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Frequently Bought Together
Product details
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Track Listings
| 1. Buddha Machine 2.0 |
| 2. First Train Home |
| 3. Wait It Out |
| 4. Earth |
| 5. Little Bird |
| 6. Swoon |
| 7. Tidal |
| 8. Between Sheets |
| 9. 2-1 |
| 10. Bad Body Double |
| 11. Aha! |
| 12. The Fire |
| 13. Canvas |
| 14. Half Life |
Product Description
Review
Imogen Heap is probably more famous right now for her online presence than her music. The price on an eBay-listed promo copy of this album was hiked up to £10 million after she encouraged her army of Twitter and MySpace fans to take action, and the singer has the kind of extended Wikipedia entry that is in direct disproportion to her commercial status.
But while brilliant in places, this third solo album by the ex Frou Frou vocalist and multi-instrumentalist will probably do little to change that status: Heap is sure to remain on the fringes of the mainstream, despite an ardent, and obedient, existing fanbase.
It's hard to say whether her appeal to lazy music researchers – octave jumping, understated, wispy vocals and a wordiness that sails a little close to sixth form self-importance, leading to inclusion on soundtracks to The OC as well as a Chronicles of Narnia movie – is a deliberate ploy. But, to be fair, the money undoubtedly earned seems to have been spent on a whole heap (ho ho) of cutting-edge recording gear. Ellipse has a level of production (by Heap herself) that almost obscures the craft beneath, by sheer dint of its excellence.
Heap's an undeniably clever cove, her electronics effortlessly straddling the divide between glitch and gloss. Multi-tracked vocals pulse and jitter, not unlike the faux-choral approach taken in recent years by Sparks. And a song like Little Bird delights with the subtle use of birdsong. The aforementioned voice is tastefully understated: in fact, so much so that it's a relief when her Essex vowels break free on Earth.
Yet too often you feel that this is songwriting that likes to wear a coat of cool over its rather well-educated heart. One suspects that Heap's fanbase isn't destined to be swelled by something so self-knowing and that in years to come her work will be filed next to World Party or Jellyfish in the 'clever yet underrated' file. While promising, it's to be hoped that she has something a little more challenging up her sleeve. --Chris Jones
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CD Description
After the leaps she made on the release of her last breakthrough album Speak For Yourself, British singer-songwriter-producer and two-time Grammy nominee Imogen Heap remained true to her do-it-yourself ethos, building her own studio in the old family home in Essex. Picking up where she left off, Imogen continues to redress the Artist/Audience relationship with Ellipse by enlisting the help of her huge fanbase to write the biography for the new album via Tweets submitted by her 650,000 (and counting!) followers on Twitter, to contribute artwork designs, and by keeping her fans up-to-date on the recording of the new album over 38 vBlogs, all available on her website. Upfront of the new album, Imogen even invited fans to complete an unfinished track "The Song That Never Was", providing the lyrics, with over 500 fans adding backing music for their own versions.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
It's been four years. Oh yes, it's been worth the wait.
After the wonderful patchy intimacy of 'Speak for Yourself' comes this: 13 exquisitely produced mature pieces of electro-pop.
From the sleeve notes: 'Produced, Engineered, Programmed and everything inbetween by Imogen Heap'. Saying that, she has an impressive array of backing musicians with her, including Nitin Sawhney amongst many others.
Look, it's worth buying the CD - to start with, you're going to get better quality than any download - and the sound quality counts on this album - and secondly, you'll get the lyrics and some striking pics of Imogen Heap in a dark, electric land.
The album opens with the beautiful, rolling 'First Train Home', rippling synth and syncopated lyrics - 'first train home, I've got to get on it, first train home, I've got to get on it': she wants to get on getting on, and the music rolls on.
'Wait It Out' starts strong - yes, it's the end of the affair, but she can just sit it out - but then it collapses into sad and simple intimacy: 'And sit here, Just going to wait it out, And sit here cold, Just going to sweat it out, Wait it out.'
'Earth' - wonderful a cappella, multi-tracked playfulness, not putting up with it anymore: 'Stop this right away, Put that down and clean this mess up, End of conversation, Put your back into it and make it up to me now'.
'Little Bird' almost reminded me of Alison Moyet's 'Only You' but multi-tracked vocals.
'Swoon' sounds like there's a theramin playing in the background, but again Imogen's hilarious, intimate lyrics: 'And this is where I was going to sing your name, Over and over again but I chickened out in the final minute'. Straight into the swelling, rising, falling, driving 'Tidal'. This really is a gorgeous album...
Oh, I can't go through every track, but you've got to listen to 'Between The Sheets', that simple piano, the intimate lyrics.
