Welcome to The Soundtrack, a column where we plumb the depths of our musical knowledge to bring you the best* (subjective) music to listen to for very specific life situations.
Most of us, hopefully, aren’t complete disasters in the kitchen. Sure, when nobody’s looking you might sometimes revert to a cheese and tomato toasty for dinner, but you probably have a solid handful of go-to meals you’re pretty confident with, if nothing more than a nice colourful stir-fry (if not, please work on yourself). Regardless, that’s actually not what this week’s The Soundtrack is about. This week we’re talking about those times you’ve bitten off more than you can chew (heh) and gone absolutely ham (heh heh) with cooking something far fancier than you’re comfortable with.
Perhaps it’s a first date you want to impress, or the in-laws are coming over, or you’re throwing your first Grown Up Dinner Party. Something has motivated you to crack open that dusty old French dining cookbook your parents gave you in the hopes you’d grow up to be a fully functional human being (sorry, mum and dad). You’ve bought the ingredients, got the right cookware, and are now completely broke and scared shitless that you might not actually be able to pull this off. You need to remain focused and calm, but the clock is also ticking and your confidence needs a boost – you need The Soundtrack.
Björk – It’s Oh So Quiet
Let’s get stuck in while your anxiety is still relatively low. This song will make you feel like you’re cooking in a light-filled apartment in Paris, with posies in your window-box and nothing but time. You’re not a cuisine-challenged twenty-something, you’re Amélie and everything you’re doing is super quirky and endearing, even – especially – the mistakes you make as you go along. It should be noted that yes, this is a cover, but it’s arguably even more intrinsically charming than the original, and that’s what you need right now. It is a truth universally acknowledged that woodwinds in a pop song will transport you to another, much more Wes Anderson-y reality. Knead that dough lovingly with the confidence that Our Lady and Saviour Björk is watching over you, and she believes in you.
Kelis – Jerk Ribs
Alright, perhaps the song this album is from (Food) is what made it spring to mind initially, but just you fucken try chucking this bad boy on and telling me it’s not perfect. Hear that beat? That definitely sounds like pots and pans, right? You’re a regular Nigella Lawson, playing each kitchen instrument just so to make this meal sing. That meaty brass section is the key here – taking organised chaos to a more self-assured level. “It feels just like it should” – I mean, you can’t argue with that. The water is boiling, you’ve lined up the spices you’re going to need to use all nice on the bench in front of you. Honestly? Maybe this won’t be so hard. Maybe you ARE a culinary god/dess after all?
The Internet – Gabby
Okay, don’t panic, but you forgot to include butter way back at the start when you needed it. Look, it’s okay, it’s fixable, but this is your first really huge roadblock, and you’re going to need something that will play backdrop to your valiant corrective efforts as well as berate you gently for being such a fucking moron. This little slice from The Internet is simultaneously smooth as HELL – to soothe your frazzled nerves – and kinda uncomfortable in its chord movements, creating the same sort of environment as a good friend telling you “Look, you screwed up, but she’ll be right mate”. And you will, if you can keep your cool, which leads us right into…
Desmond Cheese – Dope Vhs Master
There’s only one kind of song that can help you level out now: a slow-moving soulful instrumental jam. Something steady, something that feels as fresh as it does familiar. Brisbane duo MakCheese and Desmond Bagely are otherwise known as Desmond Cheese, which is simultaneously both the coolest and grossest name I have ever heard. Everything they do is incredibly groove-based and delightfully weird, but this song is the ticket to the state of calm you’re going to need to make it through this stressful time. Warped, tropical synths and a simple motif that repeats but develops each time will ground and inspire you as you carefully back-track to where you went wrong. You’re good now. Everything looks as it should, basically. Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back – except…
UV Boi فوق بنفسجي – Running Out Of Time
Oh shit. Your guest(s) are due in like twenty minutes and, according to this incredibly convoluted recipe, you have thirty minutes of work left to do before you plate up. This is literally your own personal version of MasterChef, and the clock is ticking. You might be rolling your eyes at me for choosing a song with such an obvious title for this situation – chuck it on and I think you’ll see just how appropriate this is. Suspenseful, rolling toms dash in and out of the mix, with some particularly apt clock-tick effects thrown in for good measure, reminding you that you are literally the worst ever at time management. But this track isn’t all about stressing you the fuck out – faux-choral sounds take this vibe back from the edge of tension and throw it all the way back to the whimsical. Because, let’s be honest you guys – it’s just dinner. If you royally screw it up, there’s always Deliveroo.
