[GrooveCartel] Ky William and ANATTA teams up for ‘Mania’

The new song by Ky William and ANATTA, “Mania,” with haunting vocals by Sophie Engerman, is a cultural artifact. The song was released on Factory93 Records, a label known for both cutting-edge and roots-conscious electronic music. It walks a fine line between remembering the house’s rich history and bringing it into the present. But what does it mean to talk about an “old-school” house in the year 2025? This brings us to the question of how artists like Ky William make something that is both respectful and new.

“Mania” is a great example of how to keep things simple. Tight, swinging drums and a bassline that coils like smoke bring to mind the sweaty, raw energy of the early house scenes in Chicago and New York. Think of Larry Heard’s soulful depths or Frankie Knuckles’ cathedral-sized grooves. It’s not a retro copy, though. Sophie Engerman sings the track’s hypnotic vocal loops with sultry precision, which makes you feel a kind of digital-age restlessness. Engerman’s voice doesn’t just float on top of the mix; it changes it, becoming another percussion sound that puts the listener in a trance. Here, the past and the present meet: the warm imperfections of analog production meet the surgical accuracy of modern production.

This duality brings up bigger questions about how house music has changed over time. Pioneers of the genre often made magical experiences with only drum machines, samplers, and a “do it yourself” mentality. Artists today have access to a huge amount of digital tools. But “Mania” cuts back on purpose, following the idea that “less is more.” Is this a rejection of the extremes of EDM or a deeper nod to the roots of house music? The track’s stripped-down arrangement makes me think of both. Its subtle use of modern flourishes—sub-bass shudders and crisply layered hi-hats—doesn’t distract, but instead strengthens the groove, showing that new ideas don’t need to be overly complicated.

Ky William and the New Guard of the Underground

To understand what “Mania” means, you have to look at Ky William’s life. From humble beginnings, he has become a key figure in the underground’s revivalist wave. His work with Noizu’s Techne imprint and previous records on Nervous Records—a label that connects the past and present of house music—shows that he is familiar with house music’s language but eager to change its syntax. Ky William started Andhera Records, which is one of a number of artist-led labels that put sound quality over market appeal. Examples include Mall Grab’s Steel City Dance Discs and Chaos in the CBD’s In Dust We Trust.

But his work with ANATTA and Factory93 feels especially important. Factory93, Insomniac’s event-driven label, has become a hub for underground acts looking for mainstream-like venues without giving up their integrity. “Mania” isn’t just a song in this situation; it’s a message. It shows that a rough, unfinished house can do well in a business that is usually all about drops that are ready for festivals. Ky William’s rise is part of a larger trend: people are tired of algorithm-driven blandness and are rediscovering the closeness of groove-focused, DJ-friendly tools.

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