ANTICALM

ANTICALM is a rapper from the UK who twists grime, rap and punk energy into something sharp, playful and uncompromising. Growing up in Preston, his first spark came watching Dizzee Rascal live — a moment that flipped a switch and set him on the path to making music.

Later, during a spell in Manchester, a casual walk past a discount shop with a cheeky sign inspired Bobs n’ Bits, his debut single, turning an everyday moment into the kind of raw, chaotic hook that has since become his trademark. That track later found a new audience when it was picked up as the soundtrack for Deli Boys on Hulu, streaming globally on Disney+.

His debut album Maya (2023) cemented that sound with nine tracks moving between wit and grit, following early singles such as Wussyman and No Dramas. Earmark described is as “a fierce debut with a solid blend of hip-hop, grime and punk carried by confident delivery.”

Beyond his own releases, ANTICALM has a second life as a voice in electronic music. Through a creative partnership with Manchester-based producer James Skehan — previously known for his work in trance and house as part of Garrido & Skehan — his vocal lines have travelled far beyond rap, reworked by DJs and producers across house, techno and trance.

In May 2025, ANTICALM relocated to Bali, continuing to write and record while drawing on new surroundings for inspiration. Just a few months later he appeared as part of an special collaborative experiment: eleven strangers connected online to make an album with no label, no promotional budget and little more than broken laptops, duct tape and Dropbox. The result was Your Condo Is Ugly — a raw, DIY record that proved the power of collective creativity.

That mix of humour, grit and reinvention runs through everything he does — fast verses, jagged basslines, and a dry wit that make ANTICALM both a voice of the UK underground and a presence that keeps cropping up in unexpected corners of global music culture.