Photo: Press (ANNA)
When Mute announced that it would revive its NovaMute sublabel, which up until its discontinuation in 2007 home to such artists like Luke Slater, Richie Hawtin or Miss Kittin, it quickly became clear that the comeback was not a nostalgic one. With releases by veteran Terrence Fixmer, Nicolas Bougaïeff and Charlotte de Witte in 2017, the label instead made clear that it was aiming at blending tradition with new perspectives on techno. With her Razor EP, the Brazilian-born and Spain-based producer ANNA followed up on releases for Tiga’s Twin Turbo, Clash Lion and Kompakt with three tracks that clearly draw on all things 90s techno but still rub shoulders with a modern, booming analogue sound. ANNA’s contribution to our Groove podcast features some of her own productions, some of which are yet unreleased.
Your father owned a nightclub in your native Brazil, however you moved to São Paulo in order to explore the country’s underground scene. What did you learn growing up like this and what did you find once that you’d moved away?
It was interesting growing up in this environment and looking back now I see how it helped with my career. I had all the equipment available to spend hours at home practicing and I was also able to play for a crowd of 1500 people when I had only just starting playing, which has helped me feel really comfortable wherever I play today. I had the opportunity to see and talk with so many good artist and get some insights from them at that time, so I consider myself lucky to have had those opportunities when I was just a child. Before I moved to São Paulo I was already playing in some of the most important underground clubs there, but the move helped to integrate myself in the scene. I was always in the record shops, talking with the artists, going to the clubs to discover new music; those were really exciting times.
Since then, you’ve relocated to Barcelona. What prompted your move to Europe and how did you encounter the continental scene?
I decided to move to Europe because my diary started getting busier and busier but I was having to decline shows because I couldn’t come over all the time so I thought it was the right time to move to Europe. I felt my career wouldn’t grow as much if I wasn’t living here.
After releases on Clash Lion and Kompakt this year, your new EP Razor will be released through the recently relaunched NovaMute imprint. What relationship do you have with this label?
I have a lot of records from the labels from the old days, but I didn’t have a close relationship with them. I was sooooo happy when Chris Liebing made this happen. It is a huge honour to be working with Daniel Miller and NovaMute, they are very professional and really easy to work with.
You wrote the EP’s title track on a Roland MKS-80. Which role does analogue hardware play in your writing process and what other pieces of gear are important for you?
I am just using analogue gear to create my music right now, I think it is good for creativity, it makes the dynamics better. When I am out of ideas for example I play with the instruments, discover new sounds and it always ends up in some new scratches. I like to touch the instrument, touch the buttons, to do it more organically. I love my analogue rhythm drum machines, Virus TI, Prophet 6, Sub37, and the newest addition in the studio, the modules from Endorphin.es Furthrrr Generator, and Intellijel Atlantis.
Your contribution to our Groove podcast includes a few of your own productions. What was your idea behind it?
Yes, I am playing a lot of my own stuff as I am spend a lot of time in the studio. So I included some tracks of Razor EP as well some unreleased ones and some of the artists that most inspire me at the moment. I like to play my own tracks and I always make space for the artist I love in my DJ sets.
Last but not least: Where can we see you behind the decks in the near future, and what are your plans as a producer?
Right now I’m in Brazil just coming to the end of my tour – I love when I get to play back here. After this I will be playing in Zurich then WDC Pool Sessions in Frankfurt, then Cacao Beach opening in Bulgaria, then I will be going on a 2 week North America tour then I will be playing in Resistance Ibiza twice this summer. There is a lot going on which I’m extremely thankful for. On the producer side of things I have another EP on Kompakt in October, one track coming out on Drumcode compilations in August and one remix for Scuba on Hotflush during the summer. I also have some ideas of creating my own label, of making an album, but they are just ideas, lets see what life holds for me.
Stream: ANNA – Groove Podcast 161
01. ANNA – Going Home (Unreleased)
02. ANNA – Impression (Clash Lion)
03. ANNA – Escapism (Novamute)
04. Maetrik – Cortex 11 (Clash Lion)
05. ANNA – The Dansant (Kompakt)
06. Tiga vs Audio – Stabbed In The Back (ANNA Remix) (Turbo Recordings)
07. Haeken – Uncertain Outcome (Mord)
08. Industrialyzer – Jam2 (Rhythm Converted)
09. Gavin Russom, Delia Gonzales – Relevee (Carl Craig Remix / Slam Rework) (Soma)
10. Wehbba – Just (Unreleased)
11. Jay Clarke – Perdita (Klockworks)
12. DVS1 – Break Away (Klockworks)
13. Wehbba – Glasswerk (Second State)
14. ANNA – Razor (NovaMute)
