Imogen Heap's Blockchain Tour Will Hit the U.S. Next Year
You can now learn to code from Imogen Heap. The musician is on a global tour for the first time in eight years, and beyond bringing "Hide and Seek" and other electronic tunes to live audiences around the world, she is using the opportunity to teach workshops and launch a new blockchain platform.
The Mycelia Tour, named after Heap's nonprofit of the same name, will kick off in North America in April 2019. This means in addition to sharing her music again, she will campaign to change her industry for the better: the tour marks the launch of the Creative Passport, a blockchain platform she created alongside other artists and technologists. The new project aims to simplify finding and presenting musician profiles by putting it all in one place, allowing for verified information, cross-platform updates, and more connections to other members of the community. A video accompanying the tour announcement explains the innovations in more detail.
While the tour largely looks towards the future, the musician was sure to include an element of nostalgia. She brought former collaborator Guy Sigsworth on board to reunite their electropop duo, Frou Frou, which has not performed live since 2003, as an opening act. Yes, this means Heap will essentially be opening for herself, in addition to having jam-packed days of coding workshops and discussions of her new project. But if anyone can manage, it's the underrated pop artist from a future time.
No word yet on whether Jason Derulo will make a surprise appearance after sampling "Hide and Seek" in 2009's "Whatcha Say." Regardless, Heap's tour seems to be an inspiring collaborative project between music and technology, further proving the arts and STEM are not mutually exclusive in the slightest.
