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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Entertainment
Leslie Felperin

Björk: Biophilia Live review – spirited and millimetre-precise

Bjork: Biophilia Live
Mushroom gills and fairy dust … and that’s just her dress in Bjork: Biophilia Live. Photograph: Mark Horton/WireImage

Of all the multimedia tendrils that have snaked out of Björk’s album, app, installation and performance project Biophilia, this record of the tour’s last performance in London is arguably the most conventional offshoot, even if it has additional trippy visuals. That said, this is an impeccably packaged entry to the Biophilia experience, showcasing the musical heart of the concept with spirited, millimetre-precise performances from Björk, her backing all-female choir and a handful of multitasking musicians. The whole lot manage to make a huge, often-beautiful sound with a mixture of traditional and electronic instruments. Even if you’re not mad about the tunes, the light show and interwoven footage of astral bodies, dancing microbes and pulsing starfish is alone worth the price of admission, as is Björk’s fabulously barmy frock, which looks like it was woven from mushroom gills and fairy dust. The presence of Peter Strickland (Berberian Sound Studio) as co-director may seem odd at first, but when you see his fabulous, lepidoptera-themed next film The Duke of Burgundy, it will all make sense.

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