Micachu & The Shapes

Words by Alex Bec, Monday 04 May 2009

Very rarely am I left so ridiculously invigorated by a live performance that I thought it rude not to mention recently seeing Micachu & The Shapes. I saw them early last week at the beautiful ICA and have struggled to turn her record off ever since. Ignore your prejudices on how trendy she may or may not come across and just elope into a well of energetic noise that might just re-tune your ears. See them live at any cost.

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Over the last five years Secret 7” has become something of phenomenon. Combining music, art and design, the project has, as of 2016, produced 3,500 one-of-a-kind record sleeves for 35 musicians, raised well over £130,000 for charity, and in 2015 welcomed 22,000 people to the London exhibition. Last year also saw the two-day vinyl show extended to a month-long affair in Somerset House, a model that has carried over to this year, with Sonos Studios in Shoreditch playing host to the fifth edition of Secret 7”.

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Numbers on the back of varsity jackets count down, tiny bodies walk across taut bellies, legs swing open and shut, heads roll back in ecstasy, and doppelgängers look between each other’s legs in surprise. These are just a few of the weird and wonderful animated vignettes that Ely Dagher has dreamed up to accompany a new EP from Manchester-born producer Matthew Wilcock aka Model 86. No strangers to fruitful collaboration, earlier this year Ely’s short animated film Waves ’98 scored by Model 86 went on to win a Palme D’Or at Cannes.

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