"Hyperballad" by Björk

Strong Songs

It's early in the morning; no one is awake. From the top of the mountain, the soft light of dawn comes into view. You take a deep breath, and prepare for a journey with the great genius of musical travel.

On this episode, Kirk dives into Björk's 1995 electro-pop masterpiece "Hyperballad," paying special attention to how carefully she weaves together music and lyrics to create a sense of space, and thus a feeling of travel.

Written and produced by: Björk

Co-produced by: Nellee Hooper

Album: Post (1995)

Listen/Buy via Album.Link

SPECIAL GUEST: ICELAND

For the visualization exercise Kirk mentions in the episode, some photos of the Icelandic countryside can be found here and here. Or really anywhere online.

OUTRO SOLOIST: BJ Cord

This episode's outro soloist is BJ Cord, a fantastic trumpet player based in Portland. BJ works at Monette trumpets making some of the most beautiful horns in the world, and is a regular presence on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monettetrumpets

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September 2020 Whole-Note Patrons

Rick Klaras - Laurie Acreman - Ken Hirsh - Jez Jenness Gardner - Simon Cammell - Guinevere Boostrom - Jill Smith-Moore - Rachel Rakov - Narelle Horn - Mickey Clark - Nathaniel Bauernfeind - Simon Cramp - Bill Rosinger - Anne Britt - David Zahm - Erin - Aidan Coughlan - Jeanneret - Manning Family Four - Matt Butler - Doug Paton - Robert Paul - R Watson - Viki Dun - Christer Lindqvist - Sami Samhuri - Craig J. Covell - AccessViolation - Ryan Torvik - Merlin Mann - Glenn - Caleb Rotach - Andre Bremer - Chad Barnard - Mark Schechter - Dave Florey - Dan Apczynski

September 2020 Half-Note Patrons

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July 11, 2026 | Portland, OR
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