{"id":9999,"date":"2012-07-23T11:09:53","date_gmt":"2012-07-23T11:09:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wonderlandmagazine.com\/?p=9999"},"modified":"2013-02-20T20:50:16","modified_gmt":"2013-02-20T20:50:16","slug":"micachu-and-the-shapes-never","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wonderlandmagazine.com\/2012\/07\/23\/micachu-and-the-shapes-never\/","title":{"rendered":"MICACHU AND THE SHAPES: Never"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mica Levi<\/a> is an avant-garde pop sensation. The charismatic frontwoman of Micachu and the Shapes is just as comfortable jamming on homemade instruments as playing with the London Sinfonietta orchestra. Wonderland<\/em> caught up with her about the release of her new album, Never<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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How do you feel your sound has developed since 2008\u2019s Jewellery<\/em>?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Anyone listening to the tunes is a better judge than me, but I guess it\u2019s less energetic. As you get older you start to decompose, you know?<\/p>\n

What are your biggest influences?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to say because they change so regularly. This week I\u2019ve been listening to Pere Ubu and a compilation that my friend made me. I\u2019m also watching a lot of the TV show Cheers<\/em>. That\u2019s an influence. <\/p>\n

You famously use homemade instruments. How did you start making them?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was really interested in Harry Partch, an instrument designer who started working around the 1920s. He was a big influence. I also just like making things. I\u2019m Interested in customised and modified instruments which will go with the intentions behind the music. Process is pretty important to me.<\/p>\n

You studied composition for several years. Was it important to have grounding in tradition in order to come up with a fresh sound?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yeah, definitely. I\u2019ve been exposed to a lot of kinds of music and that\u2019s no doubt had a big impact on me. There\u2019s also a lot of philosophy behind it all, but that\u2019s more a subconscious thing that\u2019s behind the songs. <\/p>\n

Your work is often described as \u2018experimental\u2019. How do you feel about that label?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not massively into it, to be honest, because I feel like it\u2019s a bit vague. I don\u2019t have a problem with the idea of labelling because it makes it easier to find things and get attracted to a style, especially now there\u2019s so much available. I just feel like anybody who\u2019s making something from scratch is experimenting with their material. Whether or not it sounds weird is a different matter. It\u2019s a process as opposed to a sound. <\/p>\n

Actually, I think \u2018weird\u2019 is a better description for something that isn\u2019t quite comfortable to listen to. If you\u2019ve got \u2018conventional\u2019 and \u2018experimental\u2019 as the two main labels, I\u2019d replace \u2018experimental\u2019 with \u2018weird\u2019. Experimenting is important though, because it can help you come to a new conclusion.<\/p>\n