Header image by Elizabeth De La Piedra / Words by Willa Rudolph
On October 25th, DJ, producer, radio host (HYPERHOUSE, The Lot Radio, the Create/Destroy podcast) and all-round underground club legend Anna Lunoe released her debut album Pearl, which Earmilk called “both a love letter to her long and life-affirming journey in electronic music, and a striking statement of creative growth.”
She’ll be in NYC on Nov 22 @ Elsewhere (tickets), and this is my official recommendation that you go see her show! (see rest of lineup below)
The innovative and in-demand DJ who has collaborated with the likes of Skrillex, Flume, Blu DeTiger, Ashnikko, and Genesis Owusu, recently opened for The Weeknd on his Australia tour and mothered a child, will be showcasing her “supernatural level of talent” (NME) on stage in Brooklyn in just a few days!
Anna oscillates between the realms of house, garage, techno, bass indie dance, hyper-pop, hip-hop, and more. She cheekily describes herself as “older than Charli XCX, younger than Katy Perry.” We love to hear it, sis! Having been in NYC during the indie-sleaze heyday, she flourished throughout the EDM renaissance around that time, and has remained completely integrous to her artistry and always uplifts other newer artists!
On the 13-track album Pearl, the opening eponymous track is hypnotic, fresh techno, but it’s track #2, “Real Love”, that made me really lock into the album. It has elements of disco and is reminiscent of some mixture of Nikki & The Dove, Donna Summer, and Madonna, but make it electronic dance. I’d kill to see this one live!
“Polite (feat. Shanique Marie)” is SO FUN. I listened to this for the first time at my desk at 10 in the morning, and immediately wished I was at a rave, shakin’ it. Just saying…
I won’t describe all 13 tracks and let you explore on your own, but my next few favorites are:
“Right Here (feat. Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs)” is very classic, trance-y & dancy techno, while “Only Love (feat. Y U QT)” has elements of hyper-pop and indie electronic. Clearly, Anna Lunoe prioritizes collaboration within her musical practice, which is a testament to her commitment to creating interesting and new-sounding music, innovative and thoughtful.
My next favorite is “Trouble,” another shakin’ a** techno/dance beat, incredibly rousing and infectious. “Look My Way” has the feeling of a pop song, with melodic vocals and lyrics, but has that underlying bass thumping. “Let’s Go Home” begins with an adorable audio of Anna and her child chatting and saying “Let’s go home,” and the album is closed out by the song “Going Home.” Fast paced and upbeat, as Anna sings, “Never forget the rules that you know / Never look back to say that you’re going home.” This one feels like a fun and heartwarming close to an incredible album!!
Anna Lunoe by Will Zhang
The stacked lineup for the Elsewhere show on Friday, November 22nd is: Anna Lunoe, Murphy’s Law (from the UK, not the NYC hardcore legends!), JSMN, Lilly Bombas, CatLadyHi + friends: Bea Trinidad, CatLadyHi, Circa – go have fun and dance as a pre-Thanksgiving release! Doors open: 10:30 PM ; tickets here: https://www.elsewhere.club/events/371549-anna-lunoe-murphys-law-uk-22nd-nov-elsewhere-brooklyn-new-york-tickets
