I skipped Vulnicura because of how hard it was for me to get into Biophilia; I am probably going to go back to it as these first two songs are glorious and reminding me why I was obsessed with her in the 90s.
― Embalming is a flirty business (DJP), Friday, 1 December 2017 17:59 (six years ago) link
i like Utopia a lot, and i enjoy her more abstract melodies and structures.
i have to admit, though, that after listening to Utopia yesterday, spotify "radio" kicked in and played "Unison" off of Vespertine and it felt like such a euphoric lift when the slightly more conventional structure kicked in with the beat. the bjork albums of the last several years sometimes hint at the possibility of tapping into pop structures, but always seems to turn away before getting too close. i do miss it, on occasion.
― Karl Malone, Friday, 1 December 2017 18:01 (six years ago) link
i'm certainly not saying she has to write like 3.5 minute v/c/v/c/bridge/c type songs or anything, not at all
My point/observation is more that she's staying pretty close to that type of structure on a macro level but has a adopted a wandering anything-goes approach within those sections, with usually the chorus as the only piece that retains repeated structure in her melody line. This threw up a big barrier for me on Biophilia that I literally only just got through this past year; am finding the musical arrangement on Utopia a lot more engaging overall.
― Embalming is a flirty business (DJP), Friday, 1 December 2017 18:14 (six years ago) link
If you managed to get into Biophilia I'd say you will definitely get into Vulnicura.
― Le Bateau Ivre, Friday, 1 December 2017 18:15 (six years ago) link
I get the idea that Bjork is not really going for "songs" in the typical sense. But then again why is everything mostly 3-5 minutes long? Like it's still all presented in a typical album-full-of-songs package. If her real intention is to make some kind of big overarching experience I'd like to see her go all the way and make something that really breaks away from expectations.
― sctttnnnt (pgwp), Friday, 1 December 2017 22:16 (six years ago) link
Originally gave it a grudging duty listen, the last three having mostly left me cold, and I keep coming back to it, and getting into it more. What a pleasant surprise.
― mike t-diva, Friday, 1 December 2017 23:34 (six years ago) link
don't know whether i LOVE it yet or not, but i'm pleasantly tickled by how the arrangements on here seem to refer back to "fourth world musics" tropes. it feels like a nice complement to the visible cloaks album from early this year.
― austinb, Saturday, 2 December 2017 01:18 (six years ago) link
cover art for this album is horrendous
― niels, Tuesday, 12 December 2017 08:47 (six years ago) link
the first two tracks on this are decent but then it quickly loses me - 75 minutes of Bjork at her densest and most abstract is far too much for me
Vespertine is still my favourite album of hers for the way it successfully bridges her 'pop' side with her then-new more abstract side, especially in the second half.
― ufo, Tuesday, 12 December 2017 10:52 (six years ago) link
Wow, this serpentwithfeet remix of 'Blissing Me' adds an amazing hook. Would love to hear a longer collab between them.
― change display name (Jordan), Wednesday, 13 December 2017 20:43 (six years ago) link
A couple days ago i listened to this big folder of every bjork b-side up through Vespertine and my god was that a good time
― harbinger of failure (Jon not Jon), Wednesday, 13 December 2017 20:45 (six years ago) link
i have folder envy
― Karl Malone, Wednesday, 13 December 2017 20:48 (six years ago) link
cool bjork mash
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2HByXNKBwY
― In a slipshod style (Ross), Friday, 15 December 2017 19:33 (six years ago) link
Recruiting: POLL Neon Like -- ILM artist poll #88 -- BJÖRK (voting open until April 27, 2018)
― Uppercase (Eric H.), Monday, 9 April 2018 19:29 (six years ago) link
This album is very good
― Droni Mitchell (Ross), Monday, 9 April 2018 20:18 (six years ago) link
The tour for Utopia started last night in Reykjavik, BTW, with the stage set up as a rotating floral vaginal court (of course), lined plants, with footage of birds projected on the screens, and Björk being backed by seven dancing flautists, a drummer, an electronic person doubling as a trombone player, and a harpist. Theatrical as expected! The show is scheduled to tour for the next two years, so here's hoping I manage to catch it somewhere.
