Hachiku is the brainchild of German bedroom-producer
Anika Ostendorf, who writes and produces her home-made dream pop
(think: Grimes, Perfume Genius and early CocoRosie) from whichever
bedroom she is currently inhabiting.
Since the release of Hachiku’s self-titled debut EP in June 2017 on Courtney Barnett’s
Australian label Milk! Records, Ostendorf found a home and 4 piece band in Melbourne quickly
becoming one of the most sought after live acts playing shows with Japanese Breakfast, Aldous
Harding and Fazerdaze. After selling out their first ever headline show at the Old Bar in Melbourne,
Hachiku will be joining label mate Jen Cloher on her UK and Europe tour in February 2018.
'Hachiku's ethereal and catchy melodies, highly tasteful, textural guitar playing and shimmering walls
of sound create a unique brand of left of centre shoegaze, with each song taking the listener on a melodic journey'
(THE MUSIC, Australia).
Born in Detroit and raised in Germany, Ostendorf first formed her sound at 16 while on a road trip of the U.S.— accompanied only by her dog— before relocating to London and recently Melbourne.
Hachiku’s bedroom beats were already creating a buzz before any official releases – she opened for
Courtney Barnett on her 2015 European tour and was invited to take part in the Split Singles Club, a collaborative project curated by independent labels Milk! Records and Bedroom Suck presenting their favorite artists.
The new single ‘Murray’s Lullaby’ was written and recorded in regional Queensland while Ostendorf was
completing 3 months of farm work as a mandatory requirement for her Australian visa.
Whilst it was a busy creative time, it was a difficult one personally,
“The song deals with the isolation of a long-distance relationship”, Ostendorf explains,
“longing to be close to that person while living in the fear that you’ll forget
the memories you made together.”
‘Murray’s Lullaby’ marks the first time Ostendorf
has collaborated with a mix engineer, enlisting the talents of Tim Shiel (Double J, Gotye).