anika_invada_interview
An interview with Anika Invada

With as many press releases and new music inquiries that flood the net, it isn’t too often that a new artist really blows you away just as their publicist claims they will. Anika is inspirational for people working on an MFA degree in music. Yet one of this year’s greatest surprises that bucked that trend was Stones Throw Records’ dub artist Anika. Moreover, Anika’s background as a political journalist living between Berlin and Bristol adds a very interesting twist to both her story and, more importantly, the music she delivers. Produced by Geoff Barrow of Portishead, Anika’s excellent debut album was technically released last December. But she’s just recently made it to tour the U.S. for the first time. In between those American dates, she took some time to talk to us about politics in music, the 1960’s, Occupy Wall Street and more.

Apes on Tape: I’m told that you’re a political journalist. I actually have a degree in International Relations, so hopefully we can make this the most interesting musical-political interview of all time ha. But could you describe your background in journalism there and give us some insight on it?

Anika: I studied Politics and Journalism at Cardiff University and was taught by some extremely passionate and inspirational individuals. One of the things that they constantly emphasised was the importance to question what we consider normal and this is something that has stayed with me since. I also worked closely with the Innocence project and was Interviews Editor at the Student paper and magazine… Ha, how the tables have turned…

Anyway, so around April of last year, I took on a job as the Higher Education correspondent at a Berlin-based News Network. It’s an area that greatly concerns me and one that needs to be drastically addressed by the West, otherwise it will soon find itself lagging behind.

You’ve got a definite Sixties vibe going on with your music. And I’d say there’s a nostalgia for that era present in music these days, but could you describe your own affinity for opting towards that style of production?

Do you think there’s a recent surge in 60s nostalgia? I think it’s always been there one way or another. For me what appeals is the story-telling element to the lyrics. I like the way they deal with reality and their everyday problems in quite a comical but still in touch with reality way. There were a lot of gritty and far darker songs around then. There was this strange juxta-position of clean cut Sandy Shaw types, singing somewhat darker songs but no-one seemed to twig. Even more so in 50s music I think. They’d perform on kids tv. It was great. I also like the approach to recording, where it would involve going in a studio, recording and coming out. Not so much of this over production. I also appreciate the minimalist approach to design and style.  When I first started recording with Beak, I was annoyed by the over the top, spangly stage outfits, that I felt were overshadowing the music. It just felt like there was too much emphasis on the packaging and bullshit, distracting one from the freedom of expression that music should grant. For me it was important to do a stripped back live show, which is why I forced people to wear black and wear a simple black dress on stage.

And on the 60’s note, I know you’ve already received a lot of comparisons to Nico. But is that intentional at all? And how do you feel about that comparison.

Not at all. I just happen to be German and blonde. I think the main reason is because, covering American songs, I was very aware of not wanting to sound like a rip-off American, so I over-pronounced every word. I also didn’t want to sound mockney because that would have been terrible too. This was the result…

When we recorded, I had just moved from Cardiff, where I’d be living for 5 years, so had a strange welsh accent. I also always wrote my poetry and read it out in a strange over-dramatic ‘BBC accent’, or so I called it. I just enjoy words and like to over pronounce them. Being brought up by a German mother also means, I am prone to mispronouncing words. The famous Mayonnaise incident… So yes various contributing factors.

Not to keep throwing comparison questions at you, but have you heard of the group Peaking Lights. They’ve got a very similar vibe with lo-fi 60’s production, that spoken-sung vocal style and dub influences. I don’t bring them up to put you in a box or what not, but because I think you might enjoy them if you haven’t heard them.

I don’t know them. Are they new? The thing with comparisons is that the West has an obsession with them. Putting something in a box empowers us because we feel we understand it. We desperately grasp from our own life experiences in order to understand and if we don’t understand we don’t accept. I think it’s normal for new bands to go through the comparison ordeal. Maybe one day someone will say “your band sounds like Anika”. That would be cool.

