Once again finding harmony and creating alchemy between seeming opposites, on Volta Björk is bold but thoughtful, delicate yet strong, accessible and avant. The intricacy and complexity of projects like Medúlla and Drawing Restraint 9 suggested that she might have left the more direct side of her work behind, but Volta's opening track and lead single, "Earth Intruders," puts that notion to rest: the song literally marches in, riding a bubbling, ritualistic beat courtesy of Timbaland and Konono No. 1's electric thumb-pianos. Björk howls "Turmoil! Carnage!" like incantations over the din, and after several albums' worth of beautiful whispers, it's a joy to hear her raise her voice and volume like this. "Wanderlust" follows and provides the yin to "Earth Intruders"' yang, its horns and brooding melody giving it the feel of a moodier, more contemplative version of "The Anchor Song." These two songs set the tone for the rest of Volta's pendulum-like swings between sounds and moods, all of which are tied together by found-sound and brass-driven interludes that give the impression that the album was recorded in a harbor -- an apt metaphor for how ideas and collaborators come and go on this album. Timbaland's beats resurface on "Innocence," another of Volta's most potent moments; a sample of what sounds like a man getting punched in the gut underscores Björk's viewpoint that purity is something powerful, not gentle. Antony and the Johnsons' Antony Hegarty lends his velvety voice to two outstanding but very different love songs: "The Dull Flame of Desire" captures swooning romance by pairing Björk and Hegarty's voices with a slowly building tattoo courtesy of Lightning Bolt drummer Brian Chippendale; "My Juvenile," which is dedicated to Björk's son Sindri, closes Volta with a much gentler duet. Considering how much sonic and emotional territory the album spans -- from the brash, anthemic "Declare Independence," which sounds a bit like Homogenic's "Pluto," to "Pneumonia" and "Vertebrae by Vertebrae," which are as elliptical and gentle as anything on Vespertine or Drawing Restraint 9 -- Volta could very easily sound scattered, but this isn't the case. Instead, it finds the perfect balance between the vibrancy of her poppier work in the '90s and her experiments in the 2000s.
Recently, when looking for a change of pace, I dug through my CD and MP3 collection looking for tunes to fill my iPod that I hadn't heard in a while, and I rediscovered Bjork. When I first heard 'Debut' I thought it was a great album, and she followed it up expertly with 'Post'. Both albums were right up my alley at the time: heavy on the electronic, nice n drum heavy, but also with great melod...
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That's how these interview-about-the-making-of-the-album video podcasts start out (iTunes link). In the videos its surprising to hear how _thick_ her accent is.Worth watching if you've ever been infatuated with the artist. Past tense infatuations are included, too. I listened to Björk's first three records a lot when I was in high school and college. Loved that stuff. But then new records kept ..
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Björk - VoltaOne Little Indian/Atlantic, 2007Björk is one of the most creative and eccentric superstars - if not the most creative and eccentric superstar - of the last 15 years. She continues to offer multiple takes on her aesthetic, but she's the same Icelandic artist that came to us, post-Sugarcubes (she called it a joke band), in 1993. On Volta, we have the same Björk, essentially, who appe
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It is finally here. Bjorks' latest offering was released on iTunes yesterday (9th April) and a later retail release date for the CD Single, May 21st (apparently, mixes are still being produced) - Earth Intruders - an exciting return to the more melodic, electronica beat driven beasty we are more familiar with. On first listen, overtones of Army Of Me and Alarm Call are apparent, but there is s...
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While I was cooling my heels at World Cafe Live and WXPN studios prior to my visit to the Philadelphia Film Festival on Friday, April 6, I hung out with Jim McGuinn for a bit during Y-Rock's terrestrial radio shift. If you were listening to 88.5 FM between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. last night, I was actually on the Philly airwaves, woo-hoo! During our breaks we discussed (1.) the Circuit and tonight's...
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this just gets crazier and crazier, cant wait for the album.
