Antoin Gibson: “Music should be dangerous, emotional, and unfiltered — not just another product on the conveyor belt”
Antoin Gibson is a London-based independent artist and the founder of the Circum-Sŏnus label. Recently, I stumbled upon a tune of theirs titled Diss Qualification, and was blown away by the aggressive and unapologetic nature of the song. A razor-sharp diss track that takes no prisoners, I quickly found myself diving into the rest of the musician's discography.
Discovering a fearless artist unafraid to blur genre lines and push sonic boundaries, I just knew I needed to know more about the mind behind the music. So, I reached out - and what followed was a fascinating deep dive into Antoin Gibson.
Chatting about what drives them to create, the unlikely story of how Circum-Sŏnus came into existence, and the impact of streaming culture on song length and substance, please welcome our new friend Antoin Gibson!
Hey Antoin, it's great to have you with us! I’m so excited to get your music in front of our listeners!
I think it's safe to say 2025 has been a rather productive year for you on the music-making front. What’s been driving that burst of creativity?
Great question!
Prior to my first ghost drop distribution of my debut single, FlexAble, back in April this year.
I had been making music and utilising it as a personal outlet for my thoughts, emotions and expressions. In an impulsive moment, with no promotions or real thought of the incident after I put FlexAble out there, I was overwhelmed with the response. It propelled overnight via an organic, random chance major playlist add to over 1,200 listeners in 54 countries. As someone who is neurodivergent, communicating with others in a way that resonates and holds has always been a point of frustration for me.
In that moment, seeing just the global scope where part of me and what I had to say and express resonated with a larger audience and people internationally, it was a really powerful moment for me…and made it feel like I was bringing something of value - even if just for the few minutes of a track's length, I was connecting with others.
That is what has driven me, with each release, and Diss Qualification is a prime example of how what I have to say can be very forward and not holding close to any standards or mainstream. Saying truths and thoughts that others are thinking and feeling, but haven't found their voice or platform to speak their truths. Every release I've dropped, which has been quite a few with FlexAble, Diss Topia, Serene Despair and now Diss Qualification. The reception has been extremely positive, and really connecting with others; they are inspiring me just as much as some of my works may resonate with them.
For anyone who’s somehow missed the Antoin Gibson train so far, what’s waiting for them on the other end of the speakers when they hit play?
How would you describe the essence of your sound to a first-time listener?
Well, I've found that I have two distinct, almost personas that I kind of release back-to-back that are each distinct. I have my harder, rap tracks with lots of dense bars, truths, and grit to them like Diss Qualification, F U Society, Dissometry, etc.. So, if you are someone who enjoys bars, spit-fire deliveries, cinematic soundscapes and narrative intellectual bars, then that's definitely something you can find listening to my music.
Similarly, I have been playing the violin since I was 4 years old, started classical singing and piano at age 10, joined musical theatre schools, and did productions. All that can be seen in the very concept-driven, vocally complex and theatrical, emotive performances of my more singing-focused tracks like those from Serene Despair - my mythological femme fatale lore concept EP.
My music is constantly evolving and experimenting, and it doesn't stick to one box or sound.
To use the cliché, it is always "expect the unexpected" with me, as if I have a really strong conceptual idea, then I'll work with the concept rather than sticking to a particular genre or sound, so that's what I've released so far, but who knows what the future may bring!
OK, let's talk Diss Qualification! A no-holds-barred and fearless slice of politically potent hip-hop, your latest single feels more like a statement than just another new track.
When you were writing Diss Qualification, were you consciously setting out to make a statement, or did that intensity just naturally pour out?
Well, Diss Qualification literally just came to me as a title one morning, which tied in with the fact that I've just started undergraduate studies doing a BSc in Accounting and Finance this month. In that sense, this track ties more personally to some of its bars and references to my real-life situation.
Having started my Undergraduate studies at Imperial College 15 years ago, I chose to leave after two years because life hit really hard, and it took me some years to pick myself back up again. I've channelled those life experiences into this. I've been trapped in cyclical, corrupted, broken systems time and time again (and still am!), and that is a frustration I think a lot of people share. Maybe not quite as aggressively as Diss Qualification portrays, as people may tend to be more emotional and express themselves in a more reserved manner. Well, that is just a filter I lost a long time ago, where I found that the most effective way to address a problem, personally or globally, as I tied in greater global problems like genocide, the UN, Institutions, and such and being relentless is how I best get results.
