What's in a name? For some, it's a meaningful quote or saying; for others, a play on words. And for some, it's a rushed decision for the record label waiting on you.
Hailing from New Zealand, DJ brothers Antix took an unusual path to finding their group's name.
“We'd just finished some tracks for our German label and we didn't have a name,” says Barton, one half of the duo, “and they were like, 'We're pressing the vinyl, guys, you need to come up with a name'. I was at work and said, 'Come on, everyone, you have to help me find a name', and a woman that was working with me said, 'What about 'antics' — it's the stuff that you get up to'. And that was what we had to go with.”
Having grown into their name over time, however, Antix wouldn't change it for anything else. “That's the thing with names — you can call a baby Boris and it's a bit of a strange name, but if you get to know Boris, you don't think of it as being a weird name anymore. You kind of get used to it.”
Since the release of their last album in 2010, and having toured all around the shop, Antix is set to perform at next year's Earth Frequency Festival. “We've played it once before and it was pretty epic. The people there are receptive to the music and really in tune with what you're doing. It's one of those festivals that's got that special vibe.”
Having toured and played at some of the most interesting venues around the world, the duo are always excited to perform in atmospheres outside of the norm. “There's a festival in Japan called The Labyrinth and it's up in the mountains and I guess that would be one of the stand out festivals. You get used to the clubs and stuff so when you come across these things that are outside of your square, they're the ones that you remember.”
The pair initially dove into the music industry after hearing, and immediately loving, a trance CD a friend had leant them. “It was 20 or so years ago, so it was a really new style of music. It definitely had this aura of something that was quite special, and that drew me into it.”
Written by Devon Bright
Antix play Earth Frequency Festival from Feb 14-17.