Image: Wallpaper Cave
We’re only two weeks away from one of Sydney’s best cultural events, Vivid Sydney. A combination of incredible light shows, music, theatre, ideas and more, it’s an amazing Sydney experience, certainly its most exciting during the winter months, and we can’t wait until it all kicks off between May 27 – June 18. The music curation only gets better every year, and 2016 is no exception. To help you wade through your options, here’s our personal picks for the most unmissable music at Vivid Sydney 2016 (in alphabetical order).
Bon Iver Presents: Cercle
I doubt we need to work too hard explaining why Bon Iver is a must-see event. A musician’s musician through and through, Justin Vernon and co have long been considered an incredibly important part of the contemporary music world. In Vernon’s first visit to Vivid since 2012, Bon Iver will be premiering a new retrospective live show, Cercle, at the Sydney Opera House across three nights this May.
When: May 27 – 30, 8pm – 10pm
Where: Sydney Opera House
How much: From $89
Tickets and more info here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWcyIpul8OE
Bjork Digital
An utterly inimitable pioneer and musical innovator, Bjork is premiering a new virtual reality experience at Vivid this year, made up of seven 360 degree videos created around her stunning, heartbreaking 2015 album Vulnicura. Bjork herself will be DJing at the event’s two opening nights, while the exhibition, including a chance to experience the virtual reality productions, will be free throughout the entire festival.
When: June 3 & 4, 6pm – late (opening parties) June 4 – 18, 10am – 6pm (exhibition)
Where: Carriageworks, Eveleigh
How much: Opening nights – $110, exhibition – free
Tickets and more info here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWHpoJT3qK4
Come Together Festival
It’s no secret that we’re currently living in the Golden Age of Australian hip-hop, and this year, Come Together Festival returns to Luna Park as part of the Vivid celebrations. The night is set to showcase the best in local hip-hop, including Drapht, Illy, Spit Syndicate, newcomer Manu Crook$ and a tonne more. And if you get in early, the Luna Park rides are free from 1 pm!
When: June 11, 5pm – 11pm
Where: Big Top, Luna Park
How much: From $55
Tickets and more info here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_xZt5rt4u0
Curve Ball
Curve Ball is a really exciting new event that focuses on innovative, boundary-pushing electronic producers from Australia and beyond. Headlined by the mysterious and incredibly talented LA producer Zhu, you can also look forward to sets from Yuma X, Basenji, Cosmo’s Midnight, Elk Road, Nicole Millar and more.
When: June 11, 3pm – 10pm
Where: Carriageworks, Eveleigh
How much: From $79
Tickets and more info here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_ARibfCMhw
Deafheaven
San Francisco five-piece Deafheaven are set to storm the Opera House with their explosive, intricate and all-round stunning sounds this June. While a mixture described as “black metal, post-rock and shoegaze” may not sound appealing to everyone, trust me on this one: their incredibly unique, showstopping live performance, at which they’ll be showing off their recent album New Bermuda, is worth checking out even if metal isn’t your usual thing.
When: June 2, 7:30pm – 9pm
Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre, Opera House
How much: From $39
Tickets and more info here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLoGU6l88QA
Goodgod Super Club
Goodgod Small Club may have sadly shut its doors last year, but the Super Club lives on once more in a very special Vivid Sydney showcase. Across four magical nights, the Opera House will revive the revered parties in a mega way. Featuring Joey Labeija, Junglepussy, Mike Who, Simon Caldwell and many more, any Sydneysider who spent their weekends sweating it up in that boxy backroom should make these shows a Vivid must-see.
