dibben.bjork2005

8/13/2019 Dibben.bjork2005

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Pre-publication copy, 2005.

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confessional and private in character - are delivered almost spoken. The reverb and s light treatment

of the voice suggests that the listener is close to her within a space which the voice fills (0:00-0:14).

This space progressively expands with the addition of other elements into the mix until it is

overflowing with sound.10

Figure 3 shows the entries and exits of layers in the mix and reveals three

main increases in textural density: from the introduction to the end of the first chorus (2:24), from thethird verse to the end of the bridge section (4:24), and from the bridge section to the end. Each of

these larger sections consists of a slow increase in textural density followed by a much quicker

thinning of the texture. By the point of repetition of the chorus (4:44) the registral space is filled from

bass to the divisi violins, and choir, and the virtual space of the soundscape is also filled: sounds are

present in the foreground (voice), background (choir) and midspace, and across the space from left to

right. The filling of the horizontal space is achieved by a dramatic gesture in which Bjrk's voice is

triple-tracked in three separate entries, each entry placed successively left, centre and right (5:12). In

addition, the alternation of verse and chorus becomes progressively quicker creating structural

acceleration.

Figure 2: Opening vocal lines of the verse, refrain and chorus of Unison (Bjrk 2001c, track 12)

b cq = 74

. j Born

stub born me,

j Will

j al ways be- -

b . I nev er thought I would

com prom ise- - -

b Let's u

nite to night

- -

Verse 1

Refrain

Chorus


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Figure 3: Diagram showing entries and exits of sound sources in Unison (Bjrk 2001c, track 12). Shaded areas indicate main structural divisions.

Voice

Choir

Strings

Harp

Bagpipe

Filteredtenor

Rim ofglass

PitchedPercussion(wooden)

'Fluttering'beats

Kit

Bass:

treated harp

Intro

8 Verse1

8 Refrain

Chorus

8+2

Verse3

8 Refrain

6 Chorus

8+4

Bridge

10

Chorus

8+16

Coda

20

Verse2

8

0:590:14 1:25 1:43 2:24 3:07 3:47 4:20


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pattern of tension and release over the two-bar and four-bar phrase structure are akin to a pattern of

respiration associated with a fairly relaxed state.

After the instrumental break the refrain and chorus are repeated. The same melodic and

harmonic material is repeated, but with a funk bass riff added to the mix, plus a filtered, and delayed

doubled percussion track, first hinted at in the first refrain, and taken up properly in the Bridge.Repetitions of the first pair of the chorus lyric lines fragment during the coda from 2:29 onwards, there

are a number of entries of a sustained synth patch which adds a richer sound, and Bjrks voice

appears in a number of overlapping entries, placed at varying distances in the mix. These elements

gradually drop out of the mix until at 3:14 only the lead vocal and strings are left, as at the tracks

opening.

What I find striking about this music-video is the way it affords identification by the listener

with an interior emotional life, through lyrics, sound and visuals, and surrounding discourse.

Therefore, my analysis focuses on the way subjectivity is dynamically structured by the coincidence of

these elements. Correspondences between the movements of the camera, musical form, semantic

content of the lyrics and the sonic materials provide the glue which binds together the subjectivity of

camera, voice and listener-viewer, some of which are indicated in figure 7. I have already indicated

how synchrony between change in the v isual and sonic dimension provides the main s tructural

divisions; this synchrony is also one of the ways by which the subject embodied by the cameras

gaze, and that embodied by the music-track, are brought together to form a single virtual subject.


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Figure 8: Introduction and first verse of Jga (Bjrk/Sigurdsson 1997). (Notation has beenquantised).

V? 44

4Voice

Strings

q = 72

.

.

V?

All the ac ci dents that

ha p pen fol low t he dot

Co in ci d en ce ma ke s

- - - -- - -

V?

sense on ly with you

You don't have to speak I

feel Ew

-


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Figure 7: Plan of Joga music-video (Bjrk/Sigurdsson 1997).

LRL RLR LRL

Time

1:00

Cameramovement

Camera cuts

Bass

Percussion

Electric guitar

Strin octet

Formal scheme Intro Verse Refrain Chorus

Titles

Figure 7: Plan of Joga music-video (Bjrk/Sigurdsson1997). Key: = changes of camera direction= synchronisation between different elements

= camera circles in a flying motion= camera ascends = camera decends

0:10 0:20 0:30 0:40 0:500:00


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Time (secs)

2:00

Camera cuts

Camera

Form Chorus contd. Instrumental break Refrain Chorus

Bass riff

Perc.

Gtr

Strings

1:50 2:101:401:301:201:10


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Using Kramers terminology one might want to argue that the music provides a position that the listener then fills.

However, I adopt a stance akin to Cummings where the virtual subjectivity is that produced by listener and music together, and

which therefore avoids any implication that the position was there prior to the listening subject.

13Bjrk has described Jga as a sort of National Anthem. Not the National Anthem but certain classic Icelandic songs very

romantic, very proud, and the album Homogenicas a love album to Iceland nature (http://unit.bjork.com/specials/gh/SUB-

04/index.htm).

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