FADER Mix: Anna Lunoe

Anna Lunoe doesn't mess. Her FADER Mix gets right to it with an early Princess Nokia cut, "Versace Hottie" (released when the New York rapper was called Wavy Spice), and keeps the heat coming throughout the almost-40 minutes. It's dark, gritty, sultry, and full of mischief—exactly what the dancefloor calls for—so it's no surprise to learn that Lunoe has been clubbing since she was 15. Raised on Sydney sunshine but now based in L.A., the DJ and producer—who recently shared her thoughts on male-dominated studio culture—has been stacking up releases over the past half-decade and is gearing up for a bumper year. Keep your ears peeled, and your body ready to move.

Where are you right now? Describe your surroundings. I'm in my home studio in L.A. surrounded by neon LED rabbits, novelty sunglasses, three days worth of tea cups, and some keyboards.

Tell us a bit about your mix—what vibe were you going for? I'm always trying to take what I hear buzzing one step further. For this mix, I'm thinking about bass-orientated house music and trying to explore it while staying away from the things that make it start to sound formulaic. At the same time, I want to make sure it's always just fun and high-energy. No point getting super indulgent, because that's boring for everyone.

What was your first introduction to the clubbing world growing up? My brother used to sneak me out to house clubs in Kings Cross in Sydney when I was 15, and I went to underage raves in high school. I had, and still have, so much (nervous?) energy, and it was somewhere where I could burn it freely and wholeheartedly. It settled me down a lot.

How does the scene in L.A. compare to back home in Australia? To be honest, I feel a bit out of touch with Sydney now after a few years here! But it's just a size thing. America is so much bigger, and there is room for more of the nuances of any art form to thrive.

How is 2015 shaping up for you, and what are your goals? 2015 is about moving upwards. I had to restart when I came to the USA; there was a lot of taking a step back and rebuilding, but I'm caught up now, so now it's all about upwards. Musically, I just want to make the sounds that I can hear in my head, and hopefully people will like them.

And finally, what's the last book you read that had a big impact on you, and why? I'm almost done with The KLF's The Manual, and it's been cool to think about dance music's mass popularization in the '90s, and how it was different from today—but still the same in so many ways. It reminded me that so many things artists face are timeless. Women have the same problems, dance music producers fight the same issues with purity of art versus money and success. Ultimately it kind of took the struggle away from me. It's like, Yep, this is the journey, and you might as well have fun with it and not stress about any of this stuff, because it's just part of it. I just want to enjoy all this.

Tracklist:

Wavy Spice - Versace Hottie
Spank Rock - Gully (With You Remix)
Justin Martin & Ardalan feat. PartyPatty - Function
Sly-One - Cowbell
Anna Lunoe feat. Jesse Boykins III - Heartbreak In Motion (Codes Remix)
Mumble Man (Vakkuum Remix)
Billy Kenny - Work
Benga & Coki - Night (Bot Rework)
Bollocks - Worth It (Daggers Remix)
T.Williams - Back & Forth
Andrei Morant - Falling Down
Kaptain Cadillac - Bumpin Up
Pusher feat. Anna Lunoe - Sleepy Tom
Anna Lunoe - Bass Drum Dealer (Jubilee Remix)
Daft Punk - Voyager (Wuki Slice)
Yellow feat. Wiley - Palm2