Anjali

Anjali Bathia fuses the visceral drive of alternative pop and funk into electronic and club-oriented productions, anchoring them with a commanding vocal presence shaped by careful restraint and meticulous studio choices. Her output introduces striking, often Asia-inflected electronic motifs that mark out a singular route across contemporary rhythm landscapes. Although her output now centers on modern electronic textures, Bathia launched her recording career in the early ’90s as lead singer and principal songwriter for the riot grrrl outfit Voodoo Queens. After issuing multiple releases with that all-female punk group, she struck out independently and issued the EPs Maharani, Ju Ju, Aquila, and Feline Woman; the four were later gathered into the Wiiija Records compilation Sheer Witchery. Those early projects laid distinctive groundwork in the electronic sphere and opened the door to bolder sonic explorations. Bathia subsequently partnered with experimental producer and DJ Spykid, whose résumé already featured collaborations with Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore and Mojave 3’s Neil Halstead. After the single Lazy Lagoon appeared, she issued her debut full-length album, simply titled Anjali, in the United Kingdom in November 2000. The record earned favorable press notices and enthusiastic listener response.