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News about the upcoming Björk album Volta.

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From her official website:

We here at bjork.com/unity have received communication from our very own Meester Fly, and we are glad to post it now:


"It has not been snowing at all here, but today we are graced with snow. It is a few days after the hidden people and elves move home, if they have to. We are in Iceland. I arrived after a short absence of mind and body back into the HQ of the MWC. I got the word to get back on the case and gather some knowledge, as I of course, am truly the wise one.

Being the one and only I got sent new songs from Björk. These songs are to be on the new album she has been working on for the past months. She has been all around the world to record, working with numerous people from truly different background. I have been left with many thoughts after listening to these tracks, the first impression is that I want to hear more, as I did not get everything shortlisted for the record. It made me excited.

The only thing I have heard prior of the making of this new record was a collaboration with Timbaland was being penned in. They met for a couple of sessions and laid down some beats for two tracks, "then I took these tracks and worked on them further", says Björk. This is true, as I hear that she has taken them to a another level.

We speak about the many collaborators on this record and the list is very interesting as Antony Hegerty duets on two tracks. Drummer Chris Corsano jumps into at least the 2 songs. New sounds and instrumentation are provided by Toumani Diabate who plays the Kora and Konono nr.1 with electric thumb pianos. More percussive delights come from Brian Chippendale from Lightning Bolt Great artists being drafted into the fold!

This list is very impressive and intriguing and from this first batch of song create a very unique sound and emotion. Nothing sounds really familiar about this experience, apart from the name of Mark Bell, him I know. And Sjón, turns to form to deliver one lyric, his 5th lyric since they started work together. This record is a Björk production par excellence. No stone left unturned to seek out the perfect pitch.

And more work is being done in the next few weeks on the new record. It has not got a name. The record is scheduled for late spring release. Some of us have wished to see Björk live in concert.

Well. Björk will be going on the road and giving us long wanted concert recitals. Yes gigging again. I get to see who is the band, I'll be damned, I forgot. It is being finalised right now! From what I remember: We are in for a treat. I am promised to be there. Bien sur. Of-course. Að sjálfsögðu. More soon."

---


Oooh. Here's hoping she hasn't had her pop bone surgically removed for this one.

― Turangalila (Salvador), Friday, 19 January 2007 01:27 (seventeen years ago) link

great, another fucking record with timbaland and konono no. 1 on it

― m@p (plosive), Friday, 19 January 2007 01:31 (seventeen years ago) link

I just couldn't bring myself to post this yet.

damn you! anticipating MIGHTILY as usual.

― fandango (fandango), Friday, 19 January 2007 01:35 (seventeen years ago) link

Here's hoping she hasn't had her pop bone surgically removed for this one.

For real, though!

― Richj (Rich), Friday, 19 January 2007 06:28 (seventeen years ago) link

this is either gonna be really really really awesome or really really really great.

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Friday, 19 January 2007 08:23 (seventeen years ago) link

Bjork and Timbaland sounds exactly like something on one of those lame 'fantasy collaboration' threads that pop up here from time to time. Could be awesome, could easily just end up with the two of them bringing out the worst in one another.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 19 January 2007 09:00 (seventeen years ago) link

I could care less about timbaland, but corsano? konono? chippendale? and ms godmundsdottir!?

*spaff*

― mister the guanoman (mister the guanoman), Friday, 19 January 2007 09:28 (seventeen years ago) link

Goddamnit I can't wait.

― I.M. (I.M.), Friday, 19 January 2007 09:31 (seventeen years ago) link

Chippendale actually does seem a surprise. Some guy from Black Dice or something doing atmospheric crap, sure, but BC could be interestong

― 808 the Bassking (Andrew Thames), Friday, 19 January 2007 09:49 (seventeen years ago) link

Bjork and Timbaland sounds exactly like something on one of those lame 'fantasy collaboration' threads that pop up here from time to time. Could be awesome, could easily just end up with the two of them bringing out the worst in one another.

bjork and kelis was more omg, and that worked spectacularly! i am worried about the presence of lightning bolt dude. i don't 'get' noise :(

also i am really not down w/antony's voice :(

― lex pretend (lex pretend), Friday, 19 January 2007 10:17 (seventeen years ago) link

don't worry lex. I suspect chippendale won't be bringing sheets of harsh white sound, just jaw-dropping drum skills, much like corsano.

actually, I wonder if brian and chris will be playing together...? that would be monstrously good.

― mister the guanoman (mister the guanoman), Friday, 19 January 2007 10:46 (seventeen years ago) link

Wow, Björk in a furious storm of hardcore percussion overlaid with Timbaland beats could be amazing!

Hegerty can bugger off though.

― braveclub (braveclub), Friday, 19 January 2007 10:52 (seventeen years ago) link

Corsano fits into the 'idea' of a Bjork collab quite smoothly, in that his whole thing is playing drums that aren't drums, with things you wouldn't normally play drums with, and making sounds that don't sound like drums - ie it's fairly analogous with Matm05 among others. I'm probably being too literal though

― Feargal Hixxy (DJ Mencap), Friday, 19 January 2007 11:23 (seventeen years ago) link

lex you don't get 'rock' do you? :D

the only way I can think of the anthony thing being good is if it's some kind of inimaginably insane & OTT cabaret duet...

I'm just relieved the Jo Newsom rumours didn't amount to anything (yet).

― fandango (fandango), Friday, 19 January 2007 12:07 (seventeen years ago) link

lex you don't get 'rock' do you? :D

oh come on i love ashlee simpson and lindsay lohan, they're totally rawk! massive guitars all over their albums.

― lex pretend (lex pretend), Friday, 19 January 2007 12:17 (seventeen years ago) link

I want bjork to be the new singer in meshuggah. that would be mankind's greatest achivement.

― mister the guanoman (mister the guanoman), Friday, 19 January 2007 12:18 (seventeen years ago) link

is the lex a troll?

― UART variations (ex machina), Friday, 19 January 2007 22:52 (seventeen years ago) link

No, the lex is one of the best posters on this board.

― The Brainwasher (Twilight), Friday, 19 January 2007 22:58 (seventeen years ago) link

lol

― acid waffle house (dubplatestyle), Friday, 19 January 2007 22:59 (seventeen years ago) link

bjork has kinda jumped the collaborators shark here, hasn't she? even if i love all those people.

― acid waffle house (dubplatestyle), Friday, 19 January 2007 23:01 (seventeen years ago) link

corsano often plays a 'conventional' drum kit in a 'conventional' free jazz post-Rashied Ali style

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Friday, 19 January 2007 23:08 (seventeen years ago) link

What's Corsano from?

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 19 January 2007 23:11 (seventeen years ago) link

solo drum works, duos with paul flaherty, collabs with a billion people, played with sunburned hand for a minute...you should check him out jordan, he's awesome.

― acid waffle house (dubplatestyle), Friday, 19 January 2007 23:16 (seventeen years ago) link

that recent Flaherty/Yeh/Corsano disc on Important, Rock in the Snow, is one seriously hot blow out, tho I've yet to hear a recording that fully captures corsano's live power/stamina

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Friday, 19 January 2007 23:22 (seventeen years ago) link

Yea, at least Björk didn't pay someone for "atmospheric" knob twiddling.... sheesh

― UART variations (ex machina), Friday, 19 January 2007 23:43 (seventeen years ago) link

will Chippendale's presence mean Drew Daniel won't be Bjork's touring drummer for this record? or, more intriguingly, will Drew have to replicate Chippendale on tour?

― eggzakly huhh? (zachary v.), Friday, 19 January 2007 23:45 (seventeen years ago) link

hilarity ensues!

― UART variations (ex machina), Saturday, 20 January 2007 00:49 (seventeen years ago) link

There is a Bjork/Kelis track? Is it actually good?

― Alex in SF (Alex in SF), Saturday, 20 January 2007 00:54 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah a remix of "Oceania." It's okay... I love the harmonies at the end.

― The Brainwasher (Twilight), Saturday, 20 January 2007 00:58 (seventeen years ago) link

he the news abt corsano and chippendale has totally psyched me into thinking this is gonna be bjork's patty waters alb (talk abt setting yrself up for a letdown)

― Ward Fowler (Ward Fowler), Saturday, 20 January 2007 01:18 (seventeen years ago) link

I think Corsano has also played in one of the Jandek pickup bands.

― jodi, samurai photographer (burun), Saturday, 20 January 2007 06:05 (seventeen years ago) link

yes

― sleeve version 2.0 (sleeve testing), Saturday, 20 January 2007 06:07 (seventeen years ago) link

and this

bjork has kinda jumped the collaborators shark here

rings more true to me than anything else so far, but I will continue to hope. There's a point at which an artist gets TOO self-conscious.

― sleeve version 2.0 (sleeve testing), Saturday, 20 January 2007 06:09 (seventeen years ago) link

bjork has kinda jumped the collaborators shark here

any more than on Medulla??

if there's one (ok, a few) thing I wanted from the next Björk record that I feel she's had a bit of a lack of overall in her travels so far, it would have been a bit more looseness, raggedy edges and increased emphasis/return to a bit of groove again... wait and see but I could get my wish after all :o with noisy bits to go. ace!

― fandango (fandango), Saturday, 20 January 2007 17:23 (seventeen years ago) link

this could be cool.

― M@tt He1g3s0n: oh u mad cuz im stylin on u (Matt Helgeson), Saturday, 20 January 2007 18:09 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah, when I saw Jandek (NYC) Corsano, Matt Hecker and Loren Connors were the backing band, and frankly it would have been better as a trio with the Man from Corwood excised. Björk doing a howling Patty Waters/Yoko/Diamanda thing over drums from Corsano and Chippendale is pretty much a sound I'd give a kidney to hear.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Saturday, 20 January 2007 20:10 (seventeen years ago) link

Hmm. "Totempole"?

Bjork - Totempole
Due for release on 07/05/2007

our price: £9.99 Delivered

― Turangalila (Salvador), Monday, 22 January 2007 02:23 (seventeen years ago) link

Apparently that's NOT the name, but some kind of placeholder One Little Indian always uses for it's releases.

shame, 'cos I like the sound of that!

― fandango (fandango), Monday, 22 January 2007 02:48 (seventeen years ago) link

Hee

― Turangalila (Salvador), Monday, 22 January 2007 02:49 (seventeen years ago) link

one month passes...
From her official website

"Musical innovator Björk releases her next studio album ‘Volta’ on May 7th 2007.

‘Volta’ is Björk's sixth studio album and follows the release of ‘Medúlla’ in 2004.

Featuring ten brand new and original tracks ‘Volta’ is entirely written and produced by Björk.

In the role of producer Björk has brought in various other musicians to work on her songs and ‘Volta’ features some of her most interesting collaborations so far with Antony Hegarty (Antony And The Johnsons) singing on two tracks, and Timbaland (Jay-Z, Missy Elliot etc) working with Björk on beats that she created for three further songs.

Other artists that feature on ‘Volta’ include electronic pioneer Mark Bell of LFO and two unique drummers – Chris Corsano (the improvisational drummer who has worked with Sonic Youth amongst others) and Brian Chippendale from Lightening Bolt.

Björk also brought in two acclaimed African artists for ‘Volta’ - Toumani Diabate, the Malian kora player and Konono No1 the experimental band from The Congo who won a BBC World Music Award in 2006. She has also put together her own 10 piece female brass section of Icelandic musicians who play on three further tracks. Meanwhile Chinese pipa expert Min Xiao-Fen plays on one song."

― Turangalila, Friday, 2 March 2007 17:38 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm not as excited as I should be, I don't know why. Once I hear a song from it I'll be creaming my pants in excitement I gues..

― The Brainwasher, Friday, 2 March 2007 17:58 (seventeen years ago) link

I can't even tell what to make of it from the collaborators. It sounds like it should be a complete mess.

― Alex in SF, Friday, 2 March 2007 18:02 (seventeen years ago) link

"She has also put together her own 10 piece female brass section of Icelandic musicians who play on three further tracks."

I hope the brass band tours with her and that they cover "Addicted to Love"
http://www.waxmuseum.net/images/RobertPalmer-AddictedToLove.jpg

― el juan, Friday, 2 March 2007 18:17 (seventeen years ago) link

girls can't play brass lol

― Jordan, Friday, 2 March 2007 18:32 (seventeen years ago) link

(j/k)

― Jordan, Friday, 2 March 2007 18:32 (seventeen years ago) link

According to AllAccess.com, Bjork's new single will go for radio adds on April 10 and it's called Earth Intruders.

― Turangalila, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 17:53 (seventeen years ago) link

Can anyone tell me why people still pay attention to this whore? I thought the kids were over this already.

― Dr Morbius,, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 22:06 (seventeen years ago) link

Leave us along you imposter!

― I know, right?, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 22:39 (seventeen years ago) link

There was a whole thread of utter bitching just recently I'd happily direct you to Dr. if I only I could find the f*cker.

― fandango, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 22:52 (seventeen years ago) link

That was an entertaining one, that.

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 23:03 (seventeen years ago) link

Can anyone tell me why people still pay attention to Dr. Morbius?

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 23:08 (seventeen years ago) link

http://counterstreamradio.org/

march 16th, Bjork interviews Meredith Monk

― Milton Parker, Wednesday, 7 March 2007 23:43 (seventeen years ago) link

The cover:

http://i12.tinypic.com/311mhyw.jpg

(look closely at the flames, they spell out the album name)

― StanM, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 09:49 (seventeen years ago) link

Awesome.

― Matt DC, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 09:50 (seventeen years ago) link

eglyg?

― Mark G, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 09:52 (seventeen years ago) link

yes! it used to be called Volta, but now it's eglyg. Much better, I think.

― StanM, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 10:02 (seventeen years ago) link

Ii-eww...

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 10:04 (seventeen years ago) link

Here she is, performing her favourite song in front of about 30 people in a bar in Paris, France last week.

― StanM, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 10:10 (seventeen years ago) link

Err....

― MRZBW, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 12:16 (seventeen years ago) link

pitchfork interview part 1
pitchfork interview part 2

links, because for some reason it's just bizarrely difficult to actually get to #2 going through the site itself...

MTV also...

I'd be very surprised if that's the final cover too, although I reckon it'll have some elements (font, photo from that session...) of it in there. It looks a bit rough.

