DJ, PRODUCER AND NOW RECORD LABEL OWNER. IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN STOP THE RISE OF ANAKINRA?

So, why Drum and Bass?
I grew up listening to Drum and Bass in the South East of England in the 90’s. Going to Raves
with older friends and listening to the old cassette tape compilation packs of Slammin Vinyl.
From being a young kid I was listening to hip -hop and enjoying the off beat kind of sounds……..I
then started listening to drum and bass in school with the older kids, the sort of stuff you
couldn’t find in mainstream music at the time, it was all house music, trance and garage.

Did anyone in particular get you into it?
When I was 14 I met a guy who became a very close friend. He was a DJ for the illegal rave
scene. Brainskan. He inspired me, gave me a bunch of records to take home, not just drum and
bass, but all variations of house too. I saved up and bought myself a belt driven set of turntables
and started to teach myself to mix. Whenever I needed advice he would always be there to give
me help.

Who’s your inspiration?
I am hugely inspired by individuals who can make something out of nothing. Clever music that
takes you on a journey, subtle nuances and moods inspire me. Everyday the artists I have on my
label inspire me with their ideas and enthusiasm. Seeing artists get praise and recognition
inspires me to put all my efforts into making Soultribe music a success

ANAKINRA Smile Again

What’s your biggest challenge as an artist?
Like all producers struggling to get your music heard by a wider audience was, and is always, the
biggest struggle. This is what originally spurred me and a group of friends to start Soul Tribe
Music record label. Also, finding other like minded artists to collaborate with was really difficult
without a network

Who’s been the most fun to work with so far?
I used to work on the festival circuits. I got to meet and work alongside a lot of well known artists
and music industry professionals. Travelling up and down the country and never knowing from
one day to the next what amazing artists I would be working alongside made a very fun time in
my life. I got to see, understand and be involved in the inner workings of the music and
entertainment industry from multiple different aspects.

If you could choose someone to work with, who would it be and why?

Working within the festival scene I was lucky to work with artists that would put on huge
performances. I would love to work with someone who’s also interested in a wide variety of
stage performance as well as the music, live instruments, the set, the lighting, the moods that
can be created. I couldn’t name just one person, I’d be here all day…..

Which do you prefer producing or djing? (And Why?)
I prefer producing and being in my own little world. Its really rewarding to create something new.
I enjoy spending time at home in my studio, learning new skills and bringing these skills to my
music and the label. Ive always been quite shy so prefer to be in the background making music.
However, I do enjoy Djing and I love playing out at events and showcasing STM

As a DJ, how hard have you found to to get into the established circuit?
Very much in this industry its not what you know its who you know. Cant stress how important it
is as an aspiring artist to go out and get involved with local crews and find out what people are
into in your local area, try and make friends and jump on board with other artists. Its very
important if you want to be successful

Lots of new dj’s feel they are locked out
How exciting is it to start a record label?
Its great getting to meet so many up and coming artists, growing and learning together building
a project that we hope will evolve and become something that aims to define a new generation
of music and adapting to the new digital era.

Have you found it easy to get established?
No, sometimes the hardest part of something like this is where to start and making the first
steps. Having knowledgeable people around to help guide you is crucial to success. From
contracts to distributers, sales to marketing it is a very steep learning curve and I’ve had to wear
a lot of hats. Its time consuming and cumbersome at the beginning so you have to have a real
passion for the industry and enjoy and be able to work with lots of different personalities!
If you are doing this for the money, think again. Its definitely a labour of love at the beginning!

Finding good artists to work with who are open to growing and learning with the label and
each other. There are a lot of scammers out there looking to take advantage of people so
everyone tends to be leaning on the backfoot. I wanted to make Soultribe music what it says on
the tin, a tribe of souls working together for the same goal.

Do you think the bigger labels take the smaller boys seriously?
No, which is a shame. The larger labels have been extremely closed minded for a long time
holding up a glass ceiling for up and coming artists. I think smaller labels are now challengers
to this ethos and the more smaller labels out there, the more good music is getting heard which
is the main aim. Getting amazing music out to the masses. The hardest part is getting out and
getting seen amongst so many new up and coming artists, so I’d say with new opportunities arise

different problems. I cant stress enough how important Labels like Full Send and Soul Tribe are
helping bring together like minded people with similar passions as we are stronger together than
individually.

Do you think they feel threatened by something new?
I think the streaming industry is probably their main focus at the moment and coming up with
ways to monetise their music as people don’t buy CD’s or records anymore. They probably
recognise that there is a lot more competition now. We could be coming to a point of singularity
now where we don’t know how things could change in the future. NFT’s probably hold the key to
where things are headed.

ANAKINRA Interstellar