Music interview: An-Ting

(C) Howard Cheng

Every Monday we will be bringing you interviews with UK or Ireland artists for Independent Music Monday. Recently we caught up with London based artist An-Ting to find out more…

Where are you from and how did you first get into music?
I grew up in Taiwan and am currently based in London. My musical journey commenced at the age of 5 when I began composing my own pieces on the piano. This early passion led me to pursue formal piano studies at the Royal Academy of Music. However, it was a transformative experience as a Musician in Residence at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in 2018 that shifted my trajectory from a concert pianist to a pianist-composer and music producer. Immersed in a diverse community of musicians, I felt compelled to explore my artistic voice across different genres.

Who were your musical influences when you were growing up and who are your influences now?
Throughout my formative years, I drew inspiration from Keith Jarrett, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Aphex Twin, and Max Cooper. Their varied styles and innovative approaches continue to influence and shape my musical identity.

How would you describe your sound?
My sonic palette can be described as delicate, nuanced, and bold, reflecting a fusion of Neo-Classical and Avant-Garde styles with electronic elements.

What is your latest release called and what was the influence behind it?
I just released an album, every dollar is a soldier/with money you’re a dragon, collaborated with Daniel York Loh. In this album, Daniel portrays two roles – one representing immigrants from the East and the other from the West to the UK. As for me, being a concert pianist with roots in Eastern culture, I’ve crafted a modern fusion of Eastern and Western traditions in music. Incorporating the unique sounds of the erhu and pipa into contemporary styles, I aim to convey a different musical expression. You can listen to it here.

What’s your local music scene like?
Residing in East London provides me with the privilege of being part of a vibrant independent music scene. I particularly appreciate venues like Cafe Oto, where diverse musical genres converge, fostering a rich and collaborative atmosphere.

What do you have planned for the next 12 months?
For the next 12 months, I’ll be focusing on the performance and tour of my latest audio-visual show and album, Lost Communications 失絡之聲, which I’ve developed in collaboration with creative technologist Ian Gallagher. This project combines a fusion of dark experimental electronic music and AI visuals, incorporating birdsongs collected from various locations including the UK, Mongolia, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Our debut performance is scheduled at Folklore in London on April 11th, with more tour dates to follow.

In addition to this, I will to be working as a composer on a new gig theatre production, ‘The Dao of Unrepresentative British Chinese Experience,’ by Daniel York Loh at Soho Theatre from June 19th to July 13th.

Furthermore, I’m collaborating with dancer/choreographer Masumi Saito on a new show exploring themes of nature, spirituality, and death. The performance dates will be announced soon.

What is the one thing that you want readers to know about you?
I was deeply influenced by my experiences living in remote mountains and expressing the light and darkness in nature through music. I aim to utilise the power of music to rekindle people’s connection with nature and explore different ways to create interdisciplinary works.

I led the National Portfolio Organisation Kakilang which produces interdisciplinary works with a spectrum of East and Southeast Asian artists between 2018-2023. My portfolio includes leading and co-creating productions such as HOME X (nominated for UK Theatre Awards, first presented by Barbican), CAN X Two Temple Place: Digital Exhibition and Immersive Performance (recipient of Arts Council England’s Digital Culture Award – Storytelling), Augmented Chinatown 2.0 (an app for AR, music, and drama), Lao Can Impression (performed at Southbank Centre’s Purcell Room), and Bats and Beats (featured at Soundstate Festival, Shanghai tour).

You can find out more about An-Ting on her website or via Apple Music, Bandcamp, Instagram, SoundCloud, Spotify, X (Twitter) or YouTube, and you can find out even more via Linktree.