Anti!i to launch new EP Anti!il!fe with Roadmender listening party this weekend

On New EP Anti!il!fe, singer Anti!i and producer T1t4n are heading to a “deeper, darker and more intimate place,” than their music has previously ventured.

This weekend, the duo will be celebrating the forthcoming release of the record with a listening party at the Roadmender.

Anti!i and T1t4n have been busy building a steady following in their hometown since the release of their debut EP Paradox last year.

On Saturday, not only will they be showcasing all eight tracks from the EP which is released at the start of April, but also performing to cameras from broadcaster Sky after winning a competition championing new, unsigned acts.

Talking about the new EP, Anti!i said: “It’s what happens when you lock yourself away for eight months.

“Paradox was a kind of introduction to Anti!i, I was still figuring out what Anti!i was.

“Anti!il!fe is basically my brain on a piece of paper.”

Anti!i and T1t4n met in 2018, with the former explaining they “hurtled into a crazy relationship”.

As soon as Paradox was released, they began working on its successor with T1t4n admitting they were already sitting on beats for this EP before Paradox had even been released.

“We wanted to go to a deeper, darker and a lot more intimate place with Anti!il!fe, explains Anti!i.

“Anti!il!fe is eight tracks of me basically explaining how much I dislike people and how much I enjoy being in the studio away from everyone.

“I wrote Anti!il!fe feeling sort of isolated, thinking I don't really like anyone.

“I don't have many friends, I find people irritating. But, I think it's really interesting to see how many people relate to that.

“Tracks like Hell's Jungle and Requisition Of Malice - we thought were so unique to us but then you realise loads of people actually click with them.

“We wanted Anti!il!fe to be something relatable for the unrelatable people.”

While T1t4n grew up on a mixture of pop-punk, metal, trap and horrorcore, Anti!i spent her formative years listening to grime, RnB and reggae.

The resulting music of Anti!i is a sound which meld elements of phonk, trap and pop.

“The music has so many different influences from everywhere,” explains T1t4n, “I feel our sound is pretty unique.”

“We saw a gap for raw, British female vocals over sort of Memphis influenced trap beats,” adds Anti!i.

“Someone like Lauryn Hill is really inspirational to me. She was representing black women at a time where they weren't very represented and that has always stuck with me.

“slowthai is also a massive influence. You can’t ignore someone who’s come up from your hometown.

“He did the same course as me at college and now look at him. It’s an inspiration to see.

“It shows it's possible, you don't need a miracle for that to happen, you just need to work hard.”

The eight track EP features the tracks Naws, Hell’s Jungle, Dumb, Drug High, Requisition Of Malice, Swamp, You and Grim Wav.

Two tracks include collaborations with three acts from the county’s music scene and while the pair are remaining tight-lipped on who they are until the EP is released, Anti!i explains the intention was to showcase the “best of Northampton”.

“Drug High is a lot lighter than the rest of the EP and it's got a bit of wordplay and is a bit jokey,” she explains.

“It’s a light-hearted sort of song with Jamaican hints in it. It’s a really weird mash-up of funk and afrobeat drums with Caribbean vocals on.

“It's really strange but it really works and it’s really fun.

“Swamp is basically almost tribute to Northampton. That's one of our favourites.”

Last year, the pair entered a competition run by Sky for independent, unsigned acts.

They submitted Paradox track Narcissist which the broadcaster picked as a winning track.

As a result, Sky will be following both Anti!i and T1t4n on Saturday in the build up to the gig and also filming at the Roadmender with footage set to be broadcast at a later date.

“Once we’d entered, we didn’t hear anything back for months and forgot about it,” explains T1t4n.

“I was in the studio one day and my mum said there was someone on the phone who needed to speak to us right away.

“I was like, ‘oh my god, what have I done’ - guilty conscience, you know – but it was Sky, it was amazing.”

Joining Anti!i and T1t4n at the Roadmender will be Remieworld, Vince Law and ghostofblu – all acts from the county’s music scene the pair are quick to champion.

In terms of the future, Anti!i explains the plan is to keep recording, releasing and performing.

Adding: “We want to just push the boundaries.

“You can talk about whatever you want to, you can be whoever you want to be for that three minutes and 20 seconds - so why not push the boundaries.”

Anti!i headlines the Roadmender on Saturday, March 26.

Tickets cost £8 in advance and are available via https://bit.ly/ANTiLiFE-NptonFor more information, visit https://linktr.ee/antiiilife