Going back to the earlier question about the Sixties, as someone who’s politically interested/active, does it bother you how little current music reflects what’s happening now, as compared to music’s role in the 60’s? Regardless of political or economic opinion, we’re “going through some shit” and meanwhile there’s more songs dedicated to “bitchz in the club” than ever, so to speak.

Yes it does anger me. Hence why I am doing this project. It was the main reason for me to quit my day job.

On “No One’s There” you say, “I know how the system works, and it doesn’t. We’ve all been too greedy and wanted what we couldn’t have. But the problem is They told us we could”.  Given that, have you been following Occupy Wall Street the past few weeks? And what are your thoughts on it?

No One’s There Anika

No I haven’t. The problem is, being in a band doesn’t lend itself well to keeping up to date with current affairs. I have 4 crumpled copies of The Economist in my bag and have only read the first few pages of each. It’s tough finding time to do it. I plan to get back up to date during my time off at home in Berlin. From December through to March, it’s cold and snowy, so I’ll barricade myself in a library and will emerge a few months later, enlightened…

That line in the song was a comment on an old Conservative party political poster that made the pun “Labour isn’t working”, over a picture of people in line for the job centre. It was a very clever play on words.

And did you see OWL’s list of demands from the movement? They’re pretty large requests, granted we’re gracing some pretty huge problems. I ask that while listening to “Yang Yang” as you sing to “Join the Revolution”. I’m wondering if that’s more of a rhetorical device or if you’re pretty serious about it.

YANG YANG Anika

It depends what revolution you’re talking about. I think revolutions are important, otherwise there will never be change and things need to evolve, otherwise they’ll die. I didn’t pick that song for political reasons actually. I picked it because I liked the way it sounded. With regards to revolutions, I think it’s important that the public remember that they do have a voice and have the right to express their opposition. Unfortunately, often the absurd demands that are not very well informed, overshadow the rational arguments in the sphere. It is our role to scrutinize those in power and what concerns me about this growing trend in apathy, especially amongst younger people (something that I think is slowly changing), is that policy reforms occur without anyone knowing about them. They’ll be on pg. 11 and the royal wedding will be on pages 1-10. Power struggle and re-instatement is an inbuilt flaw in the capitalist ideology that will ensure it’s survival. Without these power struggles, the whole system will crash.

Switching gears a bit, while listening to “Masters of War”, mid-way through I was pretty certain it was about Iraq.  And that seemed confirmed by the sound byte at the end. But in retrospect, with the 10th anniversary of 9/11 just passing, how do you feel about the whole situation?

It’s not about Iraq actually. It’s raising the point that it can be applied to any conflict and Iraq was the conflict closest to us at the time. It was written about the Vietnam war but is just as valid an argument about Iraq or any other conflict for that matter. The lyrics are very well constructed and don’t do the ignorant thing of just pointing fingers at the front line but at the structure and framework as a whole. It also raises the point that politically engaged songs needn’t be unfashionable or done in a U2, distant charity record kind of way. Dylan is regarded one of the greatest song-writers of his time, yet he dealt regularly with politically charged subject matter. Many of my generation, who cast me a blank look if I ever mention the topic of politics, also claim to be huge Dylan fans. It’s important to remind that even their idols thought debate about real issues to be acceptable and highly necessary.

Masters Of War” ANIKA

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One thought on “The End of the World: An interview with Anika

  1. I wholly affirm the notion that the west is slipping in terms of political activeness/awareness for the greater good. In light of such luxurious an existence, it seems the youth cant be bothered with such conquests of folly. The nostalgia that has never seemed to completely fade from the 60’s era: ” music for a cause” , or even early early 90’s rap: ” music to bring about social change” is one that needs to be re-inserted to the mainstream youth. I am grateful to an artist so driven by genuine motivation to reform, and who puts it all to a drop-down bangin beat. Lets hope Anika doesnt become just another needle popin’ relic of times past.

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