From "Post"... an "Hyperballad"...
My Björk experience is very particular, as I was not introduced to her music through my usual channels. As a matter of fact, the first Björk song I've ever heard was "Big Time Sensuality", which was not that very appealing even though it was fun to listen to. Then I saw her performing live, which didn't cause a very good impression so never paid attention to her music.
This is where it gets interesting! My incurable insomnia made me spend endless nights watching TV (long before I had Internet connection or even a Laptop) so I remember my cable operator had this channel called "Music21" [no longer on the air and no English version of the article either] which was very good. They aired great music {Texas and Moloko were aired here constantly, just to name a few} and at night they always played the best music ever. Then, one of those sleepless nights they played many songs which I had always liked (Olive, Tamsyn Archer, Peter Gabriel to name a few) when all of a sudden they started playing this video of a song which I had never heard before. There was Björk, with her eyes closed and the tiny towers spinning like fans, digital clouds and some mountains, LED lights blinking, then comes her projection and starts singing: "We live on a mountain, right at the top..."
Her voice was captivating and I felt this chill down my spine, like she was singing something I had felt many times before. Then the music, which had started with this real slow tempo, picks up in the most energetic way I had ever heard before, then I understood why it's Hyperballad, as it is a love song, which goes beyond the regular power ballad and becomes simply that: an Hyperballad.
The song itself goes beyond any possible description and the lyrics can have different meanings. But what is so appealing about this song is the fact that it is one of those tunes you enjoy listen to at night, lying on your bed, or like in my particular case, I enjoy traveling or watching a starry night sky. I can't think of the times this song has come to my mind and I wish I could listen to it over and over again, with its repetitions and the electronic sounds.
This song changed my perception of Björk and her music, this is the song that got me into this particular genre, which I would dare to say it's her own. Sigur Ros and Imogen Heap approach her style, but lack the uniqueness that Björk has. After this experience I became an true fan of her music, I wanted to have her videos as they are pieces of video art, I can even clearly remember singing until my throat was sore when she performed this song in her concert in my home country (Colombia). No other artists has achieved this before, not even Madonna who has been always my favorite, nor ABBA, who have always been so dear to me, Björk has her own special place in my musical library.
At the end of the song the orchestration takes you back after lifting you from the ground, it reminds you about the original purpose of the song: "I'll go through all this before you wake up, so I can feel happier to be safe up here with you", you explore your wildest emotions and let them out, you explode, you burst into tears and laughter, you go crazy, then you put yourself together, you reclaim yourself so you can love again.
This is where it gets interesting! My incurable insomnia made me spend endless nights watching TV (long before I had Internet connection or even a Laptop) so I remember my cable operator had this channel called "Music21" [no longer on the air and no English version of the article either] which was very good. They aired great music {Texas and Moloko were aired here constantly, just to name a few} and at night they always played the best music ever. Then, one of those sleepless nights they played many songs which I had always liked (Olive, Tamsyn Archer, Peter Gabriel to name a few) when all of a sudden they started playing this video of a song which I had never heard before. There was Björk, with her eyes closed and the tiny towers spinning like fans, digital clouds and some mountains, LED lights blinking, then comes her projection and starts singing: "We live on a mountain, right at the top..."
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| Screen capture from the official video clip |
Her voice was captivating and I felt this chill down my spine, like she was singing something I had felt many times before. Then the music, which had started with this real slow tempo, picks up in the most energetic way I had ever heard before, then I understood why it's Hyperballad, as it is a love song, which goes beyond the regular power ballad and becomes simply that: an Hyperballad.
The song itself goes beyond any possible description and the lyrics can have different meanings. But what is so appealing about this song is the fact that it is one of those tunes you enjoy listen to at night, lying on your bed, or like in my particular case, I enjoy traveling or watching a starry night sky. I can't think of the times this song has come to my mind and I wish I could listen to it over and over again, with its repetitions and the electronic sounds.
This song changed my perception of Björk and her music, this is the song that got me into this particular genre, which I would dare to say it's her own. Sigur Ros and Imogen Heap approach her style, but lack the uniqueness that Björk has. After this experience I became an true fan of her music, I wanted to have her videos as they are pieces of video art, I can even clearly remember singing until my throat was sore when she performed this song in her concert in my home country (Colombia). No other artists has achieved this before, not even Madonna who has been always my favorite, nor ABBA, who have always been so dear to me, Björk has her own special place in my musical library.
At the end of the song the orchestration takes you back after lifting you from the ground, it reminds you about the original purpose of the song: "I'll go through all this before you wake up, so I can feel happier to be safe up here with you", you explore your wildest emotions and let them out, you explode, you burst into tears and laughter, you go crazy, then you put yourself together, you reclaim yourself so you can love again.
+-+Bj%C3%B6rk.jpg) |
| CD Single Cover |
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