Anika Nilles (Germany) - JR/F?

Anika NILLES is a German drummer/teacher/composer who didn’t take up the sticks professionally until she turned 26. She began posting her original music videos on YouTube in 2014, and she has never looked back since, boasting over 23 million views performing on social media platforms, and also catching the attention of legendary guitarist Jeff BECK, who choose her for his last world tour in 2022.

Her sound is derived from multiple influences - ranging from Jazz, Funk, Rock, Pop, and anything in between. She recently got nominated in the Drums/Percussion category at the German Jazz Prize Awards Ceremony held at Bremen in April 2023.

Besides her musical career, Anika is passionate about education as well. She has been drum department chief at Germany's Popakademie Baden-Württemberg University for Music Business, Creative Industries and Popular Music since 2021, and teaches there - as well as at Nexus ICA in the UK and Drumeo in Canada. She writes columns on a regular base for 'Drums & Percussion' magazine and her work as an author also includes articles for America's 'Drum!' magazine and the UK's similar publication called 'Rhythm'. She released her first educational book called 'Pad Book' via Alfred Music in 2020.

She has been touring the world for several years now, and has put together her own band called NEVELL, a group of (initially) three energetic and passionate musicians with whom she creates an innovative mixture of jazz, funk and progressive elements which combine virtuosity with catchy melodies. With NEVELL, Anika has been able to turn her music into a spectacular live show. The group includes Joachim SCHNEISS on guitar, Patrick RUGEBREGT on synth and keys, Jonathan Ihlenfeld CUÑADO on bass and more recently Santino SCAVELLI on percussion. Joachim SCHNEISS is also Anika's long-time producer.

Another album called 'For a Colorful Soul', featuring her band NEVELL, followed in 2020, and an EP called 'Opuntia' in 2022. 'For a Colourful Soul' reached #3 of the iTunes Top 40 Jazz charts in the US as well as #3 in Germany. Anika has also released a limited edition 'live in studio' album called 'Vinyl - Live at Little Big Beat', also recorded with her Band NEVELL, at the Little Big Beat Studio in Lichtenstein in 2018. It was recorded on tape during an intimate live concert in front of a limited audience and eventually released in 2021.

Pikalar (2017):

- Anika Nilles / drums, percussion, keyboards, synth, vocals

With:

CD Sakurai Records (2017, Germany)

https://open.spotify.com/album/5FeaGkfXWrlEzKnlmLgv6Z.

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_k-MK2wmKCELfzfpmQ0dorqrpqai7Hx3Ck.

For a Colourful Soul (2020):

- Anika Nilles  / drums, percussion, keyboards, additional vocals

With:

Nevell:

CD Sakurai Records (2020, Germany)

Digital Album

https://open.spotify.com/album/0eNTfT8lHzQGWf52FeQOD5.

https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_mfWm0BZvxozAs10Li1cOeXAE33xM9LSNU.

Vinyl - Live at Little Big Beat (Live in Studio) (2021):

- Anika Nilles / drums

With:

Nevell:

Graphic Design by Ewa Senti and Steve Peric

Limited Edn. Vinyl LP LoEnd Records - V117 (2021, Liechtenstein)

Limited Edn. Vinyl LP Sakurai Records (2022, Germany)

Opuntia (EP, 2022):

- Santino Scavelli / percussion

And:

- Hilde Müller / piano, synthesizer (3)

- Christian Frentzen / keyboards (6)

- Aaron Smith / keyboards (7)

CD Sakurai Records (2022, Germany)

Digital album