Tour news - Micachu and The Shapes announce debut Australian tour

"I saw her in London, in June, a year ago and I was really excited about her. I thought it was that sort of 'do it yourself' approach, with all these little guitars and her attitude was really fresh… think it's really, really fun. (She) is a bit of a prankster really, isn't she?" - Bjork

Micachu and The Shapes have announced their debut Australian tour.

In 2008, a 21 year old released two limited edition 7" singles and scored an instrumental piece for the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The piece was performed at the Royal Festival Hall and played at the BBC Electric Proms to range of guests including Oasis, Goldfrapp and Burt Bacharach(!). The 21 year old was Mica Levi AKA Micachu.

Micachu with backing from The Shapes (Marc Pell - Drums, Raisa Khan - Keys & Electronics) are a treat to behold. Coming straight out of the East End of London, Micachu and The Shapes are one of the freshest acts to emerge on the indie/alternative scene in recent years.

Their rawkus sound is utterly infectious and has been pricking ears around the world. Absorbing electro-pop, wonky rhythms and edgey Brit Rock within stunning production is garnering them critical acclaim across the board.

Micachu’s debut album Jewellery, released earlier this year, has been described as "an extraordinary introduction to a unique new talent". Little wonder then that Micachu has already won a fan in experimental-pop pioneer Bjork.

This new band of 21 year olds are about to have a major impact.

“An ear-bashing of crazy-paving beats, junk-shop punk, electronic drones and deceptively mellifluous bedsit pop” - The Times

Micachu and The Shapes on Myspace

Popfrenzy Presents Micachu & The Shapes

Monday January 4


MELBOURNE - The John Curtin Hotel with special guests

Tickets on sale Friday October 16 from www.moshtix.com.au or 1300 GET TIX

Friday January 8
PERTH - Amplifier with special guests
Tickets on sale Friday October 16 from www.moshtix.com.au or 1300 GET TIX

Sunday January 10
SYDNEY - Days Like This Festival with Cat Power & Dirty Delta Blues, Roots Manuva, Ugly Duckling and others
Tickets available now from www.dayslikethis.com.au

Jewellery is out now on Rough Trade/ Remote Control

Bjork gives props to Micachu

A while ago we blogged about a certain Mr Reznor confessing himself a mad fanboy as he premiered a clip by The Horrors up on his website.

Well now Icelandic pop pioneer Bjork has taken to the trend by premiering Micachu's clip for Turn Me Well on her site.

Bjork has previously sung the praises of Mica saying:

"I saw her in London, in June, a year ago and I was really excited about her. I thought it was that sort of 'do it yourself' approach, with all these little guitars and her attitude was really fresh… think it's really, really fun. (She)is a bit of a prankster really, isn't she?"

Micachu's album Jewellery is out now through Rough Trade/Remote Control.

New Micachu video Golden Phone

More Micachu!

She's just given us a new mixtape to download, Kwesachu.

And now here's a finger snapping video to go with her super catchy song Golden Phone from her album Jewellery.



Jewellery is out now though 4ad/ Remote Control.

Micachu Mixtape #2

Micachu has released a second mix tape as a follow up to last year’s word-of-mouth, must have, Filthy Friends.

Aptly titled Kwesachu the new mixtape is collaborative project from Mica and her friend Kwes, a young producer from London. Kwesachu, features contributions from Mica’s friends: The XX, The Invisible, Man Like Me, Gold Panda and many more.

Click the cassette below to download it:



Micachu's album Jewellery is out now through Rough Trade/ Remote Control.

New video - Micachu 'Lips'

Here's the new video for 'Lips' from Micachu's album Jewellery.



Speaking of Micachu, the lucky Death Of A Disco Dancer crew got to catch Micachu live at SXSW and took a snap after the show:

HAVING MICACHU & THE SHAPES POSE FOR US AFTER A CORKER SHOWCASE THE NIGHT BEFORE (As reported on Day 3: "Cute as buttons, the playful Brit trio steal sound ideas from ‘90s dance and churn it into chirpy leftfield pop."

Micachu according to Grizzly Bear

Here is Micachu being interviewed by Grizzly Bear, talking music school, shapes and sun burn...



Micachu's album Jewellry is out now through Rough Trade/ Remote Control.

Micachu's golden new single

Micachu is 21-year-old Mica Levi, an unassuming five foot one figure who creates tunes that somehow perfectly define these sometimes scary, often overwhelming, but always exciting times.

Jewellery is Micachu’s debut long-player and is a teeny, but visionary, peek at the infinite maelstrom of musical carnage that hurtles through her brain 24-hours-a-day.

Golden Phone is the first single from the album. A fuzz-fest of disintegrating electronics mashed up with poppy synth beats. [mp3]

Over the past year Micachu has:

- released an avidly received mixtape that moulded concrete grime and ruff-neck hip hop to avant-electronics
- composed a Nuevo-classical epic for the London Philharmonic Orchestra on the personal request of revered conductor Marc Anthony Turnage
- formed a band, The Shapes (aka Raisa Khan on keys and Marc Pell on drums), midway through recording the album, adding a whole new dimension to proceedings and helping to channel the mind-boggling waves of creativity that swell from her scruffily curled head

Jewellery is due out late March through Rough Trade/Remote Control.

myspace.com/micayomusic

Read Micachu's Lips

Micachu is 21-year-old Mica Levi from the UK. Lips is the first single from Micachu and The Shapes and follows hot on the heels of the eagerly anticipated debut album Jewellery due out in early March. With its short, sharp precession of maddening fret-hits and taunting vocal refrains, Lips leads you everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

Lips [mp3]


Never one to rest on her laurels, Mica has been working on a second mixtape – the follow up to last year’s word-of-mouth, must have mixtape, Filthy Friends (download at last.fm). The new mixtape will feature contributions and collaborations from Mica’s friends: The XX, The Invisible, Man Like Me, Rowdy Superstar, Ghost Poet, Dels, Elan, Lime Headed Dog, Dog Bite, Gold Panda and many more. Expect another multi-coloured conflation of skewed garage, dubstep, pop and beats.

myspace.com/micayomusic

Introducing Micachu & The Shapes

Rough Trade's latest signing is London's Mica Levi AKA Micachu.

In 2008 the 21 year old released two limited edition 7" singles, a grime mixtape and scored an instrumental piece for the London Philharmonic Orchestra which was performed at the Royal Festival Hall and played at the BBC Electric Proms which included a varied range of guests including Oasis, Goldfrapp and Burt Bacharach(!).

Her new album Jewellery is due out in March and has been described as "an extraordinary introduction to a unique new talent". Little wonder then that Micachu has already won a fan in experimental-pop pioneer Bjork.

She notes inventive composer Harry Partch as one of her biggest influences. He famously used an array of customised and home made instruments. These included a xylophone made of light bulbs, a Cloud Chamber made out of pyrex dishes that could not only be played musically but detect particles of ionising radiation and a series of highly complicated 44 stringed instruments.

Similarly Micachu uses a modified guitar played with a hammer action called a ‘chu’ and a bowed instrument fashioned from a CD rack. She also uses improvised instruments, such as glass bottles or a vacuum cleaner.

Instructional video:


“An ear-bashing of crazy-paving beats, junk-shop punk, electronic drones and deceptively mellifluous bedsit pop” The Times

“Staggeringly inventive, madly capricious, and utterly unpredictable, this is pop for the 2010s” Dazed & Confused

“Unbridled eccentricity” NME

Check out her music at her myspace