― fandango, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 12:45 (seventeen years ago) link

Maybe it's layered? Kinda looks like that to me, I think. (a bit like Lateralus, Tool's previous album?) And those red letters: reflective?

― StanM, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 13:21 (seventeen years ago) link

So far so good.

― lukas, Friday, 23 March 2007 20:30 (seventeen years ago) link

here is Björk's concern for the planet more apparent than on Volta's first single, "Earth Intruders". Based on a loopy, frenetic Timbaland marching beat, with added percussion by African collective Konono N°1, it's the album's catchiest song, with Björk chanting "We are the Earth's intruders / We are the sharp shooters."

Gotta admit this sounds pretty awesome.

― Alex in SF, Monday, 26 March 2007 17:36 (seventeen years ago) link

I hope she is playing Ireland. They are announcing the line-up for the Electric Picnic Festival probably this week. So maybe. She is playing Poland.

― I know, right?, Monday, 26 March 2007 18:07 (seventeen years ago) link

TEASER CLIP

― StanM, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 17:47 (seventeen years ago) link

and here's one with another bit in front of it

― StanM, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 17:50 (seventeen years ago) link

There are a bunch of others... Really like this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xK5GIU74y3U

― The Brainwasher, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 17:52 (seventeen years ago) link

she's never made a bad album. she's amazing. this record will be amazing and so will the next one. fuck politics, let's march.

― admrl, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 17:53 (seventeen years ago) link

yet another one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Co7RZA0L4s

― StanM, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 17:57 (seventeen years ago) link

4 audio clips:

http://www.myspace.com/itishardtofindbandnames

― The Brainwasher, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 17:58 (seventeen years ago) link

what the ???

― StanM, Wednesday, 28 March 2007 18:01 (seventeen years ago) link

I can't wait for the leaks.

― mysterbey, Friday, 30 March 2007 01:30 (seventeen years ago) link

Track 4 changed today ("work in progress")

http://www.myspace.com/itishardtofindbandnames

(probably the single)

― StanM, Saturday, 31 March 2007 22:27 (seventeen years ago) link

Doubt it. Sounds like the occasional remix that leaks pre-album release.

― Turangalila, Saturday, 31 March 2007 22:38 (seventeen years ago) link

Sounds pretty good to me, and I thought I heard her sing something like "earth intruders," so I just kinda guessed.

― StanM, Saturday, 31 March 2007 22:45 (seventeen years ago) link

I think the cover is very good. Primitive, fresh, direct.

― Rich Smörgasbord, Saturday, 31 March 2007 23:07 (seventeen years ago) link

I think there's too much going on. It's an eyesore, really.

― The Brainwasher, Sunday, 1 April 2007 01:37 (seventeen years ago) link

I love the colors and hope they're reflecting the music. It's such a vital image, compared to the more stilted artwork for Medúlla.

― Turangalila, Sunday, 1 April 2007 01:41 (seventeen years ago) link

(I'm bummed about the reported lack of STRINGS in the new album, though. Where is Deodato?!?!?!)

― Turangalila, Sunday, 1 April 2007 01:45 (seventeen years ago) link

April fool's joke on bjork.com about her not being pleased about that MySpace page & a new album title, but:

http://unit.bjork.com/specials/albums/permutation/


so is THIS the real cover art?

[imog][Removed Illegal Link]

― StanM, Sunday, 1 April 2007 13:32 (seventeen years ago) link

http://i11.tinypic.com/3zkuqns.jpg

― StanM, Sunday, 1 April 2007 13:32 (seventeen years ago) link

cover art for the 3 editions of the single (2 cd singles and one DVD single) :

http://www.bjork.fr/IMG/jpg/Zoom_Earth_intruders.jpg

― StanM, Sunday, 1 April 2007 16:10 (seventeen years ago) link

( source: bjork.fr )

― StanM, Sunday, 1 April 2007 16:10 (seventeen years ago) link

Unless that's an April fools thing as well - but it's really her, so I doubt it.

― StanM, Sunday, 1 April 2007 16:15 (seventeen years ago) link

Where is Deodato?!?!?!

he hasn't worked with her since Homogenic (and I wasn't even that sure about his involvement any later than "Post") unless I'm mistaken...

― fandango, Sunday, 1 April 2007 16:46 (seventeen years ago) link

at this point I refuse to believe a single thing anyone says about the cover until I hold the actual thing in my hand.

― fandango, Sunday, 1 April 2007 16:55 (seventeen years ago) link

15 second earth intruders clip with vocals

― StanM, Sunday, 1 April 2007 19:03 (seventeen years ago) link

So yeah, this could be the cover for the single then, I guess.

http://wap.wmg.motricity.com/WMG/html/images/software/screenshots/vol01/34/sku7610150/large-image.jpg

― StanM, Sunday, 1 April 2007 19:05 (seventeen years ago) link

[/i]he hasn't worked with her since Homogenic[/i]

Yeah, I just miss him. But I guess no strings are better than Vince Mendoza strings on the new one! :)

― Turangalila, Sunday, 1 April 2007 19:16 (seventeen years ago) link

I know where this is going... :p

― fandango, Sunday, 1 April 2007 19:24 (seventeen years ago) link

Of course you do. :)

― Turangalila, Sunday, 1 April 2007 19:27 (seventeen years ago) link

Can somone list what tracks Corsano and Chippendale are on so I have to listen to as little of the wailing iceqeen possible. Hopefully the're going to be instrumental versions.

― brg30, Sunday, 1 April 2007 20:30 (seventeen years ago) link

Aren't you funny.

― Turangalila, Sunday, 1 April 2007 21:27 (seventeen years ago) link

the cover upthread with the flames is the same as the full page ad in the local free weekly advertising her show here, so if it isn't the cover, it's at least being used for promo. i think it's an incredible image, myself.

i was really into bjork in high school(1999-2001) but kinda lost interest and never bothered picking up medulla. should i?

― derrrick, Sunday, 1 April 2007 21:46 (seventeen years ago) link

Medúlla is worth it for "Oceania" alone. :-)

― Turangalila, Sunday, 1 April 2007 22:30 (seventeen years ago) link

I give up. Cover art has changed AGAIN???

http://bjork.com/news/?id=622;year=2007

― StanM, Monday, 2 April 2007 09:19 (seventeen years ago) link

get THIS

http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/9963/b000olg5ok01ss500sclzzzij6.jpg

― fandango, Monday, 2 April 2007 12:01 (seventeen years ago) link

that is definitely the best version so far. cant wait to hear this.

― titchyschneiderMk2, Monday, 2 April 2007 12:23 (seventeen years ago) link

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b265/mattcunt2/bjorkohyeah.jpg

Had to be done. Can't wait to hear this, either.

― m bison, Monday, 2 April 2007 14:06 (seventeen years ago) link

...

i...the...what

― Telephone thing, Monday, 2 April 2007 14:19 (seventeen years ago) link

It's a cool design, I have to admit, but I really liked the evil-looking blue & red one...

― Telephone thing, Monday, 2 April 2007 14:19 (seventeen years ago) link

looks to me like the fruity one is a slipcase over the evil looking one.

― jed_, Monday, 2 April 2007 14:58 (seventeen years ago) link

Somebody find Tracy Morgan and tell him we found where the blue man's feet are.

― nickalicious, Monday, 2 April 2007 15:03 (seventeen years ago) link

I enjoyed seeing the guest pipa player perform at the Flushing Public Library yesterday.

― James Redd and the Blecchs, Monday, 2 April 2007 16:37 (seventeen years ago) link

http://www.ironicsans.com/images/simpsons7.jpg

― nickalicious, Monday, 2 April 2007 18:34 (seventeen years ago) link

gone already:
http://www.myspace.com/itishardtofindbandnames

fan archive:
http://www.beyazcorap.com/volta.html

― StanM, Tuesday, 3 April 2007 05:58 (seventeen years ago) link

I don't think I like Earth Intruders.

― Melissa W, Saturday, 7 April 2007 02:39 (seventeen years ago) link

I wonder if it's a rotten radio edit, and I somehow *know* it's going to seem amazing with the video, but yeah, I'm a little nonplussed myself. And yet there's something (in fact there's too much of EVERYTHING) there that makes me not want to call it one way or the other yet... Like how it'll sound with the album. Certainly not an unqualified WHOA! like Oceania, but she sounds pretty refreshed & up for something again, I like the spirit and energy, but the song eludes me a bit, a bit of a mess? :/ I feels like it should be more powerful, more coherent.

It seems a shame she didn't syncopate her vocals somehow, not that I'm trying to put her in a pop/r'n'b box but it's actually pretty annoying how utterly off the beat she is here. It kind of evades the big basic groove/big hook it seems to want for it to work. I dunno, needs more listens, don't hate, but don't massively love it either.

― fandango, Saturday, 7 April 2007 03:47 (seventeen years ago) link

I don't like EI. :-(

― Turangalila, Saturday, 7 April 2007 06:31 (seventeen years ago) link

And fandango strangely OTM. This should sound bigger, more dissonant, weirder. The melody is not remarkable by any means, and her voice in the chorus sounds flatter than it should be.

― Turangalila, Saturday, 7 April 2007 06:38 (seventeen years ago) link

I think the sound quality is really hurting it too... but reckon her voice in the chorus sounds flat 'cos it always does when she's trying this do this kind of semi-martial tempo! (i.e. 'Army Of Me', which I've never much liked) she makes up for it around though. And some of the synth stabs are really grebt.

Apparently the "extended" (4:30 instead of 3:10-something) mix is on iTunes australia now, and a lot less cramped? But yeah, I think unremarkable would be my take on this too, not exactly 'bad', but lacking something.

If it's any comfort I haven't heard a single person who's heard "Volta" already say this is their favourite track, and with it being the single, they seem to have had even more cause to mention that...

― fandango, Saturday, 7 April 2007 10:20 (seventeen years ago) link

OTM, individual elements are great (the rhythm, the woo woo's, etc), but there's WAY too much going on at the same time.

― StanM, Saturday, 7 April 2007 11:34 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm just about to give an ear to the *cough* 'extended' version...

― fandango, Saturday, 7 April 2007 11:55 (seventeen years ago) link

WOW, well it's still a little workmanlike but be assured, the radio edit is FUCKING AWFUL!!! (even by her standards, 'cos her radio edits are usually crude as fuck)

Remember than one Royksopp single "Only This Moment" that sounded like someone sat on it? there you go, except that was better for it, this... isn't.

― fandango, Saturday, 7 April 2007 12:06 (seventeen years ago) link

extended? me no find, help?

― StanM, Saturday, 7 April 2007 13:11 (seventeen years ago) link

"(Mark Stent Extended Edit)" I think it'll be on iTunes monday... ummm not that I'm supposed to have it yet :/

― fandango, Saturday, 7 April 2007 13:22 (seventeen years ago) link

oh, ok! no prob.

― StanM, Saturday, 7 April 2007 13:31 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm liking this more, but surprised and quite disappointed at how muddy & indistinct the actual music is, nothing really feels like it stands out. I hope the album delivers more :-/

― fandango, Saturday, 7 April 2007 17:36 (seventeen years ago) link

This is awesome, you are all mental.

― Matt DC, Saturday, 7 April 2007 20:43 (seventeen years ago) link

Matt OTM

It's like a fierce fusion of organic, jungle drums and technologic, space synths/oooOooOoohs. And it works beautifully, especially in the second half, when Bjork completely tears up the beat. YAY! More, please!

― Tape Store, Saturday, 7 April 2007 21:01 (seventeen years ago) link

Just heard the extended mix. The Konono bits should be heavier/more prominent. The trash can drums and fuzz bass are too loud, also.

― Turangalila, Saturday, 7 April 2007 21:19 (seventeen years ago) link

Ahhhhh...I didn't know that it was Konono. But it makes a lot of sense now.

― Tape Store, Saturday, 7 April 2007 22:19 (seventeen years ago) link

i like it a lot! i don't know bout the lyrics to earth intruders.

― Surmounter, Saturday, 7 April 2007 23:21 (seventeen years ago) link

i think it's fuckin' aces.

for those who haven't heard it yet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77BJ1uh55I4

― funny farm, Saturday, 7 April 2007 23:37 (seventeen years ago) link

Also, "we are the earth intruders!" is crying out for some awesome robotic-voice doom-laden remix action.

― Matt DC, Saturday, 7 April 2007 23:41 (seventeen years ago) link

Trentemoller-style!

― Matt DC, Saturday, 7 April 2007 23:41 (seventeen years ago) link

WOW, this is GREAT!

― Spencer Chow, Sunday, 8 April 2007 00:53 (seventeen years ago) link

It's like her take on MIA.

― Spencer Chow, Sunday, 8 April 2007 00:54 (seventeen years ago) link

I went and saw Julien Temple's new film Glastonbury today and there is a minute or two of footage of her on stage and man, I don't think I've ever seen her look that pretty before, despite seeing her live myself years ago.

― Bimble, Sunday, 8 April 2007 01:16 (seventeen years ago) link

i know she's a looker

― Surmounter, Sunday, 8 April 2007 01:29 (seventeen years ago) link

This is great. Makes me think of "I Miss You" more than "Army of Me". I like the idea of a return to the kaleidscopic craziness of Post.

― Tim F, Sunday, 8 April 2007 01:38 (seventeen years ago) link

yes that's what i'm getting too. funny got a bit of that from the cover art too.

― Surmounter, Sunday, 8 April 2007 01:43 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm pretty often camped with the M.I.A. hataz... so it chokes me that I wish this sounded more like her, and less like fumbling, horribly produced, less-than-special Björk :-(

― fandango, Sunday, 8 April 2007 10:39 (seventeen years ago) link

There are plenty of harder beats on the album apparently. I hope so, 'cos this is about as fierce as a drained teabag (or a wet sugarcube lol).

― fandango, Sunday, 8 April 2007 10:43 (seventeen years ago) link

The more I listen to "Earth Intruders," the less I like it. Why hire Konono and Timbaland when they didn't really NEED to be in this track? You can barely hear the niceish Konono plinky plink bits. It reminds me of the worst aspects of Post. I don't know, I never expected this kind of cheap, musical ethno-tourism from Björk.

― Turangalila, Sunday, 8 April 2007 21:49 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm...lukewarm on it. I'm sure it will grow on me and it sounds very much like a "single" but I hope that the record will have something a bit more unexpected.

