Yesterday Björk released “Crystalline,” the first single from Biophilia, her seventh studio album due in September (the first since 2007’s Volta).

Biophilia aims to integrate music, nature, and technology, or specifically “how sound works in nature, exploring the infinite expanse of the universe, from planetary systems to atomic structure.” (Volcanoes, maybe?) Partly recorded on an iPad, each of the album’s ten tracks will be accompanied by an app that allows users to direct their own interactive experience with the music. Director Michel Gondry, a frequent Björk collaborator with several of her videos to his credit, is overseeing the whole project.

As a longtime Björk backer, stretching back to her days in The Sugarcubes, my favorite albums of her solo career — Post and Homogenic — were released well over a decade ago. Since then, while still supporting of her boundary-pushing desires with my hard-earned cash, I’ve only felt intermittent flashes of that earlier magic on each subsequent release.

But “Crystalline” has me feeling optimistic about Biophilia. I admit some hesitance upon hearing the toy-piano plinking at the song’s start, but soon comes some welcome electronic skitter-and-slash with Björk in full-throated form (thankfully). Plus there’s that whole bazonkers drum-and-bass blast of the track’s last minute — all harbingers there may be some very good things to come from Biophilia‘s outré space journey.

Purchase Bjork – “Crystalline” via iTunes