Cutting his teeth at clubs across New York City, Michael Anthony is renowned for his bold originals and dance-ready remixes. Performing around the world – from the beaches of Cabo, to nightclubs in Montreal – Michael is at one with audiences no matter where he plays. Releasing alongside many influential artists, he received a personal request from house music legend Stonebridge to remix his classic Sometimes, and So Good. Michael receives solid support from key tastemakers, including SiriusXM BPM, Cristoph, Nora En Pure, EDX and many more. We caught up with Michael from NYC, speaking about his journey so far, and his new release This Moment.
Hi Michael, welcome to House Music With Love! Where are we speaking to you from today?
Thanks for speaking to me today. I am currently in my downtown New York City apartment. I’ve done a fair amount of traveling this year, so I’m glad to be local with family and friends for the holidays.
For those that are not familiar with you, can you introduce yourself and tell us how you got into the music scene?
My name is Michael Anthony. I’ve been a DJ for over 15 years and producing my own original music and remixes for approximately 10 years. I’ve always had a passion for music, and was attracted to the nightlife world very early on in my life. I remember one of my first times being inside a club; I looked up and saw the DJ interacting with the crowd and creating a vibe. I was immediately drawn to this, and I knew that I wanted to be a part of this scene. Shortly after that night, I bought a pair of CDJ 1000s and an Allen & Heath mixer and began to learn the 101s of DJing and how to work a crowd. Later on, DJing led me to my passion of producing music of my own, drawing inspiration from so many different artists and sounds.
Which artists really inspired you to start making music?
I really find inspiration from a wide variety of artists and genres. I have to give credit to artists like Giorgio Moroder, Cerrone, Sylvester, Daft Punk, Depeche Mode, Pink Floyd, Dirty South, Avicii, Sharam, Dubfire, Benassi Bros., Eric Prydz, Kaskade, Armand Van Helden, Tiesto, Axwell, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Calvin Harris, Dennis Ferrer, Cristoph, Fehrplay, Jeremy Olander, CamelPhat, Sebjak, RUFUS DU SOL, Adam Port, Bound to Divide. I really can go on forever with this list.
I’m constantly finding sources of daily inspiration whether that be through finding new artists on Spotify or going back and listening to some of my favorite classics.
You have released on a great variety of dance music labels, including Sony Music, Hexagon and Sirup Music. Are there any labels you have yet to release on that you are trying to work towards?
I’ve loved working with those labels, and am proud of each one of those releases. Of course there are other labels I’d love to release music with: Mango Alley, Manual Music, Anjunadeep, Club Sonica, & UV/UV Noir are a few labels I admire and would love to work with.
Your official remix of ‘White Flag’ by Kings of Tomorrow & Alex Mills peaked at #3 on the Traxsource Progressive 100. What was that moment like for you?
Seeing that was unreal. Sandy Rivera (Kings of Tomorrow) has been a huge inspiration to me. Having the chance to release the remix officially with him and then see the support it received was really something special. We’ve developed a nice working relationship, and I’m looking forward to getting into more creative projects with him in the future.
Your new track is out now on BLK Leaf Records titled ‘This Moment’. Can you tell us a little bit about this one and how it came about?
“This Moment” came together in the break where I started layering big orchestral strings and a Steinway piano. Those simple elements built a strong foundation for the track and a perfect starting point for me. I then started to tie in all of the other melodic and progressive elements to build the intensity into those big drops. After that, I was able to seamlessly build the track and weave together a beautiful end result. I cannot wait for you all to hear this one; it’s something special.
How do you stay inspired? Do you have any studio rituals?
Staying inspired is important; it’s essential to keeping my music sharp, relevant and 100% my sound. I make sure to go into every project and every session with a sense of direction. After I get started, things might shift or take a turn I hadn’t anticipated, but that’s all part of the beautiful creative process.
My inspiration one day can come from other artists or sounds, and the next day it can come from one of my favorite movies that has an attractive, cinematic score. Lastly, living in New York City presents a multitude of shows, events, concerts, etc., right at my fingertips – most of which are full of creative energy and inspiration. And sometimes, all you need is a walk around the neighborhood, come back to the studio, and feel ready to go with a new idea to work through
Speaking about DJing, what are some of the most stand-out gigs you have played?
The crowd in New York City is like no other. This past Labor Day, I was asked to headline the Deep Root Records summer closing party on a Yacht that cruised around the NYC East River. The DJ booth is set up on the top deck. The sunset views combined with the energy of the full crowd – some of which were my family and friends – was unmatched. Looking forward to more nights like that with Deep Root Records next summer.
Do you have other releases coming up that you are able to share with us?
I have a forthcoming track titled “Lost Boy” which will be out on Nomade Records this December 15th. I also just finished up a collab with Sandy Rivera and Ria Mar that should see a release date shortly after the new year.
Are there any artists or producers you would love to work with on upcoming releases?
I would love to work with vocalists like Jem Cooke, Artche, Zoe Kypri, Clementine Douglas.
Any final words for our readers?
Thank you so much for speaking to me today. I genuinely appreciate the support for my music, DJing and all of what’s to come. Whether you have bought one of my tracks off Beatport/Traxsource, played one of my tracks in your mixes/shows, reposted my socials, bought a ticket to one of my shows, or just even DM’d me to tell me you’re feeling one of my tracks, I can’t thank you enough.