TropicalBass talks to: Anbuley

anbuley and tipanic - photo credit: jasmin baumgartner

The singer Anbuley put herself on the map with several nice features and collaboratinos – Bert on Beats, Ku Bo or Atropolis just to name a few. Last year she also released two EPs on Seayou. Esp the latest track “Kemo’ Yoo Keke” can be found in many DJ playlists of the Tropical genre, produced by a guy who is no stranger to this blog: Tipanic of Big’n’Hairy.

Did you already get a lot of response to your EP ‘Kemo’ Yoo Keke’?

Actually not that much so far. We already got quite some radio airplay though. It is also going to be included on a forthcoming FM4 (Austrian national radio) compilation. Blog-wise there isn’t much happening right now, because my label focused on radio promotion so far.

I personally have mixed feelings about that: as DJ and blogger you get hundreds of promos per week and it’s very hard to filter; and as label on the other hand you have problems to get people’s attention, even with well-known artists.
Talking about labels… what kind of label is ‘Seayou’? Is it a new label?

It is a small label that is operating from Vienna for a really long time already. I got to know the label via Myspace where they contacted me.
Up until now they’ve been releasing mainly Indie stuff, a completely different style than what we do. But I am really glad that they are taking new paths with my EP.

How would you describe your music? It sounds a lot like House music to me with strong West-African influences…

Did you say House? Well, I don’t know, that never crossed my mind – funny. Usually I say I’m doing Afro-Electronic but actually I don’t really care much if it’s rather House or rather Hip Hop – I gotta like it!
It’s hard to answer when somebody asks “what is it what you’re doing?” – and I think that’s fine, because I don’t want to limit myself to a genre. I just want to do what I like.

More often than not artists just want to make music and that’s it, while those people who have to write about it need genres and have to think of a way to classify and describe what they hear…
How did things shape up for you in the last 1-2 years? When you look back, what was the creative process like?

When a producer contacts me and sends me his tracks I just listen to them. Either I like them or I don’t. Simple like that. It’s the same with dancing. Either something makes me dance or it doesn’t.. In the latter case I’m not inspired and it doesn’t appeal to me. Then I also won’t try to classify it, it just has to be something I like, something that motivates me. I also don’t think I could do same style forever and ever…

The latest EP was produced by Tipanic (Big’N’Hairy) – how is this collaboration working out?

Perfect, I’ve never felt so comfortable with a collaboration. It’s really matching perfectly. We function super awesome – he totally understands me and let me do my thing, just adding stuff.

Any releases planned for the future?

We want to do an album. Not easy to predict how things turn out, so it will remain exciting.

What does music and being an artist mean to you – full-time job or just a nice hobby?

I definitively want to make it a full-time job – right now it is a vocation. You know yourself how difficult it is to make your living out of it and to find the right partner you can trust. The whole business is a jungle, but we work in that direction and it doesn’t look too bad.

Where are your roots? You are Ghanaian?

I am born in Vienna. My father is from Ghana and went to Vienna to study. We moved to Ghana when I was four years old and stayed there another five years. It didn’t work out in Ghana as planned and we came back to Vienna. I have always been Ghanaian and I also grew up in that mindstate. I had no Austrian passport that time because our plan was to go back to Ghana. Later when it became clear that we stay in Vienna I became Austrian citizen. For me it is kinda funny because I was Ghanaian most of the time, but not all the time and also I am born in Vienna. Basically it doesn’t matter, I am both and I enjoy both sides – I feel generously gifted. On the other hand I would never call myself a Viennese – even if I talk Vienna slang. I look like a Ghanaian and perhaps I’m Afro-Viennese – but people wouldn’t understand that anyway.

tipanic-anbuley-marflix
Tipanic, Anbuley and Marflix in the backyard of Big'n'Hairy Studio, Vienna

Your music sounds African and your lyrics are in Ga – what are you talking about in your songs?

The track ‘Kemo’ Yoo Keke’ – just say yes – is about oppression. You often meet people in your life who want you to say yes to everything. The lyrics are about a man who tried to oppress me, what an idiot.
I sing about topics which move me and occupy my mind – that could be also fashion or shoes, not necessarily big issues.

Some artists, who live in the diaspora seem to cultivate a certain folklore, be it to deal with their roots or to make themselves a little more interesting.

That’s hard to understand. If you’ve never been in that situation you can’t feel it. That’s why I don’t want to explain it anymore. If people want to see me as Viennese, okay then – but I do not feel like that. In Ghana are my roots, my mother and my father are Ghanaian. I don’t sing folk music from Austria and I don’t like it. Many people don’t understand this and think, I only cultivate some folklore, but it’s not like that. You can’t make music if you don’t feel like that, people will hear it when it’s faked. Look at me – I am a stranger at first glance, that’s why I don’t feel like home. I’m happy to know and appreciate both sides, but many people don’t understand this.

Anbuley

Could you imagine to work with artists from Ghana?

I’m born into the European club music, so I am both – and doing Ghanaian music wouldn’t be me. I fly to Ghana soon and I hope to meet many people there. In the end it must happen spontaneous, cause I can only work with people I like, and that can’t be planned.

Thank you, Anbuley and good luck!

Latest release:
Kemo’ Yoo Keke EP (released on Seayou)

Some of her older releases:
Tsakimo EP (released on Seayou)
Atropolis – Som Sista feat. Anbuley (released on the Atropolis album)
Bert On Beats – Suomo feat. Anbuley (released on the album “Antenna of Tallinn” – Man Recordings)
Ku Bo – Tsu Bo feat Anbuley (released on the EP – Man Recordings)
Karl Dread – Mia Mo O Hie – Never Give Up feat. Anbuley (released on Down The Bush)

Anbuley Facebook
Tipanic / Big’n’Hairy Website | Soundcloud
Seayou Website

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