Artist Spotlight: Anjunadeep 14 - The Selection

News

Artist Spotlight: Anjunadeep 14 - The Selection

Handpicked by James Grant & Jody Wisternoff, Anjunadeep 14 - The Selection showcases six of the tracks from the label’s annual compilation. Featuring music from Duke Boara, Nōpi, Legato, Igor Garanin, PROFF, as well as exclusive James and Jody remixes of Natascha Polké and LAR. To celebrate, we sat down with the featured artists to get to know them a little better… 

Listen to Anjunadeep 14 - The Selection by clicking the button below, and keep reading to meet our new signings!

Listen

Edited Press 002.jpg

LAR

What’s your name and where are you from?

“Matthew Larden, Nottingham, currently living in Sweden.

Can you tell us a little about your journey into music?

“I started out in Hip-Hop many moons ago producing and rapping which I stopped when I was 21, then about 4 years ago I started making electronic music. After a couple years, I started releasing on labels like Monstercat Silk, Colorize and Zerothree. Then, I began working for Production Music Live which allowed me to go full-time into music.”

Can you tell us about the creative process behind ‘Collide’?

“At the time of making this record I was listening to a lot of Tourist, which influenced a lot of the soundscape. I really wanted an almost cinematic sound. After creating that with a few synths and samples I slapped some groovy breaks on top and the track wrote itself.”

Who or what inspires your music?

“A lot of artists in the scene influence me, it changes month to month but currently I've been listening to alot of Joseph Ray, Atrip, Jasper Tygner to name a few.”

Which other artist would you like to collaborate with? 

“Probably Bonobo. He is pretty much the whole reason I started listening to and making electronic music.”

Press 5.jpg

LEGATO

What’s your name and where are you from?

James Stanley a.k.a. LEGATO. I live in Staffordshire, in a small city about 20 miles from Birmingham. I was raised here, but moved away in my 20s. I went to uni in Leeds, and then down to London for work. I moved back to my hometown about two years ago now, but I'm still down in London a lot.

Can you tell us about the creative process behind ‘Petals’?

Petals’ came about at the end of last year - I got that Korg M1 bass down and then built the rest of the track around it. Jody and James were into the demo right away and keen to collaborate. We passed the track back and forth and the guys added their magic touch. It was a no-brainer for me to work with the guys on it.

Who or what inspires your music?

I think growing up playing classical music has shaped my production. I love harmony and melody that stir emotion and I still listen to a lot of that music now. Music’s always been an essential outlet for me to express how I’m feeling. I think a lot of my music is quite reflective, with a pinch of euphoria and a handful of banger haha. Four Tet has always been a source of inspo. More recently, Tim Green has been doing it for me - incredible producer. I love so much music from a wide variety of styles though, too much to list and I think my DJ style reflects that.

Which other artist would you like to collaborate with?

Lone, Leon Vynehall, Special Request/Paul Woolford, Four Tet, Floating Points, Axel Boman, Bicep, Vince Watson, Tim Green, Ben Bohmer, Yotto.”

What has been your favourite show so far?

I played my first show in Ibiza last year, that was special. Also Soho Garden in Dubai and Studio 338 in London, they were cool shows too.”

What’s in store for you this year?

More music, more djing. Something about another track coming out on Anjunadeep soon too? ;)”

6.jpg

Natascha Polké

What’s your name and where are you from?

My Name is Natascha Polké and I am from Switzerland. Currently I live in Zürich.

Can you tell us a little about your journey into music?

My journey into music properly began when I decided to study songwriting in London. At the time, I was primarily focused on creating indie folk music and held a residency at The Roundhouse with my band back then. However, while working in a studio for a year, I was exposed to electronic music and became interested in exploring the genre.

From there, I began to dive deeper into electronic music and eventually got into DJing and techno. As I gained more experience and knowledge in these areas, I began to realise that I wanted to merge the two genres - indie folk and ‘techno' - together in my work. This has been my focus and passion ever since, and I'm excited to continue exploring the possibilities that come with combining different styles and sounds.”

Can you tell us about the creative process behind ‘Loose Lips’?

The inspiration for 'Loose Lips' originated from a phrase spoken by my best friend, Cecilia Ebba, during a challenging breakup. Struck by the phrase's significance, Cecilia and I embarked on a collaborative journey to craft the song's lyrics and melody. Overall, the creative process behind 'Loose Lips' was a collaborative effort that drew on personal experiences and emotions to create a song that is both sonically compelling and emotionally resonant.

Who or what inspires your music?

As a musician, I find inspiration in many different places. When it comes to vocal sound, melodies and lyrics, some of my biggest inspirations come from the music of Daughter. They also inspired me greatly to study songwriting in London.Regarding production I am greatly inspired by artists such as Christian Löffler or Howling. Their innovative soundscapes and unique blend of electronic and organic elements create a mesmerising atmosphere that I find incredibly inspiring.

Which other artist would you like to collaborate with?

There are so many amazing artists I'd love to work with, but if I had to choose, collaborating with Ben Böhmer or Adriatique would be a dream come true. Ben Böhmer's music deeply resonates with me, and I believe our styles could blend into something really cool. Similarly, Adriatique's mesmerising and driven sound has also always captivated me. I’ve been listening to both these artists for a long time and collaborating with them would be absolutely incredible.

What has been your favourite show so far?

One of my favourite shows so far has to be the one I played in Alwar, in India. It was the last show of my very first tour, and the venue was an insanely beautiful palace in the middle of nowhere. I played a sunrise set, and it was truly unforgettable. The atmosphere was electric, and the beauty of the sun rising behind the palace while people were dancing everywhere combined with the music created a magical experience that I will never forget.

