Crystalline (song)
Encyclopedia
"Crystalline" is a song by Icelandic artist Björk
, released as the lead single from her seventh album Biophilia
. The song was released as a single on June 28, 2011 accompanied by an iPad
app
developed exclusively for the song. "Cosmogony" served as its double A-side for both its physical and digital release.
with a new concept of concert. Several songs from the album will be debuted during a series of performances at the festival between June 27 and July 16, 2011. Björk called the performances a "meditation on the relationship between music, nature and technology"."Special" instruments were designed and constructed specifically for these concerts.
The release of the song was preceded by three teasers: on the first one, entitled "Road to Crystalline" we can see Björk driving her Hummer through a road in Iceland while playing an excerpt of the Matthew Herbert Mix of the song; on the second one, we could see one of the new instruments developed for the Manchester performances, that also plays on the track: the 'Gameleste', a celesta
which was modified by Icelandic Organ builder, Björgvin Tómasson and British Cymbalsmith and Gong maker, Matt Nolan so that it sounds like Gamelan
and could be played remotely by MIDI or even an iPad
; and on the third teaser, recording sessions of the remix featuring Omar Souleyman
were shown. The song leaked onto the internet on June 25, 2011. On June 28, 2011, UK producers 16bit
confirmed via facebook that they produced the song.
"Crystalline" is a mostly electronic song, featuring a continuous 'gameleste' base and electronic beats and rhythm. After the bridge, the song features a gameleste solo, and consequently ends with an uproarious drum and bass
section which uses the Amen break
. The soundscape seems to be a hybrid of the musical stylings of her previous albums Vespertine
and Volta
, with undercurrent percussive elements from her album Homogenic
.
The lyrics to "Crystalline" talk about the process of crystallization
in mineral
s and rock
s but taking a more personal point of view, relating the growth of a crystal structure
with the growth of relationships in people's hearts. Björk took inspiration for the song from cities and buildings:
Meanwhile, "Cosmogony" is a more calm and warm song, marking the link between the previous Björk project, Volta
and Biophilia, using distorted brass, but in a much more intimate soft way. The lyrics to "Cosmogony" are also far from the rest of the songs on the album, while those are focused on technic or metaphoric facts about a natural phenomenon, the "Cosmogony" lyrics turn into a philosophic view, based on several myths about the creation of the universe. Björk explained:
. It was premiered on July 26, 2011 on YouTube
. The video opens with a view of the moon and a meteor shower
on it, forming different forms and crystals. Björk stars as a spectator of the meteor rain in the sky, as some kind of god. The video features heavy computer
and stop-motion animation
. Gondry explained about the video:
"Cosmogony" digital download
The Crystalline Series – Serban Ghenea Mixes CD/LP/digital download
The Crystalline Series – Omar Souleyman Versions CD/LP/digital download
The Crystalline Series – Crystalline Matthew Herbert Mixes CD/LP/digital download
The Crystalline Series – Cosmogony Matthew Herbert Mixes CD/LP/digital download
(*) The song "Tesla" is a remix of "Thunderbolt".
Cosmogony
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
, released as the lead single from her seventh album Biophilia
Biophilia (album)
Biophilia is the musical project and eighth full-length studio album by Icelandic singer Björk. The album was released on 10 October 2011, over four years after her previous studio album, Volta ....
. The song was released as a single on June 28, 2011 accompanied by an iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
app
Application software
Application software, also known as an application or an "app", is computer software designed to help the user to perform specific tasks. Examples include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players. Many application programs deal principally with...
developed exclusively for the song. "Cosmogony" served as its double A-side for both its physical and digital release.
Development
In March 2011 it was announced that Björk would play at the Manchester International FestivalManchester International Festival
The Manchester International Festival is an international cultural festival of original new work, held in the English city of Manchester. It is a biennial event, first taking place in June–July 2007, and subsequently recurring in the summers of 2009 and 2011...
with a new concept of concert. Several songs from the album will be debuted during a series of performances at the festival between June 27 and July 16, 2011. Björk called the performances a "meditation on the relationship between music, nature and technology"."Special" instruments were designed and constructed specifically for these concerts.
