Michigan based blog, Inside The Rift, interviewed Anji for their ‘Metaphysics & Spirituality’ section this month. The feature goes into depth about about vegan lifestyle and her popular YouTube channel Happy Healthy Vegan, as well as her long career in music. Prox also asks what books, music and YouTube channels Anji has been into recently. It’s a fairly lengthy piece, replete with related photos, video, and links. Check it out at InsideTheRift.com.
Prox: What initially sparked your interest in downtempo, jazz, and chill out? How did you decide that this was the type of music that you wanted to create?
Anji: Ryan and I started working on music together in 1999, when he was immersed in the drum n bass scene, but coming out of a long history of making goth-tinged dream pop. I was a college radio DJ at the time, spinning a number of different genres. I’ve always had a voracious appetite for music and love discovering new styles and artists. He and I started exploring all the new types of electronica music being made in the late 90’s, early 2000’s: trip hop, downtempo, deep house, chillout lounge etc etc.
I got really involved in the online music scene, doing streaming radio and then podcasts, and I met a lot of musicians through my endeavors. Here and there I would get involved in musical collaborations online, though a lot of these songs were never properly released, or in some cases, even fully completed to my satisfaction.
Fast forward to 2010… Ryan and I had just released our 4th album as Lovespirals and Ryan suggested we switch gears to a project based on some of these incomplete song ideas of mine. He thought it would be fun to do something lighter than the heavy guitar-based material we had written for ‘Future Past,’ and also wanted to support me as a solo artist, giving me more leeway as a composer, as well as a lyricist. So he selected some of the jazzier and laid backs songs I’d worked on over the prior decade and set about to create or re-create the music for them.
I’m more or less at his mercy with music, as I don’t play any instruments and only know the basics of programming. Were it up to me, I’d be working in more modern genres, like I play on my show, The Chillcast, but I’m not a producer, so I just focus on how I can best contribute lyrically and vocally to any projects I’m invited to work on. My voice lends itself quite well to jazzy and soulful music, but I’m pretty comfortable singing on dream pop, alt country, and retro rock music, too. Ryan and I like to mix genres, so you never know what we’re gonna do next, honestly.
My first mix for 2017 features 10 brand new tracks culled from SoundCloud. Even the 2016 tracks are pretty recent. As always I start it out slow and sexy, building up the vibes as we go along. Lots of future beats and bass with plenty of hip hop and r&b vibes and a splash of pop EDM. There’s a couple remixes, notably Tarro’s mix of THEY. a fun remix of Ed Sheeran’s new hit, and a killer mashup by Autograf in honor of Pres Obama. Lots of vocal based tunes today — and it’s def NSFW. Have a great weekend, peeps and happy new year to ya!
What were my most listened to tracks on 2016? I count down my top 20 tunes, most of which have been featured on the show previously. I made sure not to play the same artist or remixer twice to spread the love around. Gotta say, this was an excellent year for music and not all of my faves made the cut. I figured letting iTunes tell me what I actually played most was the most democratic way to put this badboy together. There’s a lot of moody tracks in here, with sexy beats and sensual grooves, some with full vocals and others not. We’ve got a couple remixes and plenty of original songs. I hope you dig it as much as I do! See you in 2017.
I got your Christmas Eve chill sesh mix right here, baby! It starts out smooth n sexy, then gets a lil traditional with downtempo remixes of the holiday classics, then picks up the energy with a few dancier tracks. It’s a nice mix of covers, remixes and originals with both male and female singers. There’s a couple brand new recordings in here, as well as some older gems. I guarantee you’ll hear some tunes you HAVEN’T heard in heavy rotation the past month. LOL! Please share this mix with someone you love! Heck, share it with erryone to spread the holiday cheer!!!
HOW IS IT ALREADY DECEMBER?!? Sorry I haven’t posted a mix for a few weeks, I guess I’ve been a party monster. But I’m back at it for First Friday and hoping to get a 3rd Friday mix in before 2017 arrives. TBH this is a pretty moody mix that starts out with a seductive vibe perfect for late nights then starts building steam with some future pop gems and remixes resplendent with the FEELS of bittersweet vocals. It all culminates in an unexpectedly poppy yet trap cover of “Party Monster.”
You’re guaranteed to discover some artists you’ve never heard before, so check out my SoundCloud playlist version of the show to download your faves and show the artists some love!
Check out the new lyrics video for “Foolish” from the Anji Bee album, ‘Love Me Leave Me.‘ This retro 90’s trip hop song has a bit of a jazzy, orchestral feel to it. This tune is a collaboration with Lovespirals’ producer/musician, Ryan Lum.
A 1988 illustration by Anji Bee for New Age Records is making a comeback! This pen and ink drawing of a straight edge guy jumping while pumping his fist was used in the early days of this So Cal hardcore punk label. Nearly 3 decades later, the label is dropping tees, hats, and buttons with this iconic drawing that in all honesty, was drawn to look like Anji’s Positive Influence zine partner, Buster Cates. Buy the Unity T-shirt for $18 from newagerecords.net
New Age Records red or gray “Unity” t-shirt with front, back and sleeve print featuring classic artwork from 1988.
First Friday and chill… Nice to be back, Chillcast Fam! I’ve got a sexy selection of late night tunes for you all to get your weekend started off right. This mix is all about relationships. Autumn is a time for reflection, and this mix is perfect for some alone time… Or turn down the lights and listen with a special someone. Lot of vocals this time out. Enjoy! Hit me up at www.facebook.com/chillcast
Colder days and longer nights are upon us now. Will this rain persist or will we be blessed with another week of Indian Summer? For now, we can only reflect on all that’s come before. Enjoy this hazy set of melancholy vocals and chilled beats released over the last 5 years. None of these have appeared on the show before, so hopefully you’ll discover some new faves. A number of these releases are free downloads care of www.freegalmusic.com All you need is a valid library card. Enjoy! Hit me up at www.facebook.com/chillcast
By popular demand from fans of her show, Happy Healthy Vegan, Anji Bee has finally released our debut cookbook! Keep It Carbed, Baby! features 45 of the most-asked-for recipes in Anji’s back-to-basics style of high carb, low fat, whole food, plant based dishes. These are not showy recipes with exotic ingredients, but homey go-to meals made with fresh seasonal produce and easy to find kitchen staples like rice, beans, potatoes, bananas and simple spices. The key point of every dish is that they are both healthy and satisfying.
From International favorites like the Kenyan cornmeal based Ugali and the rice and legume based Kitchari of India, to all-American Peach Pie and Hearty Breakfast Oatmeal, Anji has tailored her recipes towards ease of use for readers with any level of kitchen experience. She hopes that this book will inspire people worldwide to go vegan and Keep It Carbed, Baby!
![Chillcast #456: Christmas Eve [Chill Beats Xmas Mix]](https://www.anjibee.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/IMG_5700.jpg)
