​Anni Hogan
Photo credit : Robinson Photographic 
Revisited March 2020 - ​first published 2018
Anni's New Album 'Honeysuckle Burials' Out soon!

Paulie talks to Anni Hogan about her new project with Derek Forbes - Zanti who have an excellent exciting new album out entitled Broken Hearted City - Paulie also managed to take Anni on a little trip down memory lane. Fran

Hi Anni, firstly I love the album, it surprised me by just how unique and multi genre it is..Your vocal is beautiful & balanced such that on my favourite tracks it creates a gorgeous emotion when it contrasts with the music. 
Are you conscious of contemporary music trends, do you feel you have to keep up with that? 
 
Thanks Paulie, very cool compliment indeed.  We are so pleased with the album, a huge creative outpouring, great songs in my opinion and a lot of fun!  I totally love working with Derek and long may it continue.
In answer to your trendy question, I don’t follow trends, but certainly I am conscious of contemporary artists and enjoy being inspired by the super sonic global community. When I have been a little seduced by trends in the past, the music I made became meaningless to me and was not very good, so I have learned from that and know if I want to make the good stuff then I need the music to flow from me organically. Anni Organically : )

Phacemag Album Review -

I ask because....Marc Almond said something interesting recently, I paraphrase sorry Marc : “If your a new band it’s ok to sound 80’s, if your an 80’s band it’s not...”
 
Well I think I understand what he means there, a new band’s current influences may well be from the 80’s as that is a current trend on the old 30 year push and of course manipulated and encouraged by record companies wanting to flog and re-package old records, but it is a real iconic fashion time and of course it will influence ‘the kids’.  However, a band from the 80’s sounding 80’s may sound dated and stuck in a time loop, but only if they are.  It’s a matter of sensory perception. 

Zantimusic.co.uk

I saw Propaganda at Rock City in the 80’s - I’m sure Derek played with them at some point... who were you listening to, during the Mamba ‘s time, the early 80’s 
 
Yes he did and wrote with them too. I loved all the electronic pioneers of course, I particularly was enjoying Suicide, Bowie, Fad Gadget, Foetus, Kraftwerk, Can, Joy Division, Moroder, Prince, Human League, Iggy, Lou, Patti, Magazine, Siouxsie and Nick, Einesturzende Neaubauten, Cabs, TheThe all the Some Bizzies, always Soft Cell, lots of ZE label, 60s Girl Groups, Gun Club, Scott Walker, Diamanda Galas. Swans, Lydia’s Queen of Siam and Yma Sumac’s Mambo, Cramps, African Headcharge, On U Sound system, Yello, YMO, always John Barry, Ennio Morricone, Elmer Bernstein, etc always Disco, always Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Nina Simone, Edith Piaf, Judy Garland, The Doors, Velvets, Love. Weill, Brecht, Lotte Lenya, French stuff, and an endless list of everything obscure, dark and/or subversive and all my usual soundtrack suspects and multi genre vibes ... never ask a double gemini for a list : )  … still wanting to add more now haha!
 
Lydia Lunch Is playing in London later in the year, are you working with her on a project? I ask because I read Dave Ball was producing …
 
My solo album ‘Lost in Blue’ is produced by Dave Ball & his musical partner Riccardo Mulhall and includes a fantastic collaboration with Lydia, ‘Blue Contempt’.  The album should be out in November.
However, the ZANTi LP Broken hearted city is out now on Downwards records and that is very exciting right now!  Here’s a cheeky link : https://downwardsrecords.databeats.com/group/zanti-broken-hearted-city  
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Marc & The Mambas

​Anni I am such a Marc Almond fan, your work with him in the 80’s was a treasure for me, that first listen of the Untitled album... and from that buying your solo album Kickabye. Can I ask you how you met? 
 
Oh that’s great you have Kickabye : ) and thanks again.  We met in a club in Leeds, it may have been Amnesia or maybe the Warehouse, anyway not long after meeting with them, I moved into the grimey flat block with Marc & Dave & a bunch of others. I actually booked Soft Cell to play Leeds Amnesia as a direct result.

ps/ (You didn’t write 'Just like drowning kittens' from experience did you ... x)
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No, Jessamy Calkin actually wrote the lyric, I wrote the music to her words which was incidentally an unusual way for me to work as I usually start with music and add everything else then consolidate. Jessamy wrote all the lyrics on the original Kickabye EP except for Vixo, Nick wrote the lyric on our collaboration.  ​​
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More about Anni Hogan -

Finally Anni, although I could chat all day! Please tell me you have some gigs planned.... how long has it been since you performed on stage? 
 
Derek & I are currently working on a live situation for ZANTi and I am always considering a solo set.
I last played out sitting in on a number with the glorious Jarboe at Cafe OTO 2015 and before that 2014 at Richard Strange’s ‘Language Is A Virus’ Burroughs event at the QEH.  
 
Thank you so much Anni Hogan - pauliepaul xx
 
Hey thanks and top times for Phacemag!
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