blueFROG's take on Imogen Heap
Imogen’s distinct, ‘eclectronic’- style, a brilliant kaleidoscopic symphony of voices, beats, sounds and emotions - mixing beautiful lyrics with breathtaking melodies, traditional instrumentation with computers, to create a sound that’s folk-hued and digital and sparks the imagination - has won her over 350,000 friends on MySpace and more than 250,000 followers on Twitter.
About Imogen Heap
A Grammy nominated multi-instrumentalist, who began writing music by her 13th birthday (and broke America by her 28th), an innovative singer-songwriter with a quirky and inspirational character, a tech savvy musician with an eccentric sense of style and uniquely graceful music, Imogen Heap is a profoundly English artist whose songs transcend time and place to conjure captivating digital dreamscapes of love, loss and hopefulness.
Imogen’s distinct, ‘eclectronic’- style, a brilliant kaleidoscopic symphony of voices, beats, sounds and emotions - mixing beautiful lyrics with breathtaking melodies, traditional instrumentation with computers, to create a sound that’s folk-hued and digital and sparks the imagination - has won her over 350,000 friends on MySpace and more than 250,000 followers on Twitter. Fans include Brian Eno, Jeff Beck and Scrubs star Zach Braff, while US chat show hosts David Letterman, Jay Leno, Carson Daly and Hollywood mega blogger, Perez Hilton, have all championed her ability, musically and physically, to transfix. Imogen is, in all senses, an EXPERIENCE.
A Grammy nominated multi-instrumentalist, who began writing music by her 13th birthday (and broke America by her 28th), an innovative singer-songwriter with a quirky and inspirational character, a tech savvy musician with an eccentric sense of style and uniquely graceful music, Imogen Heap is a profoundly English artist whose songs transcend time and place to conjure captivating digital dreamscapes of love, loss and hopefulness.
Imogen’s distinct, ‘eclectronic’- style, a brilliant kaleidoscopic symphony of voices, beats, sounds and emotions - mixing beautiful lyrics with breathtaking melodies, traditional instrumentation with computers, to create a sound that’s folk-hued and digital and sparks the imagination - has won her over 350,000 friends on MySpace and more than 250,000 followers on Twitter. Fans include Brian Eno, Jeff Beck and Scrubs star Zach Braff, while US chat show hosts David Letterman, Jay Leno, Carson Daly and Hollywood mega blogger, Perez Hilton, have all championed her ability, musically and physically, to transfix. Imogen is, in all senses, an EXPERIENCE.
Age 18 she signed her first record contract and age 20 she released her debut album, iMegaphone. An anagram of her name, iMegaphone mixed angst with vulnerability, quirky noise with somber reflection, to be refreshing and intriguing. Produced by David Kahne, Eurythmic Dave Stewart and Bjork/Madonna collaborator Guy Sigsworth it attracted a loyal following and her first film credit; single "Come Here Boy" featured in Rupert Penry-Jones’s Virtual Sexuality.
2002 saw a new side to Imogen as she embarked on a short collaborative journey with Guy Sigsworth, forming electronica duo Frou Frou. Their album, Details, shifted from the darker iMegaphone to an airy, dream-pop landscape. Laden with skipping beats, cool synth layers, and stunning attention to detail, its glittering melancholy was punctuated with beautifully intricate and poetic lyrics. Together Imogen & Guy were able to take computer music and bring from it real sensuality and emotion.
Her second album, Speak For Yourself took Imogen exactly a year to write and produce. It was released in 2005 on her own Megaphonic label. An album of extreme joy, desperate sadness and a little bit of wondering what it would be like to be a stalker, it’s Imogen laying bare her soul over 12 tracks. Utilizing the Internet to market Speak For Yourself, Imogen pioneered a new Artist/Audience relationship.
She was one of the first artists to bring her music to a new audience via MySpace, iTunes, YouTube and her blog. Electrifying performances on David Letterman, Jay Leno and Carson Daly cemented Imogen’s US success. Unique sets at Sundance and Coachella, and extensive touring, established her as an unparalleled live experience. No two gigs are alike. Treading a fine line between chaos and brilliance, live she’s technology meets edge of the seat spontaneity in a one-woman show.
From English eccentric to celebrated artist, Imogen was nominated for Best New Artist and Best Song Written For Motion Picture for “Cant Take It In” (The Chronicles of Narnia) at the 49th Grammy Awards in 2007 and caused quite a stir on the red carpet when she turned up wearing a lily pond themed dress complete with ‘Gary The Grammy Frog’. After touring Speak For Yourself across Europe and America, Imogen was eager to get back to recording and start work on her third solo album, Ellipse.
Imogen also found time during recording to remix former Sneaker Pimp Chris Corner’s IAMX single “Spit It Out”, giving it a slinky new outlook and re-record “Hide & Seek” for Rupert Hine’s ‘Songs For Tibet’ charity project. She contributed to Brian Eno’s Plague Songs album, collaborated with Nitin Sawhney on “Bring It Home”, played at the wedding of The O.C. creator Josh Schwartz, co-wrote and produced a track for Mika’s second album and donated an unfinished track, “The Song That Never Was”, to the Twitter charity event Twestival.
Amazingly accessible and down to earth for such a luminary, Imogen truly understands the relationship with her fans as a human one, rather than one married to business. She even encourages fans to be creative, writing her press biog and helping her design album artwork. A multi-instrumentalist with what seems to be limitless creative ability, the culmination of eccentric style and a sound which is unlike anything else, Imogen’s an artist who isn’t afraid to experiment, either with her music or with her relationship with her fans.
Her new album once again seduces you into a world where fantasy and reality meet in an atmospheric dream state, to be the musical soulmate of both Casablanca and Bladerunner. It’s organic electronica. Hauntingly beautiful computer music. Avant-garde. Otherworldly. Comforting. Tantalising. Heaven on a disc.
“Imogen Heap is my sweet religion! Her music makes me shine. And if you don’t like her, I will put you in a headlock!” @Perezhilton
“Imogen is an eccentric, innovative musician who blends aspects of the world around her into a beautiful universe of song.”@Jack, founder Twitter
Imogen Heap - Hide And Seek
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Pictures: Imogen Heap at Blue Frog, Mumbai
30th Nov 2011
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