For Anko, changing an artist name is not about erasing what came before.

It is about creating enough distance to explore something that no longer fits inside the identity people already know.

Born and raised in Maracaibo, Venezuela, Anko grew up fascinated by electronic music, eventually moving from DJing into production and finding his way into Cabilliant through the Venezuelan electronic scene. His music later appeared across Life Sounds, while years of migration, experimentation and working quietly continued changing the person behind the project.

Now he is ready to give that transformation another name.

In this Cabilliant interview, Anko publicly introduces Salva Mea for the first time — an alter ego built around darker electronic music, experimentation and the parts of himself he says existed beneath the surface all along.

This interview was conducted in Spanish. Anko’s responses have been translated and lightly edited for clarity and length. His original Spanish responses are preserved throughout the interview.

Maracaibo, House Music and the Beginning

Cabilliant: Where were you born and raised, and what places have had the biggest influence on who you are today?

Anko: I was born and raised in Maracaibo, Venezuela. Colombia definitely changed my perspective as a migrant and exposed me to things I had never imagined before, but Venezuela continues to have the greatest influence on me. My culture is Marabina, and I’m proud to consider myself Marabino first and Venezuelan second.

Original Spanish

Nací y crecí en Maracaibo, Venezuela. Pero definitivamente Colombia me ha hecho cambiar de perspectiva como migrante y primerizo expuesto ante cosas inimaginables… A pesar de todo, mi país sigue teniendo el resto de influencia. Mi cultura es Marabina y me siento orgulloso de ser primero Marabino y luego Venezolano.

Cabilliant: What is your earliest memory of feeling a real connection with music?

Anko: Hearing Bob Sinclar’s “World Hold On” on the radio when I was five was my first encounter with electronic music. House was becoming huge at the time, and I became immersed in it very quickly.

I started listening to Avicii, David Guetta, Daft Punk and Skrillex. I would go into electronic-music forums, download music through Ares and imagine that one day I would dominate the scene as a DJ.

I learned how to mix songs and eventually moved into making music. I tried Pro Tools first but didn’t connect with it. Then, when I was around twelve, I discovered FL Studio. It blew my mind. Almost everything I learned about production started there.

Original Spanish

Haber escuchado “World Hold On” de Bob Sinclar en la radio cuando tenía 5 años fue mi primer encuentro con la música electrónica. Para entonces el House iba en escala a dominar la escena. Me culturicé rápidamente. Empecé a escuchar a artistas como Avicii, David Guetta, Daft Punk, Skrillex. Ingresé en foros en línea de música electrónica, descargaba música en Ares y creía que dominaría la escena como DJ. Aprendí a mezclar o empatar las canciones y más adelante incursioné en la creación de música, había escuchado de Pro Tools pero no me gustó en un inicio. Tenía como 12 años así que luego probé con FL Studio. Hizo estallarme la cabeza, pero aprendí todo lo que sé por así decir con ese programa.

Becoming Anko

Cabilliant: Where did the name Anko originally come from?

Anko: ANKO comes partly from my real name, Aníbal — the first two letters, A and N. The “KO” came from the abbreviation for knockout. I liked how it sounded. I was also influenced by another producer whose name ended in “kox,” which pushed me toward adding the “ko.”

Original Spanish

ANKO surge realmente de mi nombre “Aníbal” las primeras dos letras A y N. El “KO” viene del Knock Out en inglés sus primeras letras abreviadas hacen que suene bien badass. Aunque también era porque había un productor que terminaba en “kox” y me inspiró mucho para añadirle solo el “ko”. La última influyó mucho.

His musical reference points remained rooted in the electronic music of the early 2010s: Avicii, Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz, Axwell, Daft Punk and Skrillex. For Anko, the combination of progressive house, big room, electro house and Dutch house defined an era that still shapes the way he hears music.

But his relationship with being a DJ eventually changed.

Cabilliant: Do you consider yourself primarily a producer, artist, songwriter, DJ, or something else?

Anko: Today I consider myself an artist. For a while I was a DJ and I made a living from it, but I lost the love for it. Eventually I made peace with that period, but I don’t think I would return to DJing in the same environments.

I went through a lot of social anxiety while I was in Colombia, and that affected me. I could still see myself playing something private or very low-key, but today I see myself as an artist first.

Original Spanish

Hoy en día considero que soy Artista. Por un tiempo fui DJ, vivía de ello. Le perdí el amor. La falsedad de la gente me dañó eso. Logré hacer las paces al final pero no volvería a tocar como DJ… Al menos no en entornos donde haya gentilicio. A ver, un privadito o un after lowkey underwater (se prestan para eso). Sufrí de mucha ansiedad social en Colombia y eso me dañó.

Finding Cabilliant

Anko first discovered Kendflow through a remix of Gregor Salto’s “Drumology.” Seeing another Venezuelan producer reach an international electronic-music platform made an immediate impression on him.