The release of the song was preceded by three teasers: on the first one, entitled "Road to Crystalline" we can see Björk driving her Hummer through a road in Iceland while playing an excerpt of the Matthew Herbert Mix of the song; on the second one, we could see one of the new instruments developed for the Manchester performances, that also plays on the track: the 'Gameleste', a celesta
Celesta
The celesta or celeste is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. Its appearance is similar to that of an upright piano or of a large wooden music box . The keys are connected to hammers which strike a graduated set of metal plates suspended over wooden resonators...
which was modified by Icelandic Organ builder, Björgvin Tómasson and British Cymbalsmith and Gong maker, Matt Nolan so that it sounds like Gamelan
Gamelan
A gamelan is a musical ensemble from Indonesia, typically from the islands of Bali or Java, featuring a variety of instruments such as metallophones, xylophones, drums and gongs; bamboo flutes, bowed and plucked strings. Vocalists may also be included....
and could be played remotely by MIDI or even an iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
; and on the third teaser, recording sessions of the remix featuring Omar Souleyman
Omar Souleyman
Omar Souleyman is an Arab musician from Ra's al-'Ayn, Syria, in the north eastern region of Syria. He began his career in 1994, working with a number of musicians with whom he still performs, and around five hundred studio and live albums have been released under his name...
were shown. The song leaked onto the internet on June 25, 2011. On June 28, 2011, UK producers 16bit
16bit
16bit are an electronic music act from London, UK, consisting of Eddie Jefferys and Jason Morrison. They are signed to Chase & Status' MTA Records.-Biography:16bit are electronic music artists best known for producing dubstep...
confirmed via facebook that they produced the song.
"Crystalline" is a mostly electronic song, featuring a continuous 'gameleste' base and electronic beats and rhythm. After the bridge, the song features a gameleste solo, and consequently ends with an uproarious drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
section which uses the Amen break
Amen break
The Amen break is a brief drum solo performed in 1969 by Gregory Cylvester "G. C." Coleman in the song "Amen, Brother" performed by the 1960s funk and soul outfit The Winstons...
. The soundscape seems to be a hybrid of the musical stylings of her previous albums Vespertine
Vespertine
Vespertine, is the fifth studio album by the Icelandic recording artist Björk, released on 27 August 2001. On this album, Björk creates a quiet, introverted world of microbeats and personal lyrics...
and Volta
Volta (album)
Volta is the seventh studio album by Icelandic musician Björk, released in May 2007. It was produced by Björk, Mark Bell, Timbaland and Danja. The music of Volta was a new style for Björk, focusing on similar sounding music combining African beats and other instruments with songs in tribute to Africa...
, with undercurrent percussive elements from her album Homogenic
Homogenic
Homogenic is the fourth studio album by Icelandic musician Björk, released in September 1997. Produced by Björk, Mark Bell, Guy Sigsworth, Howie B and Markus Dravs, it was released on One Little Indian Records...
.
The lyrics to "Crystalline" talk about the process of crystallization
Crystallization
Crystallization is the process of formation of solid crystals precipitating from a solution, melt or more rarely deposited directly from a gas. Crystallization is also a chemical solid–liquid separation technique, in which mass transfer of a solute from the liquid solution to a pure solid...
in mineral
Mineral
A mineral is a naturally occurring solid chemical substance formed through biogeochemical processes, having characteristic chemical composition, highly ordered atomic structure, and specific physical properties. By comparison, a rock is an aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids and does not...
s and rock
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
s but taking a more personal point of view, relating the growth of a crystal structure
Crystal structure
In mineralogy and crystallography, crystal structure is a unique arrangement of atoms or molecules in a crystalline liquid or solid. A crystal structure is composed of a pattern, a set of atoms arranged in a particular way, and a lattice exhibiting long-range order and symmetry...
with the growth of relationships in people's hearts. Björk took inspiration for the song from cities and buildings:
Meanwhile, "Cosmogony" is a more calm and warm song, marking the link between the previous Björk project, Volta
Volta (album)
Volta is the seventh studio album by Icelandic musician Björk, released in May 2007. It was produced by Björk, Mark Bell, Timbaland and Danja. The music of Volta was a new style for Björk, focusing on similar sounding music combining African beats and other instruments with songs in tribute to Africa...
and Biophilia, using distorted brass, but in a much more intimate soft way. The lyrics to "Cosmogony" are also far from the rest of the songs on the album, while those are focused on technic or metaphoric facts about a natural phenomenon, the "Cosmogony" lyrics turn into a philosophic view, based on several myths about the creation of the universe. Björk explained:
"Crystalline" Music video
The music video for "Crystalline" was recorded on May 26 and was directed by long-time collaborator Michel GondryMichel Gondry
Michel Gondry is an Academy Award winning filmmaker, whose works include being a commercial director, music video director, and a screenwriter. He is noted for his inventive visual style and manipulation of mise en scène. - Life and career :...
