Anika (album)

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Anika
Anika Anika Debut Album.jpg
Studio album by Anika
Released 15 November 2010
Recorded 2010
Genre Dub, electronic, avant-garde, post-punk
Length 36:09
Label Invada Records, Stones Throw Records
Producer Geoff Barrow, Beak
Anika chronology
Anika
(2010)
Singles from Anika
  1. "Yang Yang"
    Released: September 13, 2010
  2. "No One's There"
    Released: July 4, 2011

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

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.[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source Rating
Metacritic (65/100)[2]
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic 4/5 stars[3]
Drowned in Sound favourable[4]
Dusted (critical)[5]
MusicOMH 3.5/5 stars[6]
The New York Times favourable[7]
Pitchfork Media (6.5/10)[8]
Under the Radar 3/10 stars[9]

The album received generally favorable reviews. It earned a collective score of 65 out of 100 from Metacritic.[2] 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."[3] 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."[4] 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 September 13, 2010, through digital distribution.[10]

"No One's There" was released as the second single from the album on July 4, 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 September 30, to October 2, 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 January 27, 2011.[14]

Track listing

No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Terry"   Lynn Ripley 5:08
2. "Yang Yang"   Yoko Ono 2:55
3. "End of the World"   Arthur Kent, Sylvia Dee 2:59
4. "Masters of War"   Bob Dylan 7:33
5. "Officer Officer"   Anika, Beak> 3:40
6. "Sadness Hides the Sun"   Eric Woolfson 3:43
7. "No One's There"   Anika, Beak> 3:48
8. "I Go to Sleep"   Ray Davies 3:22
9. "Masters of War (Dub)"   Bob Dylan 3:26

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

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  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Credits: Anika. Allmusic. Retrieved on 14 August 2011.

External links

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