When: May 27, 28, June 3, 4, 9pm – late
Where: Sydney Opera House
How much: From $39
Tickets and more info here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FyU0OwRrOM
Halfway Crooks vs Dutty Dancing
I’m a long time fan of hip-hop club night Halfway Crooks, which recently celebrated its seventh birthday. It’s joining forces with Caribbean night Dutty Dancing to come together for a special joint edition of the long-standing parties. Taking place at its long term home of Plan B, formerly Goodgod, get down to enjoy the best of both worlds: hiphop and dancehall, finally together at last.
When: June 4
Where: Plan B, Chinatown
How much: $16.90
Tickets and more info here
Halfway Crooks. Image: The Thousands
Heaps Gay: The Festival of Queer Delights
Heaps Gay is once again set to take over Marrickville across the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, with wicked performances in store from Collarbones, The Blow Waves, Rainbow Chan with Moon Holiday and Corin, Yo! Mafia and the Heaps Gay Twerk Team and plenty more, including legendary organisation Heaps Decent, who work with young people from underprivileged and disadvantaged communities.
When: June 12, 4pm – midnight
Where: The Factory, Marrickville
How much: From $45
Tickets and more info here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i16nkBERgkA
Hiatus Kaiyote with Sampa the Great
Grammy-nominated Hiatus Kaiyote are easily one of the most unique, exciting Australian acts around right now, and Sydney rapper Sampa the Great is by far my personal favourite Australian hip-hop artist today. For them to come together on the Opera House stage is an absolute dream come true for any fan of fluid, stunning jazz, soul and hip-hop. Absolutely not to be missed.
When: May 31
Where: Sydney Opera House
How much: From $49
Tickets and more info here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwQrBW_JtgA
Max Richter: Sleep featuring Grace Davidson
Certainly the most unique musical performance of Vivid, this is a one-of-a-kind experience if ever there was one. Max Richter is set to perform his 31 track, eight-hour album Sleep alongside a six piece ensemble at the Opera House, in what might be the most experimental sleepover of all time. A combination of neuroscientific research and classical composition, this is an intimate performance with space for less than 200 people – and yes, individual beds are included.
When: June 3, from 11pm
Where: Sydney Opera House
How much: From $99
Tickets and more info here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwpWZVG5SsQ
MusicNSW: Women in Electronic Music
This is a really special showcase of the best in upcoming and established female artists within electronic music. Woohoo! The all-Aussie lineup features some of our favourite names, including Rainbow Chan, GL, BUOY, Habits and more. Sure, production and DJing may have once been considered a man’s game, but that’s a laughable concept these days – and these incredible women are about to show you exactly why that is.
When: June 18, 6pm – 11pm
Where: Rooftop, MCA
How much: FREE
Tickets and more info here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucbK0iyA3Vs
One Day Sundays
Since its inception a couple years ago, monthly hip-hop outing One Day Sundays has quickly become one of the most beloved events in any Sydney hip-hop head’s calendar. It’ll be holding a special event during Vivid at The Factory in Marrickville, with music from resident One Day DJs Nick Lupi and Adit, plus guests including Aslan, Levins, Klasik and Liz Bird.
When: June 5, 1pm – 10pm
Where: The Factory, Marrickville
How much: From $15
Tickets and more info here
One Day Sundays. Image: AU Review
Poliça
Poliça are an incredible band with stunning, renowned live performances, reportedly described by Justin Vernon as “the best band I’ve ever heard.” Off the back of their recently released album United Crushers, the band – which includes two drummers, by the way – are bringing their ethereal, richly atmospheric blend of electronic, indie rock, pop and more music to the Opera House this year. Read our interview here.
When: June 3, 7:30pm – 9pm
Where: Sydney Opera House
How much: From $39
Tickets and more info here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICruF30bCEI
Purple Sneakers 10th birthday
I can personally guarantee that any Sydneysider over the age of about 24 spent many a late, debauchery-laden, unforgettable night at Purple Sneakers, most likely when it was held at the now defunct-Abercrombie hotel. For one night only, head on to the Gladstone to celebrate its tenth birthday in style, with music from World Champion, Indian Summer, Moonbase Commander, Purple Sneakers DJs and plenty more. Oh, and it’s free entry!