NOPI-SMALLER

Nōpi

What’s your name and where are you from?

My name is Vladislav, everybody knows me as ‘Nōpi’ and I’m from Ukraine.

How did you get involved with Anjunadeep 14?

James and Jody asked me to participate in Anjunadeep 14 with our joint track ‘Freefly’. I was not expecting them to include the track in the compilation. And I was very happy at that moment.

Who or what inspires your music?

First of all, the source of my inspiration comes from what’s happening around me. Nature, meetings with new people and parties. It may sound strange but often I get ideas for my tracks from my dreams.

Which other artist would you like to collaborate with?

I make experimental sound, and I look for artists that move in this direction, such as Yotto, Who Made Who, Jimi Jules. These guys create music with an individual sound, and that's the direction I'm aiming for. In the future, I hope we will have the opportunity to collaborate.

What has been your favourite show so far?

Open air parties, that’s what I love. It doesn’t matter if I play there or I’m just dancing on the dance floor. I adore music with fresh air and an outdoor vibe. One of my favourites was last year in Kiev, Kureni club.

What’s in store for you this year?

This year, I want to continue collaborating with Anjunadeep. I like the artists and music published on this label. I want to become a permanent resident and have the opportunity to work with other artists to create new unique music. With love, Nōpi.

image0 (9).jpeg

Duke Boara

What’s your name and where are you from?

My name is James Toomey. I’m from the south west of the UK. I’m currently living in Bristol but I grew up a bit further south in a place called Taunton.

Can you tell us a little about your journey into music?

Growing up I was always surrounded by music. I played in bands and sung in choirs from when I was around 9 years old. I started getting into electronic music at around 16, and started to make music from 17. I became really obsessed with it from that age, and I guess I still am!

How did you get involved with Anjunadeep 14?

I had a release on Anjunadeep 12, so I was lucky to have a bit of a connection with the label before Anjunadeep 14. I sent a bunch of demos to you guys, and you picked ‘Woodwick Close’, which was amazing.

Who or what inspires your music?

I’m inspired by lots of artists, particularly Bonobo, Jon Hopkins, Photay and Radiohead. I also find landscapes very inspiring. I'll often imagine a natural setting and try to build a track that I think would work in it.

Which other artist would you like to collaborate with?

I’m really interested in working with instrumentalists and vocalists at the moment. There’s an amazing artist called Falle Nioke I’d love to collaborate with. My dream would be to work with Bonobo, he’s an artist I really look up to.

What’s in store for you this year?

Lots of new music, hopefully coming soon. I also want to play live a lot more.

image3.jpeg

Igor Garanin

What’s your name and where are you from?

My name is Igor. I’m from Baku, Azerbaijan originally, but have been based in London for the past 13 years.

Can you tell us a little about your journey into music?

I have been making music for over 20 years. Since early adolescence, I was into electronic music as much as I was into rock music. As a result I played guitar in rock bands by day and DJ'ed in clubs by night throughout my teenage years. Later on, my focus shifted to the recording and production side of things which turned into a career as a sound engineer. In recent years I’ve released music on Anjunadeep and Reflections and continue to compose and produce.

Can you tell us about the creative process behind your remix of ’Surge’?

I’ve joined the process a bit after PROFF had started working on it. When I heard the early sketch, the hang drum melody popped up in my head and we immediately decided to record it. It sounded great and we finished the remix together.

Who or what inspires your music?

I usually get musical inspiration in transport, whenever I’m commuting on the train or driving in my car watching the world go by on the other side of the glass. The hardest bit is not to forget what I was playing in my head before getting to the studio.

Which other artist would you like to collaborate with?

It would be an absolute dream to collaborate with artists like Max Cooper, Moderat, Jon Hopkins to name a few.

6 copy-min.jpg

PROFF

What’s your name and where are you from?

Hi, Im Vlad, some of you probably know me by the name PROFF. I live in London.

Can you tell us a little about your journey into music?

My father is a classical musician, playing English horn, oboe, keys and God knows what else, so I was surrounded by music the moment I was born. I've spent most of my childhood in music school learning piano, pop/jazz singing and musical grammar in general. I played my first vinyl DJ set in the nightclub when I was 15 and had my first official release when I was 17. At the age of 19, I signed my first two tracks to Anjunadeep, and I'm happy and proud to be a part of the family since then.

How did you get involved with Anjunadeep 14?

As a part of Anjuna studio crew, I was happy to be a part of the production team, providing technical support at the final stages of development.

Can you tell us about the creative process behind your remix of ’Surge'?

I stumbled across the original project on the Anjuna studio computer purely by accident and it just clicked. I started playing around with the original stems, adding groove and the more I was diving into it, the more I knew I had to finish it. Igor jumped in the project slightly later on, adding some amazing elements and ideas which took it to another level. I'm so happy with the final results. James and Jody, Above & Beyond were playing ‘Surge’ for a year before the compilation was out, so i'm very happy that it landed in it.”

Which other artist would you like to collaborate with?

I would love to sit down in a studio with VolenSentiror/and Tim Green to make some dance music, exchange some tricks and just have fun. On a slightly less realistic scenario, my dream is to spend some studio time with composers, rather than EDM acts like Tom Holkenborg aka Junkie XL, or Ólafur Arnalds.

Click the button below to check out Anjunadeep 14 - The Selection, streaming now on all platforms. 

Listen

Collated by Laura Toksvig