Line #22 Music/Iamamiwhoami


1	[[quoteright:329:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/19c57ed031d31a17885953a6e49bbf69.jpg]][[caption-width-right:329:"It's how it goes."]]
2	''To whom it may concern.''
3
4	[[https://www.youtube.com/user/iamamiwhoami iamamiwhoami]] is a Sweden-based audiovisual dream pop band fronted by Jonna Lee and produced by her long-time producer Claes Björklund. Every song has a visual component to it as well, available both on DVD and the band's Website/YouTube channel; each album therefore is [[ConceptVideo an audiovisual one]]. Short clips began appearing on Youtube on December 4, 2009, leading many to speculate that the then-anonymous project was a creation of The Knife, Goldfrapp, [[Music/NineInchNails Trent Reznor]] or even Music/LadyGaga. A second arc of nine videos later appeared, chronicling the discovery and captivity of a mandragora (a mythical plant-based creature, here explored for its siren qualities) played by Lee. These were later released as the album ''bounty''. Lee's identity wasn't revealed until the song "t", in which her face appeared unobscured for the first time.
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6	A second album, ''kin'', was released on June 11, 2012. Like ''bounty'' before it, each song off the album received a video, all of which were released on their Website/YouTube channel bi-weekly up until the release of ''kin'' itself. ''kin''[='=]s videos showcased Lee hunted by faceless, shaggy-furred creatures in a wide variety of landscapes. The previously digital-only collection ''bounty'' got a physical release a year later. Their third album ''BLUE'' followed suit, with the first single "fountain" released without warning in early 2014. iamamiwhoami also announced their involvement with two film designers in a project called [=WAVE=].
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8	Lee would seemingly end the project in 2018 with the announcement of her solo project ionnalee and its first album ''EVERYONE AFRAID TO BE FORGOTTEN''. For this album, a 53-minute narrative-driven film, featuring only some of the songs, was released. 2019's followup ''REMEMBER THE FUTURE'' eschewed the audiovisual release in favour of a few traditional music videos. ionnalee and iamamiwhoami would then intertwine with both projects billed as double headliners in live concerts. iamamiwhoami would return in 2023 with ''Be Here Soon'', an audiovisual album released identically to the project's first three albums. This time, Lee took the opportunity to simultaneously tell the story of coming to terms with her new motherhood (with all of the visuals shot late into her pregnancy) as well as doubling as her feelings regarding negative fan reaction to the ionnalee project and having to return to "playing the hits" as iamamiwhoami.
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10	iamamiwhoami is wildly known for their evolving use of social media to spread their music. ''bounty''[='=]s video series contained clues to a puzzle that was originally sent to an MTV blogger, as well as links to other videos on Website/YouTube to allow fans to assemble a larger picture for themselves. Website/YouTube user [=ShootUpTheStation=] was flown out to Sweden to take part in the concert / art film ''IN CONCERT'', which was only [[KeepCirculatingTheTapes broadcast once via streaming]] until its DVD release in 2017. Their first live concert was advertised via a phone number that featured an exclusive song. ''BLUE'' and every subsequent project was partially funded by fans donating directly through the band's website, and ''CONCERT IN BLUE'' featured fan-submitted photos and videos in the second half of the performance. ''BLUE'' also featured an online "island" where an extended version of the album as well as additional bonuses and a fan community were located. For the offline world, the band has sold [=DVDs=] videos of [[LeFilmArtistique their audiovisual albums]] as part of each physical CD or LP copy.