― admrl, Sunday, 8 April 2007 21:54 (seventeen years ago) link

yeah but you might be taking it for granted as cheap, musical ethno-tourism. meaning beneath the aspect of this-has-been-done-before, there will probably be an element of, yeah but she went ahead and did it anyway, and made it sound great. good for her.

also we shouldn't assume anything yet.

― Surmounter, Sunday, 8 April 2007 22:07 (seventeen years ago) link

I wish it had less aimless Bjork-style caterwauling and more of a... tune. There was a time when Bjork was good with a tune.

― ^@^, Sunday, 8 April 2007 23:34 (seventeen years ago) link

I mean, sure, the production is great, but she's kind of just phoning her parts in now, wouldn't you say?

― ^@^, Sunday, 8 April 2007 23:40 (seventeen years ago) link

The people over at britneyspears.org are LOVING it. Me? Meh.. The earth intruders 'theme' is o_0-p

I want PLUTO vocals and heavier beats.

― MRZBW, Sunday, 8 April 2007 23:45 (seventeen years ago) link

this is about as fierce as a drained teabag

Did you miss the part where she was screaming "CARNAGE - FURIOOSITY! - TURMOIL! - THE BOOONES! - BRAAAANCHES!" over rapid African drum beats and freaky, haunting choir singers?
What else do you want? A roaring tiger sample? A Killer Mike guest spot? Alanis Morissette circa Jagged Little Pill?

― Tape Store, Sunday, 8 April 2007 23:50 (seventeen years ago) link

Dalek voices would be nice. A tiger wouldn't go amiss either. Maybe a robot tiger?

― Matt DC, Monday, 9 April 2007 00:06 (seventeen years ago) link

I agree that she's using exactly the same vocal tricks she's used for ages now, especially on the 'CARNAGE! TURMOIL!' swooping bits, but somehow I don't particularly care.

― Matt DC, Monday, 9 April 2007 00:08 (seventeen years ago) link

Robot Tiger FTW!

― funny farm, Monday, 9 April 2007 00:23 (seventeen years ago) link

I think I will probably grow to like "Earth Intruders", but it's kind of sad that we're at a point where Bjork is now the least interesting thing about her own singles.

― ^@^, Monday, 9 April 2007 00:23 (seventeen years ago) link

There was a time when Bjork was good with a tune.
Exactly.

Well, it's just one song, anyway. The other songs could still potentially be awesome. :)

― Turangalila, Monday, 9 April 2007 00:30 (seventeen years ago) link

Hee, I think Earth Intruders would be awesome if it would be a cover of Milhaud's L'Homme et Son Désir.

― Turangalila, Monday, 9 April 2007 00:31 (seventeen years ago) link

Oh, I like this! I don't really hear the Konono contributions either, but I do like this quite a bit. I'm hearing it for the first time as I am typing. It's all spooky and bouncy. Those buzzy synths underneath are quite nice. And since when has Bjork not been about a kind of musical ethno-tourism? This is a woman who uses throat singers and an Inuit women's choir on her records. She's always been all over the map.

― Emily Bjurnhjam, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 21:27 (seventeen years ago) link

But I agree, to hear it in the album context would probably be even better.

― Emily Bjurnhjam, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 21:30 (seventeen years ago) link

I think Earth Intruders in pretty damn good. Best thing Timbo's done for years as well.

― chap, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 21:41 (seventeen years ago) link

Did you miss the part where she was screaming "CARNAGE - FURIOOSITY! - TURMOIL! - THE BOOONES! - BRAAAANCHES!" over rapid African drum beats and freaky, haunting choir singers?
What else do you want? A roaring tiger sample? A Killer Mike guest spot? Alanis Morissette circa Jagged Little Pill?

-- Tape Store

No I caught all that but I'm not convinced. The words just sound like words like she couldn't be bothered to write any depth into them and hoped the dream logic & vividness they might have originally posessed would just carry over, it doesn't (though that line about "the beast with many heads and arms rolling" is good, unsettling). Beats are soft & lame, synths absolutely horrid, choir predictable and none of it feels like a delicious "fusion" just a crap smoothie, the production, the 'eh'-ness of the tune in general reminds me of fuckin' Goldfrapp believe me that's not a compliment.

"Fierce", "Awesome"? Meh. It's ok. I'll probably enjoy it a bunch live, and I certainly won't skip it as the first track on Volta. But by her standards (by a few other peoples too) it's pretty average :/

― fandango, Tuesday, 10 April 2007 22:30 (seventeen years ago) link

reminds me of fuckin' Goldfrapp believe me that's not a compliment.

Heh, my friend Nick said the exact same thing to me last night.

― Turangalila, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 01:25 (seventeen years ago) link

[i]And since when has Bjork not been about a kind of musical ethno-tourism?[i]
Well, yes. But I meant a cheap, frosted-on kind of musical ethno-tourism. I meant the Damon Albarn sort of musical ethno-tourism.

Anyway, yeah, fandango OTM. I wanted burning distorto mbira funk with phat drums, man. This just sounds like a very average pop song with "cool"& "ethnic" stuff attached to it peripherically.

― Turangalila, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 01:31 (seventeen years ago) link

I nominate "Innocence" as singularly most revolting vocal melody by Björk ever. :(

― Turangalila, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 17:18 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm not listening those tracks yet (live, youtube perchance?). I can wait. I still have good hopes for the album. Though I did listen to a tiny bit of one of the Anthony duets, and liked it! After seeing a few photos of them together, and live on stage I'm starting to think they actually make a great couple (musically speaking) weirdly. I couldn't have imagined it before.

― fandango, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 17:27 (seventeen years ago) link

the amazing amazing chorus of 'earth intruders' >>>>> the pretty fierce beat of 'earth intruders' >>>>>>>>>>> (&c &c) >>>>>> the verses of 'earth intruders'

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 21:41 (seventeen years ago) link

if you can call phoning in completely random 'poetic' words verses in the first place

i am harsh, i do love 'earth intruders', the chorus brooks no argument

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 21:45 (seventeen years ago) link

haha, Lex I'd either reverse that, or put the beat last of all.

The chorus is just there, it hardly exactly inspires! Not compared to the turrrmoil! etc parts

I don't think the lyrics are random at all, they're just underworked and underwhelming. I'm being harsh too, but from Björk I've come to expect so much more, even at it's best, this is amongst her worst work.

― fandango, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 22:09 (seventeen years ago) link

the chorus is quite banging!

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 22:18 (seventeen years ago) link

that synth annoys the shit out of me... even more than that bloody gremlin in "Ancestors"

I dunno, I guess there's nothing fundamentally or unforgiveably wrong with Earth Intruders that can't be accomodated except for the entire thing just sounding like ass?

Everyone's excited and riffing on the musical collisons here but I can't think of another single (except Army Of Me) that ever sounded this bad, bland, and slightly dull? I feel like I'm missing something here.

― fandango, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 22:22 (seventeen years ago) link

i like 'army of me' loads!

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 22:23 (seventeen years ago) link

"army of me" is epic, son!

― rps, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 22:25 (seventeen years ago) link

'army of me' and 'earth intruders' are both...bjork at her most propulsively pop, i guess.

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 22:25 (seventeen years ago) link

god I've posted far too much on this now. Hurry up and leak (the rest)!

― fandango, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 22:27 (seventeen years ago) link

I think Army of Me accomplished exactly what it set out to accomplish. Earth Intruders doesn't seem to have had a game plan at all. It's like an ersatz imitation of Post-era Björk.

― Melissa W, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 22:47 (seventeen years ago) link

aw that youtube link is down

― river wolf, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 23:35 (seventeen years ago) link

while it lasts there's a interview pertaining to this album (it's from a podcast, but don't have that link) up here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdD3VMouqKs

― fandango, Wednesday, 11 April 2007 23:42 (seventeen years ago) link

army of me gets better and better with age.

― Surmounter, Thursday, 12 April 2007 04:46 (seventeen years ago) link

army of me was immdeiately ace, and indeed was the song that converted me to bjork. (possibly because the riff it was essentially early soundgarden on synths)

earth intruders...not so much. it's kind of flat and predictable. but I also think it's difficult to judge, as it suffers mightily from being crappily streamed via youtube.

― m the g, Thursday, 12 April 2007 07:22 (seventeen years ago) link

yeah even the mp3 i have of the extended version is suboptimal, and i can't listen to the shonky youtube mess. dunno how people can put up with such bad quality...i think the production will def come into its own once i hear it properly.

― lex pretend, Thursday, 12 April 2007 08:14 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah I think people dismissing it for sounding muddy when the MP3 is this poor are being a little unfair.

― Matt DC, Thursday, 12 April 2007 09:00 (seventeen years ago) link

Why is the lex all of a sudden ranting everywhere about mp3 sound quality. I personally prefer low quality mp3's as they fit on my mp3 player more. I don't really hear any difference, does your whole opinion of an album hinge entirely on imperceptable to most people issues sound quality. Essentially, you know what it sounds like, the difference a high quality mp3 will make is so miniscule I can't begin to possible think about imagining how to fathom hearing the difference.

I only say this because when I read this thread the Lex's opinion is the one I really listen to and this seems a bit weird. But not that weird when you really think about it.

On the topic of Bjork though, I really think I like this remix I have of Earth intruders (I think its the official one from the single) a little bit more, but then I haven't heard the extended version.

― I know, right?, Thursday, 12 April 2007 09:41 (seventeen years ago) link

the Lex's opinion is the one I really listen to and this seems a bit weird.

yes. yes it does.

― m the g, Thursday, 12 April 2007 09:49 (seventeen years ago) link

afaik, what I have is an aac straight from iTunes, converted to mp3.

I heard about 5 or 6 different versions of that initial rip and they were ALL shocking. Honestly, I'm as fussy about audio quality as anyone but I think there is something amiss in the way it sounds (arrangements, production, mix) here that goes WAY beyond mere fidelity. I'd like to be wrong though.

― fandango, Thursday, 12 April 2007 10:31 (seventeen years ago) link

We are the earth intruders
We are the earth intruders
Muddy with twigs and branches

Turmoil!
Carnage!

Here come the earth intruders
We are the paratroopers
The beat of sharpshooters
Comes straight from voodoo

With our feet thumbing
With our feet marching
Grinding the skeptics into the soil

Shower of goodness coming to end the doubt—pouring over
Shower of goodness coming to end

We are the earth intruders
We are the sharpshooters
Flock of parachuters
Necessary voodoo

I have guided my bones through some voltage
And love them still
And love them too

Metallic
Carnage
Furiousity
Feel the speed!

We are the earth intruders
We are the sharpshooters,
Flock of parachuters
Necessary voodoo

There is turmoil out there
Carnage! Rambling!
What is to do but dig
Dig bones out of earth

Mud graves
Timber
Morbid trenches

Here come the earth intruders
There’ll be no resistance
We are the cannoneerers
Necessary voodoo

And the beast with many heads and arms rolling
Steamroller!

We are the earth intruders
We are the earth intruders
Muddy with twigs and branches

Forgive this tribe!

We are the earth intruders
We are the earth intruders
Muddy with twigs and branches

We are the earth intruders
Muddy with twigs and branches

We are the earth intruders

We are the earth intruders
Muddy with twigs and branches
Marching!

We are the earth intruders
Muddy with twigs and branches
Marching!

March

March

March

We are the earth intruders
Muddy with twigs and branches
Marching voodoo!


the bizarre thing about this is how UP it sounds... and yet it's really not the most positive of songs, I don't think it's explicit enough (I guess she doesn't want to come over all Bono but still) it just doesn't feel properly thought through to me.

― fandango, Thursday, 12 April 2007 10:40 (seventeen years ago) link

something amiss in the way it sounds

OTM. It's either like a shoddily downmixed surround track or else it's done on purpose and Our Mere Human Ears Have No Reference Point (i.e. like that attention whoring left/right mix on the last Low album (which is a great album, but come on, that mix is pointless) ).

― StanM, Thursday, 12 April 2007 10:44 (seventeen years ago) link

i have to say, i'm listening to this again, and i think i sounds great. i think it's a really fun, playing-around take on like Post, Debut and Homogenic.

i really don't know re: the lyrics to EI, but they're growing on me. and the density of the noise on all the tracks is really great. i love the beats.

― Surmounter, Thursday, 12 April 2007 14:10 (seventeen years ago) link

and btw mp3 quality or whatever, it does make a difference! i can't imagine listening to some albums' crappy leaks, it would ruin em

― Surmounter, Thursday, 12 April 2007 14:11 (seventeen years ago) link

I dunno, I don't mind it in total... but I can easily wait for the CD single over the extra 00.3% fidelity I might enjoy getting a sodding .aac (ack?) to tide me over the next month :p

― fandango, Thursday, 12 April 2007 14:21 (seventeen years ago) link

I want PLUTO vocals and heavier beats


I think the EI lyrics stand up pretty well against Pluto. But Pluto is pretty fucking fantastic.
It sounds exactly how I was hoping it all would! Now that she is back playing festivals it makes alot of sense. Opera houses couldn't really contain it.

― o-ess, Thursday, 12 April 2007 16:23 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah, I think o-ess is right, Vespertine live was really beautiful (at least it is on the DVD, sigh.) but it seems like Bjork is really going back to something, I don't know what. I remember on the Medulla DVD she says something about going back to a certain time when she was listening to a lot of metal especially Swans and wanting to recreate a certain feeling etc. It just feels like there's a new type of energy that wasn't there before, less glacial, more fiery.

I remember now, she was talking about becoming a mother, that's when she got all hardcore, when she was pregnant. And being pregnant againd...

But there's something earthier about this one, I think. Something about the way she can sing so beautifully, but her voice is aging a bit now, I listened to Birthday the other day and you can just hear how her voice could just do anything, not exactly disciplined, just kindof expanding or, I don't know. But now, her voice can't do everything. I just think its the first album since she realised she had to start trying harder, that it wasn't all as natural, that it just has this burst

I can't wait to see it outdoors, I hope it lifts off.

― I know, right?, Friday, 13 April 2007 22:11 (seventeen years ago) link

is it nu rave?

HOW DO I SHOT GUARDIAN?

― fandango, Friday, 13 April 2007 23:56 (seventeen years ago) link

AND NME, ONE BULLET...