These larger bodies are relentless in their approaches; the only way to match that is to do the same in turn.
Tell us about Circum-Sŏnus!
Circum-Sŏnus was a name I came up with in just a couple of minutes when I was distributing my first track. It was a requirement to do so, and even if you didn't have a label, to just make one up, so that's exactly what I did!
Circum-Sŏnus came to me, and I thought it sounded cool, utilising the Latin language for surrounding sounds, which is exactly what my music is focused on. As a DIY writer, lyricist, producer, performer, music engineer, masterer, and promoter, I create experiences and soundscapes that are more than just another song…there is a lot of intricate detailing I put into it…and it allows me to be independent and not compromise or give up any of my creative ability or rights on what it is I want to release. That would be the case, signing with a label, where my creative control would be heavily diluted. I'm not releasing for fame, money, etc. I'm releasing my music because I feel there is a need and purpose for it in the marketplace.
So, although it started as merely a name, as my releases took off, it became a brand, and the brand Circum-Sŏnus and the number of global press coverages that my tracks had received, which included myself and the Circum-Sŏnus record label branding.
It was through sheer volume of coverage that one day, Circum-Sŏnus was officially given its own Google Knowledge panel, recognising it as an official, genuine record label. I was taken aback at how much power the press has and how the power of this journey had willed Circum-Sŏnus into existence.
To have control of the knowledge panel, I needed to prove I was officially the owner with business documentation, so I actually went that step beyond what a lot of artists may do and got it incorporated, and it is officially Circum-Sŏnus Ltd. and is a member of AIM (Association of Independent Musicians).
Who are some of your biggest musical inspirations? And, if you could "steal" one song in the world and claim it as your own, what would it be and why?
I’ve never been the type to fixate on one artist or genre. Most of my life, I’ve listened to music in foreign languages - Japanese, Korean - where I connected to the emotion rather than the literal words. That shaped how I write: I build worlds, moods, and metaphors that hit deeper than translation. Some of my biggest inspirations have been BoA and Dana from CSJH The Grace, not so much because our sounds overlap, but because of their stories, their drive, and their refusal to be silenced despite every obstacle.
If I had to "steal" one song, it would be Dana’s 세상 끝까지 (Until the End of the World). It was the first album I ever owned, and one I actually won in an online singing contest. It’s no longer in print, but my copy is still one of my most treasured possessions. Dana recorded it at just 15 years old, and yet the song carries this haunting maturity and emotional weight that hit me deeply. Its lyrics about truth, disillusionment, and longing resonated in a way that went beyond words. It was a formative influence that shaped the kind of artist I became.
What are your thoughts regarding the music industry of today? And, if you could, what changes would you make to it?
The industry right now is run like a machine. Everything’s reduced to algorithms, playlists, and short-term trends — it’s less about artistry and more about whether you can be packaged for fifteen seconds. I don’t play that game.
If I could change it, I’d strip back the obsession with virality and let music breathe again. Give artists room to experiment, to be messy, to cut against the grain. Music should be dangerous, emotional, and unfiltered — not just another product on the conveyor belt. That’s what I’m trying to prove with Circum-Sŏnus: you can still defy the system and make something that matters.
I miss the days of music having more variety, where ballads and slower tracks were just as popular and commonplace as the pop trendy types. I also find frustration in the length of music releases generally being under the 3-minute mark these days, and it's all to align with this fixation on virality, to adapt to shortening attention spans. I think the world should be working in the opposite direction and focusing on developing and expanding attention spans, and moving away from this trend rather than adapting to it.
Which of your lyrics would you like to see printed on a t-shirt?
Ooph, this is a tough question. Perhaps I'd go with "Being Human does no guarantee us Humanity..." from my track Sociopath's Kaleidoscope on my EP Serene Despair.
It's concise, philosophical, thought-provoking, and a bit dark, very much on brand for me.
Thanks again for taking the time to chat with us Antoin! It’s been awesome getting to know you better! Before we say farewell for now, what comes next for you musically?
I actually have a track set for release to mark the major milestone of Circum-Sŏnus being incorporated for me and Circum-Sŏnus that releases on Hallowe'en!
It's called Cirque du Sŏnus, so keep an eye out for that as it's a dark carnival theme tying in my brand and something I think is quite an exciting, fun and theatrical way to mark how in just several months Circum-Sŏnus went from a made-up name to an officially incorporated and recognised record label thanks to the support of all you brilliant listeners and supporters out there so thank you very much!
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