Throughout the making of her last album, Ellipse, English songstress Imogen Heap kept her fans in the loop via Twitter updates and video logs. Now, she's getting to work on the follow-up, and she will be giving her followers even more insight into its development.
On March 28, Heap will release the first song and video from the new LP. Here's the catch: she hasn't actually written it yet. According to a press release, the process will begin on March 14, when fans will be asked to upload random audio clips to a SoundCloud site. The next day, fans can submit words to a wordcloud, where the most popular words will grow in size. These sounds and "buzz words" will inspire the music and words of the song.
On March 16 and 17, fans will be asked to submit visual art (drawings, photographs, etc.) and video clips. These will form the basis for the single's artwork and music video.
Then on March 18, Heap will unveil the song's middle section. At that time, her followers will be asked to record a solo of their own on an instrument of their choosing. The singer will then pick her favourite and complete the song by March 21.
While preparing the video for its March 28 release, Heap will invite fans to record their own songs using the same seeds that she began with. When the song comes out on the 28th, Tim Exile will perform a live remix, having never previously heard the song.
As for why she's working this way, Heap said, "There's so much going on in my life with touring, talks and tech that the choice to do this was both a temporal necessity coupled with my passion for collaborative, spontaneous and creative projects. I also love the idea that the seeds of the song begins with the fans making a full circle when it's experienced as a finished piece."
You can follow the process over at this website. A similar process will be repeated on future songs, leading up to a new full-length, which she hopes to release in three years.
On March 28, Heap will release the first song and video from the new LP. Here's the catch: she hasn't actually written it yet. According to a press release, the process will begin on March 14, when fans will be asked to upload random audio clips to a SoundCloud site. The next day, fans can submit words to a wordcloud, where the most popular words will grow in size. These sounds and "buzz words" will inspire the music and words of the song.
On March 16 and 17, fans will be asked to submit visual art (drawings, photographs, etc.) and video clips. These will form the basis for the single's artwork and music video.
Then on March 18, Heap will unveil the song's middle section. At that time, her followers will be asked to record a solo of their own on an instrument of their choosing. The singer will then pick her favourite and complete the song by March 21.
While preparing the video for its March 28 release, Heap will invite fans to record their own songs using the same seeds that she began with. When the song comes out on the 28th, Tim Exile will perform a live remix, having never previously heard the song.
As for why she's working this way, Heap said, "There's so much going on in my life with touring, talks and tech that the choice to do this was both a temporal necessity coupled with my passion for collaborative, spontaneous and creative projects. I also love the idea that the seeds of the song begins with the fans making a full circle when it's experienced as a finished piece."
You can follow the process over at this website. A similar process will be repeated on future songs, leading up to a new full-length, which she hopes to release in three years.