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Yeah I know it has yet to drop, should be in May so keep your fingers crossed. I did however snag this early review of ithttp://hyperforum.myfreeforum.org/about150.htmlDig It !weed
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Bjork is still talking about the new album, "Volta", and has announced the confirmed dates for her next tour! Bjork fans haven't had this much interaction with ice fairy in ages! She will bring her latest live ensemble to only a few major US cities including NYC, Denver, Chicago, Seattle, and SF. US fans might have to travel to one of these cities to see her latest tricks, which will involve...
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the artwork to the new bjork album. its stunningly beautiful.
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This article is wonderful :"Tsunami, Timbaland Help Shape Bjork's Forthcoming Volta" written by Chris Harris for MTV news (on the VH1 website)."It's a quite chaotic song," she said of Volta's first single ["Earth Intruders"]. "Lyrically, it's a collection of all of these images" burned into her memory, from her trip to Indonesia as well as her vivid, in-flight reverie.
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The interview with Bjork that Pitchfork promised is up on their site, click here.Exclusive: Bjork Talks Volta for the Very First Time"All I wanted to do for this album was just to have fun and do something that was full-bodied and really up."enjoy! but don't forget to come back to mog, i will have new news posted up later tonight.....
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On her upcoming album, Volta (One Little Indian/Atlantic), Björk just wanted to "have fun and do something that was full-bodied and really up."Volta,, the artist's sixth post-Sugarcubes studio album, will be released on May 7. Björk's previous album, Medúlla (Elektra), came out in 2004.The album was produced by Björk. Among those who contributed to the album are Antony Hegarty (Antony And The
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What I would give to be five and play dress-up in Bjork's closet. The "Where It All Began" The "Not Another Poor Little Bird!" The "Mandarin" The "Genghis" The "Monarch" The "Horton Hears A Who" The "Olympic" The "My Crayolas Just Attacked" The "This Is Me On A Mellow Dress Day" The "Silly String" The "Little Red" The "Wanna Be Startin' Something"
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Bjork is cooking up some special treats in her electronic kitchen! I mentioned awhile back that there were remixes in the works for "Declare Independence" including one by Matthew Herbert and one by Ghostigital. Well, Bjork has baked up a super Special Limited Edition Pack that is available in her own shop now, but not available anywhere else. The Pack comes with 1 record, 1 CD and 1 DVD all...
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her new 3-d video.i think you need special glasses for thisso if you just kindly send your 2.95 to my pay pal accounti'll go find em for you
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Yesterday, I posted about public reaction to Bjork's support of Tibet and Kosovo at recent concerts. Sometime shortly after, she made a statement on her website about the issue. The story received high-profile coverage yesterday, notably from BBC news (where I learned of it), and Bjork must have been contacted by numerous organizations for a statement. Here is what she replied: i have been a...
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In further Icelandic news, Bjork keeps adding shows to her 2007 tour. She's touring until the end of the year throughout South America, Mexico and 2 more westcoast US dates.Bjork Winter Tour:10-26 TIM Festival, Brazil10-28 TIM Festival, Brazil10-31 TIM Festival, Brazil11-04 Teatro Gran Rex, Argentina11-07 Teatro Gran Rex, Argentina11-10 Santiago, Chile11-13 Vertice del Museo de la Nacio...
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Bjork is scheduled to perform an unnamed song off of Volta on Late Night with Conan O'Brien next Thursday, September 27th. She didn't say whether she would talk with Conan on the air or not. Meanwhile, the October issue of Dazed and Confused magazine has a photo spread of Bjork "frolicking about in the Icelandic wilderness" with the ladies of Wonderbrass and Bernhard Wilhelm. She also chats wit
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"Declare Independence," the noisy and politically-charged song from Bjork's Volta, will be released as a single on the first of the new year. Just in time for New Year's resolutions! The "highly charged" video for the song was directed by Michel Gondry and will premiere in the beginning of December '07 along with some behind-the-scenes specials.Bjork will head out on tour yet again in support...
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This super cool video interviews Michel Gondry and goes behind the scenes at the extreme film shoot of Bjork's "Declare Independence." This is the 7th music video that Gondry has directed for Bjork, and they really went all out - they even suspended Mark Bell in the air with an epic bass guitar that looks like it's strung with giant rubber bands! Check it:I can't wait to see the finished prod...
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 "Volta")
