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
Rake It In
Imogen Heap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tied up in your torture frame
Printed paper, guilty to blame
The story stays the same
[Chorus]
Dry me out
Run me down
Burn me up
And rake it in
And rake it in
Dry me out
Run me down
Burn me up
Rake it in
Rake it in
Rake it in
Rake it in
A slave upon your plate
I am your dreams, yeah
Your life and your bait
Selfish schemes,
I proceed, you await
You my indefinite hate
[Chorus]
Do you know what my chopping block's for?
Do you know what my hanging braid's for?
Do you know what my chamber maid's for?
Do you know what I, what I have in store for you?
Dry me out
Run me down
Burn me up
Rake it in
Rake it in
Rake it in
Rake it in
Yeah,
Dry me out
Run me down
Burn me up
And rake it in
Yeah,
Drag me down
Run me out
Burn me up
And rake it in
And rake it in
Rake it in
Some more
Rake it in some more.
The lyrics of "Rake It In" by Imogen Heap depict a person who is trapped in a torturous cycle with someone who continuously manipulates and uses them. The metaphor of being a slave upon someone's plate suggests that the person singing is offering themselves up as an offering or a sacrifice to someone who sees them as nothing more than something to use for their own gain. The repetition of the chorus, 'Dry me out, Run me down, Burn me up, And rake it in' underscores the idea that the person is being used until they have nothing left to give.
The bridge of the song, where Imogen sings, "Do you know what my chopping block's for? Do you know what my hanging braid's for? Do you know what my chambermaid's for? Do you know what I, what I have in store for you?" implies that the person singing is in control of the situation, and that the person who is using them may not realize the extent of what they are dealing with. The repetition of 'rake it in' at the end of the song implies that the person singing has come to terms with their situation, and that they are resigning themselves to their fate.
Overall, the lyrics of "Rake It In" by Imogen Heap depict a person who is trapped in a situation where they are being used and manipulated by someone who sees them as nothing more than a means to an end. The repetition of the chorus and the bridge emphasizes the cyclical nature of the situation and the feeling of helplessness that the person is experiencing.
Line by Line Meaning
I am here again
I am back to face your torture frame
Tied up in your torture frame
I am trapped by your manipulative tactics
Printed paper, guilty to blame
I am accused of something without solid evidence, yet I am guilty as charged because of your misleading story
The story stays the same
You keep telling the same lies to continue holding me captive
Dry me out
Deplete my resources
Run me down
Exhaust me to the point of weakness
Burn me up
Destroy me
And rake it in
Profit from my suffering
A slave upon your plate
I am a tool for your selfish purposes
I am your dreams, yeah
You envision me as a means to your end goal
Your life and your bait
You use me as a lure to attract what you desire
Selfish schemes,
Your plans revolve around your own benefits, with no regard for me
I proceed, you await
I continue to play my part in your plan while you anticipate the outcomes
You my indefinite hate
You despise me without any clear reason, and will keep hating me until you achieve what you want
Do you know what my chopping block's for?
Do you understand the purpose of your own oppressive tactics?
Do you know what my hanging braid's for?
Do you comprehend the consequences of your actions?
Do you know what my chamber maid's for?
Do you realize the extent of my suffering caused by your actions?
Do you know what I, what I have in store for you?
Are you aware of the repercussions of your actions towards me?
Drag me down
Further lower my position and dignity
And rake it in some more
Profit even more from my misery
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: FIL EISLER, IMOGEN HEAP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind