"Telemiscommunications" is a song by Canadian electronic music producer Deadmau5 and English singer Imogen Heap. It was released on March 12, 2013, by
Ultra Records
Ultra Records is an American record label formed in New York City in 1995 by former PolyGram and Virgin Records executive Patrick Moxey. As of December 23, 2012, Ultra entered a global partnership with Sony Music, giving its artists access to ...
as the fifth single from Deadmau5's sixth studio album ''
Album Title Goes Here
''Album Title Goes Here'' (stylized as ''> album title goes here album title goes here <'' at
'' and the seventh single from Imogen Heap's fourth studio album ''
Sparks
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''. The song is an
electropop
Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
whose lyrics depict a dysfunctional phone conversation.
Background and release
Work on "Telemiscommunications" began after Deadmau5 emailed Heap. According to Deadmau5, the two never met in person, and only sent two emails and made two phone calls to one another during the making of the song.
On September 25, 2012, "Telemiscommunications" appeared as the thirteenth track on the 2012 album ''
Album Title Goes Here
''Album Title Goes Here'' (stylized as ''> album title goes here album title goes here <'' at
''. It was released with four remixes as a remix EP on March 12, 2013, through Zimmerman's label
Mau5trap
Mau5trap (stylized as mau5trap; pronounced "mousetrap") is an independent Canadian record label founded in 2007 by electronic music producer Deadmau5. The label was formerly a vanity label, hosting releases through labels such as Ultra Music, Vi ...
.
Composition
"Telemiscommunications" is an
ambient
Ambient or Ambiance or Ambience may refer to:
Music and sound
* Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgrounds
* Ambient music, a genre of music that puts an emphasis on tone and atmosphere
* ''Ambient'' (album), by Moby
* ...
electropop
Electropop is a hybrid music genre combining elements of electronic and pop genres. Writer Hollin Jones has described it as a variant of synth-pop with heavy emphasis on its electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a re ...
ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
with elements of glitch. The song's lyrics are written partially as a phone conversation, with Heap singing about yearning for the touch of the person on the other end, and are a social commentary on the effect of technology on relationships. Instrumentally, it features "atmospheric" percussion and "somber" piano chords. Writing for ''Billboard'', Gordon Murray described "Telemiscommunications" as "decidedly mellow", while ''Rolling Stone India'' called Heap's vocals on the song "mellow" and "otherworldly". '' Paste''s Megan Farokhmanesh described the song as "slow" and "somber".
Critical reception
David Jeffries of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
identified "Telemiscommunications" as one of the "most rewarding moments" on ''Album Title Goes Here'', describing it as a "beautiful electro-
haiku
is a type of short form poetry originally from Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases that contain a ''kireji'', or "cutting word", 17 '' on'' (phonetic units similar to syllables) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern, and a ''kigo'', or se ...
". ''
MusicOMH
MusicOMH (stylized as musicOMH) is a London-based online music magazine which publishes independent reviews, features and interviews from across all genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.
History
MusicOMH was founded and launched by ...
s Andy Baber named the song as a stand out track on ''Sparks'', writing that its "minimal tapping beat and swarming atmospherics provid the perfect accompaniment to Heap’s always engaging vocal". Andrew Lockwood of
Contactmusic.com
Contactmusic.com is an online magazine of cultural criticism based in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, and ...
also singled out "Telemiscommunications" as one of the "highs" and "undoubtedly great standalone tracks" on ''Sparks''. For
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
, Louis Pattinson wrote that the song was the only time on ''Album Title Goes Here'' that Deadmau5 "really find something approaching emotion".
Writing for
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
, Darryl G. Wright described the song as "filler" on ''Album Title Goes Here'', writing that it was "too minimal to be interesting" with a beat that "distracts". John Calvert of ''Fact'' wrote that "Telemiscommunications" was "destined for some self-satisfied American independent film about a 20-something man who’s really a boy, and his kooky love interest."
Music video
The music video for "Telemiscommunications" was released on March 12, 2013, during a Google+ Hangout with Deadmau5 and Heap. The video features animations from 20 different animators, submitted as part of an international contest held by Heap.