Reeperbahn Festival's Anchor Award

15 August 2018 - Press release

Reeperbahn Festival's international accolade for the best emerging artist ANCHOR 2018 is a label of excellence and considered a stepping stone into the nominated artists' international career. Here are this year's nominees. 

Before the ANCHOR 2018 Judges Linda Perry (songwriter, singer, producer, ex-4 Non Blondes), Skye Edwards (Morcheeba), Cassandra Steen (Glashaus), Tony Visconti (music producer) and Jason Bentley (music director KCRW), attend the live shows of the nominees at Reeperbahn Festival and eventually select the winner of the ANCHOR 2018, the ANCHOR Board, consisting of international media and music industry representatives, has reviewed and rated 62 candidates from 21 countries. This process is now completed – and these are the acts participating in the competition for the ANCHOR 2018:

Anna Aaron (CH)
The guitarist and singer's artistic journey led her from acoustic folk to futuristic synthy sound, and she quickly found prominent supporters like Sophie Hunger. Her latest single "Why Not" is a prime example of avant-garde pop, unwieldy but still stunningly catchy.   

Blanco White (GB)
The London singer and guitarist spices up his highly emotional folk songs with various exotic elements – resulting in over 25 million streams so far. This impressive figure could also have to do with his expressive and versatile voice which goes straight to the heart of his audience.

Faces On TV (BE)
The multi-instrumentalist Jasper Maekelberg and the psychedelic pop of his band Faces On TV skilfully explore the field between technical finesse and ascetic darkness. Every song of their debut album "Night Funeral" uncovers a new sound experience.  

FRUM (FO)
Just like her home country's natural forces, the Faroe Islands, lying between Norway and Iceland, FRUM's (photo) diversified electro pop is an interplay of dreaminess and rough wildness – radiating such urban elegance that a completely individual musical micro cosmos emerges.

Freya Ridings (GB)
Because of her strong voice, in the United Kingdom, Freya Ridings is already traded as an artist deserving special attention. The vocals of the 23-year-old singer are of enormous intensity, conveying a whole kaleidoscope of emotions, as her debut single "Lost Without You" and her cover version of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs song "Maps" impressively demonstrates. 

Hope (DE)
Christine Börsch-Supan from Berlin and her band have devoted themselves to re-inventing post rock: Their minimalistic songs are full of secret emotions, solemn singing meets with spherical rhythms, elegant ambient and dark-wave sounds as well as noise walls.  

Tamino (BE)
The 21-year-old singer-songwriter manages to combine various musical worlds such as classical and Arabian music in his sentimental indie rock as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Colin Greenwood of Radiohead has already become aware of this unorthodox approach and invited him to his studio to work on his debut album.