When: June 18, 7pm – 3am (no lockouts!)
Where: The Lord Gladstone, Chippendale
How much: FREE
More info here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt10R2XpjIg
Visions
Visions is set to return for Vivid, set to take over both Fredas and the Lord Gladstone in Chippendale. The event – which is free entry, is set to showcase some of the best and brightest in Sydney’s greatest live artists, including Kirin J Callinan, Montaigne, Gideon Bensen (ex-Preatures) and stalwarts Deep Sea Arcade, who have curated the entire event.
When: June 4, 12 pm- late
Where: Fredas and The Lord Gladstone, Chippendale
How much: FREE
More info here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6c5daSKVRw
Check out the entire Vivid Music program, as well as Vivid Lights and Vivid Ideas.
Image: Destination NSW
It’s that time of year again. Sydney is braced for a bevy of bright lights and brilliant live music, as the annual Vivid Sydney Festival draws ever closer. As snap happy photographers ready their cameras, music enthusiasts our now licking their lips at the talent attracted down under, with the lineup for the festival released today. Here are just a handful of the shows that are certified “must-sees”:
Bon Iver
Justin Vernon has reemerged from his musical slumber and is set to bring Bon Iver back to Australian shores as part of the CERCLE series of performances. With only three prior Sydney shows to his name, this is a must for any music fan that can appreciate lyricism and talent in it’s rawest form. Attendees at the Sydney Opera House will be the very first in the world to see his new show premiered, and considering it was only recently that we learnt Bon Iver wasn’t actually done and dusted, news of his return is among the greatest musical announcement we’ll see this year!
Where: Concert Hall (Opera House)
Date: 27-30 May
Tickets Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWcyIpul8OE
Bjork
The eccentric songstress is headed back down under to showcase her newly developed Bjork Digital experience, an exhibition set to showcase: “five unique spaces that will premiere a new virtual reality project from the musician, alongside other collaborations with some of the finest filmmakers and programmers in the world.”
Bjork has recently dabbled with VR technologies, and her work looks set to culminate in Sydney as she tantalises our senses from all angles, an experience that is set to add yet another layer to the mystique of her performance, which will no doubt see the Australian live debut of music from her powerful, emotionally intense 2015 album Vulnicura.
Where: Carriageworks
Date: June 3
Tickets: Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWHpoJT3qK4
Polica
When Justin Vernon labels you “the best band I’ve ever heard” you can be certain that you are in for an aural treat when Polica take to the stage to unleash their unique fusion of electronic sounds and indie pop. Returning to Australia after a three year hiatus, we can only imagine that Polica is ready to take Sydney by storm all over again, performing from their gorgeous new album United Crushers, which came out earlier this month and has garnered stellar reviews.
Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre (Opera House)
Date: June 3
Tickets: Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl03afAqeFQ
New Order
The presence of the synth-pop legends at Vivid is sure to set tongues-wagging, with the group set to celebrate 35 years with a “live retrospective” performance that will undoubtedly satisfy even the most hardcore fans. Rejoined by synth wizard Gillian Gilbert, New Order will introduce a brand new generation to the wonders of their discography.
Where: Concert Hall (Opera House)
Date: 1 June, 5 June
Tickets: Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftJZomwDhxQ
Oneohtrix Point Never
Described by organisers a “rock-inspired rampage set to stun audiences with cutting synthesizers and decimating bass,” we can breathe easy knowing that we probably won’t be able to hear properly for the rest of the night after catching Oneohtrix Point Never’s Vivid Live performance. Fans can of course expect to hear much of OPN’s stellar 2015 release, Garden of Delete (his seventh album to date), a Nine Inch Nails-inspired industrial, experimental, eclectic electronic album that featured on many end of year best-of lists.
Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre (Opera House)
Date: May 29
Tickets: Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td-e4i2BL_Q
Anohni
Performing an Australian exclusive premiere as part of Vivid, the astounding talents of Anohni, leader of Antony and the Johnsons, in the form of what is sure to be a stunning live staging of her fifth studio album Hopelessness. Anohni was the first performer announced for this year’s festival, and will no doubt provide a unique and soulful experience, as the self described ‘electronic record with sharp teeth’ takes its rightful place on centre stage.
Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre (Opera House)
Dates: 27 May, 28 May, 30 May, 31 May
Tickets: Here
These are of course just some of the headliners we can expect to see as part of the festivities, with a range of other masterful talents on display:
Deafheaven
And now for something a little different: off the back of their incredible 2015 release New Bermuda, and completely unlike anything else on this bill, heavy-hitting Deafheaven are set to bring their thunderous walls of pristinely complex noise to the Opera House’s Joan Sutherland Theatre. While still a relatively new act in the scene, they have more than made their mark with their three studio records, and have quickly become one of the most important heavy bands in the world. This will be a simply breathtaking show – and for those who aren’t in Sydney, you can catch them on tour across the country.
Where: Joan Sutherland Theatre (Opera House)
Date: 2 Jun
Tickets: Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4tyCchDlhM
Hiatus Kaiyote with Sampa The Great
One of the absolute highlights of Australian music circulating today, two-time grammy nominees Hiatus Kaiyote will be bringing their immense talent and impeccably well composed jazz-infused tunes to the Opera House’s main stage. In tow will be Sampa The Great, who, in a nutshell, is Australia’s Lauryn Hill (except hopefully she’ll be a little more frequent with her music output and less so with her tax fraud.) Sampa has toured with Hiatus Kaiyote before, and even remixed a full series of their tracks last year. Arguably two of the best Australian acts around today, this is not to be missed.
Where: Concert Hall (Opera House)
Date: 31 May
Tickets: Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3tErZ5LUJY
This is only the beginning of the Vivid announcements, with a myriad venues including Oxford Art Factory, Newtown Social Club, Freda’s, The Lord Gladstone, The Basemen, The Argyle and plenty more set to hold events throughout the festival. Needless to say, we probably recommend taking a couple days to relax and get some sleep before it all kicks off, because there’s something happening every single night.
While the light show and musical performances attract much of the attention and allure of the festival, let’s not forget some of the brilliant minds that are heading our way to deliver “Game Changer” talks. Director extraordinaire Spike Jonze, the genius behind Being John Malkovich, Her, and Adapation will be joined by none other than Beau Willimon (of House of Cards fame) and Jenji Kohan (Orange is the New Black) to inspire and motivate attendees as they bestow their creative wisdom upon us, sharing their insightful gems and anecdotes as they recount their storied careers.
Indigenous Australia is also set to be highly recognised by organisers, with the Sydney Opera House set to be lit up with the works of six prominent Indigenous artists, in a work entitled Songlines.
With 2015 numbers soaring to heights of almost 2 million attendees, we can be sure that this stellar lineup will see 2016 break new ground and further establish Vivid as one of the world’s most stellar culminations of culture and art.
Head to Vivid’s official website for more
Image: Vivid
It’s been a big year for Björk, with her much lauded Vulnicura LP taking out top spots in many end of year lists, releasing innovative video clips, all-strings albums and plenty more. Only days out from 2016, it seems the Icelandic artist has one more trick up her sleeve before the year is out.
Teaming up with director Andrew Thomas Huang, who also worked with Björk on 2011 album Biophillia, the pair have created a virtual reality app. Interestingly, this is the second time Björk has explored alternative mediums like apps – the pair collaborated on an interactive, audiovisual Biophilia-themed app in 2011.
The project takes the viewer into a 360 degree world in which Björk performs Vulnicura opening track Stonemilker. The object of the latest project was to continue explore the possibilities of virtual reality as an unconventional alternative to traditional music videos.
“We found ourselves in Iceland one day with nothing to do and a 360 camera lying about,” she says. “We discussed its potential for intimacy and Andrew then suggested we take it to the beach where the song was written.”
“That location has a beautiful 360 panoramic view which matches the cyclical fugue like movement in the song. If the song has a shape it is sort of like a circle that just goes on forever” she stated, elaborating on the circular structure of the track.