Cabilliant: How did you first connect with Kendflow and Cabilliant?

Anko: My relationship with Kendrick started because someone I knew reposted his remix of Gregor Salto’s “Drumology.” It was later officially released. He had reworked it into moombahton, and I couldn’t believe someone from Venezuela was doing that — working with Gregor and reaching the Beatport charts.

For me, seeing someone from where we came from doing something like that was huge.

Original Spanish

Mi relación con Kendrick comenzó porque un conocido reposteó un remix que él le realizó a Gregor Salto que luego fue oficializado a la venta en las distribuidoras digitales. “Drumology” él vino y la reversionó en Moombah y eso se vendió como pan caliente en los charts de Beatport. Yo no podía creer como alguien de Venezuela era capaz de hacer eso. Firmar con Gregor y estar en un Top 10 de esa plataforma. Tenés que cerrar el estadio, solo los genios hacen eso.

Years later, Cabilliant would become Anko’s first record-label home.

“Cabilliant will always be in my heart,” he says. “It was my first record label and a reference point that allowed me to meet other artists from the collective. There is a lot of talent that needs support. Cabilliant is a home for all of them.”

Original Spanish

Cabilliant siempre estará en mi corazón presente. Mi primera casa discográfica y apoyo referencial en cuanto a conocer a otros artistas del mismo colectivo. Mucho talento que necesita ser apoyado afuera en la calle. Cabilliant es la casa de todos ellos.

“Thunder,” “Earth” and Life Sounds

Anko’s early Cabilliant catalog became closely connected to Life Sounds.

On “Thunder,” created with Kendflow during the COVID-19 quarantine, his influences moved beyond electronic music. He had become interested in the darker, heavier production associated with Tainy, while ideas from Luny Tunes and Mas Flow also found their way into the record.

“Earth,” released on Life Sounds II, continued that experimentation.

Anko: “Earth” was also inspired by Tainy. I had heard “Si La Ves” with Las Villa and wanted to replicate something about it, but it ended up becoming something different — something in my own style.

I replaced the flute with a vocal chop that is actually a lead recorded with Sylenth1 and distorted in low quality. The percussion comes from house.

Original Spanish

Earth también fue Tainy como inspiración. Había escuchado SI LA VES de él con LAS VILLA. Quería replicarlo pero terminó siendo algo distinto. A mi estilo. A mucha gente le gustó y a mí también. Terminé cambiando la flauta por un vocal chop que en realidad es un lead grabado en Sylenth1 distorsionado en baja calidad. Las percusiones son de House.

Behind the records was a much heavier personal period. Anko says he had experienced personal difficulties and the loss of several people close to him following COVID. Music became a place to disappear into.

“I locked myself away and did nothing but make music,” he remembers. “That music was the reflection of it. For me, it was a leap of faith that ended up landing well.”

Original Spanish

Había atravesado problemas personales, la pérdida de varios seres queridos tras el COVID. Me encerré haciendo solamente música, y ese fue el reflejo de ello. Para mí es un salto de fe que terminó aterrizando bien.

Never Really Stopping

After Life Sounds, Anko did not disappear from music as much as he disappeared from public view.

He spent approximately two years in Colombia, producing less because of work but continuing to experiment whenever possible. He explored Latin production, reggaeton and eventually salsa, while the experience of migration changed other parts of his life.

Anko: I never really stopped creating. It was more like being there quietly, waiting for my moment.

I experimented with a lot of new sounds. I focused on other aspects of my life, and things didn’t ultimately work out the way I expected. I returned to Venezuela, and this is still an experimental stage for me. But I’m good. I became a different person from who I was back then.

Original Spanish

Nunca he parado de crear realmente. Me mudé por un tiempo a Colombia, dos años para ser específicos. Le mostré mi sonido a mucha gente y me dieron el visto bueno, gente de allá. Creaba menos por cuestiones laborales pero siempre al finalizar terminaba arreglando algo o creando algo. No me alejé del todo. Es como estar allí pacíficamente esperando mi momento. Experimenté muchos sonidos nuevos. Me enfoqué en otros aspectos de mi vida. No terminó saliendo bien. Terminé volviendo a Venezuela y sigue siendo experimental esta etapa. Pero estoy bien. Me volví otra persona distinta a la que era en aquel entonces. Mucha influencia en el reggaeton tenía anteriormente. Experimenté en la creación de sonidos latinos e incursioné en el género salsa. Me terminó encantando. Aprendí mucho a orientar mi oído musical.

“Too Close”

That experimentation resurfaced publicly with 2025’s “Too Close,” alongside Alejandro Armes, Manuel Josue and DJ Nelson.

Anko describes the initial idea as beginning after seeing Charlie Puth demonstrate a varispeed technique. He began pitching samples and says the foundation of the song came together in a single day.

Manuel Josue later contributed changes to the drums and dynamics, while Anko credits DJ Nelson and Alejandro Armes with helping shape the vocals and mix.

