Anika (album)

Anika is the debut studio album by British/German recording artist Anika. It was released on 25 October 2010 by Invada Records[1] in Europe and on 15 November 2010, by Stones Throw Records in the United States. The three members of the band Beak (Geoff Barrow, Billy Fuller and Matt Williams) produced the album.

Anika
Studio album by
Anika
Released25 October 2010
Recorded2010
GenreDub, electronic, avant-garde, post-punk
Length36:09
LabelInvada Records, Stones Throw Records
ProducerGeoff Barrow, Beak
Singles from Anika
  1. "Yang Yang"
    Released: 13 September 2010
  2. "No One's There"
    Released: 4 July 2011

Background

Before she began her singing career, Anika was a political journalist who spent her time between Berlin and Bristol, England. She met producer Geoff Barrow (of Portishead), who was looking for a female vocalist to work with his band Beak. Anika joined the band in the studio and recorded nine songs in 12 days with no overdubs.[2]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic(65/100)[3]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]
Drowned in Soundfavourable[1]
Dusted(critical)[5]
MusicOMH[6]
The New York Timesfavourable[7]
Pitchfork(6.5/10)[8]
Under the Radar[9]

The album received generally favorable reviews. It earned a collective score of 65 out of 100 from Metacritic.[3] Heather Phares from AllMusic stated, "Though the album is mostly covers, Anika imprints her identity on every track. [...] Anika is a bold, often fearless debut, and even if it’s occasionally an acquired taste, it doesn’t hedge its bets."[4] David Edwards, writing for Drowned in Sound, described the album as an "unhinged record that isn’t easy to look squarely in the eye. But the reward is in the depth and sheer bewilderment of every single creak, croak and crackle."[1] Ben Hogwood of musicOMH commented, "Anika, then, has made an intriguing record, but not one that should be listened to by nervy people in isolation. Full of lyrical and musical contradictions, [...], it isn't exactly rabble rousing - but has a strange allure nonetheless."[6]

Singles

"Yang Yang" was released as the album's lead single commercially worldwide on 13 September 2010, through digital distribution.[10]

"No One's There" was released as the second single from the album on 4 July 2011.[11] The music video for "No One's There" was directed by John Minton, who had also directed the music video for "Yang Yang." In the music video, Anika sings in a Warholian Plastic Inevitable setting intercut with shots of Bristol and Stokes Croft council estates and other gritty, empty street scenes. Ken Taylor from XLR8R praised the single for combining "Delta 5-meets-Nico-style vocals and rude-boy dub rhythms for something that's as joyously energizing as it is nostalgic."[12]

Promotion

To promote Anika, Anika toured as part of the Portishead-curated festival "All Tomorrow's Parties" from 30 September to 2 October 2011, with fellow Stones Throw label-mate Peanut Butter Wolf.[13]

Anika sung "I Go to Sleep" live and premiered her filmed performance for PopMatters on 27 January 2011.[14]

Track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Terry"Lynn Ripley5:08
2."Yang Yang"Yoko Ono2:55
3."End of the World"Arthur Kent, Sylvia Dee2:59
4."Masters of War"Bob Dylan7:33
5."Officer Officer"Anika, Beak>3:40
6."Sadness Hides the Sun"Eric Woolfson3:43
7."No One's There"Anika, Beak>3:48
8."I Go to Sleep"Ray Davies3:22
9."Masters of War (Dub)"Dylan3:26

Personnel

Credits for Anika adapted from AllMusic.[15]

  • Anika – composer, vocals
  • Geoff Barrow – producer
  • Shawn Joseph – mastering
  • Stuart Matthews – engineer
  • Clare May – cover photo
  • Johnny O-Carroll – artwork
  • Ratman – remixing
  • Mig Schillace – artwork

References
  1. Edwards, David (20 October 2010). "Anika - Anika / Releases / Releases // Drowned in Sound". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  2. Phares, Heather. "Anika". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  3. "Anika Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  4. Phares, Heather (2010). "Anika - Anika". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  5. Cooper, Talya (16 February 2011). "Dusted Reviews: Anika - Anika". Dusted Magazine. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  6. Hogwood, Ben. "Anika - Anika". MusicOMH. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  7. Ratliff, Ben (6 December 2010). "New CDs by Juanes, Duffy and Anika - Reviews - NYTimes.com". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  8. Gaerig, Andrew (18 January 2011). "Pitchfork: Album Reviews: Anika: Anika". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  9. Studarus, Laura (26 January 2011). ":.. Anika: Anika (Stones Throw)". Under the Rader. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  10. "Yang Yang / End of the World – Single by Anika". iTunes Store Ireland. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  11. "No One's There – Single by Anika". iTunes Store Ireland. Retrieved 13 August 2011.
  12. Taylor, Ken (27 July 2011). "Video Premiere: Anika "No One's There"". XLR8R. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
  13. "PB Wolf and Anika, All Tomorrows Parties". Stones Throw Records. 22 April 2011. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  14. Zupko, Sarah (27 January 2011). "Anika - "I Go to Sleep" Video (PopMatters Premiere)". PopMatters. Retrieved 25 August 2011.
  15. Credits: Anika. AllMusic. Retrieved on 14 August 2011.
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