Artist Spotlight: ThanxAnx
Photo Credit: Kadir Gold
The Pit LDN speaks to North-West London’s alternative, R&B artist, ThanxAnx about his latest project, ‘M!nk’, setting up a studio in his living room and working alongside some of the UK’s best upcoming talent.
Emily: Which artists influenced you to get into music and who is inspiring you today?
ThanxAnx: Prince and D’Angelo are probably my favourite artists. But the list is endless. I was raised in the golden age of Hip Hop and R&B and honestly wanted to be a smooth R&B heartthrob from a young age, haha. Still hasn’t worked if I’m honest, haha. Growing up my grandad used to sing traditional Indian music and my cousin has always had a studio for as long as I can remember so he used to let me come and learn my craft in the early years. Seeing him do his thing definitely inspired me from early.
There are so many inspirations but I think the whole UK underground scene is doing it! The amount of talent out here is unreal! Artists like Jamilah Barry, J. Warner, Sophie Faith, BenjiFlow, Frenzy, Baely and so many more. Everyone is super talented and inspires me at least to want to do better, just so I can hang, haha.
Do you have differing influences for your production, vocals and lyrics?
I’m thankful that I was introduced to the legends (across genres) at a young age as it has become the benchmark to which I hold my own music accountable. I’m not saying I’m a legend, I’m just saying my quality control is heightened. I was really blessed to have lived through the physical era of music where you can pull out the inner sleeve and the lyrics would be inside and you can see all of the producers and writers' names credited right there.
What were the main narratives behind your latest project, ‘M!nk’?
The actual idea for ‘M!nk’ started when I was living out in LA for a few months. I fell in love with the place and the people that I had met, it was originally a homage to my time in LA and Canada. So if I’m painting a picture, the backdrop is LA and Canada. I was getting into a relationship with a girl at the time and if you listen to the EP (in the correct order) it tells the story of getting into the relationship, courting, falling in love and the subsequent heartbreak. ‘M!nk’ stands for Muse I Never Knew, using the archaic definition of the word “Know”.
What was the inspiration for the artwork and who did you work with to create it?
I’m a lover of art, in all of its forms. I wanted to create something epic and eye-catching that I would love to someday frame and have as a keepsake in my house. My close friend Jay En did the edit, so I can’t take credit for it fully, apart from the intention behind it. But I wanted something pretty random and trippy to match the mood of the EP itself. I wanted to do something of a modern rendition of Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgement”. I just really like when artists make an effort with the artworks. I’ve been asked to do a merch line for this artwork in particular, so who knows, maybe it’ll happen soon….
What was the creative process like for the EP and how important is it for you to have live instruments on your tracks?
The creative process for this EP was cool. I got fairly tired of waiting on other people to do sessions, so I ended up renting a bunch of equipment for a few weeks and set it up in the front room of my house and basically had my friends come and do sessions at mine for three weeks straight.
The EP was originally meant to be an A-side B-side EP between myself and a producer called Gifted. He came down from Birmingham and we managed to produce and record “Lose Your Cool” first. We had a couple of other ideas that didn’t make the cut, however, I had so many of my producer friends in and out of my house during that time that it dawned on me that I had enough to run with a full EP and create something for myself.
So between myself, Midnight Phunk, Mikes Pro and my manager Robby I had like a hub of talented people around me which made it really easy to form this EP. It was fun because I was with my best friends cracking jokes and doing what we loved to do without the pressure of time or money for sessions. We really had time to create.
Live instrumentation is very important to me and is always present in my music. You'll always hear some sort of live sound in my tracks, but it’s usually something that either the producer or myself will put in first as a midi and then we'll find the right person to play the sound we're going for.
How was working with Midnight Phunk on, ‘+44 (77-84269-269)’ and what were the main themes of the track?
Midnight Phunk also did the production on the track ‘Mink’, from the EP. He’s one of my inner circle so working on ‘+44’ was just one of the vibes we created that we were both happy enough to release. We’re both perfectionists and both value quality over quantity in regards to putting out work. We spend a lot of time working on ideas in the studio and strategising our plans.