― fandango, Friday, 13 April 2007 23:59 (seventeen years ago) link

I like EI, but I'm struck by how much the opening drums sounds like this drum loop I have on a loop CD from a few years back.

― Michael F Gill, Saturday, 14 April 2007 07:19 (seventeen years ago) link

live performances on the Debut live DVDs have a similar vibe to them. Quieter though...
EI still feels separate from the rest of her songs in my collection, which is great. onwards to volta.

― o-ess, Saturday, 14 April 2007 22:59 (seventeen years ago) link

I like EI, but I'm struck by how much the opening drums sounds like this drum loop I have on a loop CD from a few years back.

-- Michael F Gill, Saturday, 14 April 2007 07:19 (15 hours ago)


that's timbaland for ya!.
but, yeah, this song still kick ass. can't wait to hear it within the album.

― funny farm, Saturday, 14 April 2007 23:06 (seventeen years ago) link

Bjork's gonna be on Saturday Night Live on April 21st I think

― curmudgeon, Sunday, 15 April 2007 13:19 (seventeen years ago) link

OMG 'DECLARE INDEPENDENCE'

― lex pretend, Monday, 16 April 2007 17:58 (seventeen years ago) link

regardless of fidelty, and the quality is quite shockingly bad, almost like a cheapo, bodiless hip hop or R&B mixdown, the song itself doesnt really stand up. its modern 2007 timbo on autopilot sadly, not really moving that much away from what hes been giving everyone else lately. its just another timbo beat+ bjork which is something that should have been much more special and unusual and peculiar than what the actual thing is.

― titchyschneiderMk2, Monday, 16 April 2007 18:05 (seventeen years ago) link

i might agree with that, you know, the idea that we shouldn't have to settle for something "ok, i guess i like it"

given that it IS these 2 artists.

haha i'm trying to speak.

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 April 2007 18:40 (seventeen years ago) link

Why reduce this to a Timbaland thing? He obviously did part of the beat, but the konono thumb piano stuff isn't his, and it's pretty obvious Bjork took a segment of his beat and tweaked it. Playing it off as his, or weak because part of it is his, isn't really a fair assessment of him or Bjork (or anyone else who contributed, ffs!). I think it sounds a little light as a first single because there's nothing that really punches through (repeating "earth intruders" in a sing-songey voice followed by Bjork vocal screaming, repeat) to be catchy. I think it works fine, sound-wise.

― mh, Monday, 16 April 2007 19:06 (seventeen years ago) link

just saying that given bjork and timbaland, it seems like it could have done more than "work fine, sound-wise."

personally, i think the sound of the song is really beautiful. i just think the lyrics are crap, and the melody isn't that spectacular either.

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 April 2007 20:05 (seventeen years ago) link

but timbos identity is all over it. its not just that he contributed to it subtly, the whole track is basically built around one of his beats and it sounds like it. its not as integrated as her interview on PFM made it sound. i thought it was going to be something like timbalands beat being ripped to its skeleton and bjork and co kinda rebuilding it to make it more melodic or song-y or something, but its basically like timbaland beat+bjork+ a bit of musicianly adornment. im dissapointed, personally.

if you guys wanna hear timbo working with someone out of his usual realm, check out the remake of diamond dogs he did with beck. thats how a timbo+pop auteur-type artist should go IMO.

― titchyschneiderMk2, Monday, 16 April 2007 20:14 (seventeen years ago) link

yeah the melody is what i found most dissapointing, but then what can you do, when the beat is pretty regimented.. its hard to tell properly with this mp3 but bjork doesnt really sound that inspired to my ears.

― titchyschneiderMk2, Monday, 16 April 2007 20:15 (seventeen years ago) link

no she doesn't really. i mean i don't really get what the song is about. it's like she's just talking about how humans are invading the earth?

that seems so uninteresting to me, like cliche, redundant uninteresting.

for me it's the vocals at large that i don't like. the lyrics, the voice quality, the melody. none of it on this track excites me very much at all

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 April 2007 20:22 (seventeen years ago) link

the beat and the adornment i think sound great tho.

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 April 2007 20:23 (seventeen years ago) link

yeah, its almost like bjork heard it, knew it was redundant and timbo had already shot his load with everyone else (and even with them, hes done it all before and better), but went ahead with it anyway and fed offf timbos own lack of inspiration channelling that same ennui into her own performance.

― titchyschneiderMk2, Monday, 16 April 2007 20:30 (seventeen years ago) link

ok so the album is pretty damn sweet!

'dull flame of desire' is an absolutely amazing 7 1/2-minute ballad feat. antony, whose singing i really enjoy for the first time (restraining the tremolo &c) - builds up to astonishing climax of drumming.

'declare independence' is the other standout on a couple of spins - this is the NOISE one i think, it is dedicated to greenland and the faroe islands, it reminds me of 'pluto' most - hardcore squawking, "DECLARE INDEPENDENCE! DON'T LET THEM DO THAT TO YOU! RAISE YOUR FLAG! HIGHER HIGHER!"

the other two timba tracks are 'innocence', which is a bit banging, clearly meant to be another big pop moment, and 'hope' which is a lot more laid back and which i kind of prefer - actually sounds more like a neptunes beat (from back when they were good), there's that drum loop i don't know how to technically describe but it reminds me of...'good stuff' by kelis and 'ride wit me' by nelly! and there is harp over the top, it's laidback and beautiful.

diff mix of 'earth intruders' which somehow sounds muddier than the low-bitrate mark stent edit i've been listening to.

on first listen i was like "hmm where are the tunes then" but then i remembered that i'm usually like this for most albums - after a couple of listens the tunes are beginning to sink in.

― lex pretend, Monday, 16 April 2007 20:32 (seventeen years ago) link

caveat = i have listened to it TWICE and inevitably will rescind everything i think now in five months' time :D

― lex pretend, Monday, 16 April 2007 20:33 (seventeen years ago) link

//skips album review for now//

"the whole track is basically built around one of his beats and it sounds like it."

utter bollox. though I wish it did.

― fandango, Monday, 16 April 2007 20:34 (seventeen years ago) link

"Earth Intruders" is yoga flame. u r all teh sux

― The Reverend, Monday, 16 April 2007 21:46 (seventeen years ago) link

"but timbos identity is all over it. its not just that he contributed to it subtly, the whole track is basically built around one of his beats and it sounds like it. its not as integrated as her interview on PFM made it sound. i thought it was going to be something like timbalands beat being ripped to its skeleton and bjork and co kinda rebuilding it to make it more melodic or song-y or something, but its basically like timbaland beat+bjork+ a bit of musicianly adornment. im dissapointed, personally. "

I always find this critical line a bit amusing - if Bjork went to all the trouble to commission a Timbaland beat only to have it "ripped to its skeleton", why bother getting Timbaland in the first place? There's only so much you can really do to someone else's groove until it gets to the point where you may as well have just started from scratch by yourself. Why wouldn't a Bjork + Timbaland collaboration sound like... Bjork + Timbaland?

As it is it does sound very different to any other Timbaland based single, it's very rare that one of his beats will be so buried in the mix. It could have been, e.g. "Say It Right" with Bjork singing on top.

― Tim F, Monday, 16 April 2007 22:24 (seventeen years ago) link

because, timmy, that would mean it wouldnt be the typical 'timbaland exerting his person all over the track' and would simply be a contributor rather than the over dominant super producer whos ego is so great he has to dwarf the vocalists on his productions.

― titchyschneiderMk2, Monday, 16 April 2007 22:57 (seventeen years ago) link

i think it's just a difference of

it could have sounded like bjork featuring timbaland

or it could have sounded like bjork with a dash of timbaland to kick things up.

― Surmounter, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 00:30 (seventeen years ago) link

i'm honestly just surprised she didn't have anything more interesting to show us as a first single, timbaland or not.

― Surmounter, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 00:37 (seventeen years ago) link

See, I think it already sounds like the second of those (x-post)

Or, if you tried to decrease the amount of Timbaland in there it would no longer be noticeable at all - it's just a drum loop as it is! Unless a clearer mix will suddenly reveal some beatboxing as well...

Discounting Medulla, which I've only heard fleetingly, I don't think Bjork has ever really collaborated with producers in such a way that their imprint wasn't clearly etched and immediately obvious - if anything i'd say her work with Mark Bell sounds more obviously like Mark Bell than "Earth Intruders" sounds like Timbaland. If this is less true for, say, Tricky, it's only because at that stage in his career Tricky's own sound wasn't quite as immediately identifiable as Timbaland's is - but tell me "Enjoy" wouldn't have fit easily onto Maxinquaye...

The main exception to this is Nellee Hooper circa Post, perhaps because he and Bjork were clearly trying to gel with the other "dominant super producer egos" in the mix - Tricky, Graham Massey... The Hooper tracks on Post generally sound like a halfway house between Debut and the non-Hooper Post tracks (this is not a criticism btw, those tracks generally sound amazing) - and more generally because Hooper by the mid-nineties was more of a chronicler of developments external to himself (a Scott Storch if you will) rather than the generator of them. You can argue that it would have been better for Timbaland to take a Scott Storch role, but then if that's what would have worked Bjork should have gone straight to Scott Storch.

― Tim F, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 00:46 (seventeen years ago) link

i'm sorry, before i read the rest of your post tim, i'd like to say i think it sounds like the second of those as well. i just think the two of them together could hav come up with something more mindblowing. i'm onna keep reading now.

― Surmounter, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 00:50 (seventeen years ago) link

It seems that the detractors are complaining about lack of subtleties, but really, this song is all about brute force and does brute force well.

― The Reverend, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 03:18 (seventeen years ago) link

ok, fair play tim, thats true enough. like surmounter though, i too "just think the two of them together could hav come up with something more mindblowing."

cant wait to hear the album though. hope bjork sounds a bit more interested/interesting on there.

― titchyschneiderMk2, Tuesday, 17 April 2007 08:50 (seventeen years ago) link

I just heard "Innocence" on myspace. Hey-- is that the grunt from Scott Walker's "Clara", when the meat gets whacked?

― Rich Smörgasbord, Friday, 20 April 2007 03:16 (seventeen years ago) link

Ugh. I never want to listen to "Innocence" ever again.

― Turangalila, Friday, 20 April 2007 04:44 (seventeen years ago) link

(It's Alarm Call's more evil twin.)

― Turangalila, Friday, 20 April 2007 04:48 (seventeen years ago) link

Bjork on this week's SNL, guys. (ScarJo host)

― marmotwolof, Friday, 20 April 2007 05:01 (seventeen years ago) link

(oops curmudgeon already said that)

― marmotwolof, Friday, 20 April 2007 05:03 (seventeen years ago) link

weird.

http://unit.bjork.com/innocence/bjork.jpg
http://unit.bjork.com/innocence/bjork2.jpg
http://unit.bjork.com/innocence/bjork4.jpg

(from the Innocence video contest page )

― StanM, Friday, 20 April 2007 07:44 (seventeen years ago) link

so, it's a giant christmas tree ornament?

― funny farm, Friday, 20 April 2007 07:50 (seventeen years ago) link

I can recognize the grunt, but not only that.. I'm sure that the silencer sound from Counter Strike(USP) is in it. That or some other game. Liked Innocence better than Earth Intruders

― MRZBW, Friday, 20 April 2007 10:07 (seventeen years ago) link

the odd thing about the much-vaunted bjork/timba meeting-of-genius is that timba may as well not be there for 2 of his 3 tracks - 'innocence' is v v much like a slightly more focused 'alarm call', the 'earth intruders' beat wouldn't have made me think of him if i hadn't known he was on it (it's a bit 'human behaviour' actually!). it's the relatively subtle 'hope' which actually seems like an equal collaboration - have now pinned down what the beat reminds me of, it's like a very laidback 'southern hospitality'

― lex pretend, Friday, 20 April 2007 10:39 (seventeen years ago) link

Wow, "Innocence" is so... awful.

― The Brainwasher, Friday, 20 April 2007 17:39 (seventeen years ago) link

And totally lacking any sort of tune whatsoever.

― The Brainwasher, Friday, 20 April 2007 17:40 (seventeen years ago) link

the odd thing about the much-vaunted bjork/timba meeting-of-genius is that timba may as well not be there for 2 of his 3 tracks

OTM. That's exactly what I meant upthread when I asked why hire Konono and Timba (and CORSANO for that matter) if they didn't really need to be there for these songs to exist.

The only track I'm looking forward to is "Wanderlust," which I think Nico Muhly made the brass arrangements for and sounds lovely so far!

― Turangalila, Friday, 20 April 2007 19:24 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah "Waqnderlust" sounds great, also I think "Hope" is going to be a fave of mine.

― The Brainwasher, Friday, 20 April 2007 20:47 (seventeen years ago) link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuhRlhaKX_0&NR=1

'Earth Intruders' video. Not that good.

― o-ess, Sunday, 22 April 2007 00:02 (seventeen years ago) link

So, some posters are saying Timbaland egotistically dominates his tracks and others say he may as well not be there, and both are using this to criticise the songs...

― Tim F, Sunday, 22 April 2007 00:44 (seventeen years ago) link

I thought she was pretty good on SNL tonight

― Michael F Gill, Sunday, 22 April 2007 05:03 (seventeen years ago) link

"Wanderlust" is incredible.

― The Brainwasher, Sunday, 22 April 2007 05:08 (seventeen years ago) link

who the hell was backing her up on SNL? i don't think i've ever seen so many people onstage and not been able to hear half of them. the first song was pretty good.

― GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ, Sunday, 22 April 2007 11:43 (seventeen years ago) link

Corsano was in the band last night...I don't know who the other people were. Based on those two songs, I'm not really looking forward to this record as much as I was initially. I'm coming to the conclusion that for me anyway, Björk records are always better in theory than practice.

― unperson, Sunday, 22 April 2007 14:41 (seventeen years ago) link

I know, the Timbaland critique is muddled - I think there are other more significant flaws to bring up.

Oh geez, I could never make that kindof statement about Bjork albums. I think most of them have held up in practice.

― Surmounter, Sunday, 22 April 2007 15:02 (seventeen years ago) link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ9qQ4MRHg4

(meh)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHe7rFLQh74

(great!)

