I Watched Björk Play Migos and Beyoncé During A DJ Set at Brooklyn’s Best Metal Bar

Photo by Andrea Vocos

What would you imagine a Björk DJ set to be like? Pan flutes and medieval harp chords layered over trap beats? Clips from The Cremaster Cycle played in reverse as she coos mermaid-like jibberish through a copperphone mic? Would it be a rendition of John Cage's 4'33 played 433 times? It turns out that the Icelandic goddess of sonic innovation likes Migos and Beyoncé—just like you and me.

On Saturday night at St. Vitus in Greenpoint, Björk jumped on the decks alongside Oneohtrix Point Never, Brandon Stosuy of Pitchfork, and supposedly Tri Angle Record's Robin Carolan (I didn't see him on stage, but they were playing tons of music from Tri Angle artists, so I don't know maybe he was there). Though Stosuy seemed to be manning the ship for the majority of the night, being mere feet from Björk as she danced around on stage and emanated rays of iridescent light from her teeth was enough to keep me at a half chub for hours on end. A strong hit of MDMA helped, too.

Björk kept whispering in the ears of her beat partners-in-crime throughout the set, and although I like to think she was saying things like "I've hidden Griffin eggs all around the bar. Now play me something amethyst! [giggles]" she was probably shooting the shit and suggesting the next dance song.

The night started with abrasively awesome cuts like Sd Laika's "Meshes" and tracks that sounded like something from Aphex Twin's Come To Daddy, but then as everyone got drunker the tone switched from obvious Brooklyn bangers to pop party jamz. I don't know if Björk actually picked these tunes herself or not, but I hope with all my heart she is hyper-literate in pop music and regularly wilds out to "Versace" and Lil B.

So rather than bore you with all the details of what happened at the intimate show (OK I need to boast a little: I brushed against Björk's shoulder at the bar and felt my body evolving to something supernatural at contact), the herein are the songs I did recognize from her all-night stint on the decks. Full disclosure: I was very geeked up and half the music she played went in one ear and out the other as I drooled all over the place due to the music icon's sheer presence (and the drugs).