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12	!!Discography:
13	* ''bounty'' (2010-11[[note]]released song-by-song, only announced as an album upon completion[[/note]]; physical release in 2013)
14	* ''IN CONCERT'' (2010; physical released in 2017)
15	* ''kin'' (2012)
16	* ''BLUE'' (2014)
17	* ''CONCERT IN BLUE'' (2015)
18	* ''KRONOLOGI'' (2020; anthology of re-recordings)
19	* ''KONSERT'' (2021; split live album with ionnalee)
20	* ''Be Here Soon'' (2023)
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22	!!Discography as ionnalee (solo, without Björklund):
23	* ''EVERYONE AFRAID TO BE FORGOTTEN'' (2018)
24	* ''REMEMBER THE FUTURE'' (2019)
25	* ''CLOSE YOUR EYES''[[note]]English language version[[/note]] / ''BLUND''[[note]]Swedish language version[[/note]] (2024)
26
27	--------
28	Contains examples of:
29	* AllLowercaseLetters: everything but "Prelude 699130082.451322-5.4.21.3.1.20.9.15.14.1.12", album title ''BLUE'', and the names of each livestream concert. Avoided by ionnalee, whose album titles as well as all songs on the first two albums, are in all caps (except for the pronoun "I", which is in lowercase.)
30	* AloneInACrowd: At the end of ''play''.
31	* AsceticAesthetic: The video ''20101104''; set in a sterile white-colored residence.
32	** The residence returns in ''CONCERT IN BLUE'', where Shadows (actors in white zentai) appear to live.
33	* AnonymousBand: Formerly. iamamiwhoami kept silent about names and identities for almost two years, finally speaking about the project in 2012, although it was already known that Jonna Lee and her long-time producer Claes Björklund were behind iamamiwhoami. It was later revealed the duo were collaborating with director Robin Kempe-Bergman, cinematographer John Strandh and set producer Agustin Moreaux for the visuals aspects of the project. Björklund, drummer Thomas Hedlund and backing vocalist Beatrice Johannson are the current live band.
34	* ArcWords: "To whom it may concern."
35	* AshFace: PlayedForDrama in the ''IN CONCERT'' version of "y".
36	* AntiLoveSong: "o".
37	* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: "t".
38	* BrownNote: According to the myth, the screams of the mandrake root plant when dig up would kill all who hear it. During "15.6.6.9.3.9.14.1.18.21.13.56155", the mandragora screams at a black dog barking at her, who is implied to have died in the next video.
39	* CallBack: Some of the videos from ''kin'' make direct references to the ''bounty'' era videos. As each video takes place after the one before it, this is bound to happen.
40	** The first two lines of ''BLUE'', "What lies beyond the fringe of the woods? / Dust to dust, so we leave for good," reference the fact that the first two albums were full of forest imagery, and that the entirety of ''BLUE'' takes place in and around the ocean.
41	** Done quite frequently with music itself with the melody or lyrics of various short songs and preludes later being expanded into fuller songs. A key example would be "Shadowshow" which was first used twice on "In Concert".
42	* ConceptAlbum / ConceptVideo: To the point that every video on her Website/YouTube channel more or less links straight into the next one. Each album also has its own plot line:
43	** ''bounty'': A mandragora blossoms from nature, only to be captured by humans and used for its healing song properties. [[spoiler: The mandragora eventually is corrupted enough to be a prostitute. And it may have all been a dream.]]
44	** ''kin'': A woman is confronted and dragged across miles by large hairy beasts, only to be struck by lightning and engage in a fevered dream state. She awakes, returns to the apartment building where she began and escapes into the desert via her closet. [[spoiler: Or she's dreaming that too. As she closes a door on herself into a black void, she appears dancing in an-all black room, which is revealed to be a rotating black cube on a table.]]
45	** ''BLUE'': The same woman (or a different one) leaves the woods for the ocean, and is chased by three all-black figures. Notably, the cubes that represent the previous two albums appear in active firepits at different points of the narrative. The DVD version of ''BLUE'' is roughly 15 minutes longer and includes an additional song, providing much more context to the story.
46	** ''Be Here Now'': Lee comes to terms with her elated and cautious feelings regarding her own first pregnancy. The narrative features a recurring wolf figure who causes Lee to flee in terror, before ultimately capturing the beast; it is speculated that the narrative doubles as her reaction to fans's muted / negative reception to the synthpop-leaning ionnalee albums, the wolf representing iamamiwhoami and/or her detractors.
47	* ContinuityNod: In "t", Jonna sings "I'm on a hunt to find the cure," which is later referenced in ''goods'': "Now we found the cure."
48	* CrypticConversation: Her exclusive interview with Bullett magazine consisted of her own song lyrics as answers to questions.
