ZIQ258: Starkey ft. Anneka 'Stars'
Earlier this month PlanetMu released 'Stars', the first single from Starkey's phenomenal follow-up album 'Ear Drums and Black Holes.' The single features sublime vocals from Brighton, UK's rising starlet Anneka Warburton and deviates from Starkey's grimey, gutter music that we've all come to know and love. 'Stars' is a heartfelt celestial lullaby built with flittering drum sequences, swelling and receding waves of synth pads and soothing vocals from Anneka that show off Starkey's softer side and versatility as a producer. Slugabed's remix [available as a free download courtesy of NME here] dissects and flips the original elements into a glitched-out, yet restrained arrangement allowing the vocals to remain preserved and suspended above the mix. Listeners of Starkey's Seclusiasis radio show on Sub.fm should be familiar with his other tunes on the release 'Starting Gates' and 'Millenia', streetbass anthems with powerful crescendos of colorful synth-lines, break-neck bass drops and that Philly club swagger. Neither 'Starting Gates' or 'Millenia' will be featured on EDABH and coupled with 'Stars' remixes from Mu associates Ital Tek, Raffertie, and Few Nolder [Digital release only] this release is a necessary companion to the forthcoming LP. Support!!
Tracklist:
1. Stars ft. Anneka
2. Stars ft. Anneka (Slugabed did a remix)
3. Starting Gates
4. Millenia
5. Stars ft. Anneka (Few Nolder remix) [Digital Only]
6. Stars ft. Anneka (Raffertie remix) [Digital Only]
7. Stars fr. Anneka (Ital Tek remix) [Digital Only]
Preview the release and purchase 'Stars' HERE at Boomkat.
Ear Drums and Black Holes releases on PlanetMu April 19th.
Ear Drums and Black Holes releases on PlanetMu April 19th.
Peep the official 'Stars' music video directed by Ben Curzon below:
We recently had the chance to chat with Anneka and talk about the release:
BF: So for those less familiar, would you mind telling us a little bit about yourself and your musical background?
Anneka: I’m currently based in Brighton having just finished Uni here. I’ve had a really varied musical background which I guess reflects really important musical discoveries I’ve made along the way. At 14 I came across a Led Zeppelin vinyl in my dad’s collection which led to picking up a guitar and being in a band for the rest of my teens, to hearing Aphex Twin on an advert and thinking ‘I have to hear more of this, what IS it?!’. Since then I’ve got into a wide range of music, quite a lot of which is electronic based. This has led to collaborations with various producers, mostly on Planet Mu.
BF: The first time I heard about your music was actually through Mary Anne Hobbs' 'Build The Beat' experiment where you, Starkey, and Reso came together and built a tune from scratch over the course of her 2-hour BBC Radio radio show. Could you tell us a little bit more about that experience and how it was working in the famous Maida Vale studio with those guys under those time constraints?
Anneka: It wasn’t until we were having dinner with Starkey about 5 hours before the show that I realised we weren’t going to be performing the track live! So immediately I felt very relieved that it was going to be a track we played back at the end. However it was still an incredibly tall order, especially for Starkey. I was so excited about seeing the Maida Vale studios so it was a really good distraction from being nervous. The two hours of making the track were quite a blur because everything happened so fast- mine and Reso’s recordings were mostly done in the first or second take. It was incredible seeing how quickly Starkey worked and how many samples from listeners and Radio 1 Presenters he managed to squeeze into the track! I had such a great time and am so pleased that Starkey invited me to take part.
BF: How did you and Starkey first meet and how did the 'Stars' single eventually come together?
Anneka: Starkey heard previous collaborations I’d done with Mu artists through Mike Paradinas and wanted me to sing on his album. Once I heard the track that later became Stars I worked on it pretty quickly because the instrumental gave me a lot of visual ideas for lyrics. I loved the sci-fi influenced style of the track. Starkey and I are both fans of Blade Runner and the like!
BF: What was your initial reaction when you first heard the finished tune? Feelings on the Slugabed remix?
Anneka: The instrumental was given to me at first in a near completed state already. Hearing it all come together was great and made me really look forward to it being released. The Slugabed remix is crazy, I love it! There have also been remixes for digital release by other producers; Ital Tek, Few Nolder and Raffertie. It’s cool to hear each of their takes on the track and are definitely worth checking out.
BF: I noticed in the video during the Maida Vale session that you had your notebook with you, would you mind telling us a little more about your writing process?
Anneka: I find it so hard to describe! I guess when I’m writing lyrics to specific tracks I go along with what the music makes me imagine visually and then take it from there, often using metaphors. I get really inspired by films and books among other things too.
BF: Before we let you go, what else you have in store for 2010 and what other projects are you currently working on??
Anneka: I’m currently working on my own EP which will involve some producers I’ve previously worked with. I have vocals that are going to be featured on the next Vex’d and Ital Tek albums on Planet Mu, as well as a single with Blue Daisy coming out on Black Acre. I’m also hoping to do some live guest vocals this summer too.
BF: Anneka, thanks again! Looking FWD to the EP! All the best.
www.myspace.com/annekamusic
www.twitter.com/annekatweets
