Last year the group from Sweden, with the help of Berliners Mt.Sims and Planningtorock, wrote the music for the electro-opera 'Tomorrow, In A Year' of the Danish art collective Hotel Pro Forma, a work inspired by Darwin's book 'On The Origin Of The Species'.
For the composition of the opera both members of the Swedish group, Olof Dreijer and Karin Dreijer Andersson (of Fever Ray ) had to consider not only the life and works of Darwin - Dreijer traveled to the Amazon to find material and inspiration-but also how to compose an opera.
Dreijer had this to say: "At first it was very difficult as we really didn't know anything about opera. We'd never been to one. I didn't even know what the word libretto meant. But after some studying, and just getting used to opera's essence of pretentious and dramatic gestures, I found that there is a lot to learn and play with. In fact, our ignorance gave us a positive respectless approach to making opera... I really like the basic theatrical values of opera and the easy way it brings forward a narrative. We've approached this before in the Knife but never in such a clear way."
The album will be released on CD on March 1 by Mute and in the site of The Knife here you can listen and download the 11minute track 'Colouring of Pigeons'.
The tracklist of 'Tomorrow, In A Year' are:
CD1 :
'Intro'
'Epochs'
'Geology'
'Upheaved'
'Minerals'
'Ebb Tide Explorer'
'Variation Of Birds'
'Letter To Henslow'
'Schoal Swarm Orchestra'
CD2 :
'Annie's Box'
'Tumult'
'Colouring Of Pigeons'
'Seeds'
' Tomorrow In A Year '
' The Height Of Summer '
' Annie's Box (Alt. Vocal) '
On 8 and 9 January we'll have the opportunity to see live here in Athens 'Tomorrow, In A Year - A Darwin Electro-Opera' with Hotel Pro Forma in Palace Theater.
For more on the show and reservations here .
See below the trailer of 'Tomorrow, In A Year' for a taste of both the theatrical part and the music of The Knife.
Tomorrow, in a year - A Darwin electro-opera