Bjork and Utada Hikaru talk Timbaland

Bjork definitely makes a great point, has Timbaland become a genre?

Bjork "Volta" Album Credits

Did everyone go out and buy there copy of Volta? I did and I have to say it's a solid album. Not the best from Bjork (Vespertine) but none the less still a solid album. I can't stand this new trend of having like 10-12 tracks on an album. It doesn't make any sense to me. If we're gonna pay full price, actaully if we're going to pay at all these days, give us a full album. Anyhow I found the credits quite interesting. Here they are:

Earth Intruders (by the way the album version if different than any other version to date)

Written by T. Mosley, N. Hills, Bjork
Produced by Timbaland and Bjork
Co-Produced by Danja
Bjork: vocals, programming and editing
Timbaland: keyboards and beats
Danja: keyboards and beats
Engineered by Jimmy D for Timbaland sessions(remember these tracks are over a year old)

Innocence

Written by T. Mosley, N. HIlls, Bjork
Produced by Timbaland and Bjork
Co-Produced by Danja
Bjork: vocals, programming and editing
Timbaland: keyboards and beats
Danja: keyboards and beats
Engineered by Jimmy D for Timbaland sessions

Hope

Written by Bjork and T. Mosley
Produced by Bjork (interesting...)

Bjork: vocals, clavichord, sine bass, programming, and editing
Timbaland: triggering pre-recorded percussion loop
Danja: bass drums
Engineered by Jimmy D for Timbaland sessions

Hmm so Tim gets credit for flipping a switch for the drum loop? Did he get paid for that? More so does he need an assitant for that? ha ha

Bjork talks about Timbaland

In Part I she talks more about the making of Volta.

Bjork "Earth Intruders" Video (Full)

EDIT: Video works again

Bjork - Earth intruders

Bjork brings it as always.

Bjork Interview

Looks like it's Bjork day here on The Chronicles. Here's a great interview with her about her new album Volta and all that came with that.

****

How did you end up picking Timbaland? What did he bring to the table?

Bjork: ....... I first sent Timbaland some of the brass stuff I was working on but he felt it was too weird. I walked into the studio with Timbaland and he immediately played a rhythm and I sang on top even though I had a throat problem that day and 5 minutes later “Earth Intruders” was ready. Two hours later we had 3 tracks. I then walked away with the mutlitrack and edited it for a year and added other musicians on top. “Earth intruders” and “Innocence” kinda happened in the studio with him and Nate but “Hope” I added on bassline later and then took it to Mali, Africa and Toumani Diabate played on top.****

Full Article

So there you have it "Hope" is as well a Timbaland track! Props to TimboFan for this.

Bjork Volta clips

Snippets of her entire album have leaked. Take a listen:

Bjork Volta Clips

1. Earth Intruders (Produced by Timbaland)
2. Wanderlust
3. The Dull Flame Of Desire (F/ Antony)
4. Innocence (Produced by Timbaland)
5. I see Who You Are
6. Vertabrae by Vertbrae
7. Pneumonia
8. Hope (arguably Timbaland)
9. Declare Independence
10. My Juvenile (F/ Antony)

Now "Hope" seems to be the arguable Tim track because it has been said that he did produce it, however, in the latest Rolling Stone Review of Volta, they mention only 2 tracks produced by Timbaland. I guess we'll have to wait and see for my favorite thing, the ever controversial: liner notes.

So what do you all think of the album? Pretty dope huh? How about that "Innocence" beat? DAMN!! Well if you want to hear it in it's entirety check out Bjork's myspace I'm really looking forward to this album and glad to see Tim can prove all the haters wrong about him working with Bjork.

Bjork "Earth Intruders"

Here it is ya'll in full:

Bjork's first single Earth Intruders

I have to say at first I didn't like this track at all but now that I'm listening to it over and over, it's actually real cool. Tim did his thing with the drums and say what you want about Bjork, but the woman can sing! Her voice is amazing.

I'm still hoping Tim did a slower drum track with her voice on top, that's where I thinking both of them would both benefit from one another.

What ya'll think, you feelin' it? Thanks to Hypnotik for the link.

