The juggernaut that is Björk produces music that is often difficult to remix. It is deeply rewarding when done right, see ‘Arisen My Senses – Lanark Artefax Remix’, and lacklustre when done poorly, see ‘Bachelorette – RZA Remix’. Unfortunately, this version of ‘Ovule’ falls into the latter category.
We cannot discuss the shortcomings of this collaboration without covering the successes of the original. ‘Ovule’ was the second single from Björk’s 2022 release, ‘Fossora’. The song featured a triumphant horn section over an off-kilter beat. These musical components were matched with lyrical statements on her interwoven experience of motherhood and love in relationships. Throughout the song, the lyrics conjured vivid biological imagery (feeding into the overarching themes of the album) that were further reinforced by the deep red tones of the accompanying music video.
The news of two fairly established electronic music figures, Sega Bodega (Salvador Navarrete) and Shygirl (Blane Muise), being brought on to remix this unique song, was, for many, a very exciting prospect. However, that is where the excitement ends. The remix is punctuated with a low-key and straightforward smooth electronic beat that paints a sonorous landscape of synthesisers. It is a very typical and safe choice for Sega Bodega who has produced significantly better on projects such as 2021’s ‘Romeo’.
This instrumental is accompanied mostly by a vocal sample from the first verse of its precursor, Björk exclaiming, ‘carries our digital selves’, which is repeated throughout. Given the grandiose declarations of the predecessor, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect that this may be an interesting interpolation and pivot of the themes of ‘Ovule’. The potential of a lyrical departure from Björk’s naturalistic incantations on human bonds to a commentary on love in the digital landscape (à la Striking Vipers in the TV series, Black Mirror) would have been unbounded. What we instead receive are insipid and vaguely amorous lyrics delivered in a plain and uninspired affect by Shygirl. Lines such as, “What I’d pay to give you a minute of this, All I feel is bliss when I think of you”, don’t exactly rival Björk’s adept visual storytelling.
Following the majority of Muise’s contributions, the remix clumsily crescendos to a stringed climax appearing out of nowhere. This shift induces a timbral whiplash in the listener given that this instrumentation is so alien to the rest of the sound palette. The tune closes out with more sampling of Björk’s voice, this time with some vocables from Shygirl in the same disinterested demeanour.
Given that each artist involved has produced great work separately, it is so disappointing to witness them coalesce into a lukewarm tribute to the original song.
Image “Oscar, Bjork and the Swan Dress” by Pulicciano is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.