Multi-instrumentalist Henika is back with the release of her quirky track and official video, 'The Future of the Species', written from the point of view of the female bird choosing her mate, and accompanied by a self-directed video featuring her own handcrafted paper mache masks, adding to its whimsy.
Speaking of the track Henika says, "In the avian kingdom, it's often the male that has to prove his worthiness for reproduction by putting on an attractive display and it's the females who are in the position of power. I loved the idea of turning traditional gender tropes on their head, especially in a hip-hop inspired context where misogyny is still so rife. It's a tongue-in-cheek foray into a genre I have never really experimented with before but the core message genuinely resonates with me.
"The song features sampled NZ native birdsong recorded on predator free sanctuaries which was then manipulated to form the rhythmic and melodic ideas. The lead instrument is a theremin, a hundred year old electronic instrument that is played without any physical contact."
The video represents some of the native birds featured in her upcoming album; a kokako, kakapo, tieke, kiwi and tui, adding to the fever-dream that is her self-made video.
"The half bird, half human idea is a way of bridging the gap between us and them. I want people to relate to the birds as having similar struggles but I also just love the surreal aspect of it
"I wanted the video to look like something somebody taped off the TV on their VCR, and it's only just been found after 30 years. I set the video in the past so that the 'future' the song talks about becomes 'now' giving the message a new sense of urgency.
"I was inspired by 90s hip-hop videos, especially the wacky humour of the Beastie Boys. The dancers are from a troupe called Street Candee. They did all their own choreography on the spot."
Henika is an Auckland-based songwriter, experimenting and blending unlikely genres to create haunting original compositions with strong messages. She'll be celebrating the release of 'Future of the Species' at the Wine Cellar Aug 13, with support from Vox Venus and Little Weird, with tickets available from Under The Radar.