Scandinavian production duo anamē release their debut album 'Beautiful World', out September 1st on Anjunabeats.
Marcus Schössow and Thomas Sagstad have been planning, plotting and dreaming anamē for two decades. First coming together at a house party in Helsingborg, Sweden, Marcus and Thomas bonded over a love of artists (Sasha or early Tiesto), labels (Strictly Rhythm, Defected), ethics ("We both wanted to work hard for our dreams") and ideas.
Individually, each had success wearing multiple hats. Schössow made music as half of gardenstate; as a remixer for acts as diverse as Axwell Λ Ingrosso, Charli XCX and Zedd; and with releases on Axtone, Armada, Size, Spinnin’ and Anjunadeep. Sagstad released tracks with Steve Smith of Dirty Vegas, formed the label Agape Music (a partnership with Strictly Rhythm), and earned support from fellow DJs Carl Cox, Sasha, John Digweed, Tiësto, Armin van Buuren and Swedish House Mafia.
As family life, academic studies, and new homes in different countries threatened to separate them, their old connection drew them back together.
"About two and a half years ago, we sat down, looked at the stars, and said: ‘Well, now's the time. Things are perfectly aligned for us to finally do what we talked about doing 20 years ago,’" recalls Schössow. "So that's how we came up with the name anamē. We've been adapting to whatever has come our way so far in life. And all of those experiences, all those life lessons, have become a map for the music we make together."
"We just want to make music that makes people happy," expands Sagstad. "It sounds so easy, but there's so much craziness going on in the world."
In 2022, the anamē adventure began on Anjunabeats. The duo crafted an emotive collaboration with Above & Beyond and Marty Longstaff on ‘Gratitude’, worked with BLR and Robbie Rise on club anthem ‘Influencer’, and reworked a pair of classics in Lostep’s ‘Burma’ and ‘Tears From The Moon’ by Conjure One and Sinéad O’Connor. Most recently, the pair remixed Kyan’s ‘Lonely River’ alongside A&B’s Paavo Siljamäki in his P.O.S. guise, collaborating again with Paavo on ‘Good People’ for his ‘Deeper Tales’ album.
That range, that ambition, that heart, that sense of adventure: all are front and centre – and buried in the DNA – of 'Beautiful World'. It’s the album that Schössow and Sagstad, individually and collectively, have worked their whole lives to create. Over its twelve tracks, anamē present, literally and figuratively, their worldview.