On December 12th the prolific, virtuosic original Bjarki Sigurðarson returns to the concept album format, with ‘A Guide To Hellthier Lifestyle’. It’s the first LP to be released on his new label Differance, which he co-founded with the artist Thomas Harrington Rawle.
‘A Guide To Hellthier Lifestyle’ explores the psychological landscape of contemporary social issues, offering a sideways rumination on lifestyle dilemmas and wellness obsessions, presenting itself as a response to the modern condition. It combines storytelling with innovative sound textures – encouraging listeners to pause and contemplate the absurdities of contemporary life. Neither a critique nor an endorsement, it represents an honest exploration of our world through Bjarki’s sonic lens, gleaming a heart of darkness, but eventually finding light.
The album utilises hyper-stereo techniques, soothing melodies, complex audio structures, AI-generated voices and sampled vocals – influenced by Coil, Genesis P-Orridge, and Paul Lansky. Bjarki investigates how specific frequencies can impact consciousness, awareness, mood, and mental state, thereby influencing our perception of reality. His vaporous sound design provides a listening experience that bridges the physical and imaginative realms; sometimes placing the listener in contemplative sanctuary, and at others making them lost – somewhere strange, uneasy, disconnected.
Bjarki on his Guide To Hellthier Lifestyle
“This new album is my take on all the social weirdness and wellness obsessions happening right now. It kicked off with a track I started in California – the story of a soul that got born into the wrong womb. During that time, I was noticing more and more of this whole ‘wellness religion’ everywhere – people trying to sell you ‘good vibes’ and random people offering you life coaching sessions on Instagram who maybe have less life experience than a houseplant. All these apps that track our every move; it’s like they’re repackaging control and calling it ‘self care’. Capitalism in yoga pants. Thats when I started putting ‘A Guide To Hellthier Lifestyle’ together. A never ending, self improvement rabbit hole. We are all being sold this idea that we are not quite enough and we need to buy our way out to being better.
At one point, I took a break from the album and started working on another album full of satirical speeches, AI generated voices, where I create my own voices and type in some ideas of speeches, taking the piss out of wellness gurus and life coaches. I messed a lot with these AI voice generators, creating these deep, faux serious monologues. Proper weird stuff, but it cracked me up. Reminded me of the early days, when I was 13, making tracks on Fruity Loops, mucking around with text-to- speech generators. After the break I came back to finish ‘The Guide’ on a much deeper level.
I moved part of my studio to Latvia and continued in the countryside for few months. I realised that I just wanted to give people something beautiful. This album is a big hug from me to the world. So, yeah, this album is all of that. It’s spiritual, bits and pieces from the past, all these weird cultural moments, and whatever strange places my head goes. It’s a reflection, a rebellion, a bit of a piss take. But mostly, it’s just me, doing what I do.”
The album will be released only in its entirety, on December 13th, with no advance singles. Instead there are two standalone tracks, the first of which – ‘10’000 Steps but still biting my nails’ – is released today.
Bjarki ‘A Guide To Hellthier Lifestyle’
Vinyl / download / stream
release date: December 12th
Tracklist:
Intro
Real Insight
How Do I Love
We Are Reasonable People
Divine Wash
Puppet Parade
Healing From Memory
Fragile Growth I
Fragile Growth II
Transmutation Hymn
WOMB RIDER
Toxic Release
VOID VISITOR
PreSave album here
Stay tuned at Futuristic Tracks of the Week selection and Listen to Bjarki’s new music first
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