Heap grew up playing music from an early age, and by her eleventh birthday she was writing her own songs. From the age of 15, she studied at the BRIT School Of Performing Arts & Technology in Croydon, South London, recording three tracks for the school's annual CD between 1994 and 1995, "Aliens" being the title track of the latter.
After being introduced to Nik Kershaw by his manager Mickey Modern, Heap and Kershaw recorded four demos that Mickey Modern took to Rondor Music. Consequently, a few months later Heap signed her first record contract at 18 to independent record label Almo Sounds. During 1996, Heap began working with an experimental pop band called Acacia, which featured her future collaborator Guy Sigsworth and was fronted by the singer Alexander Nilere. While never a full member of the band, Heap was a guest vocalist (as a counterpart to Nilere) and contributed to various Acacia single and album tracks in 1997. One Acacia song, "Maddening Shroud", would later be covered by Frou Frou.
Heap enjoyed a prestigious live début, performing four songs (backed by friends Acacia) between sets by The Who and Eric Clapton at the 1996 Prince's Trust Concert in Hyde Park, London. Her début album, I Megaphone (an anagram of "Imogen Heap") was internationally released in 1998 on independent record label Almo Sounds and garnered critical acclaim. However, as production of the album neared completion, it was announced that the record label had been sold and would be shut down. I-Megaphone featured collaborations with Guy Sigsworth and Dave Stewart. In Japan, the regional distributor, Zora, re-released the album in 2002, featuring "Blanket," her collaboration with Urban Species which was released as a single in the United Kingdom, and a Frou Frou remix of one of her B-sides, a video to which was released exclusively to Japanese media. Following the disbanding of her UK and USA record label, I Megaphone was scarce in circulation, having not been re-printed until November 2006. An independent Brazillian record label has rights to the record, and has issued limited copies, some of which are available on eBay. It has also been released through the iTunes Music Store under the Almo label.
At the same time as the Japanese re-release, Heap was working on new tracks with producer Guy Sigsworth, who had collaborated on "Getting Scared" from I-Megaphone. Together, they formed an electro-pop group Frou Frou, releasing an album called "Details" and singles, "Breathe In", "It's Good To Be In Love" and "Must Be Dreaming." The album was a full collaboration between the two artists. Frou Frou were approached to cover "Holding Out for a Hero", originally performed by Bonnie Tyler, for the soundtrack to the highly successful movie Shrek 2. An album track, "Let Go", was featured in the movie Garden State in 2004.
In December 2003, Heap announced on her web site that she was going to write and produce her second solo album, using her site as an online blog to update fans on progress, even seeking them to be her A&R team for the lyrics to "Daylight Robbery". Heap set herself a deadline of one year to make the album (she booked the album mastering for December 2004), and re-mortgaged her flat to fund production costs, including the use of studio time and instruments (which she purchased as a birthday present to herself). Having been burned by previous challenges with record labels (Heap had been spurned twice by record companies, when Almo Sounds was sold and when Frou Frou's label staff focused on promoting other acts), Heap decided to form her own record label on which to release the new record. At the end of 2004, Heap premiered two album tracks online, enabling fans to pay for a digital download, entitled "Just For Now" (which was up for a limited time as a Christmas gift), and "Goodnight And Go", which had been featured on the second season of hit US TV drama The O.C.
In April 2005, The O.C. season two finale featured another track, the sparse vocodered-vocal track, "Hide And Seek". The track was released immediately to digital download services such as iTunes where it became an instant fixture in the chart. The track was released as a digital download on the 5th July 2005 in the UK and peaked at #8 on the iTunes download chart.
The album, entitled "Speak For Yourself" was then released in the UK on July 18th 2005 on her own record label, Megaphonic Records. The album was also released on iTunes UK, where it entered the top 10, selling strongly. "Hide And Seek" also received radio attention from the popular UK radio station BBC Radio One, with DJ Scott Mills featuring it as his "Record of the Week", and provoking strong reactions ("love it or hate it") from other DJs at the station. Due to popular demand, the track was commercially released on a special limited edition (1500 copies were printed) 7" vinyl in the UK in September. Speak For Yourself was licensed to Sony BMG imprint RCA Victor in August 2005, enabling the record to be released in the United States, Canada and Mexico. It was released in those territories in November, and Heap appeared on the Hotel Cafe Tour promoting the record. Imogen also performed "Goodnight And Go" on The Late Show with David Letterman on January 11, 2006. Heap is slated to continue touring in 2006 in the US and UK to support the record.