'Bad Body Double' - Yeah, I've got one of those too. Funky, pizzicato strings, almost Essex accent there.
There really isn't a weak track here. Shifting moods, some dark, most with a sweet self-awareness but overall a really strong, beautifully put-together collection of classic pop.
Definitely worth the wait.
After the wonderful patchy intimacy of 'Speak for Yourself' comes this: 13 exquisitely produced mature pieces of electro-pop.
From the sleeve notes: 'Produced, Engineered, Programmed and everything inbetween by Imogen Heap'. Saying that, she has an impressive array of backing musicians with her, including Nitin Sawhney amongst many others.
Look, it's worth buying the CD - to start with, you're going to get better quality than any download - and the sound quality counts on this album - and secondly, you'll get the lyrics and some striking pics of Imogen Heap in a dark, electric land.
The album opens with the beautiful, rolling 'First Train Home', rippling synth and syncopated lyrics - 'first train home, I've got to get on it, first train home, I've got to get on it': she wants to get on getting on, and the music rolls on.
'Wait It Out' starts strong - yes, it's the end of the affair, but she can just sit it out - but then it collapses into sad and simple intimacy: 'And sit here, Just going to wait it out, And sit here cold, Just going to sweat it out, Wait it out.'
'Earth' - wonderful a cappella, multi-tracked playfulness, not putting up with it anymore: 'Stop this right away, Put that down and clean this mess up, End of conversation, Put your back into it and make it up to me now'.
'Little Bird' almost reminded me of Alison Moyet's 'Only You' but multi-tracked vocals.
'Swoon' sounds like there's a theramin playing in the background, but again Imogen's hilarious, intimate lyrics: 'And this is where I was going to sing your name, Over and over again but I chickened out in the final minute'. Straight into the swelling, rising, falling, driving 'Tidal'. This really is a gorgeous album...
Oh, I can't go through every track, but you've got to listen to 'Between The Sheets', that simple piano, the intimate lyrics.
'Bad Body Double' - Yeah, I've got one of those too. Funky, pizzicato strings, almost Essex accent there.
There really isn't a weak track here. Shifting moods, some dark, most with a sweet self-awareness but overall a really strong, beautifully put-together collection of classic pop.
Definitely worth the wait.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
OK, 4 years in the making with every move, mood and remix recorded for posterity on vblogs, the anticipation was always going to be high. I've been a fan since 'Speak', have most everything she's done including the excellent Frou Frou material, and have seen her live a few times.
So on to Ellipse which I've heard now countless times and feel able to review. It's easy to get swept up in her charm and down-to-earth approach. And there's nothing wrong with that. And clearly this album has been lapped up with gusto by her ever growing and adoring fan-base. But if you strip the adulation and anticipation away and stand back to view how this album stacks up against other Heap output the cracks do quickly appear.
Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of material here that works, and works well. 'First Train Home' belys the several year gap since 'Speak' and continues the Immi "sound" without missing a beat. Catchy, oh so well sung without being overstated. But why the strange acapella bridge after a couple of mins out of context with any other aspect of the track? Quirkiness is great, but so is groove and vibe and this section is so disposable I feel like digitally excising it.
'Bad Body Double' must surely be the next single. The physical frailties of a 30-something Essex girl do not sound like promising "great track" material but that's Immi's charm. And talking of frailty and charm, the closing track 'Half Life' exposes these traits blissfully. "Twee" should not work like this, but it does.
Why have I suddenly thrown the word "twee" into the mix? Because it's a word I found coming to the surface far too often when listening to the album. 'Little Bird', 'Between the Sheets', 'Aha' are prime culprits. They don't have the gravitas of Heap at her best and end up sounding shallow and, yes, twee to an almost irritating extent.
"Normal service" can be found elsewhere on tracks such as 'Canvas' which at times oozes the melodic lushness of 'Speak'. But it's on (what I'd imagine many people's favourite track) 'Tidal' where missed opportunities surface most readily. In almost a pastiche of the album as a whole; it is book-ended by the most marvellous sections. The opening crescendo is breathtaking, and the ending rock-out riff stunning. But the opening crescendo soon gives way to a shuffling biscuit tin which loses the vibe completely, and the ending is criminal in its brevity on an album crying out for such light and shade.
So, all in all, a frustrating experience. Too close to it perhaps in the intimacy of a studio built in a child-hood home? And with most every element created by Ms Heap, and the ability to digitally cut and paste ad-infinitum, perhaps it's just over-worked. I fully hope and expect further chapters of Immi's musical journey, but with a biological clock ticking the next one may take longer than this.
