There’s a translucent quality oozing from the essence of anaiis. It’s clear that the constrictions of convention can’t cage this creative; she meanders through mediums, augmenting her craft, challenging and surpassing expectation. In 2021, the Toulouse-born, London-based songstress showcased maturity, guile and sensitivity across this is no longer a dream; her rich, rousing and remarkable debut LP.

A statement of intent that offers swirling, atmospheric soundscapes, anaiis embodied her unique songwriting style across the sprawling body of work, a literal tapestry that faces up to its narrator’s pain and strife but refuses to indulge in it. A potent projection of emotion, it’s an album that is as elusive, as it is empowering. Following a period away from the limelight in which she welcomed a new life into the world, anaiis has recently returned to the release cycle, unveiling the exciting news that she will be releasing a deluxe version of this is no longer a dream, and re-entering the performance sphere with a headline show at The Barbican this autumn.

As well as additional cuts, anaiis has reworked songs from the original tracklist, including the recently released edit of the album’s closer, “transcending”. Borrowing the production nuance of Karen Nyame KG, the offering’s timbre is transformed, with the aforementioned beat-smith sprinkling groove into the pre-existing meditative magnificence. Atop her flirtations with the correlating worlds of fashion and high art, there is the promise of ensuing new music that will bring to light the progressive ethos of anaiis’ ingenuity.

With anticipation in the air, she delves into the very crevice of her artistry and gazes pensively at her debut album and its forthcoming deluxe entry.

How do you think you’ve found your own voice?
Finding your own voice is a process that happens over time. As you explore yourself and what peaks your interests, a picture starts to form and you may not always get to access the birds-eye view immediately. It’s only after a certain amount of time that one might start to notice what truly makes them unique. Sometimes when you’re deep in a project, you’re so focused on the specificities of the ideas that you’re exploring that you can’t truly encompass all that you are and all that makes you who you are. Now that I am a couple of projects in, I’m starting to realise how my voice is changing and evolving with time; my story is my lens. Ultimately, I believe every single individual on Earth has a uniqueness to them, like a fingerprint, even though we have a lot of things in common. If we’re authentic and are leaning into our experiences and who we are, naturally something unique starts to emerge.

What does the relationship between music and art mean to you?
To me, they are one in the same. There’s no music without art and there’s no art without music. I often saw myself as a music artist but now I know that I can take the same intention and translate it to other mediums. I am realising that I don’t have to start with the music and that I can start with the visual; realising that has allowed me to see myself as someone who doesn’t solely make music. It’s about the expression, not the actual medium.

Do you think that the industry sees creativity as too linear?
When I was growing up I thought that I needed to be really good at the thing that I do, but then I started to feel boxed in. Social media has changed everything, it’s now asking musicians to be content creators and marketing geniuses. It’s asking so much of the artist – you can’t just make music anymore. I do feel like we’re being stretched and it’s draining, but if we shift the perspective it can also be beautiful and teach you something new.

How do you feel reflecting on this is no longer a dream?
Because I am in the process of releasing a deluxe version of the album I’ve been revisiting it and I feel really grateful. I needed to put something out in the world that I felt represented me. It gave me a fresh start in a way because I got to share so many of my ideas in an unfiltered way. I don’t think it’s a perfect album, but it is a place for people to come and discover how I think and what I do. Making the album was a very cathartic process and it really helped me move on, process and reach new levels of myself. To me, music is all about healing; the album is about surviving through something and reaching the other side.

What provoked you to release a deluxe edition of the LP?
It felt important to give the album another breath of life. There were things that I wanted to do with this album that I didn’t get to do because of the way that my life unfolded. Before releasing new music it felt nice to reimagine this body of work, to allow the album to take on new forms. It shows people where I’ve come from, and where I’m going.

Why was “transcending” a track that you wanted to rework, and what made you want to work with Karen Nyame KG?
I just think she is so good at what she does. The track is a very core song on the album; it’s the final piece, the final word, the part where I let go. It’s really beautiful to watch the song transcend into something else but still carry the feeling of the original. Trance, movement and dance can be very healing and cathartic, so to be able to take this song that is meditative and be transformed into a song that you can move to is beautiful. Karen took the idea and gave it a new palette of colour.

You’ve announced a show at the Barbican. What drew you to the venue?
It’s always been a dream venue of mine. I do a lot of work that has a crossover into the art space, and a few things for different exhibition spaces in museums. I think being able to perform there instead of a traditional concert venue is amazing. My music is very introspective as well, I think it requires a different kind of listening audience, and this space invites you to listen, be quiet, watch and experience.

What boundaries do you want to push in your artistry?
I want to reach a place of absolute liberation in art and be able to explore different mediums. My dream is to take my music to as many places as it can go. I want to mould and change and evolve, to be free with the sounds that I’m making. Once you realise an album, it feels like you have a linear trajectory about what you can do next, but actually life is not linear, and I want to lean into that.