Dark, ominous, and heavily layered in electronic and techno inspired soundscapes, Atopos, Bjork’s first single from Fossora, is a drastically different sound that what we are used to from the Icelandic superstar. But in all those shadows, a ray of hope in the lyrics and boldness of her vocal outcry.
Having been out of the spotlight after a rough personal patch, Bjork has drastically changed the overall perspective conveyed in her music since her last album Utopia in 2017.
The techno-like track made in collaboration with the Indonesian duo Gabber Modus Operandi, puts Björk in the drivers seat for the crowd’s loss of innocence, as she shatters the idealistic pop-like perspectives found in her last records. Replaced by a sense of rough necked realism Bjork’s lyrics guide you towards questioning your sense of blind comfort. “Pursuing the light too hard is a form of hiding,” with a full clarinet section that wailes in the background a heavy kick that grabs you by the aorta and drags you into an experimental field of musical bliss.
With the album set to be released this year on all major platforms, Atopos is a powerful introduction to a enw sound and new attitude the superstar is bringing to the world of music. Refreshing manic harmonies are going to be the new normal, let’s get used to the vibe.