― MRZBW, Sunday, 22 April 2007 23:15 (seventeen years ago) link

What do people think of her Female Icelandic Brass Choir? I'm all for them. They have the energy I think she needs for these songs. I miss the Inuit Choir though....'a choir from Greeeeenlahnd!'

― o-ess, Monday, 23 April 2007 11:04 (seventeen years ago) link

Geir's true identity revealed.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 23 April 2007 11:12 (seventeen years ago) link

That review is dreadful... like really amateur. It reads like something pulled off amazon.com/rateyourmusic/some fanzine.

― fandango, Monday, 23 April 2007 11:23 (seventeen years ago) link

They just can't get the staff these days.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 23 April 2007 11:25 (seventeen years ago) link

But the third Timbaland tune, 'Hope', sounds like an explosion at the BBC World Music Awards - an unfortunate image

.. that I just made up.

― Matthew H, Monday, 23 April 2007 11:40 (seventeen years ago) link

another odd OMM 4-star review which reads like a 2-star one!

its martial robo-stomp lent much-needed soul by experimental Congolese band Konono No 1 (no, me neither)

uh? a) even i have heard of konono no 1, b) not having heard of people is fine but if you're reviewing the album and are going to mention them, maybe then you could look them up first?

― lex pretend, Monday, 23 April 2007 11:47 (seventeen years ago) link

For unknown reasons at midnight on Monday, April 23rd, the UK iTunes store released Volta. This information is under speculation as to whether the album was officially leaked or not. Audio previews of the tracks were available, but it is still unknown as to whether or not the downloads were truly available. This error was corrected within a few hours of the mistake.


(or so says wikipedia )

― StanM, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 08:37 (seventeen years ago) link

uh? a) even i have heard of konono no 1, b) not having heard of people is fine but if you're reviewing the album and are going to mention them, maybe then you could look them up first?


Seriously, OMM were all over Konono No.1, in their most shameless attempt to colonise an act as theirs since Camille. As far as I recall.

― I know, right?, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 11:44 (seventeen years ago) link

The album has leaked! I can't wait to get home and check it out.

― Finefinemusic, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 18:12 (seventeen years ago) link

i agree with the lex but i also think it a bit cheeky eh wot wot for him to be telling other people to look stuff up

― strongohulkington, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 18:18 (seventeen years ago) link

The album has leaked! I can't wait to get home and check it out.

where?
for some reason, oink just isn't working right now.

― funny farm, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:34 (seventeen years ago) link

It's not on OiNK. It's a bad rip full of drop-outs and skips.

― Johnny Fever, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:36 (seventeen years ago) link

oh. that sucks.

― funny farm, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:38 (seventeen years ago) link

if it helps i still can't get INTO it, embrace it 100%. i dunno i'm not ready to dismiss it, it is v impressive, but there's as much that makes me go hmmm as there is which makes me go mmmm. i want to discuss this!

i agree with the lex but i also think it a bit cheeky eh wot wot for him to be telling other people to look stuff up

i look stuff up when i have to review it! ilx doesn't merit quite that commitment.

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:47 (seventeen years ago) link

Which brings us to Antony 'and the Johnsons' Hegarty, aka 'Supplier of Pissed-Up Pub Singer Theatricality'

...what kind of pubs is this man hanging out in?

― Telephone thing, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 19:51 (seventeen years ago) link

Can I post a URL? I don't know how to delete my comment if that is bad business. I have it on Sendspace.

― Finefinemusic, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 20:39 (seventeen years ago) link

Perhaps people can "webmail" for more information.

― Finefinemusic, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 20:40 (seventeen years ago) link

who produced "declare independence"?

― toby, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 21:40 (seventeen years ago) link

i don't know but it's fucking awesome. this album is better than i expected. "declare independence" is one of my favorite ever bjork tracks.

― ^@^, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 22:05 (seventeen years ago) link

Declare Independence apparently originated from Mark Bell(LFO), she's sung over a couple of his tracks before on b-sides (and rightly B-sides imo, I never liked 'I Go Humble' or 'Nature is Ancient' much) but never on an album. Although that's barely relevant as he did give a great deal to Homogenic already in some form or other production wise.

I'm waiting for the CD ^__^

― fandango, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 22:46 (seventeen years ago) link

When is it actually out?

― admrl, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 22:47 (seventeen years ago) link

May 7th (although One Little Indian have sent the last two out at least a week early if you're sad like me and have pre-ordered it)

― fandango, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 22:50 (seventeen years ago) link

Fandango you are crazy, "I Go Humble" is an absolutely amazing track.

― Tim F, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 23:17 (seventeen years ago) link

Although that's barely relevant as he did give a great deal to Homogenic already in some form or other production wise.

He was the producer for the whole record, wasn't he?

― Telephone thing, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 23:20 (seventeen years ago) link

All except "Unravel" (Guy Sigsworth) and "All Is Full of Love" (Howie B) I think.

― Tim F, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 23:35 (seventeen years ago) link

yeah, all I mean is that you can hear his sound on her records often whether he's provided all the music or not...

xpost - I just feel like the vocal is a bit static, that's all!

I felt that before I heard the track the music is taken from (Shove Piggy Shove of LFO's 'Advance' IIRC) fwiw. If it helps I love everything she ever did in collaboration with The Black Dog so hard (Charlene, Sweet Intuition... er, remixes).

― fandango, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 23:37 (seventeen years ago) link

(and 'Heirloom' too, I adore (which was a Console track she did the imaginary karaoke to as well))

― fandango, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 23:39 (seventeen years ago) link

B-b-but... I'm QUEEN of PRO! VA! CATIOOOOOON!

― Tim F, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 23:39 (seventeen years ago) link

Hey, it's not BAD! I dunno, I suppose it never really clicked enough for me to feel like it could have been album-worthy?

― fandango, Wednesday, 25 April 2007 23:41 (seventeen years ago) link

i think i'm gonna wait for the cd to come out. it'll be the first new cd i buy, this year.

― funny farm, Thursday, 26 April 2007 01:13 (seventeen years ago) link

DECLARE INDEPENDENCE!

DON'T LET THEM DO THAT TO YOU!

― Matt DC, Sunday, 29 April 2007 15:30 (seventeen years ago) link

Watching her Coachella performance of Declare Independence, I can't wait.

― o-ess, Sunday, 29 April 2007 15:55 (seventeen years ago) link

Decalre Independence could be a lightning bolt song. I think I got mad mp3s of the album because my ipod was astuttering sometimes, which it never does.

― JW, Sunday, 29 April 2007 16:00 (seventeen years ago) link

piece in th tymes today is alright nuthing breaking news..except that the clarity with which she speaks of her place in it all,the genre,and her homelife and it's influence is refreshing and real and good to see someone co-opt things they have every right to..and blablah,lbalha

― danbunny, Sunday, 29 April 2007 16:20 (seventeen years ago) link

Jon I think I've got the same - the first three songs stutter madly, sounds like a dodgy vinyl rip.

Which is annoying because The Dull Flame Of Desire is possibly my favourite thing on here, on one listen. In some ways it feels like the simplest thing she's ever done.

― Matt DC, Sunday, 29 April 2007 16:33 (seventeen years ago) link

i love the way every time you think 'declare independence' has reached its height of hardcore squawky noisy bangingness, it somehoe goes up another level

― lex pretend, Sunday, 29 April 2007 16:37 (seventeen years ago) link

that koacjhella clip of independebcde gives me renwewed faitrh ion dsometing otr other

― danbunny, Sunday, 29 April 2007 16:39 (seventeen years ago) link

The first thing I thought upon hearing Declare Independence was "OMG this is awesome but the people who hated Earth Intruders and Innocence are REALLY going to hate this" and the second thing I thought was "it's only a small step from this to 'fuck you I won't do what you tell me'".

― Matt DC, Sunday, 29 April 2007 16:40 (seventeen years ago) link

Tell me of your homeworld, danbunny.

― StanM, Sunday, 29 April 2007 16:42 (seventeen years ago) link

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

― Tape Store, Sunday, 29 April 2007 16:44 (seventeen years ago) link

'declare independence' is like 'pluto' part two

there's lots of that on the album, a lot of the songs are direct descendants of past bjork songs - innocence/alarm call, earth intruders/human behaviour/army of me.

― lex pretend, Sunday, 29 April 2007 16:55 (seventeen years ago) link

In what way is Earth Intruders a direct descendant of Human Behaviour or Army of Me, other than 'there are big drums'?

― Matt DC, Sunday, 29 April 2007 19:44 (seventeen years ago) link

earthy ethno dense

― Surmounter, Sunday, 29 April 2007 19:52 (seventeen years ago) link

i love the hiss of "damn colonists" on 'declare independence'!

― lex pretend, Sunday, 29 April 2007 20:39 (seventeen years ago) link

"Earth Intruders" sounds most like "Regina" to me, at least as far as the melody (if you want to call that) goes. And I hear "You've Been Flirting Again" in "Dull Flame of Desire."

― richjuz, Sunday, 29 April 2007 21:41 (seventeen years ago) link

there's lots of that on the album, a lot of the songs are direct descendants of past bjork songs - innocence/alarm call, earth intruders/human behaviour/army of me


Is that a good or a bad thing?

― the Dirt, Sunday, 29 April 2007 22:13 (seventeen years ago) link

danbunny otm re the nyt piece

― tricky, Sunday, 29 April 2007 22:27 (seventeen years ago) link

I love how the lex loves declare independence because its obstinately by a diva but he would wrinkle his nose if lightning bolt did it. (most obvious cover for them to do ever!)

― JW, Sunday, 29 April 2007 22:36 (seventeen years ago) link

gay and noise dudes be actin stereotypical!

― JW, Sunday, 29 April 2007 22:36 (seventeen years ago) link

Matt DC, that kind of stutter seems digital.

― JW, Sunday, 29 April 2007 22:38 (seventeen years ago) link

lex also skipping over matt dc's allude to Rage Against The Machine!

― fandango, Sunday, 29 April 2007 22:46 (seventeen years ago) link

he probably thought it was about the lyrical content

― JW, Sunday, 29 April 2007 23:03 (seventeen years ago) link

Okay so "Earth Intruders" is fucking phenomenal.

― HI DERE, Sunday, 29 April 2007 23:42 (seventeen years ago) link

"Declare Independence" is awful---tuneless and painful. "Pluto" is exhilarating and gorgeous. Don't get the comparison at all.

― Turangalila, Monday, 30 April 2007 01:55 (seventeen years ago) link

did we see the nytimes write-up?

― Surmounter, Monday, 30 April 2007 02:22 (seventeen years ago) link

Geir sock puppet!

― JW, Monday, 30 April 2007 03:11 (seventeen years ago) link

Oh, what the fuck ever. I'm not even alluding to the lack of melody per se. Pluto isn't exactly sing-songy, I just think they're completely different songs going for completely different things.

Declare Independence sounds to me like a punk art-school protest project gone wrong, whereas Pluto is lush, pulsating, and beautifully tense.

― Turangalila, Monday, 30 April 2007 04:06 (seventeen years ago) link

I don't think "tune" is what she's going for there. And, yeah it is fucking awesome. The album is a bit awesome overall, too. The Antony duet needs to be several minutes shorter, though.

― The Reverend, Monday, 30 April 2007 04:20 (seventeen years ago) link

lex also skipping over matt dc's allude to Rage Against The Machine!

no he'd mentioned it to me in the pub, i think i responded with "shut up"

― lex pretend, Monday, 30 April 2007 09:50 (seventeen years ago) link

It's the 'Raise Your Flag!' bit that really reminds me of RATM.

― Matt DC, Monday, 30 April 2007 10:38 (seventeen years ago) link

Anyway, I'm not sure about this as a whole album, after 4 or 5 listens. It feels like a good EP plus padding - that middle section from Vertebrae by Vertebrae up to and including Hope is all quite pretty but not exactly compelling, ditto the last track. Maybe it'll seep in later and start to make sense but I can't see me loving this album.

― Matt DC, Monday, 30 April 2007 10:42 (seventeen years ago) link

Ugh, the more I listen to this, the more I hate it. "I See Who You Are" is such a nonentity, and I hate those sine tone synth parts. Also, I'll never forgive her for Declare Independence. It's so childish and basic. If you want to make a statement, at least put more thought into it, but this sounds like a bad Peaches song or something. (Funny that she says 'invent your own language' and she's singing in English.) Mark Bell's stupid IDM beats have to go.

And I'm still impressed that Corsano sounds like... any other drummer. As does Chippendale. She could have let them freak out a bit and make some interesting sounds. It all just sounds like a hodge-podge of ideas, no cohesion.

/end rant

― Turangalila, Monday, 30 April 2007 17:37 (seventeen years ago) link

I love See Who You Are.

― admrl, Monday, 30 April 2007 17:38 (seventeen years ago) link

I kind of agree

― Catsupppppppppppppp dude ‫茄蕃‪, Monday, 30 April 2007 18:11 (seventeen years ago) link

(Funny that she says 'invent your own language' and she's singing in English.)

whaddya want "hopelandish?"

I've not heard it yet anyway so can't comment. But not going to go into this in overthinking mode if I can help it...

― fandango, Monday, 30 April 2007 21:37 (seventeen years ago) link

NPR Music and WNYC (New York's Public Radio) will offer a live Web stream of Björk’s sold-out performance from the United Palace in New York City on Saturday, May 5. The concert will be streamed live at www.NPR.org/music, and will also be available as a free MP3 download on www.NPR.org/liveconcerts and the NPR Music All Songs Considered podcast. WNYC will then offer an encore broadcast on Monday, May 14 at 7 p.m. EST both on the radio and via Web stream at www.WNYC.org.

― StanM, Monday, 30 April 2007 22:47 (seventeen years ago) link

I love the choir ( Unravel ) and the horn section ( Joga )

― StanM, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 11:42 (seventeen years ago) link

The Mark Bell version of I See Who You Are kicks the album version in the nuts.

― Matt DC, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 13:50 (seventeen years ago) link

"Protect your own language", surely.

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:05 (seventeen years ago) link

Anybody else going to the Radio City show tonight?

― unperson, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:15 (seventeen years ago) link

thats tonight???

