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Anomaly, the music collective curated by Nick Berry, Harry Hooper and Panthera Krause, apologised last week, announcing that their cult favourite radio show may be coming to an end after 6 years. The intention wasn’t to break hearts but to make sure their community was paying attention. A week later, like a phoenix from the ashes, the brand announces their own groundbreaking label, Anomaly Music – launching with a stop-motion film made entirely of past cover art.
Anomaly has spent six years navigating the “beautiful obscurities” of electronic music through its radio & live shows, digital magazine and global events. During this time, they have worked with major international artists including Reznik, Marcus Worgull, Whitesquare, Andhim, Super Flu, Argia, Musumeci, Lehar, Skatman, The Drifter, Johannes Brecht, Dodi Palese, Budakid, Peter Invasion, Johannes Albert, Santiago Garcia, Desiree, Mathias Meyer, Brina Knauss, Mīmī x FY, Aladag, Enzo Elia and more. The brand has hosted takeover parties at world-class venues like Sisyphos in Berlin, Electric Bar in Melbourne and even a Secret Warehouse Party in Sydney.
Founders Berry and Hooper are no strangers to dance floors themselves. The duo exploded onto the Sydney scene in 2014, championing melodic music influenced by the early years of dance culture. They have played globally and shared lineups with Âme, DJ Koze, Jimi Jules, Trikk, Oliver Koletzki, Andhim, Super Flu and Gerd Janson to name a few. In the year of 2020, the duo started Anomaly. Nick tells us more:
“Harry and I met back in 2014 on the dance floor of a Sydney rave. We immediately became best mates. 2 years later, on the dance floor of a Kollektiv Turmstrasse gig, we made the decision to join forces musically. 4 years after that, Anomaly Radio was created. 6 years after that, Anomaly Music was born. I couldn’t think of a better person to launch this passion project with.”
But the landscape that existed for the brand over these six years has shifted under their feet. The creation of Anomaly Music comes out of an industry wide problem. In the last several years, electronic music has become harder, faster and reduced in length. Music is now being created for algorithms and social media friendly events rather than for dancing. With this, Berry and Hooper feel something special has been lost.
Nick – “The goal of Anomaly Music is to bring soul, melody and depth to electronic music. Music that takes you on a journey. That leaves you wanting more. This will be a movement created by the dance community, for the dance community. We are building something that feels emotional and driven by the dance floor again, encouraging connection and energy without distraction”.
Harry – “Our ambition in launching the label is to empower artists to break away from some of the norms and guardrails that have been set around the creation of dance music over the last few years. We don’t want to follow a structure, we don’t want any limitations, we want to set a fresh standard in providing a platform of true expression and artistic freedom.”
“Static to Kinetic”: A Handmade Revolution
Developed in collaboration with Anomaly’s very own Design Director Panthera Krause, Brand Strategist James Davis (Box Eye Studios) and Creative Director and Director Lachlan Rotherham (72andSunny), the project rejects the polished, AI-driven aesthetics of the modern industry in favour of something real.
Rotherham brought the Anomaly mascot to life by printing every cover from the brands archive and physically animating them across urban landscapes to create a “living, breathing” texture. Overlaid on the film is their ‘ANTIFESTO’ – a bold declaration of what the label refuses to become.
As the visual history unfolds, the label’s very first release, ‘The Waves’ by Redfreya – soundtracks the film, pulsating in the background.
Harry – “To launch Anomaly Music with a bang, we’ve put serious creative and commercial muscle behind it: a director, creative team and brand strategist building the launch, subsequent short films and a PR partnership with Suess Media. On the distribution front, we have teamed up with Mandatory Music/Believe to ensure our artists land on the right platforms with the global reach they deserve.”
Stay tuned for the first release, The Waves by Redfreya, available 27th May, with the full EP launching 10th June.
Step forward Anomaly Music. The world needs you.
Photo: Lachlan Rotherham
