Björk Announces 'Biological Techno' Album

Björk, the groundbreaking Icelandic musician (and fashion icon), has finally confirmed a new album is underway. Fossora, which is set to be released this fall (via One Little Independent Records), arrives five years after her last offering, Utopia.

The album was confirmed in an interview with The Guardian. For the singer’s 10th record, she was inspired not just by the period of isolation that the world went through during the height of the pandemic, but the music she coped with. Björk revealed she had “crazy DJ nights” where she “always ended up DJing just gabber.” The intimate gatherings, which hosted 20 people at a time, were held in December 2021 in her living room.

While the partying seemed fun, COVID and the ensuing lockdowns brought about a lot of change for her, as well. Her second child Ísadóra (who goes by Doa) left home to pursue a career in the arts. The isolation also allowed her to reflect on the 2018 passing of her mother. “She was in the hospital a lot and it was really difficult on her,” Björk explained. “It was quite a struggle.”

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Sonically, the album seems to have a wide range of inspiration (in typical Björk fashion). From bass clarinets that sound like The Bomb Squad’s production style to Gabber Modus Operandi, the Indonesian techno musicians that soundtracked her living room parties, Björk is bringing everything together for what sounds like her most exciting album yet. If that wasn’t enough to pique your interest, she described the album as “biological techno,” which also happens to be the name of the WhatsApp group chat she shares with Gabber Modus Operandi.

Speaking further on how it ties into the rest of her work, Björk described Fossora as life within the dreamland she outlined in Utopia. "Let’s see what it’s like when you walk into this fantasy and, you know, have a lunch and farrrrt and do normal things, like meet your friends."

Björk is also set to take on the podcasting world at the recommendation of her manager. The series, which is also due this fall, will feature the singer digging through her archives.

While she has not released an album since 2017, the singer has certainly been busy in the past half a decade. She recently completed her highly anticipated Cornucopia Tour and is finishing up the remaining Björk Orkestral dates. While the former tour was described as an elaborate show, the latter finds her accompanied by a symphony for her version of an “unplugged” show.

Keep an eye out on PAPER for future Björk announcements as the album gets closer.

Photo via Getty