anika

Every year, the Berliner Pop-Kultur Festival funds fifteen projects by artists from all genres and backgrounds. These pieces are conceptualized and premiered exclusively at the festival but resonate beyond. We spoke to creative producer Pamela Schlewinski, and the artists Anika and Portrait XO about the experience and opportunities this program creates.

Annika Henderson, known as Anika created an immersive stage performance as a commissioned work for this year's Pop-Kultur festival. Working with several international and interdisciplinary artists, the project "Lost Voices" gives space to frequencies and voices that are unheard and marginalized by a hetero-patriarchal and capitalist society. She shares thoughts on working with these complex topics.

The term Pop is slippery like water. Its wide range exceeds definition yet it is used ubiquitous. Shaped by a hegemonic discourse, what is considered pop often moves within a narrow realm. Berlin's alternative pop festival, Pop Kultur, questions the definition of pop and the tastemakers by curating an inclusive, diverse, and critical line up of artists and speakers at their eighth edition earlier this year.

From the depths of German Krautrock comes the sixth edition of the Synästhesie Festival. Backed by the beloved local music hot spot – the 8MM bar, which already put artists like Gurr and Sofia Portanet on our radar – the festival unites Berlin’s favorites alongside international acts. Needless to say, organizing a large indoor festival ahead of another wave of Covid in Germany, is quite the task. Yet, after what felt like a dozen documents to scan – vaccinated and additionally tested – festival-goers were invited into the industrial chambers of the Kesselhaus once again.

After almost a decade away from the day job, and an adventure in art-rock band Exploded View, Annika Henderson makes her grand return as Anika with "Change", a record that spreads her musical wings and takes her sound into new dimensions. NBHAP author Austin Maloney met her to find out more.

Every Friday music fans are faced with the same burning question: What to listen to from the sheer endless sea of new albums, EPs and other releases? Don't worry, the people of NBHAP are here to help you with that. Our very own release roundup gives you a quick overview on the music that matters the most this week.