49	* DemonicDummy: The puppet of the Mandragora in "u-1".
50	* DreamPop / {{Shoegazing}}
51	* DreamSequence: The video for "in due order" is implied to be one within the ''kin'' narrative, even though she wakes up [[MindScrew in the outfit she was dreaming in.]]
52	* DroneOfDread: Used as intros and outros to various songs.
53	* DyingDream: ''20101104'' depicts a double suicide, who are thought to be the "real" bodies of the mandragora and the "bearded" man.
54	* EpicTrackingShot: the concert version of "u-2".
55	* FemaleFelineMaleMutt: The black cat gets associated with the mandragora; the black dog(s) with the human men.
56	* {{Foil}}: Appearing in sequence, "play" and "in due order". The former is a frolicking romp whose video is set in a barn where Jonna and the monsters dance carelessly, the latter a no-nonsense militant stomper performed to a strictly choreographed routine in a completely sterile IKEA-esque room.
57	* FloorboardFailure: Lee falls through the floors of a high-rise apartment building until she reaches the underground parking level in the appropriately named ''drops''.
58	* IAmSong: "."[[note]]No, really, that's its official name.[[/note]], which was later re-recorded and named "shadowshow".
59	* IdeaBulb: The imagery is invoked on "y", when Lee climbs out of a tree and receives a glowing bulb from its hole.
60	* IndecipherableLyrics: ''9.20.19.13.5.723378.''
61	* InnocentFanserviceGirl: In "t" where Lee marches around a forest in the nude nonchalantly.
62	* {{Jittercam}} / JumpCut: [=ShootUpTheStation's=] handheld videos of his journey.
63	* LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition: ''BLUE''[='=]s digital exclusive version, ''BLUE island'', that features additional audiovisual content, including a longer album, a full length film version of the album and exclusive galleries.
64	* LoopedLyrics: "u-2" which [[SingleStanzaSong consists of]] "You can't be the knight."
65	* LyricalDissonance: Many, if you look up the lyrics. The most clear example is ''t'', which is an upbeat track despite the suicide by drowning lyrics in the chorus, "Water fills her lungs and she's inhaling."
66	* MadnessMantra: "Come on, just kill this." in '''kill''.
67	* MinimalisticCoverArt: ''bounty'' and ''kin'' are represented in-universe as white and black cubes, respectively. ''bounty''[='=]s gatefold packaging is entirely white[[note]]with even the vinyl version being pressed on white vinyl[[/note]] while kin''[='=]s is all black; a small square on the cover denotes only the artist, album and track names with copyright. The included booklets contain textless versions of the single artwork for each individual track: for ''bounty'', this was a material featured prominently in the narrative and/or video for each song, such as terry cloth for "; john"'s artwork; for ''kin'', this was 9 consecutive photos of Lee standing in complete darkness to soft lighting, then full lighting, then the blank white room she was standing in, which represents "goods".
68	* MoodWhiplash: ''goods''.
69	* MurderByCremation: what iamamiwhoami does to [=ShootUpTheStation=] in the concert.
70	* NatureSpirit
71	* NewSoundAlbum:
72	** The ''Prelude'' series and ''bounty'' consist of industrial-tinged art pop. ''kin'' added elements of dream pop to the sound, while ''BLUE'' went full dream pop, subsequently spawning some TheyChangedItNowItSucks arguments.
73	** Lee's albums as ionnalee displayed a new synthpop / chillwave sound.
74	** Before iamamiwhoami, Jonna Lee recorded and released indie rock/pop music under her own name. iamamiwhoami's fourth album "Be Here Soon" went full circle by incorporating elements of this style into her by-that-point-established dream pop sound.
75	** ''CLOSE YOUR EYES'' / ''BLUND'' seems to be returning to the sound of ''BLUE'' while incorporating some elements of coldwave and post-punk.
76	* NonAppearingTitle: All the songs of ''bounty'' except ''clump''.
77	* OneLetterTitle: All ''bounty'' songs spell out the album's name, with the exception of the later releases, ''; john'' and ''clump''.
