Brazil-born ANNA is in high global demand – creating success out of everything she turns to whether producing originals for well-respected labels, remixing top-flight acts or moving dance floors the world over.

We had the chance to chat with her during her US Tour. Here’s how it went…

Electronic Groove: Hi ANNA thanks for taking the time to chat with us. Summer is about to end. How is it going so for?

ANNA: So far, 2016 has been the best of my career to date. I have never toured as much as I have been recently and have been playing some really special shows too. My releases have all been successful and can only be grateful for everything that has happened. I still have a lot to come yet until the end of the year, with a remix on Get Physical and Rukus for Matador, along with EP’s on Turbo Recordings, Terminal M, Rukus and a collaboration with Pig&Dan on Elevate.

A very important moment for me this year was being nominated for the “Breakthrough Artist” category for the DJ Awards, alongside some other really amazing artists. Its such a special and rewarding feeling when you see your work getting attention and appreciation by so many others.

Electronic Groove: Any gig highlights worth mentioning?

ANNA: The highlight was definitely my gig at Solomun +1, I was his plus one on August 21st and it was one of the best gigs of my life. The vibe was surreal and the B2B we did was also really nice. The lineup at his parties for the season are amazing, so it was a huge deal for me to be part of it.

Electronic Groove:  You’re currently on your first tour in the USA, how do you prepare for a tour?

ANNA: I didn’t have much time to prepare, the summer is being really busy, and I don’t usually prepare for a tour or gig. I work in the studio and research music every day and this is my basic preparation for all my gigs. 

Electronic Groove: You recently did a mix for Warung Beach Club. Do you consider this is the best club in Brazil?

ANNA: Yes, it is the best club, the vibe in there is surreal, they also put together the best line ups in the country. Everywhere I go in the world someone always mentions Warung to me. And I am not just saying this because I am Brazilian, but you can ask anyone – Richie, Solomun to Seth Troxler – they will all say the same.

“Underground music is still not big enough there, we have some great clubs like Warung, D-Edge and also huge festivals, but for me it’s not enough”

Electronic Groove: The Brazilian electronic music scene has grown a lot in the last 10 years. What do you think about it?

ANNA: When I was starting out, I used to live in the countryside of Sao Paulo, my parents club was the only one playing underground music in the region, everything was very new, electronic dance music is not part of the Brazilian music culture, so you can imagine how limited it was outside the city. I didn’t have much reference, everything I knew was what was played in the club, and also from the records shops that I used to go once in a while. When I got older, about 17 years old, started going to the capital to party and became more aware of new music styles and DJ’s. Luckily I had full support from my family as normally parents wouldn’t support a 14-year-old girl trying to become a DJ, even in that time when the profession wasn’t even that popular or common as today. Currently brazilian scene is much bigger than when I started, most of the big festivals have editions in the country, although more for the commercial dance music. Underground music is still not big enough there, we have some great clubs like Warung, D-Edge and also huge festivals, but for me it’s not enough.

Electronic Groove: Has any new Brazilian talent caught your eye recently?

ANNA: TERR – she is amazing! She just released a great EP on Hotflush that went really well, I think you will hear a lot from her very soon.

Electronic Groove: You are part of the Resistance Stage @ Ultra Brazil alongside Carl Cox and friends. Are you excited about this one?

ANNA: Absolutely! This is the first time Ultra is doing their edition in Brazil. I played for them last and this year in Croatia, will play also in Japan and Indonesia, and I’m very curious to see how it is going to be in my country.

“I love intimate clubs with the DJ booth in the same level as the crowd”

Electronic Groove Do you prefer festivals than intimate gigs?

ANNA: I used to say both, but nowadays I prefer intimate gigs, the exchange of energy is stronger, and I need this in order to have a good gig, the more they go the more I go. I love intimate clubs with the DJ booth in the same level as the crowd.

Electronic Groove: In terms of releases, what can you tell us about your recent remixes of Joyce Muniz’s “Cover Me Up” and Matador’s “Stanleys”?

ANNA: Matador invited me to be part of his remix album, I gladly accepted! I love Matador and the track was really nice with some great sounds to work with. We got some amazing feedback and the sales are also doing good, so I am really happy with it.

Joyce and I go a long way back, we both come from Brazil, and when she invited me to work on a remix, for one of the tracks off her album, I thought it was a great idea. She sent me the stems and a lot of them were really good, and also very inspiring. The original is deeper and has a strong focus on the vocal bits, I wanted to make it more underground, still keeping the deep vibe but with a different kind of energy. I’ve used the piano as a sort of “stab”, which gave it a lot of direction and character, and I’ve put the vocals through a big chain of effects, which gave the whole track a trippy atmosphere. It was a really nice project to work on.

Electronic Groove: Your plans for the rest of the year?

ANNA: I have some releases coming out on Terminal M, Turbo Recordings, and a collab with Pig & Dan on their label Elevate. My Dj schedule is closed until end of the year so be i’ll touring around the world, we still have a lot of work to do, thank God!