If you manage to pick up a copy of this month's Dazed & Confused (out 7 July), you will see that the 200th issue of the iconic magazine is guest edited by Icelandic pop sensation Björk to celebrate the launch of her latest album and digital innovation project - Biophilia. The cover art was created in collaboration with visual artist Sam Falls and styled by Katy England. The brilliantly innovative campaign for the new album is rather complex, so the Huffington Post UK in collaboration with KARLISMYUNKLE is here to break it down.
This week saw the release of the video for debut single Crystalline - which has received much praise. The sound is very raw and percussive - in the best way possible, the beat drops towards the end to deliver a unique and progressive drum and bass experience. Vocally, the track is totally reminiscent of her earlier work. The video itself has been directed by long-term collaborator Michel Gondry (Human Behaviour).
Biophilia, which will be released in September this year, is more than just an album - it is more of a multi-media revolution and will set the standard for pop artists moving forwards. In the words of Bjork herself in her Editor's notes for Dazed, Biophilia "started as a 'music house' idea, a music school/museum for kids, it then became a 3D movie, then an acoustic musical instrument invention centre, a game console and touch-screen controller experiment, and then last but not least an app box." As it stands, the project will be released in physical and digital app form (iPad, iPod, iPhone) incorporating all of these elements. To be specific, this will be via 10 individual apps (one per track and each designed by award winning designers) that allow consumers to manipulate each song.
The launch will subsequently set Bjork off on a three-year world tour (which Manchester has already been fortunate enough to experience), with performances taking place in non-traditional music venues, such as museums. In addition to this, there will be a behind the scenes feature film and a new 3D galaxy-esque website.
Supporting the digital music revolution, it is worth noting that Soulwax also released a free music app - Radio Soulwax - last week, offering a series of mixes with interactive visuals synchronised with the music. Lady Gaga also released a music app to support the launch of Born This Way, the content wasn't as pioneering.
Written by pop culture expert and brand strategist Nik Thakkar of KARLISMYUNKLE, follow Nik on Twitter @nikthakkar