https://i.imgur.com/rPTMQe2.jpg
― ˈʌglɪɪst preɪ, Tuesday, 10 April 2018 08:32 (six years ago) link
going to see her at primavera and this is what I wanted to hear
― ogmor, Tuesday, 10 April 2018 08:46 (six years ago) link
looks like her older set list tracks this time around are “Thunderbolt”, “Pleasure is all Mine”, “Notget”, and “The Anchor Song”
― the masseduction of lauryn hill (Stevie D(eux)), Tuesday, 10 April 2018 11:57 (six years ago) link
Is zeena parkins the harpist?
― when worlds collide I'll see you again (Jon not Jon), Tuesday, 10 April 2018 23:43 (six years ago) link
^ It's Katie Buckley this time:https://www.instagram.com/p/BhfIYMfnUGX/(She also plays harp on the album.)
― ˈʌglɪɪst preɪ, Thursday, 12 April 2018 22:16 (six years ago) link
She was on Jools tonight:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W60dqZCEpiY
― ˈʌglɪɪst preɪ, Tuesday, 22 May 2018 22:13 (five years ago) link
o_0
Lucrecia Martel to direct new @bjork show in #newYorkCity @TheShedNY #argentina #theshowofthecentury https://t.co/EFKpRy3fgg pic.twitter.com/np5LT2Ti4x— Cinema Tropical (@CinemaTropical) February 5, 2019
― zama roma ding dong (Eric H.), Wednesday, 6 February 2019 18:04 (five years ago) link
She has just put out a video for Tabula Rasa and it's just astounding.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYbZw04ba78
― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Monday, 13 May 2019 12:19 (four years ago) link
The staging of Utopia/Cornucopia at NYC's The Shed looks incredible.
https://www.bjork.fr/IMG/jpg/09-05-2019-bjork-cornucopia-the-shed-ny_20_.jpghttps://www.bjork.fr/IMG/jpg/09-05-2019-bjork-cornucopia-the-shed-ny_12_.jpghttps://www.bjork.fr/IMG/jpg/09-05-2019-bjork-cornucopia-the-shed-ny_32.jpghttps://www.bjork.fr/IMG/jpg/12-05-2019-bjork-cornucopia-the-shed-ny_17_.jpghttps://www.bjork.fr/IMG/jpg/12-05-2019-bjork-cornucopia-the-shed-ny_9_.jpghttps://www.bjork.fr/IMG/jpg/12-05-2019-bjork-cornucopia-the-shed-ny_16_.jpg
Setlist:
01 The Gate02 Utopia03 Show Me Forgiveness04 Arisen My Senses05 Venus as a Boy06 Claimstaker07 Isobel08 Blissing Me
09 Body Memory10 Hidden Place11 Mouth's Cradle12 Features Creatures13 Courtship14 Pagan Poetry15 Loss16 Sue Me17 Tabula Rasa
18 Future Forever19 Notget
― ˈʌglɪɪst preɪ, Monday, 13 May 2019 20:10 (four years ago) link
tickets starting at $300
― Fuck the NRA (ulysses), Monday, 13 May 2019 20:41 (four years ago) link
I repent. Courtship is a banger and Future Forever is one of her most gorgeous songs.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Thursday, 22 August 2019 03:54 (four years ago) link
This is really good! Turns out the vocal really shines with production that's a little more inside-the-lines.
https://youtu.be/AEdsAQ3GzFk
The Knife one is amazing too, but more for the music than for elevating the song imo
https://youtu.be/3Ghjaf_V6xw
― change display name (Jordan), Monday, 9 September 2019 17:49 (four years ago) link
Last night Björk performed the first of her 'Björk Orkestral' acoustic live streaming shows from Reykjavík - the theme was strings (the other three are choir/organ, brass/flutes/harp, and chamber ensemble). It was very good, even though she seemed quite shy/nervous during the first half of the show.
