Bjork - Crystalline (Serban Ghenea Mix) / Cosmogony (Serban Ghenea Mix)

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4...according to our Brian on Wed 27 Jul, 2011.

Here the Mad Puffin Lady marketing machine that has lain dormant for the last couple of years sputters into life with a plethora of ornately packaged 12"s to promote her eagerly awaited new LP. I can't sit here discussing the merits of each mix as all we have in thus far is the double-header Serban Ghenea mixes. I know not how these mixes may differ from the versions on t'album - this guy is a hotshot Grammy award winning mixer who worked on the global club brick shithouse that was 'In For The Kill' by La Roux amongst other popular chart-munching fodder. 'Crystalline' is a vibraphone-led brooding glitch-a-thon, full of atmosphere, wonder and mystery, anchored with some whipping, slicing slo-beats that suddenly explodes into a demented drum 'n' bass monster at the end, coming on like Tim Exile's just walked in and pressed the shit-hit-fan button and run away laughing. I'd like these pummeling amen breaks to last approximately 10 times longer that they do on this edit but as a taster for 'Biophilia' it certainly gets me juices running. 'Cosmology' is one of her rousing astral ballads with lashings of gorgeous muted horns, crashing gongs, thundering timpani and deranged waves of sub-bass plus, of course, her lovely, lovely sing-song voice. That globally beloved voice no-one could ever fake. If these songs are typical of the quality of the new album, I'll forget about the lacklustre 'Volta' and breathe in her 'Biophilia' deeply...As a round score these samplers get 5 for genius but OLI get a point off for the relentless aggressive marketing that happens every time this remarkable enduring talent delivers her final master.

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‘The Crystalline Series’ series includes alternative versions of tracks from Björk’s forthcoming
‘Biophilia’ album and app suite.

Mixes in ‘The Crystalline Series’ come courtesy of:

Serban Ghenea, the multi-platinum Grammy Award winning mixer who has mixed ‘Crystalline’
and ‘Cosmogony’.

Omar Souleyman, the cult Syrian musician who has worked on versions of ‘Crystalline’, ‘Tesla’
and ‘Mawal’.

Matthew Herbert, the British electronic artist who has remixed ‘Cosmogony’ and ‘Crystalline’.

‘Crystalline’ is the first single to be taken from Björk’s brand new ‘Biophilia’ album due for release
later this year, and will shortly debut a video shot by acclaimed director, and longtime Björk
collaborator, Michel Gondry.

‘Biophilia’ is Björk’s most interdisciplinary project to date - a multi-media project, comprising a
studio album, apps, a new website, custom-made musical instruments, live shows and
educational workshops.

She has has collaborated with app developers, scientists, writers, inventors, musicians and
instrument makers to create a unique multi-media exploration of the universe and its physical
forces.

Björk has just completed her residency at this year’s Manchester International Festival where
‘Biophilia’ received its worldwide debut, and she will return to headline Bestival on 11th
September.

These four 12”s are exclusive in the UK to independent retailers and are strictly limited (to 1000,
800, 1000 and 1000 respectively).