‘+44’ kind of started off as a joke about us guys going out and having women talk to us the same way guys usually approach women. We wanted to sympathise, the name ‘+44 7784269269’ is the fake number people would give to someone they have zero intention of speaking to ever again. It actually spells out +44 77THANX ANX on the old phones.
How do you feel your sound has grown from your first singles to your new project?
Life changed me. I think that I have grown and experienced more. I used to approach music naively, hoping it would get crazy airplay on radio or to hit a certain market, but over the years I realised that doesn’t work and I wasn’t being an honest artist. Honesty in my music is something I can guarantee. I don’t think we should hide our truths, everyone goes through shit and the way I see it is if someone can listen to my music and feel like they can relate and it helps them, then I’ve done my job.
What was the inspiration for both, ‘You’ and ‘Run My Heart’?
Sitting cross-legged on a Persian rug in the front room of a two bedroom apartment somewhere in Northwest London, drinking red wine from the box and sharing intimate moments with a female that ended up wanting to be “just friends”.
What was the process of your ‘Untitled. Unmastered. Archive Tape’ on SoundCloud?
This track was an accident. If you know Parker Ighile, then you’ll know that he is a machine when it comes to production and he doesn’t stop making ideas. A few of us were at his chilling out playing Fifa, I got tired of getting beaten and so was listening in on what he was making instead which had G-Funk elements which I heavily fuck with, and started to sing the “hook” of the track, which he liked and so I ended up quickly writing the verses and recording it there and then with the intention of revocalling the track in another session. We decided to varispeed the whole session to make it sound drunk and moody.
Anyway, long story short we lost the original file so it stayed unmixed and unmastered, but I liked it enough to put out on SoundCloud, randomly.
How was working alongside Jamilah Barry on ‘Carried Away’ and how did the collaboration come about?
I absolutely love working with Jamilah. I am well and truly a fanboy of hers and she inspires me a lot. When I made ‘Carried Away’, I originally did the backing vocals myself but it didn’t sit right for me, I wanted her vocals on it. I’m lucky enough to be able to call her a good friend of mine and she was more than happy to put her energy on the track and her vocals add the mystique and allure that I wanted.
She also features on the track ‘Mink’ which was produced by Midnight Phunk. Once again, we both wanted her vocals on the track in some way and it adds a completely different element to the sonics.
‘Carried Away’ was a really introspective record. It was my transition record. It was when I started to grow as an artist and quit fighting for a place in the industry.
What was the idea behind your latest video for, ‘Silence’ and how important are visuals to you?
I think that having the right visuals are more important than having any sort of visual. I just wanted to show the different types of toxicity in a relationship. You can view the video from a different vantage point and you can take away a different storyline, which is credited to the DOP and fellow creator, Sam Friend. We spent ages trying to think of the storyboard together but we got there in the end. I think ballet is such an expressive art form and so I asked my friend Oona Landgrebe to be the main protagonist alongside myself. She makes this video art.
What can we expect from a ThanxAnx live performance?
My band are awesome and we always try to figure out how we can show the audience a good time. I’m fully aware that not everyone knows my music, but I’d really like people to go and check out my stuff afterwards. I think my live show and what you hear on DSP’s is different. Having the live band gives everything a different element completely, and I like paying homage to some great records, I like to mix my own records with ones you already know. You’ll have to come and see for yourself. The energy is always beautiful.
Who are five artists you would recommend to your listeners?
Dylan, Dylan, Dylan, Dylan and Dylan…. Because he spits hot fire.
What’s coming up for 2020?
I was meant to be in NY doing some shows and recording at the moment….. shouts to Rona for killing the vibe. So, hopefully, I can still get out there later in the year. I’m currently planning my next body of work and how I want it to sound, who I want to produce and feature etc. I’m also working with my band on creating live versions of my EP so that we can hit the road with it finally. I have a few singles I want to drop this year and maybe another visual or two.