Freeform Five is the producer, DJ and multi-instrumentalist, Anu Pillai.
Anu is in the premier league of dance remixers and has produced stunning reworkings for artists as diverse as N*E*R*D’, Brian Wilson, X-Press 2 & David Byrne, Jamie Lidell, Justin Timberlake, Felix Da Housecat and The Killers. He also wrote and produced the vocal remix of “Muscle Cars” by Mylo, helping to turn it into a hit.
At the same time, you only have to look at the list of artists who have swapped mixes with Freeform Five to see the high regard in which they are held – Tiefschwarz, Radioslave, Alter Ego, Lindstrom, Mylo, M.A.N.D.Y, Switch, Ewan Pearson, Jackson & His Computer Band and Maurice Fulton to name a few.
He’s spent a small fortune offsetting his airmiles with DJ appearances at Fabric, Space, Cocoon, Watergate, The Razz, D-Edge, Womb, Rex, and Lux plus tours of Scandinavia, Australia, America, and all the major festivals, including Glastonbury, T in the Park, Benicassim and Pukkelpop. Anu has also released two massive DJ mix albums, ‘Bisous Bisous II’ & ‘Misch Masch’ and contributed to several of Kitsuné’s genre defining compilations.
His record label, Perspex Recordings, is dedicated to giving some of the planet’s most talented boundary breakers a vinyl-loving platform. Releases include Chicago legend Derrick Carter, French rock band ‘Poney Poney’ (produced by Xavier from Justice) and Swedish auteur ‘The Subliminal Kid’ along with reworks by like minded friends Gabriel Ananda, Riton, Tomboy (Who Made Who) & Riva Starr.
It was Anu’s much admired re-fashioning of Isolee’s “Beau Mot Plage” from minimal techno gem into Brazilian-acid-funk house belter that alerted many to the fact that Freeform Five was no ordinary production outfit. There followed a string of releases on the seminal Classic Records label, and then a move to Atlantic for the critically acclaimed ‘Strangest Things’ debut album. The release in 2007 of ‘No More Conversations’ saw the culmination of this phase of Freeform Five. Armed with some killer remixes, including Mylo’s definitive version, “NMC” incubated in all the world’s finest clubs last year and even now continues to grow.
Now Anu has his eyes firmly on the future, working on the new Freeform Five album with other respected producers like Richard X and Paul ‘Phones’ Epworth, whilst also helping out old friends The Glimmers and Shinichi Osawa on their own full length sets.
Back in the studio as a writer for hire and master producer he’s formed a new production partnership with old pal Roy Kerr called Kid Gloves. Their first gig was to write and produce some songs for Ladyhawke including her breakthrough hit ‘Paris Is Burning.‘ This has led to writing & production for the much touted Little Boots debut album in 2009 and as well as remixes for Santogold, Das Pop, The Black Kids and Roisin Murphy.