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Track Listings
| 1. Intro |
| 2. Epochs |
| 3. Geology |
| 4. Upheaved |
| 5. Minerals |
| 6. Ebb Tide Explorer |
| 7. Variation Of Birds |
| 8. Letter To Henslow |
| 9. Schoal Swarm Orchestra |
| 10. Annie's Box |
| 11. Tumult |
| 12. Colouring Of Pigeons |
| 13. Seeds |
| 14. Tomorrow In A Year |
| 15. The Height Of Summer |
| 16. Annie's Box (Alternate Vocal) |
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I only literally got into the music of The Knife and Fever Ray within the last month, so this new arrival is timely for me and also a bit overwhelming. Anyone familiar with Royksopp will already know how unusual and wrenchingly mesmerising Karin Dreijer Andersson's vocals are, and as part of The Knife and her solo project Fever Ray, she has sung on some great experimental/dance tracks. This album is different, in that most of the tracks are largely instrumental concept tracks, and when there are vocals they are mostly sung in operatic style by, I believe, Kristina Wahlin Momme and Lærke Bo Winther. Karin Dreijer Andersson does appear at times, but you shouldn't go into this album expecting it to be anything like The Knife's usual work.
To be honest, this experimental opera works far better if cut back to just five tracks - Annie's Box, Tomorrow In A Year, Colouring of Pigeons, The Height of Summer, and Annie's Box (Alternative Vocal Version). It is based on Charles Darwin's On The Origin of Species - great idea, but it requires some serious concentration to listen to the lyrics and make it work. In fact, this is one of the most challenging pieces of music you'll hear, and by that I mean you need to actively listen and concentrate hard - you can't listen passively or just let it wash over you. It's a strange, often disorientating experience, but that gives it massive value both as a piece of art and as a workout for the brain.
You can listen to the entire album at present on The Knife's homepage, which is what I did before I downloaded it. Having done that though, I only wrote the five tracks I mentioned above to CD, so some forethought is recommended with this album, even for Knife fans.
To be honest, this experimental opera works far better if cut back to just five tracks - Annie's Box, Tomorrow In A Year, Colouring of Pigeons, The Height of Summer, and Annie's Box (Alternative Vocal Version). It is based on Charles Darwin's On The Origin of Species - great idea, but it requires some serious concentration to listen to the lyrics and make it work. In fact, this is one of the most challenging pieces of music you'll hear, and by that I mean you need to actively listen and concentrate hard - you can't listen passively or just let it wash over you. It's a strange, often disorientating experience, but that gives it massive value both as a piece of art and as a workout for the brain.
You can listen to the entire album at present on The Knife's homepage, which is what I did before I downloaded it. Having done that though, I only wrote the five tracks I mentioned above to CD, so some forethought is recommended with this album, even for Knife fans.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
A very difficult album to write about. I didn't find this as challenging to listen to as it has been made out to be, although the atonal glitches and blippety-bleeps of earlier tracks can be off-putting. The most important thing to bear in mind is that this is a concept album about evolution. In that context it is a definite success, and the music is forward-thinking and avant-garde in its conception.
'Colouring of Pigeons' is the absolute stand-out; It is a genuinely moving piece of music, with a deeply wounded cello drone ebbing and falling around echoing drum-beats and operatic vocals, and the part where the male vocal comes in (sung by Olof Dreijer?) is profoundly haunting.
I'm slightly bewildered by the exaggerated reaction to this album as being the most challenging piece of music released in some time, when really it is a very considered and beautiful work of art. Pretentious? By nature of course, but it carries itself with conviction and honesty, and as always with any release involving The Knife there is no ego or self-promotion involved, just gloriously original noise created because of a belief in the power of music to open our eyes to the truth that there is more to the world than just ourselves.
'Colouring of Pigeons' is the absolute stand-out; It is a genuinely moving piece of music, with a deeply wounded cello drone ebbing and falling around echoing drum-beats and operatic vocals, and the part where the male vocal comes in (sung by Olof Dreijer?) is profoundly haunting.
I'm slightly bewildered by the exaggerated reaction to this album as being the most challenging piece of music released in some time, when really it is a very considered and beautiful work of art. Pretentious? By nature of course, but it carries itself with conviction and honesty, and as always with any release involving The Knife there is no ego or self-promotion involved, just gloriously original noise created because of a belief in the power of music to open our eyes to the truth that there is more to the world than just ourselves.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
In reply to Mrs R Noakes: I'm not sure indie kids with funny haircuts will be listening to this one, it's not really that kind of record. If you give it time and allow yourself to just take it in, this album is awesome. It is difficult listening though - not for the fainthearted or looking for the knife's previous floor-fillers. I have the utmost respect for any who takes a chance on making something not everyone will like.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Seeing Ears
**** & 1/2
The Knife have yet to make just less than a good album. Deep Cuts was the most access able , and was still not for the faint heated. Read more
The Knife have yet to make just less than a good album. Deep Cuts was the most access able , and was still not for the faint heated. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Robert J. Bloem
glorious
the sheer contrast of science and emotion is stunning
the way the music slowly develops and sounds like lave flow and artificial bird call
it beautiful
and full of... Read more
the way the music slowly develops and sounds like lave flow and artificial bird call
it beautiful
and full of... Read more
Published 13 months ago by danny-boy
evolution the opera
I can understand people being completely befuddled and alienated by it, but i'm not. I think there are enough sections like in Variation of Birds and the Pigeons one, and Height of... Read more
Published 13 months ago by ADAM
"Challenging"
This album doesn't take many times to appreciate it (like another review states here). Highly crafted, and original juxtapositions,( for want of a better word)) of bleak... Read more
Published 15 months ago by M. J. Farnworth
Bravely Experimental But . . .
Fever Ray was one of the great electro-goth albums of the year. This is quite a departure for The Knife, an interesting if impenetrably abstract album that has moments of very... Read more
Published 17 months ago by KenniPod
and now for something completely different...
ok, i'd like to start by addressing the poor reviews with one or two stars.
yes, there's lots of experimental sub bass sounds and a soprano singing over the top. Read more
yes, there's lots of experimental sub bass sounds and a soprano singing over the top. Read more
Published 17 months ago by ad
I wouldn't recommend anyone to buy this....
...unless they are fully aware of what they are buying...
I loved The Knife's album "Silent Shout" and was hoping for something similar. How disappointed I got!! Read more
I loved The Knife's album "Silent Shout" and was hoping for something similar. How disappointed I got!! Read more
Published 23 months ago by Ninni
Hype hype hype
You've got to be kidding, giving this 4.5 stars!
Imagine a cd made up of long periods of silence broken up operatic vocals and "music" that sounds like the tunes you skipped... Read more
Imagine a cd made up of long periods of silence broken up operatic vocals and "music" that sounds like the tunes you skipped... Read more
Published 23 months ago by Mrs. R. Noakes
A masterpiece of a new genre
I find it hard to describe this album because it can't really be compared to the most music out there, it is one of a kind. Read more
Published on 8 May 2010 by Lyall Ogden
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