Bjork talks Timbo

Check out the new interview on Pitchfork:

****Pitchfork: How did you connect with Timbaland?

Björk: He sampled my song 'Jóga' like 11 years ago, and said many times in the press that he really liked my song from 14 years ago called 'Venus as a Boy'. Actually, we recorded the string section in Bollywood for that, and he was really fascinated by that. We've met at parties and there has been this mutual admiration thing going on for years, and talk of doing stuff, but it never happened.

After doing two or three serious projects in a row, I was just like, 'Okay, where's the fun?' I called him a year ago, and said, 'Let's do something.'

Pitchfork: What was it like working with him?

Björk: That was very...very different. I work so much on my own, which I enjoy very much. 90% of every album is me editing on a computer or writing, walking outside writing melodies, or writing lyrics, or, as in the case of this album, doing brass arrangements, so it's a lot of solitude there, which I love. But when it comes to collaborating, I'm really excited about leaving all that behind and just merging with somebody who is hopefully quite different from me.

We always felt, even though we're really, really different, we sort of have this very small section, this sort of mutual ground, in a strange way. It was interesting to go into a studio with a person that you haven't met that often.

The first time I met him, he was like, 'So what do you wanna do? You wanna do something weird? Or something like a hit?' And I'm like, 'How can you say that?' I could never work like that-- sort of decide what it is before you even start. And I was like, 'I'm just curious where you and I meet, where is our natural...' You know, if you put together this circle and this circle, where's the natural overlap?

He wanted to do a sort of '"Cry Me a River' kind of track, and I have a different luggage, I listen to 80s indie bands. That to me sounds like [sings] 'Take my Breath Away'. I love when he does rave shit, like really roots synthy stuff, and just humor. I think his stuff, especially with Missy Elliot, there's a lot of humor there, and also taking the piss out of themselves, which is something that maybe people just don't do much. It's pretty rare.****

Nice to see Tim just letting go and being more open to others with his music. There has been a huge change in Timbo these last 2 years and it's refreshing to finally see the man having fun and just going with the flow more.

Can't wait for Bjork's album! Props to Timbofan for the info.

Bjork Update

Check out some new Bjork news:

****Every Bjork album is extraordinary, but Volta, her latest, features a mind-boggling set of collaborators, moods and motifs. Right-hand man Mark Bell is on-side once again, but the guest list also includes hip-hop ace Timbaland, kora master Toumani Diabate, Antony Hegarty from Antony and the Johnsons, Lightning Bolt speed-drummer Brian Chippendale, avant-drummer-for-hire Chris Corsano, Congolese experimentalists Konono No 1 and an Icelandic brass section. The point seems to be emphasising great beats, and musical meeting points, as an antidote to world strife, and she's going to tour the world with a 30-piece band. We've heard five tracks.

Each is more dazzling than the last. Most newsworthy, perhaps, is lead single 'Earth Intruders', one of two amazing Timbaland-assisted beats. It finds Bjork returning playfully to the dancefloor after a long absence, with busy, loaded rhythms and Konono No 1 on what sound like Eighties arcade thumb pianos. Radically different is Bjork's lovey-dovey duet with Antony Hegarty. It's shaping up to be a crusading, troubled, joyous set.****

Can't wait!

Bjork's Press Release

From Bjork.com

"Musical innovator Björk releases her next studio album ‘Volta’ on May 7th 2007.

‘Volta’ is Björk's sixth studio album and follows the release of ‘Medúlla’ in 2004.

Featuring ten brand new and original tracks ‘Volta’ is entirely written and produced by Björk.

In the role of producer Björk has brought in various other musicians to work on her songs and ‘Volta’ features some of her most interesting collaborations so far with Antony Hegarty (Antony And The Johnsons) singing on two tracks, and Timbaland (Jay-Z, Missy Elliot etc) working with Björk on beats that she created for three further songs.

Other artists that feature on ‘Volta’ include electronic pioneer Mark Bell of LFO and two unique drummers – Chris Corsano (the improvisational drummer who has worked with Sonic Youth amongst others) and Brian Chippendale from Lightening Bolt.

Björk also brought in two acclaimed African artists for ‘Volta’ - Toumani Diabate, the Malian kora player and Konono No1 the experimental band from The Congo who won a BBC World Music Award in 2006. She has also put together her own 10 piece female brass section of Icelandic musicians who play on three further tracks. Meanwhile Chinese pipa expert Min Xiao-Fen plays on one song."

So from 7 to 1 to 2, now it seems like 3 Timbo beats will be on the album. Can't wait for this album!