78	* TheOner: ''IN CONCERT'' consists of several lengthy takes strung together with stealthy editing to appear seamless. Some of the edits are noticeable, particularly the abrupt continuity changes seen when the cardboard coffin is sealed. [=ShootUpTheStation's=] handheld footage at the start lasts just under 10 minutes before cutting to a film-grade camera for the rest of the video. The final shot lasts over 16 minutes.
79	* RearrangeTheSong: Several songs have received this treatement:
80	** The song featured in "23.5.12.3.15.13.5–8.15.13.5.3383" would later become "o". Two other song snippets from the ''Prelude'' series would get released as ionnalee songs: "9.20.19.13.5.723378" would become "LIKE HELL", while "13.1.14.4.18.1.7.15.18.1.1110" would become "GONE" (with the stuttering vocal preserved in the iamamiwhoami remix version.)
81	** "." transformed from a live vocal/organ duet into "shadowshow", a full band studio arrangement.
82	** Many songs from iamamiwhoami and ionnalee were revisited for the ''KRONOLOGI'' album.
83	* ReCut: ''BLUE'' appears on streaming services as a standard edition album, but any version (CD, vinyl or digital exclusive) purchased through the band's record label nets the listener an "expanded edition", with three segues and the entire album FadingIntoTheNextSong ("shadowshow" is also extended, though "thin" is edited.) The digital version, ''BLUE island'', is a LimitedSpecialCollectorsUltimateEdition that includes even more audiovisual content.
84	* SanitySlippageSong: After iamamiwhoami is struck by thunder in ''play'', her appearance looks disoriented. ''kin'' could probably be considered a ''Sanity Slippage Album''.
85	* SceneryPorn: On full display in the film for ''kin''. The videos for ''BLUE'' somehow managed to outdo ''kin'' in the first song alone.
86	* SelfBackingVocalist: Lee herself.
87	* SingingSimlish: "13.1.14.4.18.1.7.15.18.1.1110"
88	* StartsWithASuicide: ''20101104''
89	* SubduedSection: In the middle part of ''y''.
90	* SurrealMusicVideo: Almost every music video of iamamiwhoami.
91	* TheReveal: The video for ''t'' was the first time Jonna Lee's face appeared entirely free of makeup or obstruction.
92	* TheyHaveTheScent: The black dogs in "15.6.6.9.3.9.14.1.18.21.13.56155".
93	* UncommonTime: "u-2" is in 7/4 time. The remix of both parts of "u" by Khonnor suggests that "u-1" is also in 7/4, despite its apparent lack of a time signature.
94	* ViewersAreGeniuses: A working knowledge of mandrake root folklore (including the German novel ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alraune Alraune]]'') helps to understand the Prelude and bounty series of videos. Each of ''bounty'' videos links to another user's video as a parallel, often requiring lateral thinking to get the connection between them.
95	** The prelude series of videos introduced a riddle that was sent, in full, to [[http://newsroom.mtv.com/2010/03/05/iamamiwhoami-mail/ a journalist at MTV]]. Clues peppered the group's first 13 videos on Youtube. The solution was revealed during their streamed concert film ''IN CONCERT'', one full year after the riddle was put out into the wild. [[spoiler: Each of the six animals shown produces a sound similar to a letter in the word "bounty" (in order: goat braying, owl hooting, whale singing, bee buzzing, llama spitting and monkey crying.]])
96	** The lateral thinking trick was used again with "; john" and "clump". The semi-colon marks the differentiation between the rest of bounty and these two songs, and the metaphors from the previous 7 videos are really straightened out in these 2.
97	* VisibleBoomMic: Purposefully in shot early on during ''IN CONCERT'', but played straight towards the end.
98	* WhiteVoidRoom: The ending of ''kill''.
99	* WildHair: After being struck by lightning during ''play'', Jonna's signature flowing hair is a frizzy, chaotic mess.
100	* WorldOfSymbolism: The amount present within the band's work has led to many EpilepticTrees. Even ''Be Here Soon'', with its straightforward narrative, has an alternate reading that fans have picked up on.

Context Music / Iamamiwhoami