Interview with Anna Kiss [annakiss]

What do you do? How do you define yourself as an artist?

I am a female DJ & Producer I am an artist because I create and play music, which touches people's lives, whether they listen to it sober in their car or out of it in a club!

What is your message?

That modern day clubbing is actually an evolution of the oldest religion in the world... Shamanism I always play and make positive music, its about a journey to another dimension, whether they realise it or not!

Your biography in four lines.

Born near London, UK, decent childhood, wanted to be a radio DJ at age 5, did well at skool at both art & science, strangely... Did a BTEC National Diploma in Fine Art - took too long at it because college was fun. Did 6 months of the Fine Art BA Degree before realising that it wasnt actually going to get me anywhere in life... Worked many years in soul-less offices and was thoroughly miserable, wanting to follow my music dream but thinking it was too hard to become a reality. Got a grip, went off to DJ in the sunshine in Cyprus for a few years, then moved to Portugal, now back in the UK and life is perfect because the life purpose has been followed finally!

Do you upload your work to the web? If so, where could we see it?

Its on my website: www.annakiss.co.uk The tracks I've made, as well as mixes & radio shows are on my music page: www.annakiss.co.uk/music.html I'm also on www.myspace.com/annakiss Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=6895461618 And my blog: http://djannakiss.blogspot.com

How is an idea born? For you, what is inspiration?

an old tune popping into my head... a feeling that is relevant to me that week... love...

What role does technology play in your creative process?

A huge part, obviously! As without it there would be no sound...

anything that an artist creates... (i know this to be true because I wrote a looong essay on it at college! basically look at dada-ism and modern art... )

When do you get your best ideas?

late at nite when i'm just about to go to sleep... when i dont have a pen handy... or when i cant use a pen such as when driving...

How do you evaluate whether an idea is good or not?

same way i evaluate whether any decision is good or not... seeing how my heart feels, and if there is an uneasy feeling in my tummy I know its not a good idea

When and how did you begin to see yourself as an artist?

during the lectures at college on the 'what is art' essay i had to write! maybe just before that, when I started doing sketches that really looked like the people that they were of... as for the music.. well, when I made my first track in 2004. I made it in a week and it came out of nowhere!

Why do so many artists and creators have such volatile personalities?

there is a fine line between insanity and genius... i wouldnt have said volatile anyway - i think that is a very harsh word! vol⋅a⋅tile /ˈvɒlətl, -tɪl or, especially Brit., -ˌtaɪl/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [vol-uh-tl, -til or, especially Brit., -tahyl] –adjective 1. evaporating rapidly; passing off readily in the form of vapor: Acetone is a volatile solvent. 2. tending or threatening to break out into open violence; explosive: a volatile political situation. 3. changeable; mercurial; flighty: a volatile disposition. 4. (of prices, values, etc.) tending to fluctuate sharply and regularly: volatile market conditions. 5. fleeting; transient: volatile beauty. 6. Computers. of or pertaining to storage that does not retain data when electrical power is turned off or fails. 7. able to fly or flying. (ref: www.dictionary.com) we are passionate people who have a lot of emotion.. left side of the brain and all that... we aren't robots, we are feelings! and that is GOOD!

Do you consider yourself postmodern?

yeh because i make music that 'normal' people just wouldnt understand... on technology most 'normal' people wouldnt understand

How should a work of art be evaluated?

individually on a personal level so there is no right or wrong just perception

Must an artist reinvent him/herself everyday?

no, but they must wash every 2 days ideally

Which artists do you admire and how do they influence your work?

oh too many to mention! what i specifically admire is those who are consistent in their releases, those who have their own personal style, those who spread a good message and do this for the love.

What do you think about public funding for the arts?

its great, especially when they fund young people's expression through it, because a lot of them are depressed and have no hope for life. I taught socially excluded kids DJ skills for several years and loved the difference it made to them, even if they only did it for one week of their life.

Does it pain you to let go of a piece you have sold?

no because people can buy unlimited mp3s of my stuff hehe and with reference to all my huge canvasses that i painted 10+yrs ago.. it cant have pained me because i gave them all away!

Is a work of art purchased, or is it better said, that it is the artist who is bought?

purchased, because nobody can be bought unless they want to be

In art, there is no guide. How do you know what the next step is?

following my heart and dreams

How do you feel about the fact that the pieces exhibited in contemporary art museums are often of artists already deceased?

it doesnt bother me because thats the way the fine art world is and always has been. however there are many other mediums of art where the artists are living

What types of jobs do you usually do?

i record radio shows weekly - and then i list the tracks i played, promote the show so people listen, and update my pages/website. i sift thru many many emails of promos i sift thru many many sites of mp3s to buy and then occasionally i get booked to go play somewhere to play the stuff to people... its not really balanced enough in my opinion!

Which of your jobs or tasks do you most enjoy?

making my own tunes or remixing tracks playing tunes to people in clubs, especially internationally

What advice would you give to those just beginning?

dont ever hold yourself back because you think you aren't good enough.

What do you do? What is your musical specialty?

I am a female DJ & Producer of the House, Dirty Electro, Dubstep, Breaks, Tech House, Techno, Progressive varieties

Is there a web address where one can listen, see, or read some of your work?

Please list discography in which you have participated.

* Anna Kiss & Lucarelli ft Tia - Dreams (Axis Trax) - 1st June 2009 * Anna Kiss - It's Human Nature (Powder Room) - 30th March 2009 * Anna Kiss - 4ward March (Powder Room) - 31st March 2009 available here: http://annakiss.trackitdown.net/

How did you begin making music? Who introduced you?

I started learning violin aged 5.. did up to Grade 2 then i learnt piano aged 8.. did Grade 1 Hated classical music though so didnt pursue it further! Then I started making music again on Reason/Cubase in 2003, and finished my first release in 2004.

What was your musical education?

In 2008 I took a sound engineering and music technology diploma and passed with distinction. The rest is down to experience...

When did you realise that making music could be a way of life for you?

I have wanted to do this since i was 5! but i wasted too many years not believing that i could actually do something with it. It was in 2001 when I left the UK for Cyprus to be a resident DJ, then in 2003 I started teaching DJ skills.

When do you have your most lucid moments, in the morning or night?

Have you ever awoken with a melody created from your dreams?

many times as a child, i dreamt of songs.. and they were more like out of body experiences than dreams actually..

How do you feel right before going out on stage?

excited, not nervous any more. i have to work out what i'm going to play first, thats the hardest part!

What should be done to stop piracy?

everything possible. one international body that overlooks the world - education, especially in those countries where the people dont even expect to pay for music

What type of music do you detest?

RnB I wont go into why, because it wont be pretty!! It is just WRONG WRONG WRONG. and sends out the worst possible message to the youth of today...

Ask me a question, make a comment, or request my opinion on something:

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