Per un tradizionalista come me, cultore incallito di classici, non ci sono dubbi: la musica è e deve restare "arte di combinare più suoni in base a regole ben definite" (vedi dizionario Zingarelli), e non una sequenza ottusa di x o y martellate al minuto, e neanche un borbottio sincopato emesso da qualche ex teppista tirato fuori da un ghetto per essere trasformato in una star. È un punto di vista logico e direi ovvio, ma è bene non seguirlo con troppa rigidità, per evitare alcune conseguenze negative. In particolare c'è il pericolo di fare tabula rasa di tutti i fenomeni nati dopo un certo periodo (nel mio caso più o meno dagli anni '90 in poi), oppure di prendersi tremende allergie per certi tipi di suono (nel mio caso certi rumori elettronici tipici della musica "dance" più commerciale). Si corre per esempio il rischio di non conoscere mai dischi come quelli di Björk, solo perché ricchi di sonorità un po' plastificate, tipicamente anni '90, senza tenere conto che quando alla base c'è un certa inventiva è possibile ottenere qualcosa di buono anche con questi mezzi.
Ma prima o poi la curiosità prevale sulla diffidenza, e quindi ecco che arriva una sorpresa piacevole quanto tardiva ("Post" è del 1995). Disco estremamente vario, in cui il piccolo folletto islandese salta con grande dimestichezza da un genere all'altro, dimostrando un'enorme versatilità vocale, che spazia dall'amabile cinguettio alla Kate Bush, posto all'inizio di "Hyper-Ballad", agli strazianti urli da gabbiano che lacerano la tetra e compatta base ritmica di "Enjoy", brano che non è esagerato definire "gabrieliano". Aggettivo valido anche per l'iniziale "Army Of Me": una volta superata una certa impressione simile a quella dell'entrata in funzione di una lavatrice, ci si accorge che questa centrifuga di suoni è una robusta base che serve a Björk per far risaltare al meglio i suoi vocalizzi potenti e incisivi. Sotto una coltre di ritmi apparentemente freddi fanno capolino sempre più spesso temi musicali diretti e coinvolgenti, come in "The Modern Things", bel lento sostenuto che va a sfumare in un effetto "vecchio disco graffiato", effetto che poi ritroviamo anche in quasi tutta la dolcissima "Possibly Maybe", quasi come un rassicurante segno di continuità tra la musica "digitale" di Björk e quella dell'era analogica, dei vecchi cari dischi di vinile. Ma l'atmosfera più sublime è concentrata nei due minuti e mezzo di "You've Been Flirting Again", che come tutte le cose più belle vola via in un soffio, ma si lascia dietro una scia di rarefatta armonia orientaleggiante, che rimanda addirittura a certa musica da camera di Debussy. Qui chiedersi se quella che stiamo sentendo è una vera orchestra d'archi o qualche diavoleria elettronica diventa assolutamente ozioso: quel che conta è che un motivo del genere ci rapisce. A ruota ecco un'altra gemma: "Isobel", ricca di echi gershwiniani e sostenuta da una ritmica decisa eppure mai invadente, assolutamente raffinata. Verso la fine del disco il clima si fa sempre più rarefatto, con l'eccezione un po' più ordinaria e commerciale di "I Miss You". Raggiunge livelli da new age in "Cover Me", dove le tastiere assumono sia la dolcezza dell'arpa che il trillo metallico del clavicembalo, e ancora di più in "Headphones", che chiude il tutto in un clima soffuso di percussioni ovattate, che sembrano smorzate ad arte per non disturbare. Verrebbe da dire che è il brano ideale per addormentarsi, anche se ciò si presta ad essere inteso in senso ironico e dispregiativo.
Nel complesso un bel disco, un'offerta di razionalità e tecnologia al servizio del benessere di chi ascolta, una proposta che arriva dal profondo Nord, da una terra che è proprio come Björk: tutta ghiaccio all'esterno, ma piena di fuoco appena sotto la crosta.
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Army of Me (03:54)
Stand up,
You've got to manage
I won't sympathize
Anymore
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
You're alright
There's nothing wrong
Self sufficience, please
And get to work
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
Army of me
You're on your own now
We won't save you
Your rescue squad
Is too exhausted
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
And if you complain once more
You'll meet an army of me
Army of me
02 Hyper-ballad (05:21)
we live on a mountain
right at the top
this a beautiful view
from the top of the mountain
every morning I walk towards the edge
and throw little things off
like: car-parts, bottles and cutlery
or whatever I find lying around
it's become a habit
a way
to start the day
I go through all this
before you wake up
so I can feel happier
to be safe up here with you
it's real early morning
no-one is awake
I'm back at my cliff, still throwing things off
I listen to the sounds they make
on their way down
I follow with my eyes 'til they crash
imagine what my body would sound like
slamming against those rocks
and when it lands
will my eyes be closed or open?
I go through all this
before you wake up
so I can feel happier
to be safe up here with you
03 The Modern Things (04:10)
All the modern things
Like cars and such
Have always existed
They've just been waiting in a mountain
For the right moment
Listening to the irritating noises
Of dinosaurs and people
Dabbling outside
All the modern things
Have always existed
They've just been waiting
To come out
And multiply
And take over
It's their turn now
04 It's Oh So Quiet (03:38)
Shhhh Shhhh
It's, oh, so quiet
Shhhh Shhhh
It's, oh, so still
Shhhh Shhhh
You're all alone
Shhh Shhh
And so peaceful until...