― Surmounter, Wednesday, 2 May 2007 15:21 (seventeen years ago) link

WHY DOES BJORK HATE ME SO????!!! WHY DOES SHE WANT ME TO TEAR THE STICKER OF HER DRESSED AS ALIENCYBERCHICKEN?????!!!! WHY WOULD YOU PACKAGE AN ALBUM LIKE THIS????!!!!

― Scik Mouthy, Monday, 7 May 2007 14:04 (seventeen years ago) link

I wanted to like this record more, and was hopeful given Timbaland's involvement (not because she needs his beats, but because it would be good if she worked with someone who has better pop instincts than herself--someone to help her hone down her ideas into better songs) (this was not an issue on her first couple solo records, which are pop triumphs in my view)... I find it kind of dud-ish for the most part, a couple nice tunes, a lot of rambling, moody beats, and some slightly irritating noisy stuff. The two uptempo Timbaland tracks sound kind of unfinished, too.

― sw00ds, Monday, 7 May 2007 14:44 (seventeen years ago) link

This album made me decide to not go out of my way to bother with her anymore--it's too much work, not enough pay-off.

― sw00ds, Monday, 7 May 2007 14:46 (seventeen years ago) link

after caning this over the weekend i have finally decided that i unreservedly love it :D

― lex pretend, Monday, 7 May 2007 14:53 (seventeen years ago) link

I relistened to the first two albums this wknd, and was stunned by just how better they were...it was a depressing realization, actually.

― sw00ds, Monday, 7 May 2007 14:55 (seventeen years ago) link

this is a hard listen, harder than medulla, which was purposefully difficult, I felt; this seems to straddle a weird line b/w the two. I like bjork best when she's doing the pretty (vespertine) and this really doesn't fall in line with that. It's good, but it's going to take a while.

― akm, Monday, 7 May 2007 18:30 (seventeen years ago) link

Post would be perfect if it didn't have "Army of Me" on it so I'm not sure it's totally fair to compare ANY of her albums to that one.

― HI DERE, Monday, 7 May 2007 18:31 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah, I sound like one of those guys who can't get over the fact that not every album can be as great as an artist's greatest work... That said, I don't think the new one is a mild dip in quality, so much as one of a long-running series of dips.

"Army of Me" is great, though; Post would be perfect if it didn't have that awful jazzercise song.

― sw00ds, Monday, 7 May 2007 19:06 (seventeen years ago) link

i love 'army of me' and the jazzercise (if you mean 'i miss you'). post[/i[ could do without 'headphones' but it's at the end and dull rather than really bad so i can live with it. i don't think post is bjork's best album by any means but it is the most stylistically similar to volta in that it's a total scattershot affair rather than single-minded exploration of one theme.

[i]volta isn't tough going as in difficult to listen to but it's true that the tunes didn't exactly manifest themselves immediately (possibly a consequence of the MEGA tunes of the best few tracks rather than their own failings). 'pneumonia' is the only one which drifts past unnoticed now.

― lex pretend, Monday, 7 May 2007 19:31 (seventeen years ago) link

The Volta packaging is unforgivable really, after painstakingly scoring down the centre of the giant sticker-Bjork using a needle and a ruler I found that my copy is lacking an inlay booklet, although there is a little flap for such a booklet to live in, possibly.

I don't really mind though because of the lovely tipsy sonorousness, I love love love the softy brass all over this, the Wanderlust/Dull Flame segue is double-take startling/thrilling. The middle section of this album does the same slightly wafty thing that the second half of Vespertine does but with lovely warmy brass instead of twinkly chilly glissandi (or whatever) and the unbeat-y things seem conspiciously less structured than Medulla, which always strikes me as pretty much uber-tightly-wound and neatly regulated throughout.

― hoot, Monday, 7 May 2007 19:34 (seventeen years ago) link

I just wish she'd work on writing catchier vocal hooks. They get less and less memorable as time goes on, sounding more improvisatory than ever.

― Turangalila, Monday, 7 May 2007 20:17 (seventeen years ago) link

"Vertebrae by Vertrebrae" is breathtaking. It's what I hope the 3rd Portishead album sounds like.

― The Brainwasher, Monday, 7 May 2007 20:22 (seventeen years ago) link

I quite like VbV. Lovely brass arrangements.

― Turangalila, Monday, 7 May 2007 20:24 (seventeen years ago) link

I love this album. I'm eh on not having more to contribute than that at this point, but yeah, it is astounding.

― nickalicious, Monday, 7 May 2007 21:13 (seventeen years ago) link

Plenty of thoughts but.. no time! except, broadly... quite, quite disappointed. Not an irredeemable record by any means (and one that still may catch me out as a grower) but a fairly shocking dip in her own standards. I find the lack of overall agreement on exactly which are the lame tracks a bit curious though....

― fandango, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 15:42 (seventeen years ago) link

I liked this a lot on first listen. I'll be playing this far more often than Medulla. Like others, I'll say more after repeat plays.

Also I had no trouble in peeling off the sticker and re-positioning it on the RH panel without damaging it. And the sticker on the shrink rap came off easily as well, so I put that one near the top of the LH panel. Sorted.

― Jeff W, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 16:14 (seventeen years ago) link

Medulla >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Volta

― Turangalila, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 18:24 (seventeen years ago) link

Mark P pretty much OTM, to be honest.

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/42768-volta

― StanM, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 18:56 (seventeen years ago) link

Maybe, but Declare Independence is not "transcendent" in any sense. Try listening to it alongside the Paula Sheppard performed "Me and My Rhythm Box" from the soundtrack to Liquid Sky (1981). They are pretty much the same song.

― Turangalila, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 19:03 (seventeen years ago) link

What, this? Not hearing it, I'm afraid.

― StanM, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 19:30 (seventeen years ago) link

Mark P's review is great (and pretty much in line with a review I filed myself yesterday, though his review is way more detailed and eloquent--I couldn't even get interested enough to say anything about this album). He does single out my two least favourite songs as being two of the best (that horrid Antony duet, and "Declare Independence," which, as someone said above is just "childish"), but aside from that, I'm totally with him.

― sw00ds, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 19:39 (seventeen years ago) link

it's kind of silly how much better the full album version of "earth intruders" is. like, why release a single that's so vastly inferior?

this is very good on first listen.

― Emily Bjurnhjam, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 22:49 (seventeen years ago) link

i like that on my copy that i just ripped it's labeled as "the bull flame of desire."

― Emily Bjurnhjam, Tuesday, 8 May 2007 23:01 (seventeen years ago) link

I don't think Declare Independence needs slamming by way of obscurer reference points! It'd be enough to say that when the intention was to make some NOIZE and you don't even bother to get Lightning Bolt dude on board for it? :'( I don't it lyrically fwiw, but yeah, disappointed that it's far tamer than anticipated.

― fandango, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 10:10 (seventeen years ago) link

It is odd though, about the tracks which are supposedly poor "I See Who You Are" is a tranquil lullaby without much of a melody at all. it's actually my favourite track so far! And for a track with "no melody" I seem to find myself humming it unexpectedly a great deal of the time...

― fandango, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 10:16 (seventeen years ago) link

Overall, I think it's amazingly well produced but... empty. I'm not feeling it.

― StanM, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 10:18 (seventeen years ago) link

i have finally filed my own review PHEW, and now i get to read mark's...i agree and disagree at the same time! i am definitely with him on the standout tracks, and it took quite a while for me to come round to some of the others, but i have come round - and i think his point about the collaborators being underused is massively in the album's favour. she's keeping them in their place, she's using their ideas to make the album brilliantly scattershot but not letting all the big names weigh it down/turn it into a mess.

i think the fact that everyone disagrees about which the strong/weak tracks are is an indication of its quality...

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 10:25 (seventeen years ago) link

The first Antony duet is horrendous. And how long is it?! I was listening to it in a car on my own and after it had been on for what seemed like half an hour I just had to shout JESUS CHRIST!

Vertrebrae is a plural</pedant>

― ledge, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 10:28 (seventeen years ago) link

xpost - I agree with the lex's last sentence... kind of. I'm finding the highpoints to be some of the tracks coming in for a bruising, and inversely some of the more celebrated ones... not much to shout about.

I don't think it deserves a slating (not in ref: to mark p's review fwiw), and were anybody else to put this record out I think the reaction would be v.v.different & more in it's favour.

What I'm not though, is knocked out, or even particularly fascinated... it's not usual.

― fandango, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 11:06 (seventeen years ago) link

weight of expectation is worse for the consumer than the artist!

― lex pretend, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 11:07 (seventeen years ago) link

well she's certainly downgrading my expectations with this one...

― fandango, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 11:19 (seventeen years ago) link

hmmm... listening this afternoon got me thinking that apart from the deliberately BIG songs and obvious singles. Might be way, way too early to call this one :-/

― fandango, Wednesday, 9 May 2007 19:08 (seventeen years ago) link

The first three tracks are fucking incredible (my first listen).

Also "The Dull Flame of Desire" is 7:30.

― HI DERE, Friday, 11 May 2007 23:28 (seventeen years ago) link

Haven't got an opinion on the album as a whole yet- it'll take a few more listens, as I've been too busy to get through it all in a single sitting and the, well, quieter bits haven't made much of an impression- but I LOVE the foghorn brass on "Wanderlust," it just sounds so heavy and portentous.

― Telephone thing, Saturday, 12 May 2007 01:34 (seventeen years ago) link

"Dull Flame of Desire" outstays its welcome and Antony is k-annoying. Other than that, I love this. I'm kind of cooling on "Earth Intruders", but "Wanderlust", "Innocence", and "Declare Independence" are just as good to better, so no love lost.

― The Reverend, Saturday, 12 May 2007 09:52 (seventeen years ago) link

Now that I'm in the correct thread...does "Dull Flame of Desire" remind anyone else of "Stairway to Heaven"?

― brightscreamer, Sunday, 13 May 2007 01:18 (seventeen years ago) link

YES

― ryan, Sunday, 13 May 2007 01:30 (seventeen years ago) link

It's a fantastic EP with lots of padding. I'm not sure if I like Wanderlust - is 'make something really schmaltzy while 'offsetting' it with really jarring beats' still considered interesting these days?

― Matt DC, Sunday, 13 May 2007 01:35 (seventeen years ago) link

Also The Dull Flame Of Desire could really do with having two or three minutes lopped out of the middle where Bjork and Antony are transparently wandering around in search of some momentum. It's a great song but would be twice as powerful at two thirds of the length.

― Matt DC, Sunday, 13 May 2007 01:37 (seventeen years ago) link

DFOD is too long by a bit, but anthony is SO good on it! wasn't really a fan before...

wanderlust is a sad sad self-parody of a björk song indeed, and I prefer the intro... also mark bell's beats letting the side down (tho' björk has final say & should know better. feels like she's just lost her ear for a good/fresh beat all round tragically)

Innocence still f-awful... but I actually love the maligned middle stretch of I see.../Vertebrae by vertebrae/Pneumonia (less said about the next track the better). I wish the rest of the record felt so genuine & heartfelt :/ especially the forlorn attempts at björk-pop that don't really feel hmmm, much good.

overall, I'm enjoying it but yeah. Masterpiece it's not. Could still see myself liking it by the end of year though. It's a nice, but small, very diminished Björk record.

― fandango, Sunday, 13 May 2007 10:34 (seventeen years ago) link

i have really started to like this. innocence is not great but not so bad i have to skip it. everything else is pretty wonderful.

― ryan, Sunday, 13 May 2007 19:40 (seventeen years ago) link

"Innocence" has a great beat!

― Tape Store, Sunday, 13 May 2007 19:59 (seventeen years ago) link

her voice is the best it's been since the sugarcubes on "innocence"

― funny farm, Sunday, 13 May 2007 20:19 (seventeen years ago) link

I'm wondering what the people who are hating on or are tepid about this album were expecting from it. Bjork's entire career has been defined by self-indulgence and I think she funnels it pretty well here into an enjoyable set of songs.

― HI DERE, Sunday, 13 May 2007 20:21 (seventeen years ago) link

could you put that any more blandly?

― fandango, Sunday, 13 May 2007 20:45 (seventeen years ago) link

Could you fuck off if you're not going to respond to a simple question?

― HI DERE, Sunday, 13 May 2007 20:51 (seventeen years ago) link

Personally, I'm just happy for anything that isn't some nigh-unlistenable concept piece a la Medulla. To me, she's reigning in her self-indulgence.

― The Reverend, Sunday, 13 May 2007 22:21 (seventeen years ago) link

Not feeling this at all so far.

Problems the same as last time, i.e.
(a) too many guest stars;
(b) general air of lack of urgency (as opposed to Kate Bush's patience.
(c) Kid A-type facade of modernity and adventure but falls precisely because she has nothing to lose by doing it.

Or, to put it another way, in adventurous pop terms the new Amerie album is kicking the arse of the new Bjork album out of the ballpark in Jonny Wilkinson style.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:28 (seventeen years ago) link

the amerie album is great!

― lex pretend, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:31 (seventeen years ago) link

A lot better than I was expecting - good Grauniad write-up, Lex, btw.

― Marcello Carlin, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:37 (seventeen years ago) link

'crush' is so, so amazing. stevie's interview with her was great too. perhaps this should be taken to an actual amerie thread...

― lex pretend, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:41 (seventeen years ago) link

oh ffs.

I was trying to say that people who are tepid were probably expecting a little more than "an enjoyable set of songs" is all. I wasn't criticizing your writing skills.

― fandango, Monday, 14 May 2007 10:47 (seventeen years ago) link

Many things have happened as a result of Volta...I'm finding myself listening to alot more of Medúlla. Mainly just to compliment it all.

Oh, and I love the boats after Earth Intruders. People listening in though may wonder why they hear it three times a day.

― o-ess, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:18 (seventeen years ago) link

I can't understand how people think of Medulla as anything like "some nigh-unlistenable concept piece". I'd understand if the album were a full LP sounding like the one track with the piano and the woman barking--but that track was the chink in the albums armor, not the whole damned suit. On the whole, Medulla was far more melodious, far less experimental (and in this case the better for it), and far catchier (see "Where Is the Line," "Triumph of the Heart," "Oceania" et al) than Bjork'd been in the better part of a decade. It's as though people read the hype about "ooh, an all-vocals album, how experimental" and failed to notice that in fact it had great beats, actual hooks, and a relatively pithy pop-record running time.

