Anika

A fascinating mix of hazy, echo-laden dub, angular post-punk and fractured pop, Anika features the singer's cool, Nico-esque delivery of songs ranging from rock classics (a dark and epic take on Dylan's "Masters of War" that gets an even more dubbed-out reprise at the end of the record and the Kinks gem "I Go To Sleep") to obscure '60s pop tunes (Twinkle's fatalistic ode "Terry" and Skeeter Davis' "End of the World"). The album also includes a pulsing version of the Yoko Ono's tuneful nugget "Yang Yang" that fits nicely alongside Anika originals "No One's There" and "Officer Officer." Answering a few last-minute questions via email the day before her live performance debut in San Francisco (where she'll be backed by producer/multi-instrumentalist Barrow and his Beak> bandmates bassist Billy Fuller and keyboardist Matt Williams), Anika discussed the genesis of the remarkable album and her plans for the future.

KTVU.com: I read that you knew Geoff Barrow through your work as a music promoter in the UK, but how did you end up working with him and Beak> on your debut? Was the impetus him looking for a singer to collaborate with the band, you looking for a group to record with or a combination of the two?

Anika: Actually I didn't know Geoff at all. We had a mutual friend. It was this friend who phoned saying he knew a guy looking for a weird singer, with a weird accent and weird lyrics. For some reason he thought of me. He asked if it was OK to pass on my number. I said "Yeah, alright." I was pretty beyond caring at this point, having just handed in my notice as venue manager with the intention on turning my back on the industry for good.

I was pretty pessimistic after trying my lyrics a few weeks prior with a local Cardiff band and it not working in the slightest, as well as a number of band friends condemning my lyrics and singing style as a little strange. What appealed to me about Beak> was that they just accepted me as I was, asking no questions and giving no direction. So we decided to record some stuff. Then a few weeks later, I found out it was Geoff "Portishead" Barrow who I had been recording with. That was a bit of a shock…

KTVU.com: Did you have a sound for the album in mind prior to entering the studio?

Anika: No. The idea of actually RELEASING something hadn't occurred to me. A few months after recording the album, I took on a job as a political journalist in Berlin, not looking or listening back to the album at all. It was only when Geoff sent some artwork to OK that I suddenly realised he intended to release it. It was a hard choice, deciding whether to give up politics/journalism and pursue a career as a vocalist.

KTVU.com: The album was recorded in the space of just 12 days. Did you have much time to rehearse or play live with the band prior to the sessions?

Anika: No, not at all. The first trial we had ended up being "Officer, Officer." We never rehearsed the song. [We] just tried it and the third version would go on the album. That's why there are so many mistakes on my part. The only input or guidance Geoff ever gave me was "Don't practice so much. Do it how you did it before." So that is what I did.

KTVU.com: Did you have the songs you covered on the album in mind to record prior to entering the studio? Were they your choices or did you and the band settle on the tunes?

Anika: No. we chose them on the day, listened once and then regurgitated them from memory, in our own interpretation.

KTVU.com: The songs on Beak>’s first album grew out of improvisation from what I understand. Was the songwriting process with the band similar for the original songs on your album or did you have ideas for songs going into the recording sessions?

Anika: No. It was all complete improvisation. I did have stacks of crumpled lyrics that I had written over the years that I'd rustle through, discarding ones that isn't work on the ground.

KTVU.com: How did you end up recording for Stones Throw?

Anika: Geoff and Chris [Manak, aka former Bay Area resident and DJ Peanut Butter Wolf] were friends. Geoff and I sat down when labels starting approaching and I said how I would love to go with Stones Throw because it's a label that has always encouraged independent thought. Plus, I grew up with Stones Throw. My older brother is a massive Stones Throw fan and taught me to DJ with Stones Throw records when I was pretty young.

KTVU.com: What is your history as a DJ and what kind of music do you play?

Anika: I enjoy DJing because I want to offer context to my music. Many of my generation are not familiar with the '80s movement because we grew up in the '90s and so the '80s was not cool. There is a lot of important music from this period that I was only introduced to through Geoff and Beak>. I play a lot of '60s too and bring in some new stuff to bring it up to date. I enjoy lots of different genres, so the music I play depends on the setting I suppose.

KTVU.com: Do you have plans for further recordings with Beak>?

Anika: Yes. I am writing with [Beak> bassist] Billy Fuller right now.

Anika and Beak> play at the Independent on Wednesday, Oct. 19, with Peanut Butter Wolf (VJ Set), Jel, and Starving Weirdos 8 p.m. $15