LA-based producer anti. landed on my radar at the top of 2018 when an incredible Biggie remix caught my ear in Wuki’s Diplo & Friends Mix. After some digging I found the track entitled ‘cali cali’ came from the relatively unknown anti. Since then I’ve been following him closely as he impressed with ‘shock collar’ and bootlegs of oshi x Baauer and Eptic. With such promise and potential I knew it was only a matter of time before anti came through and really made a name for himself. That time is now. With his debut EP The Throwdown on the horizon, we have the pleasure of giving listeners the initial peek into the project with the premiere of the first single ‘response.’
The track is a dedication to the classic EDM trap sound that anti. first fell in love with while injecting a fresh and exciting energy. The first build brings you to the festival, as a hypnotic synth and powerful drums build anticipation. When the drop hits, it’s a dizzying display that’s sure to leave you head-banging and your trap arms pumping at full thrust. The back half is where things get really special as anti. strips away the synths and lets the vocal, “cruise the fucking block” loop as he readies us for an explosion of low-end excellence. Vocals drifts over blaring police sirens as filthy bass permeates; rattling your trunk even if you’re sitting in your living room. This is an example of the power of simplicity in its finest form.
We caught up with anti to learn more about ‘response’ and what we can expect from The Throwdown. Read the full interview and be sure to bump the track on repeat. And don’t miss that free download.
Tell us a little bit about yourself…
Well I’ve been producing for almost four years now but I actually got started by mixing on turntables with my bro (sephlabeats!) and once I decided this was the route I wanted to go down I knew it was time to learn how to make the music itself. I’ve always had a love for electronic music but when I was younger I grew up on hip hop, so my influence has a lot derived from that culture. I remember hearing ‘Tell Me’ by RL Grime for the first time and I must’ve listened to it about 50 times in a row that night just in disbelief that a song could have that much power and emotion behind it. Dr Derg (RIP) is probably my biggest influence today because of how experimental and hard his sound is.
Why did you feel now was the time drop an EP?
I’ve had a lot of the songs done and sitting for a bit and I had been itching to put them out. With that in mind my team and I started planning the EP in late 2018 and looked to drop it sometime mid 2019 for a summer release. In all honesty I’m super impatient and without the help of my team at Glenn Haven I wouldn’t have been able to get organized enough to make this happen, so shouts out to them.
this ain’t no nighttime lullaby, I’m trying to reignite that fire inside that sparks your passion. I want you to feel powerful and ready to take on the world. I want you to rage.
What was your goal when putting the EP together? What do you want listeners to get out of it?
When putting the EP together, I really wanted to paint a visual experience when listening to the songs. When I produce, I imagine scenes in my head to go along with the track and I want the listener to have their own unique experience as well. But this ain’t no nighttime lullaby, I’m trying to reignite that fire inside that sparks your passion. I want you to feel powerful and ready to take on the world. I want you to rage. I think the artwork reflects that perfectly and I couldn’t be more thankful for the artist skinterest, he absolutely murdered it 🔥
How does ‘response’ fit in with the rest of the project?
Now looking back, ‘response’ was really a dedication to the old style of EDM Trap Music. I grew up on the old school “festival trap” remixes and I think subconsciously I was trying to emulate all the things I was raised on while also incorporating new styles of mixing and song structure.
Is there a story of theme you had in mind when creating ‘response’?
In making “response” I was really hoping to give off a feeling of ultimate power and victory, like you just fought the climatic battle in a superhero movie. I want people to listen and let it fill them with adrenaline and confidence that they can do anything and the fight isn’t over yet. That’s why it’s called ‘response,’ it’s like your answer to everything that’s hurt you and now you’re coming back harder than ever.
Are there any elements of the track you’d like to highlight?
With this track in particular I’d say you have to listen to it a few times in a row to to get the full experience, the first time hits you so hard you can barely concentrate but on the second and third listen you really start to understand what it’s about and how it all goes together.
P.S. Quick shout out to the ones who have helped and supported me along the way, I wouldn’t be here without you G’s: mgmtjavi, code zero, lord$ofdogtown, sephlabeats!, blush, ramen boy, cavan brady, sleepycatt, cozway, ghozt, everyone from the OG groupchat & fuxwithitblog <3