https://i.imgur.com/4g4kikO.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/R3mVNvm.jpg
The setlist:
01 Stonemilker02 Aurora03 I've Seen It All04 Sun in My Mouth05 You've Been Flirting Again06 Isobel07 Hyperballad08 Harm of Will09 Bachelorette10 Unison
So no new songs but a new album is rumoured for late spring/early summer 2022 release.
― ˈʌglɪɪst preɪ, Tuesday, 12 October 2021 20:21 (two years ago) link
'Björk Orkestral'
more like Björkestral imo
― typo hell #12: a hundreds of millions of people (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 12 October 2021 20:37 (two years ago) link
that looks amazing, and i would love to see any one of those 4 shows!
― typo hell #12: a hundreds of millions of people (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 12 October 2021 20:38 (two years ago) link
Should've included the link in my original post but you can get streaming access (if that's your thing) here: https://dice.fm/search?query=bjork
They're quite pricey though for a one-time streaming experience, and they're not available to re-watch; you have to view them at a set time. They're all supposed to be 10-song sets (+1 non-broadcast encore track for the people in attendance; last night it was "Generous Palmstroke") and you can read which albums each concert will be based on here: https://www.harpa.is/en/whats-on/event/bjork-orkestral-live-from-reykjavik
She's also been doing 'stories behind the songs' posts on her social media leading up to the gig, I hope she keeps it up for the future ones as well, some interesting tidbits.
― ˈʌglɪɪst preɪ, Tuesday, 12 October 2021 21:00 (two years ago) link
Sorry for spamming this thread but the second orkestral show with Hamrahlíð choir and various keyboard instruments took place last weekend and it was pretty fantastic.
https://i.imgur.com/X14lIhl.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/I0gGYP7.jpg
01 Show Me Forgiveness02 Pleasure Is All Mine03 Hidden Place04 Cosmogony05 Sonnets/Unrealities XI06 Unravel07 Vertebrae by Vertebrae08 Oceania09 Who Is It10 Mouth's Cradle11 Where Is the Line12 Human Behaviour13 New World
It's been great fun to watch her dig into her back catalogue thematically and I would love to see these shows get a proper release at some point.
Also, new album confirmed for release sometime next year, apparently made "for people clubbing in their living rooms" during lockdowns lol.
― ˈʌglɪɪst preɪ, Wednesday, 27 October 2021 14:42 (two years ago) link
iirc indication has been the album will be out in may or so, it was mentioned in the announcement of an exhibition she's doing at a french museum
― ufo, Wednesday, 27 October 2021 14:52 (two years ago) link
I love how she’s splitting these. Iirc correctly she did something similar for family tree but nowhere as ambitious. It was split into beats and strings.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, 27 October 2021 15:17 (two years ago) link
Night 3 - flutes, brass, and harp!
https://i.imgur.com/RTLtymc.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/Gevk6FA.jpg
01 Tabula Rasa02 Utopia03 The Gate04 Courtship05 Pagan Poetry06 Losss07 Sue Me08 Generous Palmstroke09 Aeroplane10 Wanderlust11 Mutual Core12 The Anchor Song
― ˈʌglɪɪst preɪ, Sunday, 31 October 2021 22:52 (two years ago) link
I go through stages of spamming Bachelorette and Hyperballad, the jools holland performances, just gorgeous.
― Chicks and Ducks and Geese better scurry (Ste), Monday, 1 November 2021 13:19 (two years ago) link
Fourth and final streamed show of the Reykjavík residency took place last night. The theme was 'drama', with Björk backed only by a 15-piece chamber string ensemble.
https://i.imgur.com/bTEG3fG.jpghttps://i.imgur.com/HDF5Lak.jpg
01 Jóga02 Come to Me03 Hunter04 Lionsong05 History of Touches06 Black Lake07 Mouth Mantra08 Quicksand09 5 Years10 Pluto11 Notget
And that's a wrap on these retrospective performances, looking forward to the new album in 2022.
