The Shortlist: ANNA | whynow
Published by whynow.co.uk, September 2023
At the risk of this feature becoming entirely about someone’s dad, there’s no denying that ANNA’s is one helluva cool guy. By now, it’s well-documented he owned a successful club in their hometown of Amparo in Brazil, and that ANNA (real name Ana Miranda) learnt her craft behind the decks there aged 14, when her dad challenged her to play after she complained about the repetition in some of the residents’ sets.
But did you know that he is tattooed from head to toe? And did you know that he gave a platform to DJ Marky before he was famous, having bought vinyl from him on crate digging trips to São Paolo? And did you know that people used to travel from all over the region to go to his club?
What about the fact that when he accompanied his daughter to Time Warp he was so blown away by the production he didn’t stop talking about it for weeks? Probably not – and that’s fair enough, because ANNA’s dad is never the focus of the interview. And yet, all these points are important to note, because to get a glimpse into Bira Miranda’s steadfast character is to better understand ANNA.
“When I stop to think about it, my father was the real deal,” she laughs. “And I was with him all the time. So when he sees that I’m living my dream in Europe and travelling all around because of my music, I think maybe he sees it as a continuation of himself.”
ANNA grew up in the nocturnal nightlife world. She remembers spending weekends at Six, her dad’s club, from as young as seven-years-old, and they were joined at the hip. He would play records, organise staging and reimagine each of the iconic club’s five floors; she would quietly absorb everything he said and did. It was here that she was hypnotised by the relentless beat of techno, and where she learned to mix rather than just hit the play button.
They were formative years and they shaped the person, DJ and producer she was later to become, but even so, the poignancy of the pair’s connection is rarely discussed, even between themselves – what they share seems to transcend words. Nevertheless, when she ruminates on the foundations that were laid, which directed her on the path towards music, her dad’s influence is hard to ignore.
“What my dad created at Six was legendary,” she explains. “We don’t talk about it much but it was a very special thing. And it was unique because he played electronic music nobody had heard of before. It was like he was from the future.”
Leading by example, Bira instilled a drive to succeed within his daughter; not to expect success, but rather to learn, work, and grow in the pursuit of it. She embodied that lesson with ease, not just on a personal level, but in applying it on her ascent to global techno superstar who plays the biggest stages in the world while rubbing shoulders with the likes of Carl Cox and Tale of Us. Renowned for tough, slamming sets best enjoyed in dark, cavernous spaces, her recent ambient outing might come as a surprise to some, and yet it makes total sense when applied to an upbringing in which no thought, idea or avenue was deemed too adventurous.
Intentions reaches beyond the boundaries of ANNA’s discography so far. More immersive listening experience than album, it’s been formulated from the depths of her mind, body and soul and, as the title suggests, it’s imbued with purpose.
Inspired by a 2017 transformational experience, in which she attended a course designed for self-improvement and emerged having completely reevaluated life and her place within it, the result is a departure from her usual dancefloor dynamism. In its place comes a series of tracks that channel her spiritualism through specific frequencies, sound healing techniques and vibrations. For a less confident artist, it could be daunting, but ANNA sees it as a natural expansion of her creativity, and has taken the shift typically within her stride.
“I always need to process what I’m feeling in the moment, emotionally and mentally,” she explains. “And then I need to express it through music. I don’t feel vulnerable releasing this album because it shows another side to me, and maybe it will introduce me to a new crowd and different listeners.”
Perhaps it’s easier to feel this way when you’re on a meandering journey towards personal enlightenment, having surrendered to the potential of a higher power, and the realisation that possessions and achievements aren’t the pinnacle of accomplishment they’re cracked up to be. But in ANNA’s case, it feels like she’s always embodied some level of self-assuredness – perhaps that’s another thing she can thank her parents for. But now, through persistent meditation and self-examination, she’s able to tap into the flow that allows her to uncover every prismatic side of herself.
“After my experience in 2017, I feel completely connected to everything,” she says. “So this music is an expression of that state of consciousness. Initially, I was using [the compositions] as a tool for my own journey – to go deeper, to open up more, to enhance my emotions – and I didn’t have any intention to share it with the world. But then the opportunity presented itself and it just kind of happened, as a natural extension of myself.”
For diehard techno fans, the idea of releasing ambient tunes might seem like an abstract detour for one of the scene’s biggest names, but for ANNA, it’s a logical expression of the duality that exists within us all, and music is merely the vessel in which it’s conveyed. The two things exist in relation to, rather than in opposition to, each other.
“It took a lot of integration and understanding,” she says. “but now I realise that I am both: the chaos and the stillness. And now I’ve explored that idea, I feel like I sit in the middle and I’m comfortable navigating the two extremes. As a result, I’m more sensible and less judgemental and that allows me to create better.”
Intentions, then, is an invitation to everyone to interrogate themselves and the surrounding world. “Sometimes we’re afraid to look within ourselves but in that instance, music can be a tool,” she adds. “There is no force stronger than music for helping me to open up. It is the strongest prayer there is.”
ANNA’s foray into ambient production has reaped unexpected benefits elsewhere. At the tail-end of 2021, she was asked to remix Orbital’s seminal classic ‘Belfast’, and she satisfied the brief, creating one version that’s stamped with emblematic techno stabs.
But she was also keen to delve into the track’s atmospheric qualities, so she reworked an ambient interpretation as well. She slowed the tempo, isolated those hauntingly distinctive vocals and ended up producing one of Phil and Paul Hartnoll’s favourite remixes. Both of ANNA’s versions were included on the final release.
This year, her talents have been tapped for remix duties once again, only this time for icons Depeche Mode, who asked her to record a fresh take on ‘My Cosmos Is Mine’, from their Memento Mori album earlier this year. And though her career peaks are usually only discreetly acknowledged by her family – their pride is felt rather than spoken – this particular accolade drew vocal admiration from the people ANNA credits with igniting her musical abilities.
“No one can believe it because this is a tune from their time,” ANNA says with a smile. “My mother was a super fan of the band and my dad used to play Depeche Mode at his club. So yes, it was an ‘oh my god’ moment: I’m remixing a track that my father used to play. That’s a beautiful thing.”