You fall in love
Zing boom
The sky up above
Zing boom
Is caving in
Wow bam
You've never been so nuts about a guy
You wanna laugh you wanna cry
You cross your heart and hope to die
'Til it's over and then...
Shhhh Shhhh
It's nice and quiet
Shhhh Shhhh
But soon again
Shhhh Shhhh
Starts another big riot
You blow a fuse
Zing boom
The devil cuts loose
Zing boom
So what's the use
Wow bam
Of falling in love?
It's, oh, so quiet
It's, oh, so still
You're all alone
And so peaceful until...
You ring the bell
Bim bam
You shout and you yell
Hi ho ho
You broke the spell
Gee, this is swell you almost have a fit
This guy is "gorge" and I got hit
There's no mistake this is it
'Til it's over and then...
It's nice and quiet
Shhhh Shhhh
But soon again
Shhhh Shhhh
Starts another big riot
You blow a fuse
Zing boom
The devil cuts loose
Zing boom
So What's the use
Wow bam
Of falling in love?
The sky caves in
The devil cuts loose
You blow blow blow blow blow your fuse
Aaaaah!
When you fall in love...
Ssshhhhhh...
05 Enjoy (03:57)
I wish: I want to stay here
I wish: this be enough
I wish: I only love you
I wish: simplicity
Look at the speed out there
It magnetizes me to it
And I have no fear
I'm only into this to
Enjoy
I wish I'd only look
And didn't have to touch
I wish I'd only smell this
And didn't have to taste
How can I ignore?
This is sex without touching
I'm going to explore
I'm only into this to
Enjoy
06 You've Been Flirting Again (02:29)
All that she said was true
All that she said was true
Give her some time
Give her some space
All that she said was true
All that she meant was good
All that she meant was good
Give her some time
Give her some space
All that she meant was good
How you reacted was right
How you reacted was right
Give her some time
Give her some space
How you reacted was right
07 Isobel (05:47)
in a forest pitch dark
glowed the tiniest spark
it burst into a flame
like me
like me
my name Isobel
married to myself
my love Isobel
living by herself
in a heart full of dust
lives a creature called lust
it surprises and scares
like me
like me
my name Isobel
married to myself
my love Isobel
living by herself
when she does it she means to
moth delivers her message
unexplained on your collar
crawling in silence
a simple excuse
nana na nana
nana na nana
in a tower of steel
nature forges a deal
to raise wonderfull hell
like me
like me
my name Isobel
married to myself
my love Isobel
living by herself
when she does it she means to
moth delivers her message
unexplained on your collar
crawling in silence
a simple excuse
nana na nana
nana na nana
nana na nana
nana na nana
08 Possibly Maybe (05:06)
Your flirts finds me out
Teases the crack in me
Smittens me with hope
Possibly maybe, possibly maybe, possibly maybe.
As much as I definitely enjoy solitude
I wouldn't mind perhaps
Spending little time with you
Sometimes, sometimes
Possibly maybe probably love,
Possibly maybe probably love
Uncertainty excites me
Baby
Who knows what's going to happen?
Lottery or car crash
Or you'll join a cult
Probably maybe, possibly love
Probably maybe, possibly love
possibly
Mon petit vulcan
You're eruptions and disasters
I keep calm
Admiring your lava
I keep calm
Possibly maybe probably love
Possibly maybe probably love
Electric shocks
I love them
With you dozen a day
But after a while I wonder
Where's that love you promised me?
Where is it?
Possibly maybe probably love
Possibly maybe probably love
How can you offer me love like that?
My heart's burned
How can you offer me love like that?
I'm exhausted
Leave me alone
Possibly maybe, possibly maybe, possibly maybe.
Since we broke up
I'm using lipstick again
I suck my tongue
In remembrance of you
Possibly maybe, possibly maybe
Possibly maybe, possibly maybe
Possibly maybe, possibly maybe
09 I Miss You (04:03)
I miss you
but I haven't met you yet
So special
but I it hasn't happen yet
You are gorgeous
but I haven't met you yet
I remember
but it hasn't happened yet
And if you believe in dreams
or what is more important
that a dream can come true
I will meet you
I was peeking
but it hasn't happened yet
I haven't been given
my best souvenir
I miss you
but I haven't met you yet
I know your habits
but wouldn't I recognize you yet
And if you believe in dreams
or what is more important
that a dream can come true
Ohhh Ahhh Ah Ah
I miss you
I'm so impatient
I can't stand the way it's
When will i get my cuddle?
Who are you?
I know by now that you'll arrive
by the time I stop waiting
I miss you!
10 Cover Me (02:06)
While I crawl into the unknown
Cover me
I'm going hunting for mysteries
Cover me
I'm going to prove the impossible really exists
This is really dangerous
Cover me
But worth all the effort
Cover me
I'm going to prove the impossible really exists
11 Headphones (05:40)
genius to fall asleep to your tape last night
so warm
sounds go through muscles
these abstract wordless movements
they start off cells that haven't been touched before
these cells are virgins
waking up slowly
my head phones
they saved my life
your tape
it lulled me to sleep
nothing will be the same
i'm fast asleep
i like this resonance
it elevates me
i dont recognize myself
this is very interesting
my head phones
they saved my life
your tape
it lulled me to sleep
i'm fast asleep now
i'm fast asleep
my head phones
they saved my life
your tape
it lulled me to sleep
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Di Blackdog
"Forse il suo capolavoro, immerso com’è nelle acque struggenti e negli archi in tumulto da dove cerca rifugio 'Isobel' e nell’armata techno-industrial di 'Army of me'."
"I’m fast asleep now... Your tape, it lulled me to sleep. I’m fast asleep now..."