Immerse yourself in the enigmatic, emotional, and exciting world of ANII, a Lisbon-based, London-raised, and Polish-born artist on a mission to deliver an unforgettable dance floor experience blending Techno and House. ANII’s journey has taken her to iconic venues worldwide, from Watergate to Printworks, Hï Ibiza to Tulum, and the legendary Theatre D’orange for Afterlife events.
At the core of her ethos, ANII embarks on a global journey with her imprints ANIITIME and TOO GOOD TO DIE. Following a stellar start in 2023, ANII’s TGTD is making a powerful return in 2024 with her second single of the year, ‘Always With You,’ set for release this February 15th. Building on the success of ‘Portal’ and ‘We Dance,’ this track showcases ANII’s innate ability to craft deep and gripping club cuts.
Before the release, we delved into an immersive chat with ANII, exploring her remarkable career, label ventures, influences, and more. Dive into the world of ANII, where techno meets emotion, and experience the pulse of her latest creations.
Download or stream ‘Always With You’ starting February 15th for a journey into the heart of ANII’s distinctive sound.
Hey, ANII, thanks for joining us today. Where are you writing to us from, and what have you been up to over the last few weeks?
It’s been super crazy! After New Year’s Eve, I headed over to Tulum and played a few parties. I go there a lot every year; I love it. It’s been an intense but good start to 2024.
Tell us about the start of 2024 for you.
I started the year playing for Afterlife x Zamna in Tulum. They are one of the biggest parties in Mexico, and I love playing for them; of course, to be a part of the Afterlife team is always amazing. The parties are guaranteed fun. I headed over to Dubai afterwards to play at Soho Garden, which was a full house set. I found it surprising how many people all over the world were doing ‘dry January’ this year but still out partying. For now, I am taking a couple of weeks off to make some music and get my head down in the studio.
How do you effectively promote yourself as an artist? Do you have any advice for those looking to actively grow their careers?
Promotion these days comes mainly via social media. You have such a huge worldwide audience that you can reach, but the content for the online promotion needs to come from gigs or press, so those are important components, too. I try to always be real on my socials; I want people to get to know the real ANII and not a fake online persona. Stay true to yourself.
Whilst touring and having an online following, how do you take care of your mental health?
Touring isn’t easy; you can choose to party or keep an eye on your sleep and what you eat and put into your body. It’s easier said than done; you see friends on the road, and you all want a fun night together. But I always try to exercise. I like to run, and it can be done anywhere!
2023 saw you launch a new label, TOO GOOD TO DIE – with the first single from yourself. Why did you decide to start a label now? Also, what does the name mean? Can you give us some background?
The label name relates to music that gets forgotten. So much is released these days; the life of music is so short. So, this platform is for music that I feel should not be forgotten; it’s “too good to die”, essentially. It was also a dream of mine to be able to release music from some artists I have come across in my career and support new and young talent. It’s also nice to be able to make my own music with no limits on release dates. It gives you a sense of freedom.
I had a lot of old projects that were not released, and I didn’t want them to die! So they were released on the label.
What has the feedback been like from your first single?
It’s been really good; the track has been played out a lot, which is always nice to know. It’s always a bit scary with the first release on a new label, but things are going really well, so I hope the support for future releases will be the same.
Talk us through your creative process. We hear you have a lot of hardware in your home studio. Feel free to tell us some things you can’t live without when producing.
The progress is chaos, a bit like me! First, I sort out the standard things like the kick, bass drums and then some FX. The more complex bits come after looking for a vocal hook, perhaps, or that special sound to take the track to the next level – that’s something that can take me weeks to achieve. It has to be right.
When it comes to gear, I love hardware and my studio. I am always looking to build my collection. I love my synths; the Sub37 is used on most of my tracks, and my Obi-6 is another one I use a lot. I am on the hunt for some new toys, though!
What is your biggest goal this year, and how close are you to achieving it?
I think the focus is the label and also the branding that goes with it. I would like to promote myself a little more alongside all of the music that I have planned. As we have a lot of tracks from last year, we’ve almost got a full release schedule for 2024. I’m really happy.
Lastly, what next for you and the label?
My next single, ‘Always With You,’ is out on February 15th, and then I’ll do another single after that one, followed by a special VA release with a collection of my favourite artists. I can’t wait to share that one with you, so keep an eye on the announcement.
ANII