Anyway--I'm hardly a Bjork apologist. 'Drawing Restraint' has only a couple moments, 'Vespertine' could've been halved and would've been twice as strong. Unfortunately, even the "best" moments of Volta merely provide pale shadows of earlier tracks, and on the whole it feels like a floaty, ponderous mishmash. I'm pretty disappointed, because yeah, a "summer album" full of hot beats and pop hooks could've been just the right next step for Bjork, and all of the great collaborators were underutilised.

― Soundslike, Monday, 14 May 2007 11:21 (seventeen years ago) link

It struck me the other day that the 'boats' after Earth Intruders reminded me an awful lot of the communication between the earth dudes and the spaceship right at the end of Close Encounters, when the earth dudes are playing tones on the big light keyboard and the spaceship is blasting back these big, spacefoghorn rumbles.

― Scik Mouthy, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:30 (seventeen years ago) link

having not quite yet digested 'medulla', but seeing the potential for something to jump out at me, i don't think i'm quite ready for this new one.

if i ask myself a few tough questions, i'd probably admit that there is always something minor that prevents me from liking all of bjork's records on an uncondtional level. after all these years, i might just think that 'debut' is the best representation of her talents.

― Charlie Howard, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:36 (seventeen years ago) link

I still think Debut is probably my favourite start-to-finish.

― Scik Mouthy, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:46 (seventeen years ago) link

yeah! and it's a strange thing for me to come to terms with, given how much she's diversified and tried to test the boundaries of her capabilities.

― Charlie Howard, Monday, 14 May 2007 12:51 (seventeen years ago) link

I do listen to Debut the least, I think. Homegenic Live is really getting alot of my attention

― o-ess, Monday, 14 May 2007 13:13 (seventeen years ago) link

Medulla really works when you get your way around the whole beatboxing thing (which, at first listen, easily sounds like a Police Academy re-run). Liked it alot more than Vespertine. As for Volta, it feels like every new Björk record takes longer to digest. I kinda like it, but it still gets little play time on expense of Orbital and Autechre. Will probably play it in September and love it.

― the Dirt, Monday, 14 May 2007 13:52 (seventeen years ago) link

Come on then, Volta's had long enough to sink in, someone start a best Bjork album poll. (Not me, I am lazy.)

― ledge, Monday, 14 May 2007 13:55 (seventeen years ago) link

Volta wouldn't win anyway. It's Homogenic or Debut.

― the Dirt, Monday, 14 May 2007 13:59 (seventeen years ago) link

in order

homogenic
debut
vespertine
volta
post
medúlla

though that's v fluid...it's more like homogenic way out in front, and then the other five pretty much level

― lex pretend, Monday, 14 May 2007 14:04 (seventeen years ago) link

Though I'm glad Volta is what it is. Declare Independence is basically perfect.
Medúlla did produce Triumph of a Heart, Oceania, Mouth's Cradle...I'd rank as up there with her best songs.
Volta has yet to hit me in that way, but I do expect it will.

― o-ess, Monday, 14 May 2007 14:19 (seventeen years ago) link

Umm...how on earth could you put "Post" second-to-last?

― brightscreamer, Monday, 14 May 2007 23:56 (seventeen years ago) link

For me

Vespertine
Homogenic
Medulla
Debut
Volta
Post

― admrl, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 00:02 (seventeen years ago) link

All in fact very close

― admrl, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 00:03 (seventeen years ago) link

lex pretend's got it right.

― Drooone, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 00:06 (seventeen years ago) link

Homogenic
Post
Debut
Medulla
Volta




Vespertine

― Melissa W, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 00:20 (seventeen years ago) link

hmm...dont get the love for Debut, i'll have to revisit that one.

Homogenic
Vespertine
Post
Volta
Medulla
Debut

― ryan, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 03:43 (seventeen years ago) link

Medulla
Volta
Homogenic
Vespertine
Post


Debut

― Cliftonb, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 04:03 (seventeen years ago) link

Can someone help me understand the hatteration on "Post"?

― brightscreamer, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 04:31 (seventeen years ago) link

i'm big into Debut

http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=56027

― Surmounter, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 04:46 (seventeen years ago) link

I can't fathom Melissa hating Vespertine?!

― Scik Mouthy, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 06:51 (seventeen years ago) link

there was a massive thread about it!

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 06:57 (seventeen years ago) link

Yeah? Perhaps when I wasn't around much. What was her reasoning?

― Scik Mouthy, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 08:19 (seventeen years ago) link

http://www.ilxor.com/ILX/ThreadSelectedControllerServlet?boardid=41&threadid=1779

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 08:27 (seventeen years ago) link

Just heard a few tracks yet, but my impression is positive. It seems like the all the good elements of those hip producers (great use of technology, some interesting beats) are being preserved while the less good elements that they tend to have (too much rap, lack of melodies, exaggerated R&B vocals) are luckily gone for archetypical Björk instead. Which surely makes it a lot better than, for instance, Amerie.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 08:42 (seventeen years ago) link

Vespertine had some golden moments, but it almost felt, uh, a little too coherent for my taste. Doesn't have as many outstanding tracks as some of the other albums, and all in all, it's the one I've listened the least to (from the standard studio albums).

Homogenic
Debut
Post
Medulla/ Volta(?)
Drawing Restraint 9
Vespertine
that Dancer in the Dark Soundtrack (great film btw)

― the Dirt, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 09:05 (seventeen years ago) link

"Homogenic" is still my favourite too. The first two were also obviously good. The rest have been kind of interesting, but the song material hasn't held up quite like in the 90s.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 10:58 (seventeen years ago) link

vespertine
debut
homogenic
post
medulla




volta

― ^@^, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 11:03 (seventeen years ago) link

Many great songs aren't on albums....her Gloomy Sunday, her I Go Humble?
And haven't we done many a poll about her best album?
It is clearly homogenic anyway...

― o-ess, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 11:50 (seventeen years ago) link

I still think Post is better.

― HI DERE, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:05 (seventeen years ago) link

Post is most like Volta in that there are a bunch of her most strong & full songs ever (Hyper-Ballad, Isobel) side by side with a lot of charmingly pleasant trifles (Cover Me, You've Been Flirting Again).

But on the whole, it's never really done it for me (not like Debut anyway!) and it's my least listened of hers, though I do love all of the material live, on the record much of it feels stiff and unrefined, especially compared with what came later.

and like Volta, Post often feels a bit shallower than her best stuff for one reason or another.

― fandango, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:32 (seventeen years ago) link

but really she's pretty consistent over them all, with Debut/Homogenic/Vespertine being the absolute peaks... and Volta being a slightly worrying portent for the future.

― fandango, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 12:35 (seventeen years ago) link

post should be a total winner on all fronts, but it misses out somehow. still a very, very good album, just curiously lacking in a way i'm not even sure i can put my finger on

― Charlie Howard, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:16 (seventeen years ago) link

Many great songs aren't on albums....her Gloomy Sunday, her I Go Humble?

'charlene' and 'nature is ancient' and 'sod off'!!!!!

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:37 (seventeen years ago) link

and 'my spine'

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:37 (seventeen years ago) link

and GENEROUS PALMSTROKE which may be her best song!!!

― The Brainwasher, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 13:42 (seventeen years ago) link

Post does hold up for me, it really just takes patience, cuz it's interlaced with some spacey stuff

― Surmounter, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 14:12 (seventeen years ago) link

"Post is most like Volta in that there are a bunch of her most strong & full songs ever (Hyper-Ballad, Isobel) side by side with a lot of charmingly pleasant trifles (Cover Me, You've Been Flirting Again). "

Funny, for the longest time I would have described Homogenic in exactly the same terms, with basically everything from "All Neon Like" onwards in the second category except "Pluto". I pulled it out a few years ago and suddenly it made perfect sense, with "Immature" in particular undergoing a huge transformation in my head from totally inessential to awe-inspiring.

But I've always thought Post was very consistent. "Cover Me" and "Headphones" are amazing, totally underrated tracks.

― Tim F, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 14:18 (seventeen years ago) link

'hyperballad' is the one consensus bjork track i don't really get - it's this, more than anything on post, which seems slight! it seems almost like a warm-up for 'the modern things' which mines the same territory to much greater effect. i much much much prefer the brodsky quartet version of 'hyperballad'.

my low ranking of post isn't because it has very many faults, it's just...the other albums set the bar very high!

― lex pretend, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 14:21 (seventeen years ago) link

I like that 'the modern things' is also one of her oldest tracks-around since before debut, from what I read. It is what Post is all about for me.

― o-ess, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 18:31 (seventeen years ago) link

four weeks pass...

still think it should have been called 'eglyg'

― Mark G, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 13:23 (sixteen years ago) link

wow lex, you don't like Hyperballad? that's craaaaaazy! you in particular i'm surprised.

so guys i'm just listening to Volta, really haven't listened enuf yet but i think my first reaction is to the sprawling tunes. i wish she would go with the groove of a tune more, instead of letting her vox meander into oblivion. and the duet with antony seems kind of repetitive... more 2 come

i have to say tho, that even though at first Declare Independence seemed i don't know kinda dumb, it progresses into bliss. really, bliss.

― Surmounter, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 14:02 (sixteen years ago) link

so OK, on the other hand... lol this is such an On The Other Hand album

at least u can't call this album bad becuz it's cheesy, which is good. if anything, it seems to take the complexity that is bjork, and make it even more complicated. hyper beats, discombobulation and sprawl almost say to me: Okay, this is what I can do, and I'm not gonna pretend otherwise.

she's always been about her abilities, u know? On Medulla, she felt ABLE to do voice, and went with that all the way. i feel like on this, her abilities were very free form, so she went with it. i like having it on, so far.

― Surmounter, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 21:16 (sixteen years ago) link

I know a lot of people hate Anthony's voice, and it's certainly very wierd and affected. But for me, I think "The Dull Flame of Desire" is likely to be one of my fave songs for the year. There's really something to the vocal chemistry there. I don't know if I could handle him on his own, though, since I haven't had the opportunity to check his solo stuff out.

― Oilyrags, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 21:30 (sixteen years ago) link

yeah, i really can't stand antony and his johnson. i do like his stuff on volta, though. very nice.

― funny farm, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 21:37 (sixteen years ago) link

yeah i actually do like the volta antony... not bad quality to that, but i haven't quite come around to the song yet

― Surmounter, Wednesday, 13 June 2007 21:39 (sixteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

But I've always thought Post was very consistent. "Cover Me" and "Headphones" are amazing, totally underrated tracks.

-- Tim F

yeah, I'm definitely doing them a disservice with the pretty bad way I was describing them above, I think I was trying to aim at the way they're (awesomely) half-way between ambient sound experiments and actual songs... maybe more gloop than trifle(?) it still feels like underexplored territory somehow and really hard to categorise.

― fandango, Monday, 2 July 2007 11:49 (sixteen years ago) link

I do hope Björk forgets how to make a "Björk song" sometime soon and remembers how to conjure a bit of mystery & depth in her music again, frills be damned, collaborators irrelevant, she's perfectly capable of doing it without even needing 'interesting' sonics imo.

still not really loving Volta... solid 7/10, not without moments, overall a bit flat & unconvincing/unexciting and the drop to 7/10 is from somewhere off-the-scale so yeah, it's difficult to really feel pleased about it's existence, let alone that she thinks it's worthy of touring around the bloody world for 18 months :/

― fandango, Monday, 2 July 2007 12:28 (sixteen years ago) link

Agreed - Volta is still a bit of a letdown, despite some very nice tunes. None of them reach my Björk top twenty though.

"Pneumonia" is a really nice song.

― the Dirt, Monday, 2 July 2007 13:10 (sixteen years ago) link

I'm not sure if the worthy-of-touring thing has anything to do with Volta, more with the fact that she released an album and feels like touring. The NY show with more guests seemed to have more Volta material, but when I saw her there was a stretch of about ten songs in the middle from past albums!

― mh, Monday, 2 July 2007 13:50 (sixteen years ago) link

yeah it's probably got more to do with my own expectations being unfeasibly high perhaps... it is also the first 'proper' tour for (some of) the Medulla material too I guess. Just looks like Greatest Hits part 2 though somehow.

― fandango, Monday, 2 July 2007 14:09 (sixteen years ago) link

i like parts of volta but it sounds too much like bjork revisiting parts of her back catalogue (the snow-trudging sounds on one track make me think of vespertine)

― titchyschneiderMk2, Monday, 2 July 2007 14:21 (sixteen years ago) link

here's what i like about volta, given the semi-ridiculous sprawling nature of these tunes: i think it allows bjork a lot of exploration.

she has said "i sing the only way i can," and i think she's taken that even further here. on some tunes it sounds like she's making it up as she goes along, but i can appreciate that.

also the beats are hot.

― Surmounter, Monday, 2 July 2007 14:45 (sixteen years ago) link

and at least she hasn't gone all cheesy (gosh what would THAT sound like?) at least it's only a cutting-edge-but-still-on-the-cutting-room-floor kind of a problem.

― Surmounter, Monday, 2 July 2007 14:47 (sixteen years ago) link

Feels like that array of famed collaborators wasn't such a good idea - as if they have an idea of what they think a Björk song should shound like, and make something that sounds a little dated and unoriginal rather than let her evolve the way she has done on her other records.

― the Dirt, Monday, 2 July 2007 15:09 (sixteen years ago) link

Innocence

― Surmounter, Tuesday, 10 July 2007 03:54 (sixteen years ago) link

the vinyl of this in my local store is almost sixty bucks.

― sleeve, Tuesday, 10 July 2007 03:57 (sixteen years ago) link

HUEG sticker...

― fandango, Tuesday, 10 July 2007 16:51 (sixteen years ago) link

If this album didn't have "The Dull Flame of Desire" and "Declare Independence" on it, I would say it's a masterpiece. As it stands, it's okay. DEFINITELY better than Medulla, about on par with Vespertine and Debut, not nearly as grand as Post, Homogenic or Selmasongs.

― HI DERE, Tuesday, 10 July 2007 17:03 (sixteen years ago) link

Ugh, "Dull Flame of Desire." I'd rather listen to "Ancestors" over and over.

