Micachu and the Shapes - Jewellery [2009]

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Micachu was born Mica Levi in Surrey in 1987 before relocating to Bow, East London. The daughter of musicians, she started writing and playing music at the age of four. She studied violin, viola and composition at the Purcell School before being offered a scholarship to attend the Guildhall School of Music and Drama to study composition. She was also commissioned to write an orchestral piece for the London Philharmonic Orchestra which was performed at the Royal Festival Hall on April 29th.

She performed as a DJ and MC around the UK garage and grime scene in London, and released a mixtape titled Filthy Friends, free on her Myspace page. It consists of friends and musicians of various backgrounds including MCs Man Like Me & Ghostpoet, singer-songwriter Jack Peñate, jazz band Troyka, London pop-band Golden Silvers, producers Kwes and Toddla T. Filthy Friends has become much sought after on the London club scene.

She formed a band called The Shapes, to perform her own brand of pop music, and signed to Accidental Records. On May 26, 2008 she released her debut single "Lone Ranger," followed by "Golden Phone" in August of 2008.

Micachu has toured widely throughout the UK in 2008, including performances at the Bestival and V Festival and her music has received critical acclaim in several national publications, including The Guardian, Dazed & Confused and Time Out. She has also played abroad, in South Africa and at CMJ shows in New York City.

In 2009, advance copies of her first album, Jewellery, began to reach the press, generating positive reviews. Fact Magazine predicted "it will be one of the records of the year, guaranteed." In the wake of positive buzz, Mica was signed to Rough Trade Records, and the release of Jewellery was moved from February 2 to March 9.

Micachu describes the music she performs with The Shapes as pop, but the term may be misleading, as her music veers away from much of pop's defining characteristics, including obvious choruses and accessible lyrics, and often makes use of unconventional playing styles and use of noise like bottles breaking or a vacuum cleaner.

Micachu uses unorthodox instruments which are sometimes customised or even homemade instruments. These included a modified guitar played with a hammer action, called a 'chu' and a bowed instrument fashioned from a CD rack. Another instrument has an additional third bridge right next to the sound hole which shortens the scale length leading to an alternate microtonal division of the fret intervals.

The mixtape is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD from www.myspace.com/micayomusic