0D ("Army of Me" by Björk)

At a concert the audience anticipates what the next song will be as the clapping dies down and a wave of whispers fills the room. The anticipation for what may come next on a new album you’ve never heard, or when your iTunes is on shuffle, is no different. Imagine a moment of silence and then an electronic pulse builds in one steady stream and explodes in just two seconds, turning into a powerful rhythm that drives bass straight into your chest. The explosion is a distinct sound that will forever be linked with the mysterious voice and danceable beats that follow. In less than four minutes it will fizzle out of your ears into the next silence, leaving you with the need for more music.

Two rhythms set the stage in a steady 4/4. The drums play each count with a double kick on the bass—dumdum—and a steady tap—tah—on the drum: dumdum tah dumdum tah dumdum tah dumdum tah. Over it is a rhythmic electronic pulse of sixteenth notes sliding in and out of each other as they move up and down a small scale. A clash of the symbol ends some measures for emphasis and other electronic sounds build. These keep you awake and completely invested in the rhythm that is moving your entire body.

And then, on the fourth note of the ninth measure, a voice comes through with clarity and strength: “Stand up.” It is a command that lingers with patience as it escapes her lips, and then she continues: “You’ve got to manage. I won’t sympathize anymore.” The words don’t follow the exact structure of the music, but they sing through it for seven measures, exploding into a new beat that serves to back the chorus.

A heavy electronic drone replaces the sixteenth notes, ripping through your heart with a quick descent—RRR RRR RRR—and sharpening the tah of the fourth note as it rests silent for a moment. “Any of you complain once more,” the voice warns, “you’ll meet an army of me.” An explosive sound cracks on the fourth beat like a slam in the face at the end of each measure as the warning is repeated: “Any of you complain once more, you’ll meet an army of me.”

We are returned to the initial beat, but the flourish of a metallic ping is added to the second beat of every count of eight. “You’re alright. There’s nothing wrong. Self sufficient, please. And get to work.” And with that we are catapulted back into the tumultuous chorus, which always comes back with one barely noticeable variable in how the rhythm is played. Sometimes the instrument playing a certain beat has changed or new layers are added to the swirl of music, making it a stronger, more overpowering sound. The chorus then melts into a melodic interlude of haunting electronic drones paired with the initial sixteenth notes.

One more verse rings out, backed by just the sixteenth notes and eighth notes on the cymbal. In a voice that has maintained a compelling contrast to the strong beat of the music throughout, a harsh message is softened to a whisper without a change in volume: “You’re on your own now. We won’t save you. Your rescue squad is too exhausted.” The chorus resumes as thought it is a cry for sanity and it repeats a second time, but the sixteenth notes and the droning descent come together, creating a monstrous climax. It continues with power and then explodes one final time into fading noise leaving the audience energized for more.

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What is it about “Army of Me” that you liked so much?
-First moment when you hear the beat come in
-Björk’s voice
-Contrast between voice and music

What is it about Björk that you like so much?
I have a CD that is just covers of "Army of Me" by other people. I absolutely hate the majority of the tracks. So, it's not exactly the music that I like. Upon listening to a myriad of her songs, I’ve realized that Björk often changes instrumentation during her live performances, but it doesn’t change the integrity of the song. For example, when touring for Volta she brought a 10-piece horn ensemble with her and used it to play songs off Vespertine, which was originally a strings album. It is the lyrics and vocals that really create the songs, but the way they are sung isn’t always consistent either. So what is it about her voice?

I feel that Björk’s voice embodies certain characteristics and feelings that are what attract me to her music:
-soft
-sensual
-clear
-strong
-big range
-breathing
-full of life
-patient
-steady
-surprising
-consistent
-improvisational
-free
-fragile
-grit
-strain
-emotional
-passionate
-confident
-honest
-storyteller
-raw


Assignment #2: Make a simple form of the essence you’re distilling.
Björk embodies individuality, femininity, confidence, and strength, which are qualities that I try to find in my life and I am able to feel through her music. Confidence in my own form as a human being is a simple way to show the essence of Björk’s voice. The curves of a woman’s body, the texture of skin, and a simplified black and white view will show all of the characteristics I find in Björk’s voice, which is what I am trying to distill.