ANISH SOOD HAS a 12-year-long career in Indian electronic music. But, after his experiences in 2020, the Goa-based artiste has launched a new musical identity under the name Anyasa. “The idea behind changing my artiste name was to wipe the slate clean and create a fresh start,” Anish says. Anyasa has just been signed on to prestigious London-based record label Anjunadeep and launches a new four-track EP, Gaya.
“The name is a derivation of ‘Gaia’ the Greek goddess of Earth. It is an ode to feminine energy— the raw creative force from which all artistry is born,” Anish shares. The theme also comes through in the collaborations in the album by fellow artistes Isheeta Chakravarty, Bawari Basanti, Avneet Khurmi and Amira Gil.
The album’s vision is to connect Indian classical vocals with modern electronic music production. This is reflected in the song, Rasiya, where Isheeta’s vocals set the tone for this amalgamation. “All Anyasa productions feature strong Indian elements and the idea is to look beyond classical vocals to folk and regional dialects as well as Indian instruments,” the artiste tells us.
Anyasa is the first Indian act to have been signed by Anjunadeep and Anish says it’s a very surreal feeling. “I grew up listening to their music, and some of the oldest CDs in my first DJ case are full of it. Aside from the initial excitement, I’m actually very grateful that they’ve signed a sound that is radically different from the rest of their catalogue, which is always a huge risk for such an established label,” he says. To mark this career highlight, Anish is performing a live streamed gig from Anjuna Beach in his hometown, which coincidentally is also the place that the label is named after. Fans can also expect music videos in the near future.
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