NME : Hello Bjork, are you ready to answer some questions from NME readers ?
Björk : yep !
NME : Great. Let’s go - here come some q’s from readers on the new album
NME : What made u want2 explore relationship between music, nature & technology+when did u become interested in it ? (midnight_boom)
Björk : I’ve always been interested in it, and I’ve explored this before with songs like homogenic...
where I distorted electronic beats to sound like volcanic eruptions and string octet together...
so the acoustic, electronic and nature are together. Its the same for this project except the touching point is different.
NME : How did you choose the different concepts for each of the songs, and how to pair the musical/scientific ideas ? (mackstress)
Björk : its the touchscreen. So nature is in algorithms inside the touchscreen which you play with a finger..
which is matched with acoustic instruments.
I decided to pick the most simple one, and the one that a child could get. For example pendulum base-line
or, a lightning base-line, or make a structure of a song with different crystals.
NME : Interesting. Thanks for that - just sent next question.
How many proper videos (not the apps in video format) and singles will be out from Biophilia ? (mrclarkson92)
Björk : I don’t know. We are improvising. I’d like to think that putting music out online could we spontaneous
so I’d like to take it as it comes. In a way, the apps are a more natural visual to the project than videos. But I love..
working with people like Michel Gondry.
NME : I bet. So we can expect more Bjork / Michel Gondry things to come ?
Björk : Again I have to say I don’t know, we always talk about doing things, if a quarter of them happen I’m happy. We’ll have to see !
NME : Regarding the Ipad apps, did it ever worry you that you would be alienating some of yr fans without iPads ? (willwhyler)
Björk : no, because the album for me is still the most important component. I’ve tried the hardest I can to make the album in a way..
that it can both stand on its own, or be connected to apps. Its your choice. I like to encourage the fans to buy only what
they want. They don’t have to buy everything !
NME : I make art and apps. Do u think the platform is opening people to new experiences, in the way video games have ? (NickDonovan)
Björk : for sure, I think its similar to the telephone or radio or film and video. People got scared when the new thing
is invented cause they think it will erase the previous one, but at the end of the day they all coexist. At the end of the day these formats are made by humans to make it easier for humans to do their thing so more variety will help more people express themselves.
NME : Great - thanks.
NME : Did you compose anything off the new album using the Fibonacci sequence (nature’s numbering system) ? (PathOfDunc)
Björk : I did read a book about him and think about using it, but I didn’t in the end. The only thing that’s slightly influenced by it are the time signatures of the song. Mostly prime numbers. But I did it in a more impulsive way so its not rigidly attached to any model.
NME : What inspires you to include Indonesian influences in your work ? Where did you hear it ? (journalin)
Björk : I heard gamalan music first as a teenager, I thought of going to indonesia for this project and recording there but it didn’t feel right. I guess because Volta was an anthropology project and this project is more about science. I also wanted it to be something which you could connect with a touchscreen for kids to play with so in the end we gutted my old celeste and gave bronze notes (like the Gamalan) so its a hybrid. But I would love to get to sing with a gamalan orchestra in Indonesia, hopefully before I die. I’m chuffed by your interest. Thank you very much. Can I ask you a question ?
NME : Sure
Björk : have you heard the Omar Soleyman remix and what do you think ?
NME : We love it in the office. @mackstress especially.
Björk : Great ! Ill see you at Bestival !
NME : For sure. Thanks for taking part. Tim / NME
