Björk - Biophilia Live 2CD (2014)

Of all the multimedia tendrils that have snaked out of Björk’s album, app, installation and performance project Biophilia, this record of the tour’s last performance in London is arguably the most conventional offshoot, even if it has additional trippy visuals. That said, this is an impeccably packaged entry to the Biophilia experience, showcasing the musical heart of the concept with spirited, millimetre-precise performances from Björk, her backing all-female choir and a handful of multitasking musicians. The whole lot manage to make a huge, often-beautiful sound with a mixture of traditional and electronic instruments. Even if you’re not mad about the tunes, the light show and interwoven footage of astral bodies, dancing microbes and pulsing starfish is alone worth the price of admission, as is Björk’s fabulously barmy frock, which looks like it was woven from mushroom gills and fairy dust. The presence of Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio) as co-director may seem odd at first, but when you see his fabulous, lepidoptera-themed next film The Duke of Burgundy, it will all make sense.

TRACKLIST

CD1:
01. Óskasteinar (Intro)
02. Thunderbolt
03. Moon
04. Crystalline
05. Hollow
06. Dark Matter
07. Hidden Place
08. Virus
09. Possibly Maybe
10. Mouths Cradle

CD2:
01. Isobel
02. Sonnets/Unrealities XI
03. Mutual Core
04. Cosmogony
05. Solstice
06. One Day
07. Náttúra
08. Declare Independence
09. Sacrifice
10. Bat Sounds (Credits)