sonic magic

Chie Aoki, Body 18-2·23-2, 2018, lacquer and hemp cloth on polystyrene foam, collection sokyo gallery Chie Aoki, Body 18-2·23-2, 2018, lacquer and hemp cloth on polystyrene foam, collection sokyo gallery Chie Aoki, body 17-3, 2017, lacquer and hemp cloth on polystyrene foam, private collection

essay

by BJÖRK

artwork by CHIE AOKI

Pioneering Icelandic singer and musician Björk is known for breaking the boundaries of electronic, pop, and avant-garde music. Her distinctive voice and fearless experimentation with sound and technology have made her an enduring influence in contemporary music and art.

I have been asked to describe magic in music. This is, of course, the most elusive of all things mystical. To even try to describe how Olivier Messiaen’s improvisational celestial goth was concocted or how the inner biological rhythms of Nobukazu Takemura were amalgamated would be blasphemy on…