Rock Monsters Romania

If you enjoyed the third concert of the SESAME Project last week, it’s time to discover the artists featured in the upcoming show, which will take place at Echoes Haus on the 23rd of January.

The SESAME project aims to support the mobility of artists from regions surrounding the Black Sea, France, and the Republic of Moldova, fostering intercultural collaboration through music. Over the course of five creative camps held in Bucharest, ten bands come together for seven days to create, learn, and perform. Each camp concludes with a SESAME Live Session event, where the artists showcase their newly created music to a live audience.

Today, we’re heading to Georgia to speak with Anuka Kipshidze, a promising artist known for her unique style.

Who is Anuka Kipshidze?

Anuka Kipshidze is a multi-genre producer and sound designer from Tbilisi, Georgia, who blends alternative, electronic, experimental, and rock influences. Her music explores themes of chaos and melancholy, incorporating 8-bit sounds, distorted guitars, and layered synths to push the boundaries of genre.

To help the public get to know you: what is one thing people should know about you before reading this interview?

I’m an individual artist. I do all of the components of creating my music, even mixing and mastering. I do composing and producing by myself too.

If you could describe your musical style in one word and your local music scene in another, what would they be and why?

Experimental, It consists of several genres, since I don’t want to fix on one. It has both electronic and acoustic sounds.

What’s your favorite milestone in the process of creating a song—from the initial idea to writing, recording, and performing it live? What makes this moment special for you?

It’s always special when even one person gets to know your creation after working on it for so long. The support from friends and strangers always push me to work harder

What impact has the support of friends, family, or fans, as well as your participation in camps, conferences, and workshops, had on your career so far?

It’s always motivating me to work more on myself and my performance, to bring a better product to the table. The people close to me always make me feel more safe and home-y on stage.

How did you hear about the SESAME Project, what motivated you to apply, and how do you see it impacting your career and presence in the European music scene?

Several friends sent me the Facebook post, I felt like giving it a shot, since I always try to find new ways to reach the public. I have always wanted my music to be listened to by the people outside my home country. It’s a great opportunity to be recognized and perform with my own band one day

What challenges do you expect to face in this program, and is there anything you’re nervous about? What skills, knowledge, or qualities do you hope to gain or bring to the creative camps, and what’s your biggest goal for this project?

It is a huge challenge performing by myself, but I love the opportunity to work and connect with other artists. I’m hoping to bring the best quality and I’m excited to attend the workshops. Learning more about the field is a goal of mine, I’m really thankful to be a part of this.

What do you hope the Bucharest audience will feel during your performance? Is there a memorable concert moment from the past that you’d love to experience again?

Considering the part I’ve enjoyed the most about the past performances in my homeland has been the listener knowing the lyrics of my songs and singing along, I’m hoping to connect to the local listeners here by the sounds and music. I’m looking forward to having fun and dancing around. It is going to be quite energetic.

If you could give one piece of advice to underground artists who are reading this interview, what would it be?

They must do whatever brings them happiness and always seek for more musical knowledge, find the individual sound and express themselves to the fullest.

Interview by Ana-Maria Corjos and Radu Mihai