Emika

“I hope she becomes very famous.” - Thom Yorke “She is sonically out of this world.” - The Weeknd Born in the UK of Czech heritage, while her teenage friends were doing teenage things Emika, was studying computer sequencing and audio processing in Somerset’s picturesque city of Bath. A classically trained pianist and vocalist, inspired by nearby Bristol’s trip hop vista, while Emika’s means of musical expression lay in techno culture and the rising dubstep scene, her curiosity for sound was equally guided by avant-garde electro-acoustic composers such as Iannis Xenakis, John Cage and Stockhausen. While studying Creative Music Technology, the budding producer began work on her self-titled debut album during a period when female producers were becoming increasingly empowered by technology and a DIY approach to production. Released in October 2011, Emika exposed her signature sound as bass heavy electronic with staccato rhythms and vocals. All Music’s Jon O’Brien quickly distinguished the 25-year-old’s uniqueness: “Emika doesn't really sound like anyone else out there. An admirable feat which should appeal to those dismayed by Dubstep's recent commercial takeover.” The sophomore electronic pop album Dva arrived within two years. Admittedly torn between conforming to the music industry machine - exemplified by her cover of Chris Isaak’s global ‘80s hit “Wicked Game”, Emika possessed a yearning to break through its obsession with style over substance. Gainfully employed by music technology developer Native Instruments, Emika found home in Berlin where a nascent underground scene would further infiltrate her production aesthetic. Signalling Emika’s intent to seek full ownership of her career, 2015 would deliver a two-pronged attack on the senses. Emika showcased the minimalist neo-classical Klavírní on her newly founded Emika Records. Six months later, the electronic pop beast Drei would validate her rapidly escalating talent as a beat maker and sound designer. Yet, while Drei cemented Emika’s desire to playfully develop her signature style, Klavírní had opened a door to experimentation that could not be shut. In the artist’s own words: “I’m known for being a shapeshifter and reinventing things. That’s how life and art is, but they smash into the music industry world where everything needs to be put in a box. I’ve embraced so many different ways of working now that it’s hard to go back. Approaching the design of my records in an industry-type way doesn’t really work for me anymore.” Having long harboured a dream to write and release her own fully fledged orchestral symphony inspired by classical greats such as Rachmaninoff and Anton Bruckner, Emika’s next project, Melanfonie (2017), would demonstrate outrageous ambition, utilising the power of social media to seek €25,000 in funding via Kickstarter for the classical project ‘How to Make a Symphony’. With the help of 500 financial backers, Emika headed to Prague to work with soprano vocalist Michaela Šrůmová and the 70-strong City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. The project enabled Emika to not only flex her skills as a writer/arranger, but take the reins in a more emphatic sense, emulating famed North America producers such as Dr. Dre or Timbaland who oversaw projects from conception to completion. Released in 2017, Emika now reflects on the symphony project: “It was a big test for me because it’s one thing to sit on your own with a computer and fantasise about making a big orchestral production leading a big team, but it’s incredibly complicated to get right. It was another test to overcome my classical education and get on with writing it.” 2018 saw Emika return to her pacey synthpop sound with a sense of maturation on her sixth album Falling in Love with Sadness. Co-produced with Robert Witschakowski of The Exaltics and continuing her collaboration with guitarist Chris Lockington, the album softened the palette with a richer, denser collection of tracks, signified by Emika’s by-now trademark proclivity for lush, darkly mysterious hooks and melancholy vocals. If the previous eight years were a process of assimilation and discovery, 2020 was one of re-evaluation. Five years after the release of her solo piano album Klavírní, a second album of solo piano works arrived in the form of Klavírní Temná. Reverse engineering her approach to the neo-classical genre, fourteen piano-based tracks were decayed by computer glitch and ghost FX. During a year of global chaos and deep introspection, the appropriately titled Chaos Star album leapt further into the technological matrix, creating an algorithmic journey in generative sound for ‘committed sound explorers’. On-stage, Emika would also move away from the well-trodden DJ path, reconceiving a wide selection of her songs for a spectacular surround sound live show at Berlin’s Zeiss-Großplanetarium venue. Titled ‘If We Disappear’, Emika collaborated with visual artist László Zsolt, who engineered 360°dome visuals to create an immersive experience which went on to sell-out multiple nights in some of the biggest planetariums in the world: Berlin, Moscow and Prague. 2021 signified Emika’s 10th year in the music industry and with that comes time for reflection: “The challenges that lay in front of any career artist are unchanging yet simple. Self-doubt can shatter any artistic vision and the universal illusion that something’s good because it's got big numbers attached to it. I've always managed to find a way past these trials, listen to my heart and push myself hard to make the most outstanding music I possibly can while having faith in my ability to sell it myself. My career path continues to be an incredibly colourful one - I‘ve made many friendships through music and I’m grateful for everyone who has joined my journey so far.” Through 2022 Emika has been building her new music studio and Emika Records label home near Schwarzwald aka The Black Forest in South Germany. Transitioning online as her self-releasing imprint now releases Electronic, Classical and Pop music from her friends, as well as in her personal life; leaving Berlin for a small village community surrounded by family and forest: A slew of single releases from her VEGA trilogy hold the fort until she kicks-off chapter II of Emika Records: Three tracks: “The Anti-Universe”, “Battles Pt. 2” and “Transcended Before Me” feat. Horace Andy (Massive Attack) looks set to further propel Emika’s standing as an electronic/orchestral singer-songwriter of uncompromising talent, ready to mark the next stage of a career signified by 10 years of innovation. “Emika’s effortless performances... sound just as good, if not even better, on stage than they do on record.” - DJ Mag “She’s already worlds apart, worth praising to the skies.” - Classic Pop Mag “A glamorous Zola Jesus.” - Uncut Mag Follow Emika: Weekly newsletter: emikarecords.com BTS + new music: patreon.com/emikamusic Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/artist/50Gx1SNB4vH2V7peIiYD4S?si=IFbn0Q8mSYuyw-9bhEN 9nQ Socials https://www.facebook.com/emikamusic https://www.instagram.com/emika_is_a_sound PR Lucy Palmer lucy.palmer@trix-pr.com