As well as TV soundtracks (Frou Frou and Heap's solo records have been featured in shows as varied as The O.C. to CSI, among others), Heap has also contributed solo tracks to movie soundtracks. Her cover of the song "Spooky" (made famous by the band Classics IV, and previously covered by Dusty Springfield) for the soundtrack to the Reese Witherspoon movie Just Like Heaven. Heap also wrote a special track entitled "Can't Take It In" for the soundtrack to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. She has also appeared on the second soundtrack for the HBO television series "Six Feet Under", entitled "Six Feet Under Vol. 2: Everything Ends" with a 50-second track that closed the Season 4 episode "I'm A Lonely Little Petunia (In An Onion Patch)". Three versions were recorded and are available from Heap's official web site.
In addition to producing her own records, she has also produced a track for Nik Kershaw and has collaborated with artists as diverse as Joshua Radin, Jeff Beck, Temposhark, LHB, Way Out West, Jon Bon Jovi, Mich Gerber, Sean Lennon, Urban Species, Blue October, Jon Hopkins and Acacia.
Heap's 2009 album 'Ellipse' features Canvas, Aha! and Half Life.
Sites: Twitter
www.imogenheap.com
Hide And Seek (Tiлsto's In Search Of Sunrise Re
Imogen Heap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What the hell is going on?
The dust has only just begun to fall
Crop circles in the carpet
Sinking feeling
Spin me 'round again
And rub my eyes
When busy streets amess with
People would stop to hold
Their heads heavy
Hide and seek
Trains and sewing machines
All those years
They were here first
Oily marks appear on walls
Where pleasure moments hung before
The takeover
The sweeping insensitivity
Of this
Still life
Hide and seek
Trains and sewing machines (oh, you won't catch me around here)
Blood and tears
They were here first
Mmm whatcha say?
Mmm that you only meant well? Well, of course you did
Mmm whatcha say?
Mmm that it's all for the best? Of course it is
Mmm whatcha say?
Mmm that it's just what we need? You decided this
whatcha say?
Mmm what did you say?
Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth
Mid-sweet talk newspaper word cut-outs (paper word cut outs)
Speak no feeling, no I don't believe you (I don't believe you)
You don't care a bit
You don't care a bit
(Hide and Seek) Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth
Mid-sweet talk newspaper word cut-outs
(Hide and Seek) Speak no feeling no I don't believe you
You don't care a bit, you don't care a bit (You don't care a bit)
(Hide and Seek) No, no, you don't care a bit
Uh, uh, you don't care a bit
(Hide and Seek) Mm, mm, you don't care a bit
You don't care a bit
You don't care a bit
Imogen Heap's song Hide And Seek is a profound commentary on the breakdown of communication and the resulting loss of empathy between individuals in modern society. The opening lines, "Where are we? What the hell is going on? The dust has only just begun to fall," create a sense of disorientation and confusion. The metaphor of "crop circles in the carpet" is used to illustrate the feeling of being overwhelmed by the incomprehensible forces at work. The line "Spin me 'round again, and rub my eyes" gives a sense of a desperate attempt to make sense of the chaos.
The chorus, "Hide and seek, trains, and sewing machines" juxtaposes the innocence of childhood games with images of industry and modern technology. The repetition of "they were here first" suggests a sense of displacement and loss. The lines "Oily marks appear on walls, where pleasure moments hung before" and "The sweeping insensitivity of this still life" describe the erasure of human interaction and emotion in favor of cold, mechanical efficiency.
The section beginning with "Mmm whatcha say?" is a sample from the 2005 SNL sketch "Dear Sister" and serves as a sudden jarring interjection into the otherwise slow, deliberate pace of the song. The final section, "Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth, mid-sweet talk newspaper word cut-outs, speak no feeling, no I don't believe you," emphasizes the struggle to communicate and the loss of trust that results from the breakdown of language. The repeated line "You don't care a bit" highlights the central theme of the song, which is the disconnect between individuals in modern society.