“Without them, the song would not have become what it became,” he says. “An authentic gem.”

Original Spanish

Claro que sí. No quiero ser oportunista ni nada pero ese tema es 70% mío y 30% de los demás involucrados. Ellos saben que es así. Me inspiré porque vi un TikTok de Charlie Puth haciendo el truco de Varispeed y empecé a pitchear varios samples y terminé haciendo toda la canción en un día. Manuel Josue terminó haciendo unos arreglos y cambios en los patrones de baterías y la dinámica Nelson-Armes aportó un sazón bueno en las voces y mezcla que terminaron siendo elementales para la canción. Al final sin ellos la canción no sería lo que terminó siendo. ¡Una auténtica joya!

Introducing Salva Mea

The idea behind Salva Mea did not appear overnight.

Anko says the concept had existed privately for years, inspired in part by Faithless and the darker, progressive character he heard in their music. At the same time, watching The Sopranos gave him another framework for thinking about two sides of one person.

Rather than immediately turning that idea into a public project, he kept it to himself until he understood what it could become.

Cabilliant: Why did changing the name eventually feel necessary instead of simply making different music as Anko?

Anko: Anko is and will remain my personal identity as an individual. Salva Mea is the concept of something bigger.

I always wanted to separate the darker and more experimental side of myself artistically — one side that people know, and another that is unknown.

Original Spanish

Anko es y será mi marca personal como individuo. Salva Mea será el concepto de algo mayor. Mucha gente no podrá verlo así pero siempre quise separar el lado oscuro y experimental de mí siendo distinguido artísticamente. Un lado bueno y el otro desconocido.

The name itself comes from Faithless’ “Salva Mea.” The Latin phrase translates to “save me,” but for Anko its significance goes beyond the reference.

“It represents the distinction or separation between who I was before and who I am now.”

Original Spanish

La distinción o separación entre mi yo de antes y yo de ahora. Sé que suena cliché pero es así.

Not the End of Anko

Salva Mea is not intended to erase Anko.

Anko describes it as an evolution rather than an ending. He expects people who know him personally to continue calling him Anko, while Salva Mea becomes the name attached to his future artistic output. He also says trademark concerns contributed to the decision to stop using Anko as the primary artist name for future music.

The existing Anko catalog will remain part of that history.

“Sometimes I go back and listen out of nostalgia,” he says. “I compare how much I’ve improved, or notice things I stopped doing — even something as small as the way I used a sample or a loop.”

Original Spanish

Que siga estando disponible. A veces por nostalgia voy y escucho mis canciones a diferenciar qué tanto he mejorado. O qué cosas dejé de aplicar o utilizar (nómbrese la utilización de un sample o un loop).

What Salva Mea Sounds Like

Cabilliant: Sonically, what should people expect from Salva Mea?

Anko: Definitely a darker and more experimental alter ego. Something in the world of Burial, but with elements of traditional house.

There can be all kinds of fusions. I don’t think I want to limit myself to a single genre.

Original Spanish

Definitivamente es un alter ego oscuro y experimental. Tipo Burial. Pero con elementos del House tradicional. Aunque puede que se realicen fusiones de todo tipo. No creo encasillarme en solo un género musical.

House remains the bridge between both identities. Even as contemporary electronic music moves through new trends, Anko sees traditional house as something permanent.

And Salva Mea is already more than an idea. Anko says he has a completed unreleased album, an EP, several collaborations and singles, although he has not yet decided how or when that material will be introduced.

Cabilliant: When people see Salva Mea for the first time, what do you want them to understand about the project?

Anko: Look beyond the box. Everything does not need to fit into a genre just because you know how to work within it.

Sometimes it is about generating your own sound and finding a way for other people to connect with it.

Innovation would be the right word.

Original Spanish

Que vean más allá de la caja, no todo es encasillarse en un género y saberle sacar provecho. A veces es generar tu propio sonido y hacer que otras personas logren conectar a través de ello. Innovar sería el término correcto.

What Was Underneath the Shell

The Anko catalog will remain. So will the history attached to it: Maracaibo, early house records, FL Studio, DJing, migration, Cabilliant, Life Sounds, experimentation and everything learned between those stages.

Salva Mea begins from that history rather than replacing it.

Asked to describe the transition in a single sentence, Anko gives the clearest definition of the project himself:

“Anko was a stage that was fundamental to my learning and growth as a person. Salva Mea is the exploration of what exists underneath the shell — the good and the bad reworked together to create unique and extravagant sounds.”

Original Spanish

Anko era una etapa que fue fundamental para mi aprendizaje y crecimiento como persona. Salva Mea es el conjunto o exploración de lo que hay debajo del caparazón. Lo bueno y lo malo reversionado en conjunto para formar sonidos únicos y extravagantes.

Anko Introduces Salva Mea: A Darker, Experimental Evolution