Nothing seemed more appropriate than this little ditty for Independence Day. Björk has just released Voltaic (June 23, 2009). It is a box set of 2 CDs and 2 DVDs supporting her last tour for her overly-produced album Volta (2007). Thanks to Timbaland (OneRepublic, JoJo, Missy Elliott), Volta has been the only disappointing Björk album. Lets put it this way: following a water boarding session with a Guantanamo Bay prisoner, play Volta on repeat for a few hours and after the atrocious headache they will be begging for more water boarding. Fortunately, the live performances of Volta are much more appealing and exciting without being overboard.
One of the CDs is a live performance from olympic studios. Half of the live CD are songs from Volta and the other half dozen are fresh reworkings of her classics. She varies up her oldie but goodies and seemingly misses a tune from her Debut album. Björk even throws in "The Pleasure Is All Mine" from her underrated album Medulla (2004). The magnificently composed album, Medulla, consists of only one instrument, the mouth. She gathered up beat boxer Rahzel (The Roots), Mike Patton (Faith No More), and others to virtually create the entire album by human sounds and a cappella voices. Here are the track listings for the live Voltaic CD:
- Wanderlust
(Volta)
- Hunter
(Homogenic)
- The
Pleasure Is All Mine (Medulla)
- Innocence
(Volta)
- Army
of Me (Post)
- I Miss
You (Post)
- Earth
Intruders (Volta)
- All Is
Full of Love (Homogenic)
- Pagen
Poetry (Vespertine)
- Vertebrae
By Vertebrae (Volta)
- Declare
Independence (Volta)
- My
Juvenille - Live (Volta)
The other CD is all remixes. There is even a remix of "Wanderlust" by Ratatat. One of the DVDs is 21 different songs live in Paris and Reykjavik. The other DVD is videos. In the video for "Declare Independence," the eye catching luminous blue circle the guy is moving the blocks around on is called a Reactable. The musician controls the system by manipulating tangible objects. By rotating and connecting the blocks/circles one can create sample loops, synthesizers, or any imaginable composition.
"Nattura" is a song that Björk released last October to support the environmental Nattura organization that is concerned with the preservation of Icelandic resources. It has the equivalent blood pumping intensity as the live "Declare Independence." And those little moans and groans in the background are of previous "I've Seen It All" (Dancer In the Dark Soundtrack- Selmasongs) duet-er Thom Yorke.
MP3: Bjork - Nattura.mp3
Some of the advanced techniques are made amazingly simple - so even the novice should have no trouble implementing them.
Then look no further than Acia Berry.