But ultimately, who am I? Just a fan with an opinion. Immi's out there doing it. And cudos is warranted. :)
So on to Ellipse which I've heard now countless times and feel able to review. It's easy to get swept up in her charm and down-to-earth approach. And there's nothing wrong with that. And clearly this album has been lapped up with gusto by her ever growing and adoring fan-base. But if you strip the adulation and anticipation away and stand back to view how this album stacks up against other Heap output the cracks do quickly appear.
Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of material here that works, and works well. 'First Train Home' belys the several year gap since 'Speak' and continues the Immi "sound" without missing a beat. Catchy, oh so well sung without being overstated. But why the strange acapella bridge after a couple of mins out of context with any other aspect of the track? Quirkiness is great, but so is groove and vibe and this section is so disposable I feel like digitally excising it.
'Bad Body Double' must surely be the next single. The physical frailties of a 30-something Essex girl do not sound like promising "great track" material but that's Immi's charm. And talking of frailty and charm, the closing track 'Half Life' exposes these traits blissfully. "Twee" should not work like this, but it does.
Why have I suddenly thrown the word "twee" into the mix? Because it's a word I found coming to the surface far too often when listening to the album. 'Little Bird', 'Between the Sheets', 'Aha' are prime culprits. They don't have the gravitas of Heap at her best and end up sounding shallow and, yes, twee to an almost irritating extent.
"Normal service" can be found elsewhere on tracks such as 'Canvas' which at times oozes the melodic lushness of 'Speak'. But it's on (what I'd imagine many people's favourite track) 'Tidal' where missed opportunities surface most readily. In almost a pastiche of the album as a whole; it is book-ended by the most marvellous sections. The opening crescendo is breathtaking, and the ending rock-out riff stunning. But the opening crescendo soon gives way to a shuffling biscuit tin which loses the vibe completely, and the ending is criminal in its brevity on an album crying out for such light and shade.
So, all in all, a frustrating experience. Too close to it perhaps in the intimacy of a studio built in a child-hood home? And with most every element created by Ms Heap, and the ability to digitally cut and paste ad-infinitum, perhaps it's just over-worked. I fully hope and expect further chapters of Immi's musical journey, but with a biological clock ticking the next one may take longer than this.
But ultimately, who am I? Just a fan with an opinion. Immi's out there doing it. And cudos is warranted. :)
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
If you liked her last album Speak For Yourself then you will find this album right at home. 13 excellent chill out tracks. If you are a big karaoke fan you can get a delux pack that includes instrumental versions. The downside really is that she hasn't moved her game on that far the sounds are far more polished than before but similar artists like Air seem to challenge their audience with their new albums whilst this really is more of the same.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Great Album
I love this album, song on it for everyone!!
I particularly like Canvas, something very calming about the song!! Read more
I particularly like Canvas, something very calming about the song!! Read more
Published 3 months ago by Steph Williams
wondereful music
Imogen Heap has a unique voice and sings original lyrics. I play this over and over and never tire of her. Went on to buy her other CD under the name of Frou Frou... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Yvonne Moore
Music CD
Having been to WOMAD where Imogen was playing I hot footed it back and purchased her latest CD. Apparently she is quite big in the States. I liked this one. Read more
Published 12 months ago by SueS
Imogen, stellar artist
I "discovered" her for myself thanks to Jeff Beck's CD/DVD and she is great. Other reviewers have said it all. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Ramses
Imogen does it again.
As with her last album, Imogen Heap has created something truly wonderful here. Her voice is in fine form and her songs really show it off. Read more
Published 17 months ago by C Scognamiglio
Ellipsed but not eclipsed
I ordered this special edition (with instumental)from the UK via Amazon US. Funny how a Brit girl cannot have her own produce supplied in her own country, not even via the IH... Read more
Published 19 months ago by osi
Annoying and Dull
What a huge disappointment ! I've been listening to Imogen for quite some years now and I have loved everything I heard from her, her albums, her collaboration with other artists... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Frederic Barras
this girl knows a harmony when she uncovers one..
...elipse is positively dripping with them, from start to finish.
the bbc review accuses her of a tendency towards sixthformery and it's true the theme of the album... Read more
the bbc review accuses her of a tendency towards sixthformery and it's true the theme of the album... Read more
Published 23 months ago by recrea33
Super sound quality
If Imogen Heap is your thing, this album is a must!. The recording quality is excellent.
Published on 6 April 2010 by D. Titheradge
Just buy it!
I bought this album after hearing 'First Train Home' on Tom Robinson's show on BBC6 Music. It totally blew me away, and that doesn't happen very often! Read more
Published on 19 Feb 2010 by T. M. Boyes
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