles “Supernova” (Feb 2023), “Pieces” (Mar 5, 2025), and now “Witches” (Oct 14, 2025).
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