Aki Celeste

Lol here I am, thinking "oh, so Mika carries one of those pinchy arm things for picking up stuff around with him?" This explanation makes much more sense.

Oh wow... this is the sort of gig I'm made for. 🥰 TBH the gigantic seated stadium show experience, while exciting to go through for my first live concert with Mika, was also both over- and underwhelming for me, and I understand now why fans tend to queue up for so long ahead of time! I'm especially happy to hear these two songs sung live, as Lola was probably one of my favorites from that album, and Stardust was not (mostly because of all the extra production layered on top of Mika's voice). The contrast of hearing them sung with minimal accompaniment, audience participation, and up close, is simply magical. With magic being a temperamental thing dependent on all the right factors aligning, it's possible that I may never be lucky enough to experience a gig of this nature. BUT... thank goodness for recordings like this one, and long-standing fans to remind us of them. 🥹

So I'm watching this Imogen Heap documentary, entitled "Everything In-Between: The Story of Ellipse," and all of a sudden, Mika shows up! It's just a small snippet of them collaborating on "By The Time," which apparently happened during the time that Immi was in the process of creating her album "Ellipse." The documentary is available for rent through the Doc'n'Roll website (https://www.docnrollfestival.com/docn-roll-tv/imogen-heap-everything-in-between-the-story-of-ellipse). It seems to consist largely of edited vlog footage, which I believe Immi posted on YouTube as she was working on the album, but I wasn't able to track down the part with Mika specifically, so I screenshot it myself and have attached it below. Mods, do what you will with relocating or taking down this post, as I'm not sure if there are copyright issues with the snippet of video being posted here. I just thought it was so sweet, seeing circa 2008 Mika again, and working with one of my other favorite singers, on some of my favorite albums of theirs. ByTheTimeMikImmi.mov

Gotta say, I am learning a LOT about sweets on this thread these past few days. Fry's bars? Fancy marshmallows? Chocolate-dipped Turkish delight? Do MFCers ever do candy swaps for the holidays?

Yes please. This has got to be one of my favorite sweets in the world, but somehow I didn't end up eating any this holiday season. Better late than never!

I'm just now catching up to some of these posts, and I absolutely love his story of how he perceived sound as a child. Taking apart a violin an hour after receiving it as a gift - now that's curiosity, and commitment! (Although I totally feel his parents' pain on this one). I resonated hard with the comment he made about the ceremonial aspect of listening to music being lost, or at least drastically changed due to digital technology. As a budding audiophile, it makes me wonder if he has any thoughts on the merits of vinyl vs digital. I personally have only known his music through CDs and MP3 downloads (with the exception of MNIMH, which I do have on vinyl, and most of the tracks sound awesome), but I'm curious to know if there are any tracks in particular that are more suited to one medium over another. Perhaps a subject for a different thread that I haven't found yet. I also might have drooled a bit over his description of the four studios he's been working out of - they have a perpetually stocked kitchen? With Harlem jazz playing? In my happy place I've generally imagined being a part of one of the choirs he sometimes uses for performances and recordings, but I might have to upgrade that dream a bit....

Hi Lisa, and welcome! Your story is very similar to mine, in that I loved his first album when it came out but never caught up to what he's been doing since then until recently. I felt sad about missing out at first, especially on the earlier parts of his career, but over the past year I feel like I've made up a little for lost time, with the help of the MFC. I'm on the East Coast too and look forward to the next time Mika comes to our neck of the woods!

Goodness, what a lovely moment! Thank you for capturing it so well for us fans who couldn't be there. I especially loved his comments on the artwork (congrats @holdingyourdrink !), and even caught a glimpse of my own contribution when he paused with the page open. A truly special evening, from the sounds of it - thanks again for sharing. 💖

Awww... I somehow missed Mika's tweet till now, but I find it so heartwarming that he loved Marcel the Shell, which was my favorite cinematic discovery of this year. (It's based on a series of short videos you can find on YouTube, which is more comedic and quirky but still has some meaningful messages). Given this knowledge, I can interpret Mika's final comment from the interview in a more poignant light. The movie does have its sad moments, including death, but the message that I got from it was exactly this, that we can be even more humbled by and appreciative of life when death of a loved one puts it in perspective.

Oh good, I'm so glad someone chose this song! I ran out of time myself to submit a video, but if I had, it would have been about Good Guys. I look forward to seeing the result - that is, assuming @TinyLove_CJwill be sharing it here?

Yeah, that is weird. I was able to watch via YouTube on my phone yesterday, but now when I try to look up the video through Mika's YouTube page on my laptop, it says it's "unavailable." Maybe they did have a few loose ends to tie up with copyright, etc. Or maybe YouTube took it down because it was too sexy...? (I don't think this is actually the case - it would be very odd if it were, because there's MUCH more scandalous content out there).

I'm terribly ignorant about most awards, but this is kind of a big deal, right? Have any of his other albums gone platinum? Why are they deciding this just now - was there an upswing in purchases of the album or something? I personally agree that the album is amazing and am thrilled to see it get some recognition, even if it's been delayed by a few years...

I tried to respond with a laugh icon but for some reason the "confused" icon showed up instead. Let me just say that I am not in the least confused about your reaction, as I would probably do the same, especially for those white shoes with rainbow heels...

Yes! I certainly hope it is a sign of things to come. Even if it's just for his Eurovision journey, what a great way to keep his fans engaged, and invite in new ones.

Wow, he's actually updating his YouTube channel! Haven't seen him upload there for months, but I guess with all the buzz around Eurovision, now's the time. I like how there's a "new song out May 13" announcement snuck in at the end of his Mikavision video - excellent marketing tactics.