Ankou Transcends w/ New Remix of “Rotten in Silver” via Sorza Remix Album “RE IDENTIFY”

Finding the perfect remix of a song can be challenging to do when there can literally be hundreds of different artists remixing the same great tunes. The same can’t be said for the remixes of the I IDENTIFY album that Sorza put out to the world in 2021. Inviting artists from all over Europe to participate, the RE IDENTIFY album is full of different soundscapes and emotions, all creating one masterpiece of a 12-track compilation. Our premiere today is none other than Ankou’s remix of “Rotten in Silver”, a glitchy atmospheric tune that will take any listener on a journey through sound. Ankou’s remix of the track adds his own unique sound design, playing on the glitchy nature of the original track and bringing in a darker, tonal sound. There is no doubt that this entire album is an incredible listen from start to finish, so don’t sleep on checking this out. Let’s take a deeper dive into why we are calling Ankou’s remix of “Rotten in Silver” and the rest of the RE IDENTIFY album, a certified bop.

“‘Rotten in Silver’ is my favorite track of Sorza’s ‘I IDENTIFY’ album so I had no doubt which track to choose for my remix. For the last year, I have been very inspired by classic dubstep/140 sound so this was the direction I wanted to go for with my approach on this track but at the same time I didn’t want to lose the cinematic and atmospheric vibe the original track has so I tried combining both styles and I’m really proud of the result!” -Ankou

“With RE IDENTIFY some of my favorite more leftfield electronic acts remixed my personal debut project ‘’I IDENTIFY’’. Like the original project, the remix album is a whole listener experience. this 12-track Remix Album explores various genres within Experimental Bass & Electronics. It has been a long process but I’m so proud of how this remix album turned out and can’t wait to share it.” -Sorza

Diving Deep w/ Sorza & Ankou

1. How did you decide to get into making music? Was there a certain event in your childhood/life that made you stop and realize that you wanted to pursue a career in music?

Ever since I could remember, my mother has been a piano/ pianist teacher, although music has constantly been around me. I’ve been doing creative things as I recall, like making figures, houses, and creatures out of any materials I could find around my house. My mind is cluttered and chaotic, yet it is also highly creative. When I was a kid looking for an outlet, I tried various things, but after discovering music production, I could combine all of my creativity into one craft. My bond with Jozef (the other half of the dnb duo project The Outsiders), whom I met in high school in 2013, has been really valuable on this Journey. We got into production together and there was a competitive atmosphere of constantly pushing one another to the next level. -Sorza

I think I’ve always been into music, it’s hard to tell a specific moment but I remember I was really impressed by my uncle playing the guitar when I was 6 years old so I told my parents that I want to go to music school and learn to play it myself. All my childhood I was into rock and metal music and then in 2011/2012 I discovered Skrillex (pretty cliché) I was so intrigued by all those weird robotic sounds that I started looking for sound design tutorials on YT, downloaded FL Studio, and kept going since then. Pursuing a career in music is a natural result of my passion for sound and I cannot imagine myself doing anything else in life. -Ankou

2. You definitely have a very unique name for your project. Does the name have a specific meaning or derived from something in your life? Is there a story fans might not know about how you came to this name for your project?

I spent some time trying to come up with a name for my solo project. I used the temporary name Wano, which I still kind of like truthfully, but it didn’t feel right. Wano is also the name of the world association of nuclear operations, so that’s not really something you want to be associated with. One day I was using Google Translate to look up cool name inspiration. I was translating words into different languages eventually I selected Baskisch I never heard of the language before and was translating the word ‘’creation’’ and suddenly I had the word ‘’Sorkuntza’’. I liked the sound of it, but I didn’t like the kunt part (which also sounds like the British term cunt when said in Dutch), so I eliminated it and then I obtained Sorza. The sound was ideal for me. The timbre of the word and the way it looks resonates with me. Sorza sounds similar to ”sorcerer” and ”Source,” both of which are really cool as well, I do feel like a sound sorcerer sometimes. -Sorza

Mythologies have always been very inspiring for me, you can take my EP on Inspected called ‘Cosmogony’ as an example. I have to admit I am pretty bad at coming up with names so I found this website with a list of creatures, demons, and deities in different cultures and beliefs. That’s how I found out about “Ankou” who is a servant of death in Breton, Welsh, Cornish, and Norman folklore. A pretty disturbing creature appearing as a skeleton or simply a shadow (You can refer it to the artwork of my EP ‘Fatum’ by the amazing Kasper Plougmand). Thought it would suit my vision and that’s the whole story. -Ankou

3. As an artist, you can experience a number of roadblocks along the way to achieving your goals. What motivates you to continue to be creative and make music even when times get tough?

Currently, my main motivation now is my vision with Sorza. I’m looking for a balance between experimental bass music and electronic music to listen to. I’m attempting to find the appropriate combination of writing, composition, sound design, and texture. I aim for this balance, which gives me so much energy to work towards it. I feel like I have something new to bring to the table and want to share it with others as quickly as possible. -Sorza

In my opinion, it’s very important to have smaller milestones on the road because it’s insanely satisfying when you’re able to achieve them. For example for me at first, it was released with independent labels in the scene I liked and then things like getting on Noisia Radio (now VISION Radio) because it’s an amazing feeling to be appreciated by your idols. Releasing music with Inspected was a huge milestone for me and they helped me achieve my dream since I got into electronic music which was a premiere on UKF. Definitely, my biggest achievement so far was playing my US debut at Infrasound Music Festival in Minnesota and now I’m working really hard to get back there! -Ankou

4. What’s one cool fact about yourself/or your project that not many fans know about?