Bjork is (briefly) limited to two dimensions on Biophilia's "cover" (Nonesuch)
As the convergence of the touch screen continues, futuristic music artist Bjork has created Biophilia, a new music album in the form of a series of iPad apps. In it, the music of Bjork is matched to various visual patterns that the user can manipulate to influence the compositions and sound itself. While I only downloaded the free version, it’s clear that by adding the additional tracks/apps that users can access a whole new experience in music, marketing and technology.
Bjork’s recent interview with NPR’s Bob Boilen described how the app/album was created and that it started out as a project to create a music house in Iceland. Music as a basis for interaction is a powerful tool and Bjork is once again taking the lead in innovation. It seems she backed off the larger plans and instead created an app to package the music and visuals together.
As a music fan and marketer, Biophilia is a predecessor like Edison’s cylinder recording of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Think about that experience versus cds or even the lp and I think it compares to what we will see in the future for visuals embedded with music. We know music is a powerful and international language, and we know technology has the ability to embed it in so many environments and situations, in particular the touchscreen.
Artists that delight the eyes as well as the ears are needed. The convergence of music, data, technology and creativity is upon us! Thanks to Bjork for pushing things further as usual.
Cereal is still an occasional snack for me, but when I was a little kid, it was one of my major sources of nutrition. And among all foods items, it is one of the most lucrative, competitive and high margin areas. Cereals have added fiber, low calories and whole grains as a response to the health-food movement’s criticism (Childhood Obesity campaign, etc.).
One thing that has not gone out of style is the packaging – advertising – and the prize inside, music.
60s -
7 songs on 4 different boxes
45 singles/eps that could be played a few times
cut out of box and hopefully not warped or skipping
possibly no plastic liner to keep cereal in after cutting box
no upc code
preservatives, no fiber, real sugar, no calorie count but ingredients listed
Sixties Alpha-Bits and Honey Comb Archies Commercial
This excellent commercial just caught my eye but it’s probably been out for months. The announcer growls a spiel about the Chrysler 300 over an instrumental version of “Heart of the City,” one of the most sublime backing tracks ever, as the car makes its way from downtown out to the ‘burbs. Even if Jay-Z doesn’t appear in the ad, it’s hard to dissociate this music from him for us fans.
Damn, America sure has come a long way in terms of its music taste and sensitivity to inner city/suburban cultural and economic disparities. I just hope we can restore some love to downtown Detroit someday soon. “Pride you can notice from down the street” is what Chrysler promises. What if there is no street?
I love the tempo/chord changes that shift the mood of the song back and forth from an outspoken tone to a more reflective one. In the commercial, this is used to delineate between the urban grit and suburban sunshine. Well done!
Thanks to Kevin Estrada for use of this picture! Note black and yellow DGC promo shirt at right
Twenty years ago this week, Nirvana was in the midst of making history even while preparing to unleash their single “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and the album Nevermind on the world. As college and metal radio promotion person for DGC Records, I had spent the week like any other: adds and rotations on Monday and Tuesday, followed by a marketing meeting and conference call with the field staff. Wednesday through Friday of this week would be spent with Nirvana in town to launch the promotion campaign around their DGC debut.
In a promotional push for his new album Drums Between the Bells with Rick Holland, Brian Eno has embarked on a great public relations swing that has brought a typically educational and thought-provoking set of ideas from One Brain. The interview on Al-Jazeera shown below, includes a great career overview too. Eno comments on the current state of the industry, his own history and the “recent resurgence in live music.”
“I always assumed I was going to be a painter, and I realized that what you could do with sound that were quite analogous to what a painter would do with color… so I started to form this idea of being a “sound painter,” and synthesizers of course played right into that. Synthesizers were instruments that really had no history, so it made perfect sense for a musician who couldn’t play anything. It was an instrument no one else could play them either.”
He discusses childhood listening to “martian music” his sister acquired for him at the US Army base near their home and his parents’ influence on his ability to sing and perform in public.
On his career ambitions in the 60s: “I always assumed I would become an art teacher. We never had any career advisors…” I’d say that assumption came true. Incredible to hear about his entry and descriptions of Roxy Music and his role in the band. As the interviewer mentions, “you like to shoot journalists who ask about Roxy Music.”
He goes on to discuss the origin of Ambient Music, his influences Phil Spector (music as product of studio), Steve Reich and the Velvet Underground (kinship with the band’s arty and non-musical background).