The app, available for iPhone and iPad, can be downloaded here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWHpoJT3qK4
Björk’s new music video for Mouth Mantra is far from ordinary. But if you’re a fan of Björk, I’m sure you have already guessed that from some of her previous videos. In this new clip, she takes us to a place we’ve never seen before; inside her mouth.
Yes, I’m serious.
We see everything; from the tastebuds on her tongue to the red lip stick marks on her teeth. The images swirl around in a kaleidoscope of colours. The camera zooms out to show that it actually is the singer’s mouth and she dances around frantically with her arms wrapped in white ribbons. Strange as it is; it’s kind of a masterpiece.
Director Jesse Kanta described making the video as “a terrifying horrific experience” as well as “a dream come true”.
“If there’s one thing I’d like for people to take away from this video, it’s the power of vulnerability,” he tells Dazed. “That is what Björk’s album Vulnicura is all about to me, and hopefully this video reflects that. It’s about having the courage to express yourself and seeing yourself in that mirror. Doing something that scares the shit out of you and sharing it, growing from it, spreading love and courage to others and making the world a warmer place to be and relate to each other.”
Also according to Dazed, Björk herself had this to say:
“I am so extremely grateful to Jesse to be up for going on this journey…It was brave of him to take it on and I feel spoiled having witnessed him grow, making hi-tech mouth models and inventing cameras all to match a little therapeutic song about the throat. His dedication and devotion is overwhelming. I am especially grateful for those sassy dancefloor moments we managed to squeeze in there aswell: true magic.”
The video will also be available in 360 °. Check it out for yourself below.
To some, musical instruments may seem like a dying enterprise – with the advent of electronic music, even guitars and drum kits are often replaced by synths and pads. But this couldn’t be farther from the truth – not only are there countless new electronic instruments being developed all the time, but wind, string and all sorts of strange, unique concoctions are being created every day, forming new and exciting ways to both perform and create music. While we’re all familiar with drums, bass, the saxophone (which celebrities it’s 201st birthday today), and even the human voice, let’s now take a look beyond the standard.
We have so many options to create unique and beautiful tones and inspire highly-influential creative pieces. Let’s take a look at some of the less obvious instruments making their way into today’s music.
Viola Organista
Björk’s newly released Vulnicura Strings contains an alternate version of Black Lake, where a Viola Organista takes the lead. The viola organista was described by Björk as “little, but like a grand piano that is bowed not plucked”. While the instrument was originally imagined by Leonardo Di Vinci, it was actually built many years later by Sławomir Zubrzycki. Zubrzycki even played the instrument on the track himself. Buy the album to hear this amazing track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5slE11AHOM
The James Boag Meteorphonium may look like an extremely complex machine that may be used as a torturing device in an underground lair, but it’s actually a super cool musical instrument with a very sweet sound. Nick Ryan is the mastermind behind the machine, who was asked by James Boag to create something using Tasmania’s landscape and turning it into music. Ryan said he was “fascinated by the idea that technology can translate the behavioural patterns found in natural phenomena into the language of music”, which is why he decided to take the opportunity.
To explain – “The instrument itself is comprised of nine hand-made bronze singing bowls, a pentatonic ‘tongue drum’, two custom built crescent-shaped analog synthesizers (the only two in existence in the world), four quadraphonic speakers placed North, East, South and West. Orbiting the main instrument structure are eight independent satellites, ‘meteorphones’, which are housed in a glass jar, and react to luminosity.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vUju43BI30&feature=youtu.be
Yaybahar
The Yaybahar looks as though it should be an art piece in a museum. Making the instrument out of two metal drums and a piece of coiled string, Görkem Şen created the sound of a stringed instrument by bowing the string and allowing the springs on the drums to vibrate.
“Natural source coded materials which are membrane, coiled spring and string working together. Maybe we can say that this is a new bridge system between string and resonant body,” Olgu Demir, the director of the video below told The Creators Project.
The result is beautifully raw. Listen.
