The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2022 - Issue 32

NEW SINGLE RELEASES Samantha Morgan checks out several recent and soon-to-be-released singles covering various genres of music. bitenewmusic Image courtesy of Viðar Log via HuxleyWorld I celandic singer Björk shared her music video for ‘Sorrowful Soil’ directed by Viðar Logi, showing her singing at the re- cently erupted volcano Fagradalsfjall on the Reykjanes penin- sula. It had been dormant for six thousand years before 2021, but now the landscape’s torrid visuals make for an epic backdrop. The song is taken from Björk’s new album fossora , out now via One Little Independent Records. “‘Sorrowful Soil’ is a song I wrote from random improvisations,” she revealed. “I thought I was writing another song, but when I edited it, I threw away most of the stuff and kept what stood there staring at me. For me, ‘Sorrowful Soil’ and ‘Ancestress’ are the two songs on fossora written for my mother. ‘Ancestress’ is my take on funeral music, but “Sorrowful Soil’ was written two years before and mirrored more in that last chapter.” At the time, Björk worked with the Hamrahlid Choir and wanted to give them the piece they deserved. With that intention, she unknowingly wrote what the conductor Þorgerður Ingólfsdóttir described as the most challenging piece they ever sang. The song has nine voices instead of the usual soprano, alto, tenor and bass, which took them a whole summer to rehearse. "I am incredibly grateful to them for this sacrifice, and you can hear all of it in the recording.” The singer then explained the song’s content: “The lyric was an attempt for a eulogy. Instead of dry fact-checking: the place of birth, job, and marriage, I wanted to celebrate the biological data like most girls are born with 400 eggs, and then in their lifetime, they make 2-3 nests. When my grandfather passed away, there was a pamphlet at the hospital advising relatives how to talk to loved ones before they passed. I loved how it went generic and universal and said that all of them will give families to-do lists (dry-cleaning and such) but also ask if they did well.” Björk is also a multidisciplinary artist who innovates across mu- sic, art, fashion and technology. From writing, arranging and producing an expansive music catalogue to her collaborations with scientists, app developers, writers, inventors, musicians and instrument makers, she continues to inspire and experiment, re- defining the boundaries of what it means to be a musician. The artist will be performing in March 2023 at Cornucopia Live, taking place at Perth Festival, Langley Park in Australia, an or- chestra show and Cornucopia Show at Tokyo Garden Theatre and Kobe World Memorial Hall in Japan. www.bjork.com Björk Sorrowful Soil