In the Spotlight with Anime & cr38
We speak to Anime & cr38 from Cape Town South Africa. Both are experienced live performers who share a passion for Trance music. cr38’s roots are as a classically trained organist/pianist but he has also turned his hand to the art of studio production. Meanwhile Anime has a wealth of experience singing live in musicals, bars, festivals and megachurches.
We speak to both of them about their latest release on City Wall Records called “Child Awaken”. We hope to find out about the lyrics behind the track and how the duo started to work together.
The Interview:
First of all great to speak to you here in the VMM.
Q VMM: The VMM would like to ask you both how did you start to make music together?
Anime: We fortunate to be able to play in a band together called “Anime and The Shortlist” and shared our likes for Trance. I approached CR38 asking him if he would like to mix the songs I wrote and off course he understood my style and added great value and quality to enhance it.
Q VMM: cr38 the VMM would like to ask when creating “Child Awaken” did the music come first then the lyric how was this track born?
cr38: Anime wrote the lyrics with a rough melody. I took a listen and reckoned it would be quite a good sound for a vocal trancer. So after recording her voice at a slightly faster than original tempo, I added my own flavour to the music. The piano and the plucks were parts I thought would fit well with the song. In the end it turned out quite nicely…
Anime: the music was written at the same time as the lyrics a couple of years ago when I played around on my keyboard one Christmas morning. It was a peaceful day and I was sitting outside in the drizzle rain when suddenly I felt compelled to go and sit in my studio and write. Then last year with only having a few chords from me and a voice recording CR38 created, within a couple of hours, a track that blew me away..
Q VMM: Anime what is the inspiration behind the lyrics of “Child Awaken”?
Anime: The lyrics were inspired when I reached a time in my life when I overcome some real personal difficulties and reached a real “AHA” moment. On this Christmas day and felt really content and felt like someone who raised up from the ashes and felt pure and whole again…The innocence of a child and the freedom of what a child expresses when there are no worries or frets..
Q VMM: Can you both tell the VMM what music influences do you have and bring into your dance music releases?
Anime: Robert Miles, Tiesto Most definitely my favourites, but I must add that I listen to various kinds of music for inspiration. From Blues, Jazz, Fusion to Rock and Pop. It’s all about the feeling it gives me. I am inspired when the sounds and lyrics gives me a “happy feeling” inside because I strongly believe in giving positive energy through sound and lyrics. I don’t want to write sad music..the message should always be Happy!!
cr38: I listen to the following Djs and Producers: Mat Zo, Alpha 9 , Alex O’Rion, Ferry Corsten, Arty, Above and Beyond, Daniel Kandi, Maor Levi, Super8 and Tab, Jerome Isma-Ae, Poison Pro, Rafael Frost, Bart Claessen, Who.Is, Andrew Bayer, Boom Jinx, Breakfast, Oliver Smith, Vangelis, Daft Punk (Tron Sound track is awesome!)
Q VMM: You have had some lovely quotes for your “Child Awaken” track “…amazing track!! I really like Child Awaken!!” Kohsuke Fukuda, Galaxy Recs, & “Really tasteful Trance” Arion Grey, Dance Radio” so can you tell the VMM how does it make you feel to get this sort of feedback?
Anime: The world is so big and there is so much good music out there and yet we have had such great feedback. This only means one thing to me and that is that we have a winning recipe for sound, feel, lyrics and vocals. It all works together and gives out some kind of Magic.
cr38: I was really taken a back how as to how much positive feedback there was for this track. I mean I have been producing for a while but just the fact that it is being appreciated worldwide says to me that it is a production of decent quality! Hopefully this won’t be a one hit wonder…
Q VMM: The VMM would like to ask are you back in the studio working on any new collaboration projects together and if not what other releases are you working at the moment?
Anime: I am definitely writing more songs and hopefully in the very near future we will be recording some new tracks.
cr38: At the moment I am working on some solo tracks (i.e. no vocal) I have about 2 or 3 tracks that I would like to release under the City Wall Records umbrella. Hopefully they meet the cut 
Q VMM: cr38 & Anime your track is being used for the VMM/CWR Remix competition how did you feel to have your track picked for this sort of promotion?
Anime: This is a fantastic opportunity and real honour. And the greatest compliment to our song and abilities. Thank you once again!
cr38: I was quite surprised by the announcement. It has been a great privilege to be able to hear that our music is being appreciated and recognised for what it is. I have been producing trance for many years and its great to finally see my efforts being rewarded
Many thanks for the interview and we wish you both further success in 2011.
Also don’t forget to check out the VMM/CWR Remix Competition The lucky Remix winners will be given a full Release in 2011 on CityWall Records supported with full PR promotion from The VMM one of the worlds leading e-magazine’s for Dance Music that reaches over 127 countries around the globe.
Bex Hazard ZiRENZ MEDiA PR
This is the © copyright of the VMM (Virtual Music Magazine)
cr38 & Anime – Child Awaken by City Wall Records