― ˈʌglɪɪst preɪ, Tuesday, 16 November 2021 17:43 (two years ago) link
Looking forward to the release of these performances on limited edition colored vinyl for $79.95 a pop.
― Milm & Foovies (Eric H.), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 17:47 (two years ago) link
amazing setlist on that last one, omg
"come to me" was my #1 on the bjork poll <3
― just staying (Karl Malone), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 17:55 (two years ago) link
Yeah this one and the first one are my favorite ones.
― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Tuesday, 16 November 2021 19:03 (two years ago) link
Surely all of these shows were professionally recorded and she'll release them as a box set or something? Sounded amazing, but was never able to "attend" digitally...
― Soundslike, Wednesday, 17 November 2021 12:44 (two years ago) link
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/aug/19/i-got-really-grounded-and-loved-it-how-grief-going-home-and-gabber-built-bjorks-new-album
new album fossora out in the northern hemisphere autumn, based around gabber beats (!) and bass clarinet & featuring production from indonesian duo gabber modus operandi
― ufo, Friday, 19 August 2022 11:30 (one year ago) link
idk why but this is giving me flashbacks to Volta, which sounded like a dream on paper and I even loved it at the time, gave it a glowing review in the local alt-weekly etc but has not aged well at all
― Murgatroid, Friday, 19 August 2022 11:33 (one year ago) link
'bjork gabber album' sounds incredible on paper but i'm expecting it will be fairly dense & impenetrable like most of her post-vespertine output & i have no idea how any of the ideas are going to fit together
― ufo, Friday, 19 August 2022 11:35 (one year ago) link
Can't wait to be challenged yet again
― Bait Kush (Eric H.), Friday, 19 August 2022 13:02 (one year ago) link
She gives me a visual description of Fossora. If Utopia was a magical retreat from the black lake of misery she plunged into on Vulnicura (“pull all the teeth out, no violence – like a pacifist, idealistic album with flutes and synths and birds”), then Fossora shows life in this dreamland. “Let’s see what it’s like when you walk into this fantasy and, you know, have a lunch and farrrrt” – another gleefully rolled R – “and do normal things, like meet your friends.”
― petey v, Friday, 19 August 2022 13:21 (one year ago) link
'Bjork Gabber album' sounds great but we know from experience that means 2 - 3 tracks at most.
― change display name (Jordan), Friday, 19 August 2022 13:31 (one year ago) link
I'll be disappointed if there are only 2 or 3 fart songs on this.
― Bait Kush (Eric H.), Friday, 19 August 2022 13:38 (one year ago) link
She also described it as her "mushroom album" and indicated it will feature "flutes and synths and birds" so it could sound like anything since Vulnicura really (also sextet of bass clarinets boxing like Public Enemy, she certainly has a way with words and marketing).I haven't returned to Utopia at all, so it must the occasion to catch up on Björk.
― Nabozo, Friday, 19 August 2022 14:19 (one year ago) link
^ The "flutes and synths and birds" part actually referred to the sound of Utopia. This one is apparently all earthy, grounded, organic clarinets.
I'm moderately excited -- unlike some commenters online I have no delusions that it will be more of a pop/dance record than anything she released in the past decade (the gabber-influenced elements are apparently mostly outros of a bunch of songs -- so I guess think "Crystalline" and the d&b outro? -- and the Guardian piece even stresses the "resistance to easy melody" lol) but I find her latter-day albums fascinating to explore, even if I rarely return to them after that initial heavy immersion.
Also sad to read about her mom.
― ˈʌglɪɪst preɪ, Friday, 19 August 2022 21:01 (one year ago) link