He is not a fan of labels, but if he had to choose, local creative Anthony Ramsay would identify himself as a ‘digital disruptor’. This title rings true for Ramsay not only in his art, but also in his work as Communitech’s communication specialist.
As a highly visual person driven by intrinsic, artistic passion and a deep respect for this community, Ramsay has a unique perspective he continues to articulate in new ways. Since he was 17, music has been one of his favourite mediums.
“I see myself more as a digital disruptor because I’m interested in using almost any form of technological, instrumental or vocal expression to get my ideas out. I don’t keep anything off the table, I just gravitate towards whatever resonates with me. My sound is constantly changing as I learn more about myself and what I like to do musically,” Ramsay said.
In January, Ramsay released his new song, Mad TV, which was an expression of how the social and political turmoil in 2020 affected Ramsay’s mental health.
“I really wanted to create a charged up song that allowed me to vent with my mind and body,” Ramsay said. “I felt a bit intoxicated with what I was seeing on the news and on my screens constantly. I almost felt like the media was targeting black people at the time, with the amount of police brutality I was seeing every day.”
The music video added another layer of intrigue to Ramsay’s digital style. He self-produced both the song and video in his one-room apartment with his iPhone and a green bristol board from the dollar store taped to the wall. He added the gritty filter over it to give texture.
“After being locked inside for a year with this pandemic, not being able to socialize with friends and family, the endless doom-scrolling we’ve all been doing … the release of that song and that video was really my way of hijacking your screens and adding a much needed refresher to your algorithm,” Ramsay said.
With that same sense of purpose, Ramsay has just started working on his next big project: the DTK Playlist. It will include a video that amplifies the art and sounds of Kitchener-Waterloo’s BIPOC community, with the intention of simultaneously showcasing some of the area’s hot spots and local businesses. To help fund it, Ramsay landed the 2021 Create and Connect Grant from the City of Kitchener and the Centre in the Square.
“I’ll be putting out a call for musical and visual artists to contribute and working alongside Good Company Productions to produce the video. This is something I’ve been wanting to do for a while and it’s super awesome that the City recognized this idea and is helping me make it happen,” Ramsay said. “I see it becoming a blend between Humans of New York, meets music, meets Kitchener-Waterloo.”
The final product will be released at the tail end of this summer. Ramsay hopes to see the project continue and will keep encouraging people to experiment with their own creativity to add a sense of inclusivity and togetherness in the community’s arts and culture space.
“I really want to be a part of helping this community succeed and be recognized as a great place to live,” Ramsay said. “My number one piece of advice [to budding creators with full time jobs] is to just start. Start today. Don’t worry about the results—keep trying. Every day you try, you will improve, so don’t worry about the current results. You’re going to look back and appreciate the fact that you got started in the first place.”
Visit https://ramsayalmighty.com/ to learn more and follow him on Instagram, Spotify and wherever else you get your music @ramsayalmighty.