5 Questions with AnSo
AnSo is a self described sculptor of sound, existing and creating on Gadigal land. Their music veers toward hyperpop and the experimental, teasing out the angularity and disjointedness of the electronic realm.
You can hear original tracks composed by AnSo on Shifting Subjects, a new podcast made in conjunction with Liminal and Broadwave.
Photograph / Estelle Yoon
No.1
What kind of music inspired you when starting out—and what inspires you to continue today?
I never really listened to my own music growing up and would only listen to what was available to me at the time. For example, my mum would burn all these CDs filled with the current kpop songs and we woud listen to them on repeat until the next CD was made so I didn't know many non-Korean artists or music. I vividly remember the first time I heard Kimbra's music, it was her album Vows and I instantly fell in love with the way she treated her voice as an instrument and her playful production. Kimbra's music still inspires me to this day along with so many other impactful artists such as; Björk, SOPHIE, BIBI, LIM KIM, Leesuho, Yaeji, Eartheater, Arca... the list goes on.
No.2
Your music is multilayered—you make use of vocal manipulation, field recordings, English and Korean language, electronic and instrumental music... how did you come to employ such an array of music-making techniques?
I think as I developed my style, making music this way became natural and is what really excited me. I've always been interested in more unconventional ways to employ and manipulate the voice, possibly stemming from not being too impressed by my own vocal tone, and although I struggled/ still struggling a lot with my cultural identity, it was liberating to write some lyrics in Korean, totally portraying how my thoughts sound in my head, a jumble of Korean and English. My love of using field recordings came from when I was working on my debut EP, Farrago of Emotions. My concept was to explore my lack of cultural identity through recordings from family members in South Korea as well as personal recordings I had during my time there. My aim was to experiment with sound that was from my birth place, a place that was familiar, yet so distant and strange. I think as I continue to experiment with my sound, I am always looking for the music I create to excite, confuse and hold me.
No.3
How did the idea to incorporate field recordings come about?
Jean-François Augoyard’s book, Sonic Experience: A Guide to Everyday Sounds had a great influence on the way I understood sound and noise. Augoyard explores how sound and noise have this emotional power, having an inseparable bond between the sound and the cause of the sound. In my case, I focused on the cause of the recordings I collected for example my debut EP, reminiscing my last visit to Korea and my family. Some became more personal than others and I used this to create pieces that matched the emotions I felt listening to these recordings. Augoyard also states that “ordinary noises” and “mundane sounds” that are not associated with negative connotations or is not perceived as music, are barely noticed and humans naturally have less interest in them. I wanted to flip this notion and purposely use unnoticable sounds in recordings as the main idea of a song. It felt like the sounds came alive and I was giving them this new purpose, sometimes with a complete makeupover so that no one would recognise what the original sound was.
No.4
Your work on Shifting Subjects is the first time you’ve composed and recorded music for a podcast. What was it like to write and record music for this specific purpose?
I was a little worried when I was asked to score music for Shifting Subjects because I never really go into making a new piece with a strong intention or boundaries. But I think it came quite naturally once I listened to the episodes, and I was able to really have fun with it. When I found out Lisa had some recordings from the Field Notes episode, I was instantly excited to use some of the sounds. I remember listening to multiple recordings of panting and running and just chopping up all the little sounds I wanted to use. Most of the percussive sounds were made from chopped up and manipulated sounds from these recordings.
No.5
You’ve been mentored by Marcus Whale and Rainbow Chan. What’s been the significance of these working relationships in terms of your growth as a musician?
I have been very lucky enough to have been mentored by Marcus and Rainbow (even though Marcus hates the word mentor haha). Rainbow was my mentor throughout the creation process of my debut EP in 2021 and it was actually because of Rainbow that I decided to start releasing music under AnSo. Rainbow doesn't actually know this but it was towards the end of our mentorship and Rainbow asked if I could perform these songs live / if i had any plans releasing anything because she wanted to put my name forward to her management to support her next show.
On the spot, I made up my whole release plan and told her I was going to release an EP with some of the tracks I worked on with Rainbow as my mentor and that night I contacted a photographer friend to do a shoot for the album cover as well as come up with my artist name. Throughout my mentorship with Rainbow, she really helped me become comfortable in my own skin and explore more about myself through music. Rainbow's music has always been such a great inspiration to me.
Marcus was my mentor in 2022, where he encouraged me to be more experimental with my music making, production and vocal performance. I remember the first time I saw Marcus perform live, I was so blown away. I fell in love with his performances; the beauty, the drama, the confrontation. I found myself always holding my breath at Marcus' shows. It was an honour to support Marcus at his album launch last year.