Photo by Lucia Graca

Bjork
Echo Beach
Toronto, ON
July 16

Björk was blazing trails, back when many currently-hot artists were still infants. Nevermind the precious album she recorded as a child in 1977, or her breath-of-fresh-air arrival into the pop culture stratosphere in the mid-90s. Stylistically indefinable and always bursting with inspiration, the Icelandic singer/songwriter/artist/visionary is nothing short of a leading creative force in her time. No pressure on Björk’s live show when it rolled through Toronto, of course.

Warming up the excited audience at Echo Beach was Death Grips, an aggro-hip-hop Sacramento trio that seemed at odds with the event at large. While the beat production of Zach Hill and Andy Morin was tough as nails and often worthy of note, Stefan Burnett’s junglist-influenced lyrical noise did little to logically set the table for the headlining set. To the delight of at least the over-forty crowd, Death Grips’ thrashing abated before too long, the swan-dressed lady herself about to take the stage.

Björk emerged right on time, sporting bright blue sequins and a massive orange afro wig. 2011’s Biophilia LP was well-represented in the early going, after “Hunter” from 1997’s Homogenic had thrilled everyone with its ominous tone and nasty e-drum patterns. The faltering downtempo grit of “Thunderbolt” was pushed over the top by the dozen-strong Graduale Nobili Choir, who provided backing vocals with cult-like fervour all night long. Drummer Manu Delago’s vibraphone rhythm combined with other-worldly choral touches on the sparsely-arranged “Moon”, before drum-and-bass intensity and group frolicking brought the childlike chimes of “Crystalline” to ecstatic heights.

A double dose of 2001’s Vespertine came next: “Hidden Place” borrowing video accompaniment from BBC’s “Planet Earth” and the deep, sultry beat of “Heirloom” carefully expanding its percussive pallet. Flying Lotus would surely be jealous of such hypnotic polyrhythms. A setlist treat followed, Delago’s dreamy timpani introducing “One Day” as the lone selection from 199’3 “Debut”. Devouring every bit of Bjork banter with zeal, the crowd lost its collective mind when the fragile beauty and soaring vocals of “Joga” hit. Sinister bells and heavy synth bass, from musical director and keyboard master Matt Robertson, conspired with Delago’s shimmering hi-hats on “Pagan Poetry”, as the audience surrendered to its dancing whim.

Pumping the decibels for classic single “Army Of Me”, Björk and her choir truly got down, as the huge tesla coil hanging above center stage crackled along to the badass beat. The Graduale Nobili ladies donned druid-hoods and stood in a circle, ascending their voices in unison over the volcanic imagery of “Mutual Core”. Moving bodies then became the driving force of the final stretch – “Hyperballad” getting remixed as it went along with flashing lights and a thumping kick drum, “Pluto” ushering in the glitchy sound of doom, and “Nattura” closing the set amid calisthenic choreography and hard, tribal drums. A transcendental dance party with a living legend was just what the doctor ordered, and the euphoric crowd was vocally appreciative. Gracious as ever, Björk dedicated encore “Declare Independence” to Trayvon Martin, then disappeared into the night like the enigmatic musical oracle she forever will be.