Tomorrow, In A Year had to have been a huge undertaking (I mean listening to Tomorrow, In A Year felt like a huge undertaking, and I mean that in a good way): an opera based on Charles Darwin's "On the Origion of The Species" and related other works including Darwin's journals, two pieces by Richard Dawkins, and works by Randal Keynes, Mark Ridley, Emma Darwin, and Edna Healey. Originally commissioned by Danish performance group Hotel Pro Forma as a live opera, The Knife enlisted the help of Berlin-based American DJ/performance artist Mt. Sims and artist PlanningToRock to help in the evolution (get it? it's a pun) of this epic piece and then later recorded it in the studio with more help from mezzo-soprano Kristina Wahlin Momme, Danish actress Lærke Winther Andersen and Swedish pop artist Jonathan Johansson. All that being said, this album (performance? work?) is genius. Darwin was not only a brilliant mind but wrote beautifully and eloquently about what would become one of the most seminal works in science so for The Knife to take that and turn it into music is not only admirable but wonderfully executed. The Knife can be known to already be experimental but this work really pushes more towards something like Godspeed! You Black Emperor with elements of what The Knife is known for all over it. Each song is a world unto itself and something you can get lost in. This two disc set also comes in a beautifully understated digipak with a foldout booklet (more like a map in a way). I also just appreciate that each songs takes its time to develop. There isn't a need to exist between the conventional 3-5 minutes but rather a range of some songs just over a minute to upwards of twelve. The album works really well as one piece or individual separate pieces and is a must have if you're a fan of any of the artists involved, Charles Darwin, science, experimental music, electronic music, whatever. Favorite Tracks: Intro, Geology, Ebb Tide Explorer, Variation of Birds, Schoal Swarm Orchestra, Annie's Box, and Colouring of Pigeons
Monday, June 14, 2010
Album a Day: The Knife with Mt. Sims and PlanningToRock - Tomorrow, In A Year
Tomorrow, In A Year had to have been a huge undertaking (I mean listening to Tomorrow, In A Year felt like a huge undertaking, and I mean that in a good way): an opera based on Charles Darwin's "On the Origion of The Species" and related other works including Darwin's journals, two pieces by Richard Dawkins, and works by Randal Keynes, Mark Ridley, Emma Darwin, and Edna Healey. Originally commissioned by Danish performance group Hotel Pro Forma as a live opera, The Knife enlisted the help of Berlin-based American DJ/performance artist Mt. Sims and artist PlanningToRock to help in the evolution (get it? it's a pun) of this epic piece and then later recorded it in the studio with more help from mezzo-soprano Kristina Wahlin Momme, Danish actress Lærke Winther Andersen and Swedish pop artist Jonathan Johansson. All that being said, this album (performance? work?) is genius. Darwin was not only a brilliant mind but wrote beautifully and eloquently about what would become one of the most seminal works in science so for The Knife to take that and turn it into music is not only admirable but wonderfully executed. The Knife can be known to already be experimental but this work really pushes more towards something like Godspeed! You Black Emperor with elements of what The Knife is known for all over it. Each song is a world unto itself and something you can get lost in. This two disc set also comes in a beautifully understated digipak with a foldout booklet (more like a map in a way). I also just appreciate that each songs takes its time to develop. There isn't a need to exist between the conventional 3-5 minutes but rather a range of some songs just over a minute to upwards of twelve. The album works really well as one piece or individual separate pieces and is a must have if you're a fan of any of the artists involved, Charles Darwin, science, experimental music, electronic music, whatever. Favorite Tracks: Intro, Geology, Ebb Tide Explorer, Variation of Birds, Schoal Swarm Orchestra, Annie's Box, and Colouring of Pigeons
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