Van Anh, is a multidisciplinary artist based in Zandvoort . She is a DJ, Feng Shui trainee, creator of UNITY perfume line and founder of ISOTOOP design studio. Today she shares with us a continuum flow of housy and dub tunes.

I’m sensitive and idealistic, with a deep desire to return something valuable to the world. So everything I do comes down to balance, whether it’s music, fragrance, interior or stage design, to make people feel good, to support their inner journey to find self-love and with that love and compassion for all humanity and living organisms..

  • Hailing from the Netherlands, Vietnamese roots and now based in Amsterdam, when did your musical journey start?

I recently moved to Zandvoort, near Amsterdam, to live by the beach, and I feel that I have arrived home. I’ve been listening to music for as long as I can remember. My first gig was in 2007, and I am now playing regularly in the Netherlands, and my international schedule is growing. I quit my job just before the lockdown to dedicate myself to music, feng shui and perfumery.  

  • You are studying at the Feng Shui Design Academy. How do you connect those disciplines with music? 

The keyword that connects all disciplines is ‘balance’. Feng Shui analyses the relationship between people and the energy in an environment through a systematic methodology to achieve harmony. Mixing music is also a form of harmonizing sounds to make people dance, connect and feel good. What drives me most is to support people to find their destiny to live a fulfilled life by illuminating their path. 

  • Not only embracing music, but you are also involved in many diverse projects. One is UNITY, a perfume line designed by yourself, can you tell more about this initiative?

Smell fascinates me. Perfume is seductive, and it elevates the body and mind spiritually and therapeutically. I get completely lost in the materials, similar to music. UNITY is a concept dedicated to peace in Ukraine inspired by a scientific study by Masara Emoto. He discovered that energy is best transmitted through the water as 70% of the human body is water. So my idea was to make perfume so that people would spread my intentions on the planet. I discovered that fragrance is personal and smells different on each skin. That led me to design custom perfume based on people’s birth charts to balance the elements according to Feng Shui. This approach testifies to the laws of nature. I believe that we should act like nature as we are nature. So far, this approach has been proven correct, and this makes me happy because there is an intelligence to create order in today’s chaotic world. You depend on the energy produced by your breath to function, so I feel that it is essential to take care of the air that you breathe, similar to what you eat, or wear on your skin. The perfume is made of natural ingredients, smells good and tunes your nervous system to create greater harmony to strengthen your self expression. 

  • Another exciting project is ISOTOOP. Can you tell us more about it? 

ISOTOOP is a design studio, and we create all sorts of experiences. First upcoming is a stage design for Paradigm, an event organization in Groningen. The SUN stage is a white large open framework with glass and framed trees. The concept refers to the true nature of all experiences; everything is illusory and temporary. What we see, hear, and experience are just reflections of the mind and do not exist in the external world. In reality, the sun has no color, nor does sound exist. Both are a precise manipulation of vibrations and frequencies. It takes an eye and the clarity of the sky to see the sun. The grids with diffraction panels amplify the sun’s spectrum, providing unpredictable reflections throughout the day and different colors depending on where you dance. True nature has no boundaries or divisions, no inside or outside. The open framework of the stage illustrates the openness of nature and invites visitors to participate in the interrelating dance between energy and matter that create our visible world.

  • If you had a week off to record shop hopping, where would you go?

To Viet Nam, where my roots are from, to look for unique mystical ancient folk music. I feel a need to connect with the history and culture of my fatherland.

  • What are the tracks you most connected to this month, and why? 

Now that I’m studying energy, my mind tends to seek more understanding of the electromagnetic field and how this can improve people’s lives. I regularly listen to the album called ‘UH999HZ Ultraheaven’ from an artist named ‘Ground Tactics. He introduced me to a book about sound healing with tuning fork by John Beaulieu, and I recently did a sound healing session with him after I played in Berlin. It was one of my most profound experiences! I was floating in the universe, seeing colors and sun’s rays. To experience such a sensation through purely sound blew my mind. As mentioned with perfume, water can perform miracles when it interacts with energy. Since the healing session, I have been more grounded, taking better care of myself. The album includes different frequencies that all have another purpose, and whenever I feel out of balance or before I have a gig, I listen to it to tune my body and set my intentions. And I just discovered an astonishing album from Jonny Nash, Ana Stamp ‘ There up, behind the moon’ that gives me goosebumps.

  • How would you describe your style in a few words? 

Emotions are the overriding theme, because I express myself through music. I always try to play the right sound at the right time and place. I love to flow and play versatile with depth and power, being mindful of my contribution to the whole duration of the event. The mix I made for numéro is housy and relaxed and has a different vibe than the music I’m preparing for the radio show and Berghain this weekend. I’m very grateful to perform in other settings. Life flows up and down, and so does my need for the BMP. 

  • Where are you playing these upcoming months?

Wednesday I’m on air with my monthly radioshow ‘Moonflowers’ on RRFM with stories and music about my journey through life. Saturday is my debut in Berghain, and the week after is my resident night at Radio Radio where I invited Lapien to play a liveset, Shoal and DEFRAME to do the visuals. Last year, we had an epic time in Kyiv and decided to make a music experience together to support our friends. I’m reuniting with the Crave family during the festival with an opening set  b2b with Ben Buitendijk and I’m closing the afterparty at PIP. Furthermore; Best Kept Secret festival, Ankali in Prague, River sudost in Berlin, Strafwerk festival, Dour pre- festival, Paradigm festival and some more. 

  • We are excited to hear about your first upcoming gig at Berghain! What do you expect from it, and how do you feel about playing there?

Of course, I’m excited because it’s one of the most epic clubs in the world, but I try not to think about it too much. I’m practicing being present in the moment so that I will enjoy it more and will focus on digging the music. I’ve learned through hard lessons that any form of expectations blocks you from seeing the beauty that is right in front of you.

Check out the mix here

Van Anh

Photos by: Angelina Nikolayeva

Set design & production: Angelina Nikolayeva, menna+