Stepping in for number 26 in our series a fresh face to the controls, but definitely no stranger to the dancefloor. Anwar is a true house head, keen on picking up track IDs and even keener making his own selections. Opting for a deliciously chilled out choice of tunes in this mix, it works perfect for your WFH situation as you get back to it after a hectic weekend. Check out the interview and tracklist below.
Thanks for taking the time to record a mix for us Anwar! How are you doing these days?
It was a real pleasure man, thank you so much for having me! Apart from being offensively sick the past four weeks, I’ve been feeling quite blessed lately cause I’ve been playing out a little more than I thought I would, and in venues I’ve always wanted to play at!
Nice to see you on the gig circuit in recent times. How'd you go with your last couple of gigs?
Still as nerve-wrecking as when I first started playing out haha, but nothing beats the feeling of seeing people vibe to my music! It’s mostly been great but more importantly, I’m just focused on having fun and learning from these experiences.
Bit of a different flavour this one, we personally loved the jazzy hip hop leanings here. Very refreshing coming from you! How did you go about picking out tunes for this mix, was there a context you had in mind?
Thanks! It’s been quite intense with the surge of parties lately, so I figured I’d come up with somewhat of an aural respite with this laid-back mix. Also, when you mentioned that it didn’t have to be a housey one, I took the opportunity to put on some music I don’t often play for people, but often enjoy listening to.
How do you approach mixes as opposed to gigs? Or do you kind of have a similar approach for both?
I think gigs are about playing half of what you like and half of what the crowd would want to hear – often daunting at the start but a lot more fun as you go along! On the other hand, I appreciate how mixes give you total freedom to curate them the way you want to be heard. It’s a great way for listeners to get to know your music better, so I usually try to show a different side of me through my uploaded mixes. This is one of them!
What draws you to music and what have you been digging lately?
Music that’s soulful, groovy, playful and a little bit off-kilter always hits the spot. That’s probably why I’ve always been a huge fan of Axel Boman – everything he puts out is immaculate. Local-wise, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying A’alely’s super dope, leftfield and unshazamable sets haha!
What would be your ideal time and place to play?
A just-before-dawn set at any small, intimate setting where I’d play some deep, spaced out after-party vibes. It’s also been my dream to play a sundowner at Potato Head in Bali or Café Mambo in Ibiza.
Anything on the horizon coming up?
Really psyched up to play at two of my favourite spots, Panamericana and Offtrack, and getting some online mixes done. Other than that, I’ve just been working on exercising a little more mindfulness ever since I had a mental kerfuffle a while ago, which is why I’m also excited about my solo trip to Bali at the end of September! Obviously bummed out I had to turn down some exciting F1 gigs but I’m sure I made the right decision… right?
Any shout-outs to close this off?
Just wanna give thanks to some solid friends who have given me the opportunity to play out thus far – you (Nick Bong), Matty Wainwright, Sivanesh, Zig Zach and Leland, just to name a few. Also, shoutout to Chris and Andy of Wild Pearl for showing so much love and support in our community while doing their bit for the earth!
Follow Anwar:
https://soundcloud.com/anwarfive
https://www.instagram.com/anwarfive
Tracklist:
- Saul – Pause [Rhythm Section International]
- Omar S – Turn and Walk Away [FXHE Records]
- Gianni Brezzo – Flower Rain [Jakarta Records]
- K15 – Beneath the Tomb [INI Movement]
- Madlib & Freddie Gibbs – Gat Damn [RCA Records]
- Felipe Gordon – Feeling All Over It [Noire & Blanche]
- Retromigration – Nur Wir [Wolf Music Recordings]
- Jaubi – Lahore State of Mind (Al Dobson Jr Remix) [Astigmatic Records]
- Björk – I Miss You (Dobie Rub Part One) [One Little Independent Records]
- Moonchild & Tall Black Guy – I Will Never Know [First Word Records]
- Retromigration & Bezzix – Debris [Brookland Jams]
- Slum Village – Get Dis Money [Barak Records]
- Manual Darquart – I’m Not Over You [childsplay]
- DJ Spinna – Planets [Beyond Real Productions]
- Axel Boman – Let’s Get Nervous [Studio Barnhus]
- Eddie C – Drinkin and Thinkin [Mule Musiq]
- Yse Saint Laur’ant – Warm Wind Brewing [Whiskey Disco]
- Donald’s House & Lipelis – VGF (DUB) [Soothsayer]
- Fragile – We’ve Got Tonight, Boy [Arabella Musikverlag]