Line by Line Meaning
Where are we?
Asking for the current situation the person is in.
What the hell is going on?
Expressing confusion and shock about the current situation.
The dust has only just begun to fall
The chaos has only just started.
Crop circles in the carpet
Marks on the floor that look like designs seen in crop fields.
Sinking feeling
Feeling of despair or hopelessness.
Spin me 'round again
Requesting to revisit or try again.
And rub my eyes
Wanting to wake up or be sure that what is seen is real.
This can't be happening
Exclaiming disbelief and denial of the current situation.
When busy streets amess with
A chaotic and confusing urban setting.
People would stop to hold
Pausing to deal with the intensity of the situation.
Their heads heavy
A feeling of being weighed down by the situation.
Hide and seek
A game of concealment and discovery.
Trains and sewing machines
Everyday objects.
All those years
Time passing by.
They were here first
The objects and things existed before the current situation.
Oily marks appear on walls
Dirty marks seen on the walls.
Where pleasure moments hung before
Where things used to be joyful.
The takeover
The new force taking control.
The sweeping insensitivity
The disregard for people's feelings.
Of this
Of the dominating force.
Still life
A lifeless existence.
Blood and tears
Intense emotions.
Mmm whatcha say?
What are you trying to tell me?
Ransom notes keep falling out your mouth
Words are being used as a weapon to control the situation.
Mid-sweet talk newspaper word cut-outs
Media created stories that have been edited to manipulate.
Speak no feeling, no I don't believe you
You are not being truthful about your emotions.
You don't care a bit
You have no concern for anything else but yourself.
Contributed by Liliana N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@markycupko
Give me relief
Witness me
I am outside
Give me peace
Heaven holds a sense of wonder
And I wanted to believe
That I'd get caught up
When the rage in me subsides
Passion choke the flower
Till she cries no more
Possessing all the beauty
Hungry still for more
Heaven holds a sense of wonder
And I wanted to believe
That I'd get caught up
When the rage in me subsides
I can't help this longing
Comfort me
I can't hold it all in
If you won't let me
Heaven holds a sense of wonder
And I wanted to believe
That I'd get caught up
When the rage in me subsides
In this white wave
I am sinking
In this silence
In this white wave
In this silence
I believe
In this white wave
I am sinking
In this silence
In this white wave
In this silence
I believe
I have seen you
In this white wave
You are silent
You are breathing
In this white wave
I am free
I am free
I am free
I am free
@Deejayradar
I had the pleasure of opening up for tiesto, I played in front of about 7,000 people and just that alone was the biggest rush of my life. Years before, I remember playing his records in my bedroom practicing my mixing and programming, dreaming of playing a stage like that. That day my life came full circle, he hit the stage after my set and hit it hard!! Old school tiesto!! Hard fast trance! And he dropped this Gem, time almost stood still, I couldn’t stop crying, I’ll never forget that moment and feeling ❤️🙏🏽
@carlosmonteiro1327
Yes i am 40 ... i miss this sound 😢😢
ONE OF THE BEST FOREVER 😊😊😊
@chrisandvicky
Knowing I'm listening to a track that is now 2 decades old and reading comments from people all over this planet which describe the same feelings of euphoria I feel makes me realise just how universally emotional and magical this sort of music is.....
.
Love to you all. ... may your lives be blessed and full of love x
@safeinmyheart1
Love to you, too, my friend.
💜👏💜👏💜👏💜👏💜👏💜
@michaelart4878
The Jordan, Euphrates, Bow and EL-bow are all rivers 🙌 ALLELUIA 🙌 A-men' 🌿
@patriciagruy3887
Trisha G
I'm 77 yrs young and just recently discovered Tiesto. Absolutely amazing!!! So glad I'm alive with all my rich lived experience ~ it really enhances listening to this. The natural high it gives me is so incredible. I agree with many who say the 'old' Tiesto is best. Don't ever count us 'ole folks out!
@julimoreno173
Our ears have been blessed!
@thomasmeeks7525
Tiesto + Delerium + Sarah = once in a lifetime musical journey/spiritual experience
@capitalgroup5072
ya man
@sarahlawrence7297
Thomas Meeks ikr ;)