Björk Announces New Podcast

Björk: Sonic Symbolism, released via Mailchimp Presents in collaboration with Talkhouse, drops on September 1 and will offer a rare and intimate glance into the unparalleled artistry of one of music's most innovative figures. Described as "intimate and immersive," the podcast features Björk reflecting on the "textures, timbres and emotional landscapes" that set each album apart.

From 1993's Debut all the way up to 2017's Utopia, Björk will cover every inch of her discography. Despite being both the creator and host of the career-spanning podcast, she will not be alone. She will bring along friends, including philosopher and writer Oddný Eir and musicologist Ásmundur Jónsson, to help tell the stories of how her albums came to be.

"When I get asked about the differences of the music of my albums, I find it quickest to use visual short cuts. That's kind of why my album covers are almost like homemade tarot cards," says Björk. "The image on the front might seem like just a visual moment, but for me it is simply describing the sound of it. I try to express it with the colour palette, the textures of the textiles, with what I am holding, the posture I am in, and the angle of it shows its relationship to the world. Also, the emotion of the mouth tries to share the overall mood of the album. Perhaps you can call it some sort of a sonic symbolism? Most of us go through phases in our lives that take roughly 3 years, and it is not a coincidence this is also how long it takes to make an album or a film. This podcast is an experiment to capture which moods, timbres, and tempos were vibrating during each of these phases."

The podcast was first hinted at in a recent interview she did with the Guardian. In the same interview, she describes her forthcoming album, Fossora, as "biological techno." No official release date has been announced.

The first three episodes of Bjork: Sonic Symbolism will be released on Thursday, September 1, exploring the worlds of Debut, Post and Homogenic. New 40-50 minute episodes will run every week until October 13. You can subscribe to the podcast and listen to the show's first trailer here.

Photo courtesy of Vidar Logi