Anti Up Raise the Bar on Debut Album What is LIfe?

As Anti Up, UK powerhouse duo Chris Lake and Chris Lorenzo breathe new life into the rave scene with their highly anticipated new album, What is Life?

Few producers have done as much to push the limits of what is possible in dance music over the past half-decade as Chris Lake and Chris Lorenzo, known collectively as Anti Up. The duo have been slowly dropping tracks leading up to their debut album, What is Life? Music began hitting the airwaves in 2022, when the duo set the scene ablaze with “Chromatic,” giving a glimpse into the gritty, industrial sound that Anti Up had been crafting behind the scenes.

Since then, excitement has steadily built. Despite their live sets being few and far between, the music stand on its own as Anti Up raises the bar with each release.

What is Life? grabs hold from the beginning and thrusts listeners headfirst into the UK rave scene. It’s a grimy, acid-tinged, 4am exploration of what it takes to push the boundaries of dance music. The album’s renewed perspective on modern dance culture reminds the listener that every new release doesn’t have to sound like the last. Anti Up have delivered a much-needed breath of fresh air into the house and techno scene, one that could come from none other than Chris Lake and Chris Lorenzo.

While Anti Up, as individual producers, are no stranger to playing in person, a proper Anti Up set has remained elusive. Both producers have made it clear in the past that a Lake and Lorenzo b2b is not necessarily an Anti Up set. But in 2024, the duo finally stepped into the spotlight, bringing their mind-expanding show to an overflowing Mojave Tent at both weekends of Coachella. Thus, the new era of Anti Up and What is Life? was born.

Anti Up blessed fans with seven of the album’s fifteen tracks leading up to its release day.

“Chromatic” would end up being Anti Up’s earliest release that still made it onto the album. The following singles trickled in over the past two years, including the scintillating, industrial tech house banger “Something’s About to Go Down,” featuring an off-the-cuff vocal sample from Skrillex himself.

After their iconic Coachella double-header this past April, Anti Up unleashed a slew of singles that set the internet ablaze. “The Weekend,” “Control The Media,” and “Shake” quickly became staples within Summer 2024’s club rotation from DJs across the globe. More recently, the two-track release “Freaky Feed Me,” and “Outlaws,” the latter featuring Audio Bullys and Olly Burden, harken back to The Prodigy-era sound with stabby bass lines, gritty vocals, and industrial drum fills that expertly bridge the gap between vintage electronic rock and new-age club music.

On top of these tracks, eight all-new tracks fill out the entirety of What is Life?

Early standouts include the grooving club-ready banger “9 of 10,” the funkified West Coast anthem “Revolution,” and the bold techno-laden journey that is “Shambles.” Diving deeper, we find “Money.” The UK drum and bass-influenced track ebbs and flows with melodic synths, snapping snares, and vibing vocals that make it an instant classic.

As we enter the final stages of the album, a standout favorite that initially saw the light of day during that monumental Coachella set is “Do You Know Where Your Children Are.” It samples a 1960s PSA from the New York Evening News intended to protect kids from staying out too late. Naturally, Anti Up spun it into a psychedelic, dancefloor-destroying techno banger.

While “Set Me Free” maintains Anti Up’s incendiary tech house energy, the album’s outro, “Holdin On,” polishes the gritty industrial edges that have defined the album. It brings us back down to Earth with silky smooth piano fills, expertly crafted kicks, and just the right amount of head-bobbing danceability without zapping the energy from the source.

Anti Up have solidified themselves on a higher plane of dance music. A distinct air of expertise has become a hallmark of each of their tracks, separating them from the status quo of modern dance music. Anti Up’s unique sound is intense, aggressive, in your face, and exactly what dance music is intended to be. The realm where Anti Up thrives is not a comfortable environment, and that’s how they like it—never established, never limited. Keep calm? Says who?

Anti Up’s debut album What is Life? is out now on all major platforms. Follow Anti Up on social media for updates on future releases and shows.