http://mobile.nytimes.com/2011/07/17/world/asia/17music.xml

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Björk to release new "iBlum"

In the past 15 years we have seen the "Big Business" music labels plummet from power giving way to more artist driven content.  With the proliferation of the internet as a distribution and publishing channel, more and more content is available for free, leaving the businessmen scrambling to build their product's value in other ways.  Artists have also had to adapt to this new information culture and develop business and marketing skills for themselves.

Icelandic recording artist Björk has had a long career of creating avant garde music that stretches the ear to the limits of what is beautiful and what is noise.  She has always been an artist for herself, not the critics, and has a flair for inovation and creativity.

Her new multimedia project Biophilia combines her new album featuring songs inspired by math, science and nature, with interactive apps on a customized iPad, a different one for every song.
The album consists of songs about plate tectonics, DNA replication and crystal formation.
Track List

01 – Virus
02 – Cosmogony
03 – Dark Matter
04 – Thunderbolt
05 – Moon
06 – Crystalline
07 – Hollow
08 – Sacrifice
09 – Mutual Core
10 – Solstice



In this album Björk also creates and uses new instruments for her compositions.  One such instrument is the "Gameleste" which is a hybrid of a gamelan and a celesta.  By creating a new instrument out of existing instruments, the listener's attention is grabbed by the new and unique, slightly familiar sound.




One of the most interesting features of the project are the interactive apps created by some of the top app builders in the world.  These apps are designed to incorporate music theory, science and the songs on the album in a fun and interactive way.
Hollow is a basic drum machine app that uses the bases of DNA to create a rhythmic line. Virus allows the player to fight off mutating rhythms while in Mutual Core, chords are created by rearranging geological layers.

The most innovative aspect to this whole project to me is the packaging.  With the Apple ipad and other tablet devices, Björk can package her whole vision of a full comprehensive educational and enriching musical experience on a personal electronic canvas capable of interacting with the user.


Björk is quoted in Rolling Stone "I think I'm probably semi-autistic or something – I'm just obsessed with riddles," Björk says. "It felt like the music industry was off the grid, and I wanted to solve the riddle."




Read the full Rolling Stone article by Sott Steinberg at

http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/blogs/gear-up/bjork-unveils-multimedia-biophilia-project-20110629