Mani died on November 20, 2025. Radio X reported that his family confirmed the death of the bassist, whose work with The Stone Roses and Primal Scream put him at the centre of two bands that found different ways to bring rock music and dance rhythms together.
He joined The Stone Roses in 1987, completing the familiar lineup with singer Ian Brown, guitarist John Squire and drummer Reni. He played on their 1989 debut, The Stone Roses, and its 1994 follow-up, Second Coming. Between those records and singles such as “Fools Gold,” the bass became an essential part of the band's identity. On “I Am the Resurrection,” his playing and Reni's drumming gave Squire the foundation to stretch out without the rhythm losing its shape.
That partnership was something Mani understood in practical terms. In a March 2000 interview with Bassist, republished by Guitar World, he explained that a dependable rhythm section freed the guitarist and singer to explore. Asked whether he and Reni had deliberately aimed to get people dancing, he replied: “That's what the bass and drums are for, aren't they?”
His account of “Fools Gold” showed how readily he could work beyond the instrument strapped around his neck. The track had been intended as the B-side to “What the World Is Waiting For.” Mani recalled experimenting with a keyboard bass part over a sampled drum loop from Reni, an early encounter with sampling that helped him find the line. It was a way of writing around rhythm, with the bass idea taking shape before the finished guitar arrangement.
When The Stone Roses split in 1996, Mani joined Primal Scream. His arrival came late in the making of Vanishing Point, released in 1997, but he supplied a crucial missing part. Bobby Gillespie told MusicRadar in 2026 that mixing had already begun when Mani added the bass line to “Kowalski.” Gillespie described a song that had developed from drums, atmosphere and texture, with the musicians building it in layers. Mani entered an existing recording and helped give it its final shape.
The move also put him among musicians who shared his appetite for change. Speaking to Lee Gale for Front in 2002, Mani identified Gillespie's knowledge and love of music as a reason he had wanted to join. He singled out XTRMNTR, released in 2000, as a record he was especially proud of. In the same interview, he described Primal Scream's determination to make each album different, and to let individual tracks diverge within an album. For him, that variety helped keep the musicians interested in what they were making.
His time with Primal Scream continued through Evil Heat, Riot City Blues and Beautiful Future. He remained with the band until 2011, when he returned to The Stone Roses for their reunion with Brown, Squire and Reni.
That reunion produced new recordings as well as concerts. “All for One” arrived in May 2016, followed by the seven-minute “Beautiful Thing” in June. Both carried songwriting credits for all four bandmates, with Mani credited under his surname Mounfield.
