The child of musicians, they started writing and playing music at the age of four. They 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. Levi performed as a DJ and MC around the UK garage and grime scene in London, and released a mixtape titled Filthy Friends, which was posted on their Myspace page in 2006. For Filthy Friends, they enlisted the help of friends and musicians of various backgrounds including MCs Baker Trouble, Brother May, Man Like Me & Ghostpoet, singer-songwriter Jack Peñate, jazz band Troyka, London pop-band Golden Silvers, producers Kwes. and Toddla T. Following its release, Filthy Friends became sought after on the London club scene.
While a student at Guildhall, Levi was commissioned to write an orchestral piece for the London Philharmonic Orchestra which was performed at the Royal Festival Hall in April 2008.
Levi formed a band called The Shapes, which includes Raisa Khan on keyboards and Marc Pell on drums. They signed to Accidental Records who released their debut single "Lone Ranger" in May 2008, followed by "Golden Phone" in August 2008. With the Shapes, Levi's focus has been on experimental pop music. Most of this music prominently features an acoustic half-guitar with various non-standard tunings, extensive distortion, and use of noise and found-object elements, as well as occasionally unusual time signatures. Despite these experimental leanings, the artist categorizes her output with The Shapes as pop music.
Their debut album, Jewellery, produced by influential electronic musician Matthew Herbert, was recorded around Mica's composition studies at Guildhall School. Advance copies of the record reached the press in early 2009, and generated positive feedback. In the wake of this growing buzz, Micachu and the Shapes were signed to Rough Trade, who released Jewellery on 9 March 2009. Drowned In Sound consequently hailed the record as "thrillingly improbable pop made by a grade-A maverick."
Levi describes the music they performs with The Shapes as "pop", without many of pop's defining characteristics (obvious choruses and accessible lyrics). They often use unorthodox instruments, many of which are homemade. These include a modified guitar played with a hammer action, called a 'chu', and a bowed instrument fashioned from a CD rack. This multitude of objects, varying from broken bottles to a vacuum cleaner, help Mica achieve their distinctive and unique sound. They also own a 3rd bridge Home Swinger built by Yuri Landman.
They produced the very effective horror-like music to the 2013 Jonathan Glazer's movie Under the Skin.
Fall
Micachu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hit the ground with no urgency
Bricks are bound to bend under me
I hope my bones crack evenly
I have sipped a great medicine
Bless the world is less cumbersome
There could be serenity
I could be more practical
But honey I can't have it all
There could be infinity
Somewhere out of reach for me
Micachu's song "Fall" describes the singer's gradual descent into something, whether that be a depressive state or a physical fall. In the first verse, she sings "I'll fall down very gradually" and "hit the ground with no urgency," which could indicate a sense of apathy or resignation. The reference to "bricks" suggests that the fall is not just emotional, but perhaps also physical or even societal.
The second verse introduces a sense of hope or relief, with Micachu singing that she has "sipped a great medicine" and the world is "less cumbersome." This could be interpreted as a reference to drugs or alcohol, or simply a metaphor for finding temporary relief from life's struggles. The line "there could be serenity" reinforces the idea that the singer is seeking some kind of inner peace.
However, the final verse indicates a sense of longing or regret. Micachu sings that she "could be more practical" and seems to acknowledge that she can't have everything she wants. The final line, "somewhere out of reach for me," suggests that there may be some unattainable goal or dream that the singer is chasing.
Overall, "Fall" is a poignant and introspective song that speaks to the human experience of struggling and falling, but also finding moments of relief or peace amidst the chaos of life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll fall down very gradually
I expect my descent to be slow
Hit the ground with no urgency
I am not in a rush to make contact with the floor
Bricks are bound to bend under me
The stability of the structure beneath me is uncertain
I hope my bones crack evenly
If my body is to break, I hope it does so consistently
I have sipped a great medicine
I have ingested something potent and beneficial
Bless the world is less cumbersome
I am grateful for the reduction of weight on my shoulders
There could be serenity
There exists a possibility of peace and tranquility
Kept with me so secretly
I have kept this knowledge hidden within myself
I could be more practical
I acknowledge that I could be more sensible and realistic
But honey I can't have it all
However, I am aware that I cannot have everything I desire
There could be infinity
The potential for infinite possibilities exists
Somewhere out of reach for me
Yet, such opportunities may be beyond my grasp
Contributed by Lillian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
notstarvingyet
This just might be my favorite. Jazzy, weird, pensive, and wild.
norizaegg
even with lyrics!! so great. so much love for this band.
wiggz29
How did I ever sleep on this album. I can't stop playing this tune. Damn Micachu!!
B NThirteen
This was probably my favorite from the album. It immediately took me to dreamland once she started falling.
Eric Kolkey
The best! Sooooooo great!
adamiragal
great! im glad to understand the lyrics now. this song was one of my favorites on chopped and screwed. i think that version is even a bit better... although the mood of this one in combination with the video hypnotises me perfectly. it reminds me sometimes a bit of björk's video for hyperballad.
Sam Foot
So much love for this track.
HARMEKAMUmusic
nice guitars, very experimental, very awesome of course
Marisa Hernandez
I love this band -- they defy description.
Selftitled
love it