Grammy winning artist Imogen Heap announces the release of her next unique musical endeavor, “Heap Song 2” which, as far as we can gather will be the first 3D audio song, ever. “Heap Song 2”, is the working title of Heap’s second release from her work in progress 4th solo album.
The first song “Lifeline” was created by Imogen earlier this spring. The song / video and artwork was collaborated on and inspired by her fans over a two week period with Imogen as the creative ringmaster. Day by day Imogen chose her favorite sounds, images, words and video sent in from around the world and played with, molded, edited, mixed and produced “Lifeline”. Heapsong1 aka "Lifeline" was then released 2 weeks after the start of the project, with the release party held at her house where all those involved were invited.
“Heap Song 2” continues Imogen’s innovative approach to music and songwriting as she is set to create the first 3D audio song. “Heap Song 2” will be available on July 6th, 2011 exclusively at imogenheap.com and other digital providers beginning July 17th.
On “Heap Song 2” Imogen has partnered with Nick Ryan to push the limits of ‘sound’ and ‘song’ to a new place. Nick Ryan is a multi award winning sound designer, composer and audio specialist. While working with the BBC’s ‘Imagineering’ Department as a futurologist in 2004 he won a BAFTA for ‘The Dark House’, a groundbreaking interactive binaural (3D audio) Radio Drama which he co-devised, scored and mixed live on air on BBC Radio 4. Last year Nick created Papa Sangre - the first ever real-time 3D audio game . Papa Sangre is a video game with no video created entirely in sound, for the iPhone platform. The game was awarded the ‘Most Innovative Game’ at the International Mobile Gaming Awards in March.
He and Imogen are excited to explore the idea of using sound to enhance the experience and narrative of a song alongside 'conventional' words and music. They will create a track where the listener will actually be “inside” the song, as if they were in Imogen's shoes, which will happen around them in 3D audio
As with “Lifeline” – this track, artwork and video will be created in 2 weeks, again with involvement from her community.
Imogen will be asking her community to post entries into the 'clarity cloud'. A space to share poignant moments in time when something became beautifully clear and as a result, changed the course of their lives. This idea and the responses are core to the writing of Heapsong2. Each person entering having the chance to be in the video, shot in the woods at the bottom of her garden, depicting their own moment.
Nick, in tandem will be regularly meeting up with imogen at her studio out in the english countryside. Then he'll find and create sounds, atmospheres and acoustic spaces that depict the inspiration for her 'moment of clarity', later to be incorporated into the recording. Fans can expect regular tweets from Nick sharing his progress, for example 'in a tunnel, voices bounce of walls as people discuss the day', calling upon people for ideas on locations or asking them participate in large scale live 'foley' (sound effects) sessions. They will then hear these recordings, day by day as they are made. Like a sonic version of reading a paragraph in a book, where the spaces and faces come alive in ones own imagination. With this and the 'clarity cloud', Imogen hopes people will come to develop a personal connection to the song as they interpret these sounds with reference to their own experiences and that the song take on an enhanced meaning, even before its been heard.
Imogen's community will also be invited again to send in photos and images inspired by these recordings for use in the 3dicd packaging for “Heap Song 2”. As with 'Lifeline' those photographers will be credited and paid for their work. All involved in the final release invited (as with “Lifeline”) to her house for the release party!
For all information please go to imogenheap.com
No comments:
Post a Comment