News about the upcoming Björk album Volta.

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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

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