Björk: Sonic Symbolism
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Talk show
- Conversation podcast
- English
- Icelandic
- Björk
- Asi Jónsson
- Oddný Eir
- Ian Wheeler
- Julie Douglas
- Christian Koons
| Björk: Sonic Symbolism | |
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| Genre | Music |
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| Length | 39–54 min (per episode) |
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| No. of episodes | 9 |
| Original release | September 1, 2022 – October 13, 2022 |
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| Website | mailchimp |
Björk: Sonic Symbolism is a podcast featuring Icelandic singer-songwriter and actress Björk in conversation with philosopher and writer Oddný Eir and musicologist Ásmundur Jónsson. The series provides an intimate reflection on the creation of each of Björk's albums, exploring the textures, timbres, and emotional landscapes that characterized their development.
The podcast delves into the inspirations and life phases influencing Björk's work, offering listeners insight into her creative process. Each episode focuses on a specific album, beginning with the release of her first album, and continues chronologically through her discography. The first three episodes, covering Debut (1993) Post (1995) and Homogenic (1997) were released simultaneously on September 1, 2022, with subsequent episodes following weekly. The podcast lead up to the release of Björk's tenth studio album, Fossora (2022).[1]
In the podcast Björk discusses how visual elements, such as album covers, serve as "homemade tarot cards" that convey the sound and mood of each album. She explains that the color palettes, textiles, and imagery associated with her albums are deliberate expressions of their sonic qualities.[2]
The podcast was made in a collaboration between Mailchimp and Talkhouse, and was produced by Christian Koons and edited by Koons and Anna Gyða.[3]
The conception of the podcast emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period that afforded Björk the opportunity to reflect on her creative journey.[4] Björk sought to delve into the intricate processes behind each of her albums, to explore the moods, timbres, and tempos that characterized her work at various stages of her career. For the podcast, she collaborated with longterm friends and collaborators, including philosopher and writer Oddný Eir, with whom she co-wrote "Thunderbolt" on Biophilia (2011) and "Atom Dance" from Vulnicura (2015), and musicologist Ásmundur Jónsson, which helped her compile her Live Box compilation (2003).[5][6][7]
The podcast series was structured to provide an intimate, chronological exploration of Björk's discography, beginning with her 1993 album Debut and progressing through subsequent releases. Each episode focuses on a specific album, offering insights into the personal experiences, artistic influences, and cultural contexts that shaped its creation.[8] The podcast was firstly announced on August 25, 2022, and the first three episodes covering Debut, Post and Homogenic were released simultaneously on September 1, 2022, with subsequent episodes following on a weekly basis.[9]
In Sonic Symbolism Björk emphasizes the significance of visual elements in her work, describing album covers as "homemade tarot cards" that convey the sound and mood of each album. She explains that the color palettes, textiles, and imagery associated with her albums are deliberate expressions of their sonic qualities, providing listeners with a multisensory understanding of her artistic vision.[10]
To promote Sonic Symbolism, Björk appeared in the August 31, 2022 episode of the fellow Mailchimp-promoted podcast Listening, where she debuted an original composition made up of two live performances from her Björk Orkestral tour, "Hidden Place" from Vespertine (2001) and "New World" from Selmasongs (2000), accompanied by The Hamrahlid Choir and mixed with field recordings from Icelandic environment.[11]
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