Annie Doesn't Stop: Norwegian Indie Pop Icon DJs Cinespace Tonight

Norwegian indie pop icon Annie is back. Finally. With Don't Stop out today, five years after the release of her acclaimed debut, Anniemal, the singer/DJ continues her vision of shimmery dance pop with a subversive, underground electronic edge.

Tonight, Annie will be DJing at Cinespace and so we gave her a call yesterday to talk about vinyl and club nights.

Nina Merikallio

Annie!

Do you remember your first DJ gig?

Yeah, that was in Bergen, I don't remember which year it was, but it was many years ago.

One of my favorite DJs was playing the same evening I was, so I was going to play together with him. I was really, really nervous because I had never played out to people before, but I had been collecting records for years. I had lots and lots of records with me. It was massive records all around. I was so nervous. I started playing and there was lots of people dancing and it was so fun.

One month after that, I started my own evening at this other venue in Norway. We called the club evening Pop Till You Drop. I did that for about one-and-a-half years and booked lots of other artists, like Peaches.

How long have you been collecting records?

I feel like I've been doing it all my life. I started, oh, I don't know when I got my first record. I just love to go and buy records. I still buy quite a bit of vinyl, actually. I love the sound of the vinyl. It's great. It's such a great, great format.

What's the coolest record you've ever found?

I think it's one record called "Lady Bug," [by Bumblebee Unlimited]. That's really great. I found it in New York many, many years ago and I still play it quite a lot. I think I'm going to play it tomorrow as well.

I had never heard it. I just picked it up and started listening to it.

I'm really bad with names and I'm not the sort of person who knows a lot about the labels or anything. I usually go to a store or I go online and listen to loads of stuff, basically, without knowing the name of the artists.

Sometimes, especially if it's in the 99 cent bin, I'll pick up something just because the record sleeve is really cool. Do you ever do that?

Yeah, I do that quite a lot. It's great.

What's your favorite album cover?

Oh, there's so many good ones from the '80s and late-'70s. I like some of the Nina Hagen ones. She has some great covers. I think it's one of her first albums, just with a picture of her. I really like that one. Duran Duran also has some really good ones. I can't think of one particular one.