As the world's stock markets look ready to self-combust (causing a global economic meltdown which may see the recession deepen yet further), music-loving folk with cash to burn can consider spending £500 on the Ultimate Edition of Björk's new album, Biophilia – a made-only-to-order edition that comes in a beautifully made lacquered and silkscreened oak hinged-lid box...

The box, approximately 260 x 204 x 48 mm contains the Biophilia Manual, along with ten chrome-plated tuning forks, each of which is silkscreened on one face in one of ten different colors, and stamped at the back – presented in a flocked tray. Each fork is adjusted to the tone of one of the tracks from Biophiia, and the set covers a complete octave in a non-conventional scale:

Moon: E (329.6 Hz)
Thunderbolt: B (246.9 Hz)
Crystalline: G (392 Hz)
Cosmogony: F# (370 Hz)
Dark Matter: Silent fork
Hollow: C (261.6 Hz)
Virus: C# (277.2 Hz)
Sacrifice: A (440 Hz)
Mutual Core: Eb (311.1 Hz)
Solstice: A (220 Hz)

As well as these fetching tuning forks, Biophilia, The Ultimate Edition also contains The Biophilia Manual – a 48 page hardbound, cloth-covered, thread-sewn book, with a lenticular panel tipped on to the front cover (spreads shown, above). It can be removed from the case by means of a ribbon pull. The box also contains two audio CDs including the Biophila album plus additional exclusive recordings. The discs are housed in uncoated black board wallets with foilblocked covers and spines.

As mentioned, this edition will only be made to order – and orders must be placed by August 12. The box sets will be released and posted out towards the end of September.Available exclusively from shop.bjork.com and also nonesuch.com.

Credits: Design and drawings by M/M (Paris). Photography by Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin and M/M (Paris). Daniel Mason was the production consultant on this box set - and the manufacturing of it will be overseen by Something Else.

NB: Photography shown here (by Will Thom) is of a prototype. We've been asked to mention that they might not be wholly accurate to the finished edition.

To read Eliza's recent post about Björk's most recent video project (directed by Michel Gondry) click here

CR in Print

Don't miss out - there's nothing like CR in print. Our August Summer Reading issue contains our pick of some of our favourite writing on advertising, illustration and graphic design as well as a profile of Marion Deuchars plus pieces on the Vorticists, Total Design, LA Noire and much more.

If you would like to buy this issue and are based in the UK, you can search for your nearest stockist here. Based outside the UK? Simply call +44(0)207 292 3703 to find your nearest stockist. Better yet, subscribe to CR for a year here and save yourself almost 30% on the printed magazine and get Monograph.