Bjork - Bastards

  by Paul Waller

published: 12 / 1 / 2013

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Review

With an album so multi-dimensional, multi-formated and multi-contextualised it almost seemed shameful that Bjork would have to put last year’s 'Biophilia' to bed and move on to her next project. For the internet savvy amongst us, the year following the album’s release found other artist interpretations of the mother album's ten songs popping up here and there on various blogs. Beginning this last April these gems began to be released in limited quantities each fortnight. With so many records and so little time I must admit I gave up after the second release in the series. So thank the ancient Icelandic gods that this remix collection of the aforementioned tracks has been compiled for us less wealthy and rather more casual Bjork fans out there. For this reviewer 'Bastards' is all about the firth track a remix of 'Mutual Core' from These New Puritans that is so different and yet so familiar that at first it was rather confusing. Then the piano hits around halfway through and Bjork reaches a peak of enrichment and beauty in music that she hasn’t hit in maybe ten years or so. At just under four minutes in length not a second is wasted. The Solomon Island female voices deliver a rich earthiness, and the sparse piano simply keeps the melody strong. It’s hard to describe the feeling when music actually moves the listener to the point of fervour. For sure this is one of the musical moments of the year. Elsewhere as you would expect there is an eclectic mix of styles and sounds. The Middle Eastern flavour of Omar Souleyman’s 'Thunderbolt' is trumped by his other contribution, the album's opening take on 'Crystaline'. Other song worthy of attention are both of Death Grips remixes and the Slips' version of 'Moon'. I guess when the source material is this good it is difficult to make mistakes. I still find it odd that 'Biophilia' wasn’t the game changer it ought to have been, and with remix albums being what they are 'Bastards' won’t go anyway to changing that fact but at least Bjork never gives up. She is a true pioneering living legend.

Track Listing:-

1 Crystalline (Omar Souleyman Remix)
2 Virus (Hudson Mohawke Peaches and Guacamol Remix)
3 Sacrifice (Death Grips Remix)
4 Sacrifice Reprise (Matthew Herbert's Pins and Needles Mix)
5 Mutual Core (These New Puritans Remix) [feat. Solomon Is. Song']
6 Hollow (16-Bit Remix)
7 Mutual Core (Matthew Herbert's Teutonic Plates Mix)
8 Thunderbolt (Death Grips Remix)
9 Dark Matter (Alva Noto Remodel)
10 Thunderbolt (Omar Souleyman Remix)
11 Solstice (Current Value Remix)
12 Moon (The Slips Remix)
13 Crystalline (Matthew Herbert Remix)

Band Links:-

http://bjork.com/
https://www.facebook.com/bjork
https://plus.google.com/+Bjork
https://twitter.com/bjork
https://www.songkick.com/artists/49272
https://www.youtube.com/user/bjorkdotc

Label Links:-

http://www.indian.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/olirecords
https://twitter.com/olirecords
http://www.songkick.com/users/onelittl
https://www.youtube.com/user/onelittle
https://plus.google.com/+OneLittleIndi