A Coke Bottle
Okay, you’re probably wondering how this is considered a ‘strange instrument’. It may not be wacky or complex like the others seem to be, but the results of one man’s imagination may surprise you. Kurt Hugo Schneider is one of the most reputable musicians on YouTube. To celebrate the return of ‘Share A Coke’, he decided to compose a song, using nothing but the glass coke bottles, a table and the voices of some of his friends. The clingy sounds work wonders and the video has been viewed almost four million times. It shows how the simple things can be used to create something incredible. Check it out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzuRvzsNpTU
The Escopetarra
We all know guns are symbols of violence and tragedy. In 2015, we hear about devastating shootings occurring on a regular basis. But Bogota musician Cesar Lopez, has taken this weapon and re-imagined it as a guitar.
He told the BBC: “I designed this device that is a weapon transformed into a guitar with all the technical specifications of a guitar but using as a base the gun, the gun on the pins, microphones, circuits overlap, and becomes as an object of reflection.”
It now stands as a sign of peace, in the hope that one day the world can be free from violence and the pain of loss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ehrEj1mvXw
Musical instruments are everywhere you look. You may not realise it, but they are waiting to be discovered.
The strings section of an orchestra and the feeling of heartbreak go hand-in-hand. As the strings are plucked or guided with a bow, the sweet sounds that flow can say more than words ever could.
With an album as heartbreaking as Björk’s Vulnicura, how could you not consider giving it the stripped back treatment?
Mouth Mantra sounds more sinister with the strings alone. As the vocals overlap the low pitched music, the dramatic tone creates a lush mix. In the original, the percussion and sound effects are fighting against the strings to be the instrumental focus of the song. Björk sings over the two opposing sections of music, battling it out. The absence of the percussion entirely changes the atmosphere, from the middle of an external argument to an angry internal struggle.
In the original Lionsong, the beats run wild. It brings a lightness to the song that is washed away here, leaving a depressing, emotionally detached release, which the music exuding something so different to the lyrics. “Maybe he will come out of this loving me, maybe he won’t,” she ponders.
For the most part, Black Lake sounds almost exactly like the original. Low-pitched, slow start eventually traipses into a beautiful, graceful atmosphere. Here, the lack of percussion means that the emotion spreads itself out across the entire song. It presents itself as so much more emotionally invested in the lyrics, which are also given the spotlight.
Tonally and emotionally, the biggest differences are in Quicksand and Notget. Quicksand feels so, so much more raw with more of an emphasis put onto the lyrics. The original version is crowded with programming and percussion, giving it a truly tortured feel. While I feel this one fits the song’s storyline better, the clean and crisp new sound is so beautiful you can’t help but shed a tear. Notget is the only track where I prefer it to the original. In the space left by extra sounds, the vocals are pushed to centre stage.
Family is completely stripped back; even the vocals have been removed. The strings will pierce your ears like an alarm with sharp sounds, humming as the song builds. The final song, Black Lake (Viola Organista Version) is once again vocal-free. The rare viola organista, designed by Leonardo da Vinci, leads the pack with good control over its long notes and heavy pauses in all the right places. This song had something that I felt that the others were missing; a strong ending. Instead, they seemed to just fade away.
Overall, the strings version of Vulnicura is fantastic. Björk’s vocals combine perfectly with the sweet strings sounds, guiding an heartbreaking emotion directly to our souls. Pure, simple, beautiful.
Vulnicura Strings is available now on Pod via Inertia. Purchase it here.
Barely a year old, Björk’s universally acclaimed album Vulnicura is getting an acoustic, all-strings makeover. The album will be released on November 6, including a vinyl release featuring a hidden track, released a month later with the title Vulnicura Strings (Vulnicura: The Acoustic Version).
The original album was not exactly shy on strings. The emotional record tugged at the heartstrings through diverse and dense electronic and string arrangements, and the Icelandic artist has previously stated that the orchestration helped her deal with the end of a long-term relationship with Matthew Barney (and for anyone who has listened to it, Vulnicura is basically the ultimate break-up album of 2015.)
