Musical New Media
Bjoerk's Biophilia App and Music in Extended Reality
Nicola Dibben(Author)
Bloomsbury Academic USA (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 20. August 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-1-5013-3593-8 (ISBN)
Description
Recorded music creation and consumption underwent a huge shift in the first two decades of the 20th century: from physical artifacts to digital; from fixed personal computers to mobile devices; from downloading and owning to streaming and access. This had a significant impact on the music 'assemblage' - the audio, performances, videos, films, books, games - that make up what we think of as 'music,' and gave rise to new forms of musical new media. Bjoerk's Biophilia, widely acclaimed as the first 'app album,' is one response to this context. Drawing on her direct experience as part of the creative team who made Biophilia musicologist Nicola Dibben investigates how popular music practices intersect with digital technologies at their moment of emergence in two domains: music software applications ('apps') for touchscreen technologies of tablet computer and smartphone, and in extended reality. She shows the way these new media formats maintain musical traditions as much as they innovate, explores the future of the album as a musical artifact in the digital age, and identifies emerging new music forms and engagements which may come to define our digital musical futures.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
25 bw illus
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 25 mm
Weight
454 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5013-3593-8 (9781501335938)
Copyright in bibliographic data is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or its licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Nicola Dibben is Senior Lecturer in Music at the University of Sheffield, UK, co-editor of the journal Empirical Musicology Review, and former co-ordinating editor of Popular Music. Her research addresses music, mind, and culture with a focus on the science and psychology of music and on popular music studies. She has published over 40 journal articles and book chapters, and is the author of Bjoerk (2009) and co-authored Music and Mind in Everyday Life (2010). She collaborated with Bjoerk on the artist's multi-media app album, Biophilia (2011).
Content
1. Introduction
PART 1 The background
Interlude I - Cosmogony
2. The Industry Context to Biophilia
Interlude II - Crystalline
3. The Creative Context to Biophilia
Interlude III - Dark Matter, Hollow
PART 2 Imagining and Making
Interlude IV - Moon
4. The Songs
Interlude V - Mutual Core
5. The Instruments
Interlude VI - Sacrifice
6. The Apps
Interlude VII - Solstice
PART 3 Consequences
Interlude VI - Thunderbolt
7. Educating and entertaining
Interlude VII - Virus
8. Conclusion Biophilia' s Contribution
PART 1 The background
Interlude I - Cosmogony
2. The Industry Context to Biophilia
Interlude II - Crystalline
3. The Creative Context to Biophilia
Interlude III - Dark Matter, Hollow
PART 2 Imagining and Making
Interlude IV - Moon
4. The Songs
Interlude V - Mutual Core
5. The Instruments
Interlude VI - Sacrifice
6. The Apps
Interlude VII - Solstice
PART 3 Consequences
Interlude VI - Thunderbolt
7. Educating and entertaining
Interlude VII - Virus
8. Conclusion Biophilia' s Contribution