Anika - The femme fatale of uneasy listening

Anika is a femme fatale with a suave, beguiling voice. Of Anglo-German origins, before becoming a musician she was a freelance journalist constantly moving between Bristol and Berlin. The fairy tale of the icy Anika began with a chance encounter with Geoff Barrow, owner of the Invada label as well as founding member of Portishead. That artistic partnership produced one of the most promising debut albums of recent years, steeped in Sixties retro nostalgia and claustrophobic post-punk arrangements laced with dub, distortion and reverb. Its cinematic equivalent would be "Blue Velvet" by David Lynch.

We interviewed her in London on the occasion of the I'll Be Your Mirror festival organized by Portishead. Mysterious, charismatic, fascinating: here she is!

Before becoming a musician you worked in politics as a journalist. What was the spark that pushed you down that path?

I've been writing songs since I was thirteen, and my passion for telling stories also pushed me towards a career in journalism. I started working within the music business very early on, from the age of fifteen. Later I became interested in politics and focused my university studies on journalism, while still staying involved in the music industry at the same time. In Cardiff I worked as a manager and promoter for a small independent label, but I became so disillusioned and angry at the narrow-mindedness of the music world that I left it immediately, throwing myself back into politics and thinking that music should stay just a hobby and nothing more. What irritated me most was the fact that the music industry's strategy was essentially geared towards fast-food products, with no willingness to take risks. But that turbulent period for me was - believe it or not - the very same time in which I recorded my first record. I met Geoff Barrow and immediately found a musical and ideological connection with him. That was the spark that brought me back into music and let me follow my great passion.

You recorded your debut album in just twelve days. In the early Sixties that might have been normal, but in 2011, when everyone's chasing the perfect production, it's a really short time. Can you tell me how it went?

What I'm most proud of is having made this record with immediacy and spontaneity. And in the end the songs came out exactly the way we wanted them to. We relied more on instinct than on chasing a clean, calculated, perfect production. A lot of artists today tend to fix every tiny imperfection, but we didn't do that - we let our ideas and our vibes flow freely. I think that's what makes this record so special.

How did the songs on the album come about?

It was a truly thrilling experience. As a working method, we decided to do three takes for each track. Every time I thought the last take was the best one, but Geoff would point out that the first was actually the right one, because even though it had more imperfections, it carried more energy and a kind of genuineness. And he was right: in the first version, I realised, I was following my instinct much more, while by the third I was already overthinking it, already picturing how I'd have to perform it live.

What has changed in you over this past year?

I'd always worked in the music industry in the background, behind the scenes. Now things are completely different, since I find myself on the other side of the fence and I've had to learn quickly how to be a professional musician.

How are things going with Invada Records?

It's really stimulating to work for an independent label, and in particular with Geoff Barrow, with whom I'm perfectly in sync, both in terms of musical taste and, more broadly, our vision of the music world.

Which song on your album do you feel most attached to?

I think the one I wrote entirely by myself, called "No One's There". I'm also particularly fond of "Officer Officer", whose album version is definitely more immediate than the one I usually play live.

Have you already started writing something for the new album?

Right now I'm writing a lot of material for my next record. I wanted it not to be a continuation of the previous album, and for that reason I preferred to pause for a while to figure out which direction I really wanted to take. Just yesterday we did some recording and I was extremely satisfied with it, because I feel like we're on the right track.

What do you think of the English alternative music scene?

For us this is a very creative period musically, with excellent emerging artists and interesting independent labels. It's a shame that England is one of the toughest countries for bands wanting to go on tour, since it offers some of the lowest fees in Europe. Which is truly paradoxical when you consider how much good alternative music is out there right now. Even Spain, which is in the middle of an economic crisis, shows more consideration for touring bands than the UK does.

Speaking of touring, how are you experiencing your live dimension?

Live, I can communicate to the audience everything that in normal life I usually can't, since I'm a very reserved and introverted person. So I wait for the moment I step on stage to be able to express my whole self.

What do you think about the crisis that has hit the music market?

I want to make it clear that it's not a crisis of creativity so much as an inability on the part of the music business to give visibility to quality products. The industry thinks it can produce anything, ending up taking consumers for a ride. It basks behind cut-price products that won't leave a trace in the long run, serving us things we've already heard far too many times, with no inclination toward originality, even when there's barely any risk involved. The same thing is happening in cinema, in Hollywood. They use good actors as a lure for terrible films. I recently watched "Larry Crowne" with Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks, and it was no surprise the theatre was half-empty, because the plot was awful.

A record, on the other hand, has to be the result of valid, original ideas. In this context, I think a drive toward innovation is essential. You can fulfil yourself musically without achieving any notable commercial success. Some bands might not make it big, but they'll still matter, because they'll have helped open up new paths and bring new lifeblood to music.

What opportunities do you think can come from the web (Facebook, Myspace, Bandcamp)?

On the positive side, the internet opens up a huge number of doors for new musicians. From the consumer's point of view, though, I think free access to downloading is a negative factor, since it's taken away people's habit and pleasure of buying a record.

What do you think of the I'll Be Your Mirror festival?

What I really love is the cohesive spirit of this festival, which harks straight back to the idea of music that existed in the Sixties, when rock was just one genre (not progressive, glam, hard rock, etc...) and the audience, too, was just one. Geoff Barrow was very skilled in bringing together different musical expressions that simply prove how rock, while containing many souls within itself, is ultimately one single thing.

Is there an artist at this festival you particularly like?

Yes, a band called S.C.U.M. Yesterday, incidentally, I caught PJ Harvey's performance, and it was fantastic.

Who is the singer who influenced you the most?

Billie Holiday, for her way of singing, so deep, and for lyrics so poignant and intimate.

Was there a particularly significant period for you in the history of music?

I don't think there's a specific period, since music is constantly evolving and every era has contributed something to its growth.

Are you planning to come to Italy this year too?

Italy is one of the very few countries in Europe where I still haven't performed and where I'd love to play. There are only seven of us in total, and it's not easy to land a booking over there.

Well... at least on that front we're not even behind England!

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