While the former featured strings with electronic layers stacked atop, the new version will throw out any and all electronic influences, and will even embrace the one-of-a-kind Viola Organista, which was designed by Leonardo De Vinci (though he never saw it made in his lifetime.) There is just one in existence, and it combines an organ with a violin, in that a friction belt vibrates certain strings akin to a violin, while the keys are selected with a keyboard, similar to an organ. Wonderfully weird, wonderfully Björk.
Björk said in a statement:
“While I was working on Vulnicura, it became one of the most magical things both musically and spiritually to unite the electronics and the acoustic instruments in an almost romantic way – to prove they can coexist! … I felt somehow for the first time this was an album that could take another version: a reveal, to simply have the acoustics stand on their own for the folks who wanna indulge even further into the wooden timeless side of this music. With no techno.”
Björk has already revealed a taster, with a transformation of Lionsong ready to devour below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=3&v=sCNva-sdsgI
Initially featured exclusively in her exhibition at the New York’s Museum of Modern Art, Björk has released her new project, Black Lake for the rest of the world to see. The 10-minute long music video has a cinematic feel and that signature Björk quirkiness. Before you watch it, prepare your soul for an incredible emotional journey.
We find Björk in a dark cave, in a tortured-state, rocking back and forth as she sings. As she begins to walk through the cave, she falls down again and moves her arms around slowly in a hypnotic dance, symbolising the feelings of pain and loss. This dance continues as she stands up once again and moves through the cave, picking up speed. The beat grows in strength as she does, while the volcanic rock outside the cave erupts with blue lava in anger.
Björk has written an explanation the process of making the video, thanking the people involved (via Dazed):
“dear folks
here comes the black lake video
a video me and andrew thomas huang did
i would like to thank him and james merry so strongly for going through with me the longest video process yet
especially to andrew for his talented elegant patience and to take my first visual impulses and weave into them his own magnificent vision :
im so honoured !!
it was a complex yet adventurous process to synchronize with so many departments
i would like to thank klaus biesenbach for commissioning the video
and ta to the haxan cloak , the speaker collaborators , the architect david benjamin , marco perry who all helped me make the most ideal sound room possible for that song
and then thank derek and emma birkett and tamsin . and iris and erna
and arca for producing the music with me
i guess its time for “stonemilker” and “black lake” to get out there into the world after a 3 month stint in a museum ….. ( after all the effort , stonemilker was like black lakes spontaneous baby sibling ha ha ha ) we tried to make it in a way it was both at home in an exhibition and also in the context of a no nonesense music video ( still my fav format) and i hope you dont mind the wait
and back to M U S I C …
can i thank new york for a feisty 5 months , 8 lush gigs ?
most curious though about them next things
perhaps we dont even have the best tools yet
and technology might be where all the senses can merge even better ?
!!! here´s to some more VR vulnicura releases soon !!!
enthusiasm
björk”
Watch it in full below:
As part of an exhibition that has been showing at New York’s Museum of Modern Art since March, the Icelandic quirkstress Bjork has produced a 360-degree virtual reality music video, now available online to the delight of music and tech nerds worldwide.
The video accompanies the track Stonemilker, which in itself is more of the same Bjork-y chirping we have become accustomed to over the span of her 20-year career. On pressing play, you will see the petite frame of the singer on a sparse lakeside landscape shot on location in Iceland by director Andrew Huang. You can then move the screen to survey the surroundings or follow along as her flowing yellow dress moves from frame to frame. It is not the most remarkable experience on a desktop, but it is undoubtedly a taste of some pretty psychedelic future experiences.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQEyezu7G20]
If you have an android device you can pick up a pair of Google Cardboard goggles for the price of your lunch, and immerse yourself in the experience through the VR enabled Youtube add-on.
We are living in the future! Embrace it!
Always one to change her sound, style and image, we are big fans of the Scandinavian artist. Bjork’s fierce originality and independence is a rare trait in today’s music industry, and it’s videos like this which prove her to be more than a musician, but a pioneer.
Bjork’s last full record was Vulnicara – check out our album review here.