Björk & Dirty Projectors - Mount Wittenberg Orca (EP)
When I was sent out the latest record to feature eclectic (to say the least) songstress Björk, I knew I’d have to open my mind and let myself just go with whatever was coming. I’ll admit right now, that when Mount Wittenberg Orca, Björk’s second collaboration with Brooklyn’s Dirty Projectors made its way through my speakers, I thought I’d never get through it. To anyone half-listening, the material on this EP can be construed as twenty-one minutes of harmonised wailing (no whaling/Orca puns here) and claps, reminiscent of the Glee incidental music. However, this is a record that one has to give a decent shot and that means taking time to listen to it (especially when doing so for the first time), with no other distracting sounds.
Björk’s vocals are, if possible, slightly less flowery and in-your-face, as is the presence of Dirty Projectors. The tracks on Mount Wittenberg Orca are concise and way easier to get involved in – you’ll recognise this almost instantly if you’re familiar with either artists’ previous work. The female harmonies on ‘No Embrace’ and ‘Sharing Orb’ are gorgeous and provide the feeling of such a broad soundscape (if you look at the cover art whilst listening, your imagination will run wild). While you’d think that Björk would be the main feature of this EP, the other singers are not left in the dark. In fact, there is little emphasis on the actual music, apart from some crashing cymbals and guitar work – the listener is more connected with the singer on this record, as opposed to being faced with walls of sound at every turn.
A follow on from 2009’s Bitte Orca, this record definitely has kept the awesome essence of its predecessor, whilst producing something completely unique. A record that is decidedly experimental often runs the risk of falling completely flat and I was sure I was going to come away from this experience firmly in that camp. While there are moments on Mount Wittenberg Orca where I found myself unable to hear where one song had finished/the next one had started, it was impossible to deny the richness of the sound.
This EP shows that vocals can indeed carry the record and that they don’t have to exist within restricted and defined boundaries/genres either. Having Björk featured on this was a nice touch but to be completely honest, this EP could have just been an instrumental record driven by vocal sounds and harmonies, and its effect would have been quite similar.
