Initially, I had no interest in Björk, whose name I barely knew thanks to two videos I saw on TV (Hidden Place and Oceania). What drove me to listen to her music was my quest for new, different sounds, mainly composed of sophisticated sounds and voices that could reach challenging levels, given my innate passion for female voices (especially the strong delicacy of Elisa).
By sheer chance, I decided to listen to Medulla, hoping it was what I was looking for. After the first listen, I realized it wasn't what I was seeking, that I had rationally imposed on myself to find, but the music, or rather non-music of Medulla fascinated me.
I realized I was listening to a difficult album, where the music tries to communicate through its absence, where really, for perhaps the first time, there was an attempt to find greater simplicity in art, which contrasts with the superfluous sounds that surround us today, and for this reason, it might seem, or perhaps is, incomprehensible, useless music that irritates or bores.
I don't want to criticize those who find this to be a dreadful album because music as art is subjective, so I don’t want to accuse anyone of ignorance for not being able to stand this album. I can only say it should be listened to in its empty and human sounds, where the process of humanizing music is, in my opinion, brought to its so-called peak. The songs are not easy to listen to; they don't get imprinted on your mind after just one listen, but they become familiar as you listen, listen, listen. Because that is what it requires to be appreciated, continuous listening.
Medulla is a masterpiece of modern music, an avant-garde work, which, like all artworks, can be idolized or not...
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