― Eric H., Tuesday, 10 July 2007 17:10 (sixteen years ago) link

THIS IS VERY TRUE. Gremlin-fucking >>>>> adenoidal drawl

― HI DERE, Tuesday, 10 July 2007 17:12 (sixteen years ago) link

declare independence is so beautiful, def a highlight - and i could never call Volta on par with Debut and Vespertine! she actually found grooves on those albums.

― Surmounter, Tuesday, 10 July 2007 17:37 (sixteen years ago) link

"Declare Independence" is teh badassery.

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 03:16 (sixteen years ago) link

Innocence will be released as a single on the 23rd of july! The tracks are as follows:

innocence01. Innocence - Mark Stent radio edit
02. Innocence - Simian Mobile Disco remix radio edit
03. Innocence - Carsten Nicolai Alva Noto Unitxt remodel 12" remix
04. Innocence - Ghostigital Untouchable Innocence Still Amazes12" remix
05. Innocence - Simian Mobile Disco remix 12"
06. Innocence - Mark Stent Instrumental
07. Innocence - Simian Mobile Disco dub remix

Simian Mobile School Disco!! fucks sake woman.

― fandango, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 09:06 (sixteen years ago) link

"Declare Independence" tripled in value after seeing it live at Roskilde. Actually, that goes for about every song she performed from Volta - don't know why, but I felt I 'understood' them.

― the Dirt, Wednesday, 11 July 2007 10:01 (sixteen years ago) link

I must have said this a few times already, but it bears repeating: Innocence!!!!!!!!!! i can't come up with any good descriptors for the reaction, but i can't stop playing it.

― Surmounter, Friday, 13 July 2007 00:15 (sixteen years ago) link

I second that.

― The Reverend, Friday, 13 July 2007 05:11 (sixteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

definitely, it's become on of my favorite Bjork songs ever, easy.

so yeah this album is really pleasant to listen to for me, i love all the horns and stuff. please, please forgive me if i'm repeating myself, my memory is no good when it comes to these things.

yeah, the carefully orchestrated horn/guitar/ambient soundscapes work really well for me. and even tho the hooks are REALLY HARD to sink into at first, they have definitely evolved. i even found myself singing really passionately that part "the intentions were pure - ooooooh." at first a part like that seemed rather impenetrable(?).

has anyone heard the INNOCENCE REMIXes yet?

― Surmounter, Tuesday, 31 July 2007 19:43 (sixteen years ago) link

Best song on this one is "Vertebrae by Vertebrae".

― The Brainwasher, Tuesday, 31 July 2007 19:51 (sixteen years ago) link

YES i do love that. SEE but that's my point it's like at first i was COMPLETELY lost there, and now it's like suspenseful and rich and gratifying

― Surmounter, Tuesday, 31 July 2007 19:54 (sixteen years ago) link

eleven months pass...

is "The Dull Flame Of Desire" supposed to sound like broken CD?

― jed_, Saturday, 12 July 2008 10:45 (fifteen years ago) link

You are seriously on crack

― I know, right?, Saturday, 12 July 2008 10:47 (fifteen years ago) link

i must have a dud copy.

― jed_, Saturday, 12 July 2008 10:57 (fifteen years ago) link

Wanderlust is seriously the best thing on this album, but you freaked me out and I thought there were new bjork rumours or something, don't do that to me, I was resigned to the fact that we were gonna be waiting another five years easy.

― I know, right?, Saturday, 12 July 2008 11:02 (fifteen years ago) link

one year passes...

i very much disagree about Wanderlust. i find it heavy and plodding. but the rest of this album does indeed make me very happy, after a little time.

― I love rainbow cookies (surm), Tuesday, 14 July 2009 15:49 (fourteen years ago) link

alas this still hasn't "clicked" for me.

― Ludo, Tuesday, 14 July 2009 19:44 (fourteen years ago) link

i could really deal without antony's voice on this song

― I love rainbow cookies (surm), Thursday, 16 July 2009 21:04 (fourteen years ago) link

Antony ruins everything. Still pissed about the Hercules & Love Affair album.

― brotherlovesdub, Thursday, 16 July 2009 21:06 (fourteen years ago) link

three months pass...

really the entirety of "dull flame of desire" is tepid bullshit

― surm, Friday, 16 October 2009 18:56 (fourteen years ago) link

like, a melody that meandering isn't really a melody

― surm, Friday, 16 October 2009 18:57 (fourteen years ago) link

i don't remember anything from volta, except for earth intruders. been listening to some other bjork lately though, you could make a completely killer album out of the best vespertine & medulla tracks.

― Ømår Littel (Jordan), Friday, 16 October 2009 19:06 (fourteen years ago) link

I listened to "The Dull Flame of Desire" in its entirety for the second time ever yesterday. Playing it on headphones helps a tiny bit.

― RETARTED (HI DERE), Friday, 16 October 2009 19:10 (fourteen years ago) link

"The Dull Song of Desire"

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Friday, 16 October 2009 19:21 (fourteen years ago) link

yea i was just gonna say, the title doesn't help

― surm, Friday, 16 October 2009 19:22 (fourteen years ago) link

you could make a completely killer album out of the best vespertine & medulla tracks.

Correction -- you could make two completely killer albums. FYI, they both exist and are titled Vespertine and Medulla.

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Friday, 16 October 2009 19:22 (fourteen years ago) link

haha otm

― surm, Friday, 16 October 2009 19:24 (fourteen years ago) link

i like them a lot, but parts of both float right by me

― Ømår Littel (Jordan), Friday, 16 October 2009 19:29 (fourteen years ago) link

The Dull Flame Modeselektor remixes rule!

― StanM, Friday, 16 October 2009 19:32 (fourteen years ago) link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL9UNZNWlV0

hmm, this is certainly better than the original song

― RETARTED (HI DERE), Friday, 16 October 2009 19:38 (fourteen years ago) link

and the other one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BWJywsnL1U

― StanM, Friday, 16 October 2009 19:43 (fourteen years ago) link

ha much better (because it fucks around with the vocals)

― RETARTED (HI DERE), Friday, 16 October 2009 19:46 (fourteen years ago) link

Modeselektor lipsynching their remix on their 2008 tour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-rqJoci7UI#t=2m20s

― StanM, Friday, 16 October 2009 19:51 (fourteen years ago) link

that #t=2m20s doesn't work here then? (FFWD to about 2'20")

― StanM, Friday, 16 October 2009 19:51 (fourteen years ago) link

five months pass...

“We have a very ambitious project, a sort of scientific musical,” said Gondry. “[It’s a movie], but maybe more for museums. Like a 40 minute IMAX project in 3D.”

hmmm

― Turangalila, Wednesday, 17 March 2010 01:29 (fourteen years ago) link

tomorrow, in a year >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> anything bjork has done or will ever do

― ilxor lookin' boy (acoleuthic), Wednesday, 17 March 2010 01:35 (fourteen years ago) link

fightin words imo

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 17 March 2010 01:37 (fourteen years ago) link

'scientific musical' set me off - ideas be bitten - although as it's being filmed as well maybe they can do something very different

am suspicious though

― ilxor lookin' boy (acoleuthic), Wednesday, 17 March 2010 01:40 (fourteen years ago) link

tomorrow in a year is basically unlistenable. I couldn't even make it all the way through. bjork got classics.

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 17 March 2010 01:42 (fourteen years ago) link

bjork's got plenty of awesome songs but T,IAY hits something essential and farseeing in my reality

― ilxor lookin' boy (acoleuthic), Wednesday, 17 March 2010 01:45 (fourteen years ago) link

that is some v. hoos phrasology

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 17 March 2010 01:56 (fourteen years ago) link

makin' a push for IMR '10

― ilxor lookin' boy (acoleuthic), Wednesday, 17 March 2010 01:59 (fourteen years ago) link

IMR?

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 17 March 2010 02:12 (fourteen years ago) link

in my reality

― ilxor lookin' boy (acoleuthic), Wednesday, 17 March 2010 02:14 (fourteen years ago) link

imr

― ilxor lookin' boy (acoleuthic), Wednesday, 17 March 2010 02:14 (fourteen years ago) link

five months pass...

lol 3 years later, I finally get "Declare Independence"

― feel free to answer my Korn Kuestion (HI DERE), Friday, 3 September 2010 19:23 (thirteen years ago) link

(the video helped)

― feel free to answer my Korn Kuestion (HI DERE), Friday, 3 September 2010 19:23 (thirteen years ago) link

one year passes...

oh man the new one's even worse

― merked, Thursday, 29 September 2011 15:19 (twelve years ago) link

into it. hating on bjork doing bjork at this point is kinda zzzz

― fauxmarc, Thursday, 29 September 2011 15:32 (twelve years ago) link

Love it to bits. Wonderful vocal performances + Melodyne fun, a vocal de-esser, zero fan service. "Dark Matter" and "Hollow" remind me of my favourite Art Bears.

― fear itself (Ówen P.), Thursday, 29 September 2011 15:41 (twelve years ago) link

(This being "Biophilia", not "Volta", of which I am also fond.)

― fear itself (Ówen P.), Thursday, 29 September 2011 15:43 (twelve years ago) link

one year passes...

really the entirety of "dull flame of desire" is tepid bullshit

― surm, Friday, October 16, 2009 1:56 PM (3 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

:( one of the most disappointing things ive ever read from surm

i love this album start to finish

― what does ;_; mean in remorse code (m bison), Monday, 12 August 2013 15:10 (ten years ago) link

surm OTM

― Boven is het stil (Eric H.), Monday, 12 August 2013 15:12 (ten years ago) link

oh man the new one's even worse

The thing I will say about Bjork lately is that each album makes me appreciate the one before it that much more in retrospect.

― Boven is het stil (Eric H.), Monday, 12 August 2013 15:13 (ten years ago) link

one year passes...

Been listening to Volta since the most recent Bjork singles poll (where every single post-vespertine got shunned) and I found this review that proposes an alternate tracklist on RYM:

I, like many including Björk herself, am confused as to why One Little Indian declared that Volta was BJÖRK'S RETURN TO POP MUSIKZ when Björk's previous album, the a cappella Medúlla, is simultaneously the poppiest and most experimental thing she's ever done. I can sense some of you drifting away from me and that's most likely because you, like One Little Indian, believe that having non-conventional instrumentation means that something isn't a pop album. Medúlla has more pop melodies flying out of its ass than any Björk album since Post but, onoes, there's some Inuit throat singing which obviously means that it is an experimental album. Of course, this nonsense about this being an über pop album was most likely a piss poor attempt by One Little Indian, for whom Björk was really their only knock-out artist before Paul McCartney signed with them in 2009, to sell more copies.

Volta isn't as bad as it's made out to be but it's the tracklisting, which has always been Björk's Achilles tendon, which lets it down. Here are my suggestions as to how Volta could have been improved:

1. Get rid of the filler: "Hope", "Innocence" and "My Juvenile"
"Hope" is obvious: it's corny, it's cheesy, it sucks, and everyone cares as much about your simplistic political statement about suicide bombings as much as they care about this list. "Innocence" just feels horrifically out of place anywhere on the album. "My Juvenile" shouldn't be on the album for reason number two:

2. Put "The Dull Flame of Desire" as the closer
No joke. "The Dull Flame of Desire" is a damn good song that doesn't get the respect it deserves. Where a song is placed on an album can make all the difference in the world. The fact is that "The Dull Flame of Desire" is a slow-building seven-and-a-half minute song that comes after two six minute songs. The first three songs combined are nearly 20 minutes long. That's way too much fiddling about for album like this.

3. Put the songs that actually represent the sound of the album closer to the beginning.
In the middle of Volta is a lush triple-kill in "I See Who You Are", "Vertebrae by Vertebrae" and "Pneumonia". When I think of Volta, I don't think of the driving drums of "Earth Intruders" nor the near complete mental breakdown of "Declare Independence", but of these three songs located in the centre which display what One Little Indian should have marketed Volta as: a companion piece to 1997's Homogenic. That album mixed electronics and strings, this album mixes electronics and brass. These three songs, like "The Dull Flame of Desire", are not given their proper dues because of where they are placed.

We're down to seven songs totaling just over 38 minutes. Regardless of what anyone tries to tell you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with short albums. Delivering a short and concise work is better than a long, meandering and aimless one. The great stuff on here is so overshadowed by subpar material that the album gets dragged down because of it. "Hope", "Innocence" and "My Juvenile" are not only poor songs, they ruin the cohesion and sound of the entire album. They spoil the mood by disjointing the flow and destroy what was potentially another masterpiece by the greatest and most unlikely pop superstar of that past 20 years.

I don't necessarily agree with cutting those three songs as I actually enjoy them but he has a point, they ruin the cohesion of the album and sound out of place. Innocence is basically Alarm Call Pt. 2 and as much as I love Alarm Call it also sounded out of place in Homogenic.

Anyhoo, I tried this reviewers suggestion and treated the album as an EP:

1. Earth Intruders
2. Wanderlust
3. I See Who You Are
4. Vertebræ by Vertebræ
5. Pneumonia
6. Declare Independence
7. The Dull Flame of Desire

― Moka, Sunday, 4 January 2015 21:05 (nine years ago) link

I'd argue Declare Independence sounds out of place but the song was a live highlight of her tour.

― Moka, Sunday, 4 January 2015 21:08 (nine years ago) link

Any track list that retains "Wanderlust" gets a pass from me.

― Eric H., Monday, 5 January 2015 05:24 (nine years ago) link

"declare independence" is a bit too blatantly "pluto" redux but it's also the only song here that had a lasting impact beyond the album campaign

― lex pretend, Monday, 5 January 2015 08:48 (nine years ago) link

"Declare Independence" took on hilarious new levels of terrible when the stock market crashed and the people Iceland voted to keep the Range Rovers and home saunas that their crooked banks had bought for them, I mean, I get that that song is probably meant to be personal and social independence instead of "Iceland" but I can't help it, that country is the national embodiment of gifted child syndrome

I've uncharacteristically doctored the track list of Volta as well but it involved cutting all the "poppy" tracks ("Independence", "Intruders", "Innocence") and subbing in some choice moments from Drawing Restraint

― fgti, Monday, 5 January 2015 16:34 (nine years ago) link

Thought it was dedicated to Tibetans or something.

― Eric H., Monday, 5 January 2015 16:46 (nine years ago) link

Christ that review is the douchiest thing I've read in a while

― bife claro (wins), Monday, 5 January 2015 17:12 (nine years ago) link


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