Björk has announced her new album will be released this November… and it’s rumoured to have a completely different feel to her previous album Vulnicura.
The new album’s title is yet to be announced but it has been confirmed that it will be released by Little Indian Records and that she’s working with Venezuelan producer Arca, who also co-produced Vulnicura in 2015. Björk has described her new album as a ‘tinder album’ that aims to explore hope, new love and the concept of Utopia.
As for new music, Björk released her single ‘The Gate’ earlier this week. It will also be released on a single sided 12” vinyl on the 22nd of September, which is available for pre-order now. Björk has described ‘The Gate’ as a love song that ‘transcends’, whereas Vulnicura dealt with issues like loss and heartbreak.
In a recent interview with Dazed Digital, Björk described her new work as an “exploration of Utopia, with its writing process coinciding with some of the biggest political upheavals in recent history”. She mentioned that the album questions if Utopia can really exist in the modern world, given the ever-growing political and social turmoils and the threat of climate change.
The album will nevertheless focus on love and a more optimistic view for the future, compared to the darker thematics in Vulnicura. The tone is said to have a much lighter feel then its predecessor, forgoing heavy string sections in favour of flutes and other woodwind instruments.
Since the release of ‘Vulnicura’ back in 2015, Björk has been spending her time productively in between recording projects, performing DJ gigs across the globe. In June she did an exclusive 4-hour set as part of the Sonar Festival opening night in Barcelona. She was spotted doing underground and private gigs like Tri Angle Record’s fifth birthday party back in 2015, and a set at a RuPaul’s Drag Race after party.
Björk also performed in Sydney in 2016 as part of the Vivid festival, showcasing her virtual reality exhibition Björk Digital at Carriage Works Theatre over two separate nights. Björk Digital featured virtual reality music videos of songs from the Vulnicura album.
Check out Björk’s enigmatic video accompaniment to her incandescent new single ‘The Gate’ below. Are you as impressed as we are?