. It was premiered on July 26, 2011 on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. The video opens with a view of the moon and a meteor shower
Meteor shower
A meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate from one point in the night sky. These meteors are caused by streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids entering Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speeds on parallel trajectories. Most meteors are smaller...
on it, forming different forms and crystals. Björk stars as a spectator of the meteor rain in the sky, as some kind of god. The video features heavy computer
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
and stop-motion animation
Stop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
. Gondry explained about the video:
Apps
Every song on Biophilia has an app for iPhone or iPad. The main app was released on July 19, 2011, coinciding with the release of "Cosmogony", and it integrates all the songs' apps."Cosmogony"
"Cosmogony" is the "mother app". Basically, the app for the song consists in the main menu of the app, a 3D universe designed by M/M (Paris) that can be explored, called "Biophilia Universe", which includes the shortcuts to the rest of the apps."Crystalline"
The app for "Crystalline" consists in a video game in which we use the tilt to displace a crystal rock through a multi-tunnel circuit. We must collect the different crystals to add the instruments to the song, and depending on the tunnel we decide to pass through, we play a different segment of the song.Track listing: "The Crystalline Series"
"Crystalline" digital download- Crystalline (Serban GheneaSerban GheneaSerban Ghenea is a four-time Grammy Award and three-time Latin Grammy Award-winning mixer. He has mixed songs for such artists as Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Jewel, Santana, Ozomatli, Shakira, Jill Scott, R. Kelly, Rod Stewart, and Dave Matthews Band...
Mix) – 5:06
"Cosmogony" digital download
- Cosmogony (Serban Ghenea Mix) – 4:49
The Crystalline Series – Serban Ghenea Mixes CD/LP/digital download
- "Crystalline" (Serban Ghenea Mix) – 5:06
- "Cosmogony" (Serban Ghenea Mix) – 4:49
The Crystalline Series – Omar Souleyman Versions CD/LP/digital download
- "Crystalline" (Omar SouleymanOmar SouleymanOmar Souleyman is an Arab musician from Ra's al-'Ayn, Syria, in the north eastern region of Syria. He began his career in 1994, working with a number of musicians with whom he still performs, and around five hundred studio and live albums have been released under his name...
Remix) – 6:41 - "Tesla"* – 7:24
- "Mawal" (Performed by Omar Souleyman) – 3:46
The Crystalline Series – Crystalline Matthew Herbert Mixes CD/LP/digital download
- "Crystalline" (Matthew HerbertMatthew HerbertMatthew Herbert , also known as Herbert, Doctor Rockit, Radio Boy, Mr. Vertigo, Transformer, and Wishmountain, is a British electronic musician...
Mix) – 5:17 - "Crystalline" (Matthew Herbert Instrumental) – 5:15
The Crystalline Series – Cosmogony Matthew Herbert Mixes CD/LP/digital download
- "Cosmogony" (Matthew Herbert Mix 1) – 5:03
- "Cosmogony" (Matthew Herbert Mix 2) – 4:17
- "Cosmogony" (Matthew Herbert Instrumental 1) – 5:05
- "Cosmogony" (Matthew Herbert Instrumental 2) – 4:15
(*) The song "Tesla" is a remix of "Thunderbolt".
Official Versions
Crystalline- Album Version – 5:08
- Serban Ghenea Mix/Single Mix – 5:06
- Radio Edit/Serban Ghenea Mix Edit – 3:47
- Omar Souleyman Remix – 6:41
- Matthew Herbert Mix – 5:17
- Matthew Herbert Instrumental – 5:15
- MIF Live Version – 5:26 (Biophilia: Manual Edition CD2)
- PMRH Version – 5:21 (demo version, stream available for a limited time on IcelandAir In-flights)
Cosmogony
- Album Version – 5:01
- Serban Ghenea Mix – 4:51
- Matthew Herbert Mix 1 – 5:04
- Matthew Herbert Mix 2 – 4:17
- Matthew Herbert Instrumental 1 – 5:05
- Matthew Herbert Instrumental 2 – 4:15
- MIF Live Version – 5:24 (Biophilia: Manual Edition CD2)
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japan Hot 100 Japan Hot 100 The Japan Hot 100 is a music singles chart in Japan. It is compiled by Billboard and Hanshin Contents Link ever since February 2008. The chart is updated every Wednesday at billboard-japan.com and every Thursday at billboard.com .... |
18 |
Release history
| Country | Date | Format | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worldwide | Crystalline digital download | One Little Indian | |
| Cosmogony digital download | |||
| Serban Ghenea Mixes CD/LP/digital download | |||
| Omar Souleyman Versions CD/LP/digital download | |||
| Crystalline Matthew Herbert Mixes CD/LP/digital download | |||
| Cosmogony Matthew Herbert Mixes CD/LP/digital download |