Anika a.k.a Annika Henderson is a hybrid artist. The former journalist made a name for herself in the electronic music scene, with her experimental sound collages, confrontational texts and unique way of performing live solo. Her breakthrough came in 2010 with the release of the cult-hit, experimental LP, Anika, which she recorded with Bristol band Beak>, a wholly unplanned affair, which began her on-going investigation into the music, film, poetry and arts scenes. One of her most known songs remains “I Go To Sleep,” a cover of The Kinks’ 1965 classic. The debut was followed by Change in 2021, an album full of heightened frustration buoyed by guarded optimism spread across nine tracks. 2025 sees the release of her third album Abyss. Recorded live to tape at Berlin’s legendary Hansa Studios, the album captures raw energy with minimal overdubs, resulting in a visceral and urgent 10-track journey fueled by intense emotions. With Abyss, Anika invites listeners into a space for release, rebellion, and honesty, creating an album that speaks to the turmoil of our times while offering an emotional outlet. As she puts it, “This is a space for you.”
Anika is a founding member of Mexican psych-band, Exploded View and has worked across the arts with the likes of punk legends Gudrun Gut and Beate Bartel (Malaria!, Liaisons Dangereuses), Tricky (Massive Attack), Jim Jarmusch, Soundwalk Collective, Shackleton, Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop, Clark (Warp), PBDY (Brainfeeder), performance artist Melanie Jame Wolf, n.b.k gallery Berlin, Poet Ricardo Domeneck, computer programmer Raoul Sanders/A.I (The Writing Robot. 2017), fashion house Jil Sander and light artist Philipp Geist (composing and performing a live soundscape for a light installation in Tehran, IR. 2015). Her latest work includes a video art experiment called ‘Anika – Alone In The City’ in collaboration with n.b.k gallery in Berlin, and her guitar, synth driven psychedelic experimental live album ‚Eat Liquid‘ (live recording from Zeiss Planetarium, Berlin 2023).
She has performed extensively since 2009, with and without band, in renowned venues and festivals across the globe, such as the Portishead-curated All Tomorrows Parties in New Jersey and London, Moog Festival, alongside the likes of Suicide, Tangerine Dream, Silver Apples, and Moebius, Mexico City’s Normal Festival, Tehran’s Tadaex, Berghain, Atonal festival, SKIF St Petersberg, and WWWX Tokyo among others.
She interweaves dub, post-punk, and psychedelic, with shadows of dnb and a strong emphasis on the voice. Henderson operates as a writer, composer, musician, DJ, photographer, radio host and video-director.
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