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Björk
Björk: Jazz Muse & Hyperballadeer
by Ludovico Granvassu
If jazz is, as someone put it, the sound of surprise, then it makes complete sense that countless musicians have become enamored with the music of Björk. Like the most innovative jazz musicians, Bjork is a restless artist who tries to continuously reinvent herself, often blending familiar sources in completely unprecedented ways, and deliberately challenging the status quo. In these two hours we'll check out some of the most intriguing jazz renditions of her work. Happy listening! ...
read moreBj: Gling-Gl
by Mark Sabbatini
If Van Morrison is the headline act of this year's Reykjavik Jazz Festival, then maybe it makes sense that trip-hop diva Björk is Iceland's biggest name with a jazz album.
And here's a further shock: it's a pretty good one.
Gling-Gló is available in the US for the first time following its rerelease by One Little Indian late in 2003. It is one of Björk's first albums, recorded three years before her 1993 solo debut, ...
read moreBj: Scorch Trio
by Mark Corroto
What immediately hits you about the music of the Scorch Trio is their raw intensity and singularity of purpose. Guitarist Raoul Björkenheim, born in Los Angeles, has spent most of his musical career in Finland. He has recorded with Edvard Vesala, Bill Laswell, Nicky Skopelitis, and his own band Krakatau. He brings a passion for Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman to this guitarist trio format.
Backing Björkenheim is one of the hottest rythm sections in jazz ...
read moreRaoul Bjorkenheim, Bill Laswell and Morgan Agren - Blixt (2011)
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Something Else!
Sounding something like neo-prog meets outjazz, the music of Raoul Bjorkenheim, Bill Laswell and Morgan Agren is just as interesting for what it does as what it doesn't do. For all of the joys of their ear-melting inferno Black Whole," the opening cut on Blixt, this power trio is also more than capable of downshifting into brilliantly coiled moments like Shifting Sands Closing Hour," with its mysterious far-east feel. They dash through the rumbling angular mysteries of Moon Tune," but ...
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Raoul Bjorkenheim, Bill Laswell, Morgan Agren - Blixt (Cuneiform, 2011) ****a1/2
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Free Jazz by Stef Gijssels
By Paul Acquaro I suppose that Blixt is best described as a rock power trio. Working with industrial strength rhythms, thickly distorted leads and dark enveloping bass, the trio moves through a series of tough minded improvisations bracketed by short heads. However, as tough and stormy as the tunes may get at times, the musicianship and sensibilities of all involved provide enough nuance and sophistication to keep even the heaviest moments buoyant. That being said, the album begins with a ...
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Bill Laswell, Raoul Bjorkenheim and Morgan Agren - Blixt (Cuneiform, 2011)
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Music and More by Tim Niland
Blixt, the jazz fusion/progressive rock trio of Bill Laswell on bass, Raoul Bjorkenheim on guitar and Morgan Agren is a powerful one filled with tricky lead statements and intricate improvisational sections. Laswell is famous as a legendary producer and musician on the downtown" improvisational scene in New York city, while Bjorkenheim, late of Finland (an improvisational hotbed all its own filled with great composers and musicians) has had his profile rise with tenures in the fusionesque band Krakatau and The ...
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Bjork to 'Takeover' eMusic
Source:
HypeBot
This summer eMusic debuted eMusic Radio featuring staff curated streaming music channels. Now Bjork is helping eMusic launch their new Artist Takeover program featuring Bjork's editorial selections in celebration of the release of her Biophilia album Bjork's new album, Biophilia, caught a lot of attention earlier this year for her decision to release mobile apps for each song. As she now turns to promoting the album in more traditional forms, Bjork is also kicking off eMusic's Artist Takeover program that ...
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Bjork: New Interactive Website
Source:
JamBase
ICELAND'S FINEST HAS A NEW PLAYGROUND Bjork has re-launched www.bjork.com as a brand new website to tie in with the start of her groundbreaking 'Biophilia' campaign; her forthcoming exploration of music, nature and technology. Using the very latest HTML5 technology the site is heavily animated and interactive. It features a unique immersive 3D galaxy with versions that can be enjoyed on almost all devices. Visitors can use their mouse and keyboard to fly" through a virtual 3D space environment as ...
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Bjork: New Album and Live Dates
Source:
JamBase
BJORK TO UNVEIL NEW ALBUM BIOPHILIA AT MANCHESTER INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL Bjork has announced plans to debut her new album Biophilia at the Manchester International Festival. Bjork will be at MIF for a three-week residency; six shows in Campfield Market Hall for audiences of 1800, her first UK dates in over three years. Her new album is being described as a multi-media project encompassing music, apps, internet, installations and live shows." A release date has not yet been announced. For these ...
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Bjork: Voltaic DVD/CD/Vinyl
Source:
JamBase
BJORK'S MULTI-MEDIA VOLTAIC OUT ON NONESUCH RECORDS
Bjork Bjork's Voltaic, a very special DVD/CD/VINYL recording, was released in the U.S. earlier this month by Nonesuch Records, full track listings are below. Voltaic is a lovingly packaged celebration of the past two years of activities surrounding Bjork's Volta her critically praised sixth studio album, which came out in 2007.
Bjork's band on the Volta tour included Mark Bell (LFO) on computers and keyboards and Damian Taylor on keyboards and programming. Also ...
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Bjork in Full-Throated Plumage, Jazz in a Calmer Key
Source:
Michael Ricci
There has been no shortage of live Bjork documentation in recent seasons. So lets file Voltaic, released by Nonesuch a couple of weeks ago, under the category of Things We Didnt Think We Needed.
Available in five configurations, from a single CD to a multiple CD-DVD-LP set, it chronicles a typical frenzy of activity following the release of Bjorks 2007 album, Volta. The principal CD, recorded in one pass at a studio in London, features live versions of the songs ...
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NPR Streams Bjork: Exlusive First Listen
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JamBase
NPR MUSIC STREAMING ENTIRE NEW BJORK ALBUM VOLTAIC IN EXCLUSIVE FIRST LISTEN" SERIES
Bjork NPR Music is streaming a new album of live recordings from the complex and unpredictable singer Bjork, one week ahead of its official release. Her new album, Voltaic, is available for free, on-demand listening now through June 30 at npr.org/music, as part of the site's Exclusive First Listen" series.
Bjork, the 13-time Grammy nominee from Iceland, released her sixth album, Volta, in 2007. Before ...
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