Tanya Akinola
DJ | Music Journalist
Anyone who has read the likes of Electronic Beats, gal-dem, DJ Mag, Resident Advisor or Inverted Audio will have come across words written by Tanya Akinola. The freelance writer, DJ and Production and Distribution Assistant at Lobster Distribution has interviewed an amalgam of flourishing artists, promoters and collectives, some of whom are predominately London-based and have contributed to the city’s renowned culture of electronic music.
Take Tanya’s gal-dem interview with Sherelle; it’s an in depth and personal feature with one of the most in-demand artists of 2019, or the lively chat with Ceili Collective founder Dylan Moran on the Corsica Studios blog - it’s clear that no matter who Tanya is speaking to, she takes time to get to know her subject and encourages a sense of openness in every assignment. An abundance of curiosity, engaging turn of phrase and her ability to work under pressure has made Tanya a truly authentic writer whose work remains relevant whether there’s a pandemic going on or not.
Given Tanya’s genuine interest in different sounds and her exposure to a multitude of artists and creatives from the UK and her current location of Naarm (also known as Melbourne), it’s no surprise that Tanya is also a DJ. Under the alias of T-N, Tanya’s sound covers a rabbit hole of spirally-techno, breaks, wonky electro and leftfield mutations, with themes of tripping out, unease and escapism weaved into each of her mixes. Listen to her Technomate mix for one such experience.
Tanya has had some strange but fun nights out in London, and the below image reflects one of the more memorable situations she has found herself. She goes into the full story behind it and shares what she has been working on since everything upended in March…
Photo: Tanya Akinola
Where was this photo taken and why did you choose it?
This photo was taken on a party bus at the end of 2019, shortly before I left London. It was a listening party for Klein’s album ‘Lifetime’ and she invited a small group of people who had supported her and the album. She didn’t tell us a single detail about what we were in for, only to meet at an arcade in South London. Halfway through drinking a beer, this party bus pulled up.
It was just the most unexpected, fun night - we drove around London for 2 hours drinking champagne, watching this incredibly creative and funny film she made to accompany the album, sang karaoke in the bus and then ended it at Canavan’s with more beer and more karaoke. It was such a great night with great people and thinking about it makes me really miss London. Big ups to Klein!
How have you been over the last couple of months?
Up and down - as everyone seems to be - but pushing through. Ultimately I’m just glad to be safe and healthy, that sadly isn’t the case for many people around the globe at this time.
What has been the most challenging thing you’ve had to adjust to since the pandemic began?
The intersection of dealing with a global pandemic and simultaneously the increased discourse surrounding Black lives and the Black Lives Matter movement has weighed heavy on my heart as a Black person. I’m glad that these conversations are happening and that we’ve already seen some changes taking place due to community pressure, but there is still a very long road ahead. I hope people buckle up and keep the energy.
As a writer who focuses on music-related matters, has your motivation to write or read other people’s music content been affected as clubs and nights out are on pause at the moment?
My motivation has waxed and waned. Lately, I do feel more motivated to write as well as consume music-related content. There are so many great releases and mixes coming out and really important discourse circulating so it’s inspiring to listen and read. Though I do find I have to take more breaks and sometimes retreat from industry news to conserve that energy for myself or devoting it to other more pressing issues occurring in the world.
What about tunes, do you have a go-track or mix which has helped you get through the last few weeks or perhaps you’ve reconnected with older sounds or discovered new artists?
Earlier in June, a local radio station here in Melbourne called Triple R (shoutout to Sam and Areej) asked me to submit a mix focused on Black musicians, so I decided to hone in on my favourite early pioneers of techno and mix them with some new names. Since then, I’ve been continuously digging back into the catalogues of legends like DJ Stingray, Aux 88, Detroit In Effect, Underground Resistance, K-Hand and so on. I’ve now got a pop-up fortnightly slot on Triple R called ‘After Hours Mutations’, so I’m planning to expand that initial mix into a full show soon.
Aside from that, lockdown has lasted so long that I’ve gone through several obsessions now, from afrobeats and film scores to ambient and saucy club edits.
What’s been an unexpected positive moment or thing you have learned about yourself throughout all this?
It’s been positive being able to sit with myself, no social plans or distractions, and deal with any uncomfortable emotions that may arise and just learn to be okay with them. Losing the ability to socialise has also brought on the positive aspect of being able to have more time to listen to music, watch films, read books and absorb information properly. I’m currently trying to live my best art heaux life!
Listen to Tanya’s latest mix for melt here and follow her below: