Vespertine is the fourth studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk. It was released on 27 August 2001 in the United Kingdom by One Little Indian Records and in the United States by Elektra Entertainment. Production on the album began during the filming of Dancer in the Dark, which was characterized by conflict between her and director Lars von Trier. With Vespertine, Björk aspired to create an album with an intimate and domestic feeling, deviating from the brash sonority of her previous studio album Homogenic (1997).
Homogenic is the third studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk. It was released on 20 September 1997 by One Little Indian Records. Produced by Björk, Mark Bell, Guy Sigsworth, Howie B, and Markus Dravs, the album marked a stylistic change to her artistry, focusing on similar-sounding music combining electronic beats and string instruments with songs in tribute to her native country Iceland.
Live Box is a set of 4 live CDs, a live DVD and a 36-page booklet by Icelandic musician Björk, released in August 2003. Each live CD roughly corresponds to one album in her four album solo discography. The 4 live CDs were later released separately in June 2004
Medúlla is the fifth studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk. It was released on 30 August 2004 in the United Kingdom by One Little Indian Records and in the United States by Elektra Entertainment. After the release of her electronic–influenced previous album Vespertine (2001), Björk intended to make an album almost entirely a cappella constructed with human vocals. For the project, she collaborated with vocal artists such as Mike Patton of rock band Faith No More, beatboxers Rahzel and Dokaka, as well as Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq. The album's title derives from the Latin word for "marrow".
"Isobel" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for her second studio album, Post. Written by Sjón based on a story by Björk, the lyrics of "Isobel" tell the story of the title character, who is magically born in a forest and sends a message of instinct amongst the logical thinking of the people of the city. The story of Isobel has been explored in "Human Behaviour" and "Bachelorette", forming a trilogy. The track was released as the second single for the album as two different CD releases in August 1995. Featuring additional songwriting by Nellee Hooper and Marius de Vries, string arrangements by Eumir Deodato and production by Hooper and Björk, "Isobel" combines a lush orchestral sound with electronic breakbeats.
"Hunter" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for her third studio album Homogenic (1997). The lyrics explore the pressure Björk felt to write music after realising the workforce that depended on her, following the success she found as a solo artist with her previous studio albums. The song was first performed at the 1997 Tibetan Freedom Concert and later included with the online promotional release of Homogenic; the track was subsequently released as the third single from the album as three different CD releases in the United Kingdom in October 1998, having been released in France four months prior. A collaborative effort between Björk and Mark Bell, "Hunter" features a dark combination of strings and layered synths, a militaristic electronic beat, and enigmatic lyrics about the heading towards a mission.
"All Is Full of Love" is a song by Icelandic musician Björk from her third studio album, Homogenic (1997). The lyrics were inspired by love in spring and Ragnarök of Norse mythology. Björk's original version is a trip hop ballad with soul influences, harp, strings, and electronic beats; the version on Homogenic is a minimalist remix by Howie B, emphasising Björk's vocals. A remix by the German IDM duo Funkstörung was released as a single in 1998.
"Cocoon" is a song by Icelandic singer Björk for her fourth studio album, Vespertine (2001). Written and produced by Björk and Thomas Knak, it was released as the album's third single on 11 March 2002 by One Little Indian Records. Inspired by her relationship with artist Matthew Barney, Björk wanted to create a record with a domestic mood. Working with Knak, she wrote "Cocoon", a song which is lyrically about a woman who describes making love with her lover during their post-coital hibernation, and includes frank sexual narrative related both explicitly and through over-sharing and metaphor.
"Oceania" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk for her sixth studio album Medúlla. It was written and produced by Björk, with additional writing by Sjón and production by Mark Bell. The song was written by the singer specially for the 2004 Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony, after a request by the International Olympic Committee. "Oceania" was released as a promotional single on 13 August 2004, by One Little Indian Records. The song was written at the ocean's point of view, from which the singer believes all life emerged, and details the human's evolution, whilst accompanied by a choir. "Oceania" was generally well received by music critics, who believed it was the best track from Medúlla, although some thought it was not the best choice for a promotional release.
Live at Royal Opera House and also known as Vespertine Live at Royal Opera House is an official DVD released by Björk on 18 November 2002. It contains a live performance by Björk on the Vespertine World Tour, recorded live at the Royal Opera House in London, on 16 December 2001. It was one of the last of the concerts performed on that tour. With this concert Björk had become the first ever contemporary pop artist to perform in the Royal Opera House. The concert was exclusively premiered on UK television in the launch week of the BBC digital channel BBC Four on 12 March 2002.
Vessel is the first live long-form video by Icelandic musician Björk, directed by Stéphane Sednaoui and produced by Elektra Entertainment. It was released in VHS on 5 September 1994, by One Little Indian, with a DVD reissue taking place on 13 May 2003. The release documents a concert by the artist during the 1994 tour held in support of her studio album Debut (1993). It contains ten songs from the album, in addition to a B-side; an interview with Björk is interspersed throughout the setlist. Vessel was subject to mixed reviews from music critics, who had polarizing opinions on both the performances and Sednaoui's editing.
Volta is the sixth studio album by Icelandic singer Björk, released on 1 May 2007 by One Little Indian Records. A wide array of artists collaborated with Björk on material for the album, including longtime collaborator Mark Bell, along with new producers Timbaland and Danja.
"Declare Independence" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The track was released as the third single from her sixth full-length studio album, Volta. The single was released on 1 January 2008. Björk's dedication of the song to various independence causes at live performances of the song in Shanghai and Tokyo have caused controversy.
Björk Guðmundsdóttir is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer and actress. Over her four-decade career, she has developed an eclectic musical style that draws on influences and genres including electronic, pop, jazz, experimental, trip hop, alternative, classical, and avant-garde music.
Minuscule is an official DVD released by Björk on November 3, 2003. The DVD contains a documentary offering a behind-the-scenes look at Björk and her touring entourage for the 2001 Vespertine World Tour. It includes interviews with harpist Zeena Parkins, the Inuit choir from Greenland, electronic duo Matmos, and an ongoing conversation with Björk herself about her recordings and her tours. The documentary is interspersed with live footage of songs from the tour shot by Ragnheidur Gestsdóttir, which themselves correspond to the performances chosen for the Vespertine Live album. A work-in-progress version of this documentary is to be found as a bonus feature on the Live at Royal Opera House DVD, which includes some material that is not included on Minuscule, such as the short interviews with composer Simon Lee.
The Greatest Hits Tour was the fifth worldwide concert tour by Icelandic musician Björk. It was launched in support of the release of her Greatest Hits album, her box set Family Tree, and to coincide with the release of her Live Box collection. The tour was supposed to take place one year earlier, but it was delayed as Björk gave birth to her daughter. The first dates of the tour were announced just two months after the birth. The tour kicked off with two shows in London on May 24, 2003, and ended with a rescheduled performance in Toronto on September 3, 2003. The tour visited Europe, Asia and North America with 28 shows in total. Björk wore outfits and creations from Jeremy Scott, Alexander McQueen and Shoplifter.
The Biophilia Tour was the seventh concert tour by Icelandic musician Björk. The tour was centered on her multimedia project and studio album Biophilia (2011). The tour premiered at the Manchester International Festival and visited Europe, Americas, Asia and featured the singer's first performance in Africa.
When Björk Met Attenborough is a 2013 documentary television film directed by Louise Hooper, executive produced by Lucas Ochoa and produced by Caroline Page. It was aired for the first time on 27 July 2013 on Channel 4, in conjunction with Pulse Films and One Little Indian Records. Partly filmed at the Natural History Museum in London, the documentary features an encounter between Icelandic singer-songwriter and musician Björk and English broadcaster and naturalist David Attenborough. They discuss the nature of music and the intersection between music, nature and technology. It also follows the singer as she prepares for her Biophilia Tour, along with rehearsal and studio recording.
Debut Live is a live album by Icelandic singer Björk. While featuring live versions of songs from Debut, the album does not feature the songs as performed during the Debut Tour from 1993–1994. Instead the majority of the CD comes from an acoustic performance of Debut on the MTV Unplugged television program. Originally released in the 5 disc Live Box set in 2003, Debut Live was later released separately on 1 June 2004 by One Little Indian records.
Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk has released 59 music videos, 6 concert tour videos, 6 music video compilations, 3 television performances video albums, 4 documentary videos and 2 video albums box sets. She also appeared in 4 feature films as an actress and has made several television appearances and cameos, in addition to providing music and score to multiple movies. In 1992, Björk left her previous band, The Sugarcubes, and started her solo career with the release of her album Debut. Her first music video taken from the album was "Human Behaviour", directed by French director Michel Gondry, with whom she started a career-spanning collaboration. The video, followed by "Big Time Sensuality", "Army of Me", "It's Oh So Quiet", the latter two from her second studio album Post (1995), received heavy airplay on MTV channels and popularized her image. Starting with the videos taken from Homogenic (1997), as stated in a retrospective review from Philip Sherburne, her videos became "crucial" to build the world of her albums. She also started to experiment with CGI elements, as shown by videos like "Jóga" or "Hunter". "All Is Full of Love", directed by Chris Cunningham, received general acclaim from critics, went on to win two MTV Video Music Awards and was included in MoMA permanent collection.
