http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/arts/video-games/bjorks-biophilia-an-album-as-game.html?_r=1 accessed 3/5/12
Playing the New Bjork Album, and Playing Along, With Apps
By Seth Schiesel, October 24, 20011
“What if the musician joined with programmers and visual artists to turn the songs into encompassing interactive experiences? What if listeners were to become participants?
That is what Bjork has accomplished with her latest conception, “Biophilia,” among the most creative, innovative and important new projects in popular culture. “Biophilia” essentially turns an album into a sort of audiovisual game, delivering a miniature production studio into the world’s willing hands.”
“ambitious artists and executives in the struggling music industry will recognize “Biophilia” as a vital step forward in rethinking how their work can be conceived, packaged, delivered and made relevant to the public.”
“In “Dark Matter” the user (no longer merely the listener) takes control of a sound-creation tool, tapping pools of light to combine and mix tones of Gregorian complexity. You may start with a chromatic tone, but with a few taps the program says you have created noises called “Balinese pentatonic” and “mixolydian augmented.” My favorite was described as (take a breath) “double harmonic/Gypsy/Byzantine/ chahargah.” (If you don’t know, chahargah is an ancient Persian musical style.)”
“What I felt shining through the interactive elements of “Biophilia” was commitment from the people behind them, including Bjork herself, to deliver something wholly creative. I could sense an artist who wanted to communicate a feeling, a vision, a passion, an idea — not just through sound and words but also through the modern tools available to the public.”
“For many musicians and composers, the notion of giving fans the ability to mess around readily with a treasured creation will be anathema. Yet for the confident, bold artists who are ready to help propel the musical experience to a new level enabled by personal technology, Bjork has shown the way.”