Imogen Heap – Musical – and Technological – Genius
This has to be one of the most remarkable performances I’ve ever witnessed by a musician.
For the lazy, Imogen Heap is performing live in a radio studio. She begins her performance with some a cappella which she instantly records and plays back. She then layers her voice over the track again, records it, and plays it back instantly again. As she’s playing back herself singing, she then claps in accompaniment, which she then records and layers with her singing.
Throughout the entire performance she uses the recording and playing back of various elements from the same performance to create a deeply textured sound impeccably woven “on the fly” – all from elements that did not exist in any form before she took the stage.
My musical tastes are rather eclectic and range from Abba, through Skinny Puppy to Buckwheat Zydeco. However I can appreciate talent and artistry in anything – and Ms. Heap has both in spades.
Her performance reminds me most of Thomas Dolby and Tom Ellard. However she does with her voice what Dolby and Ellard do with samples and instruments.
So if you are still lazy, click and watch the video above. I guarantee you that you’ll have never seen anything quite like it.
Chad:
Checked out Abney Park (www.abneypark.com) yet? I can’t stop playing the music!
20 November 2007, 7:30 pm