Vulnicura Strings (The Acoustic Versions – Strings, Voice and Viola Organista Only), or simply Vulnicura Strings, is an acoustic album released by Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk as a companion to her 2015 album, Vulnicura. Vulnicura Strings has been described as a more uncompromising and intimate take on Björk's breakup album, featuring strings-only versions of the Vulnicura tracks, with the omission of "History of Touches". Also the version of "Family" omits the vocals.
On 20 January 2015, Björk rush-released Vulnicura, her eighth studio album, after the album leaked online just days after being announced. Vulnicura was a critical success, with praise centering on Björk's strong and intimate lyrics, her powerful string arrangements, and the beats created by Björk and her co-producers Arca and The Haxan Cloak.[1][2][3]
On 5 October 2015, Vulnicura Strings was officially announced[4] after some online shops listed the item with few details other than the name. Björk described the genesis of the project on her official Facebook page: "While I was working on Vulnicura, it became one of the most magical thing(s) both musically and spiritually to unite the electronics and the acoustic instruments in an almost romantic way: to prove they can coexist!!... But while working on it I felt somehow for the first time, this was an album that could take another version: a reveal, to simply have the acoustics stand on their own for the folks who wanna indulge even further into the wooden timeless side of this music. With no techno."
She elaborated elsewhere, "For me, strings stand for the nerves of the human bodies. The voice and wind instruments are the lungs. Beats are for dancing and your heart pumping, but when you stroke stringed instruments, it's like your nerves vibrating. It's why we sympathise so easily with strings, I think, especially when you're going through painful stuff. You just want to grab a clip-on mic and get that... 'urrrrrrrrr'. It creates this angsty, almost uncomfortable sound – the sound of really raw emotion."[5]
For the stripped-down versions of the Vulnicura songs, Björk kept the vocal takes of the original studio album but decided to use alternate takes of the acoustic instruments recorded during the original recording sessions, stating, "I dug out the more close-up pick up miked versions, other sonic point-of-views...". The album includes additional string solos by Una Sveinbjarnardóttir, who was a part of the Icelandic String Octet that joined Björk on stage for her 1998 Homogenic tour.
In addition, several songs feature the Viola organista, a unique instrument designed by Leonardo da Vinci but built for the first time centuries later by Polish musician Sławomir Zubrzycki. Björk described how the instrument works: "...(it) uses a friction belt to vibrate individual strings (similar to a violin), with the strings selected by pressing keys on the keyboard (similar to an organ)." Björk first contacted Zubrzycki by email in 2013[6] after discovering him on YouTube. She stated, "...like everyone else (I) was just completely blown away. Obviously I wanted to run to Poland, like, NOW, and just record whatever. But I've learned over the years that it's good to not be too impatient." Björk's commitment to her Biophilia tour, followed immediately by composing and recording duties on Vulnicura, delayed their collaboration until mid-2015, when Björk contacted Zubrzycki again asking him to take part in this new version of Vulnicura.
But they did not meet in person. Björk simply sent him the score. "He's an incredibly talented musician," Björk revealed, "and he has more love for that instrument than the rest of us put together. It was clear that the best thing was just to pass it over to him." Zubrzycki recorded his parts in Kraków, Poland and sent the recordings to London. Days later, Björk sent the musician flowers as a thank you.[7]
In addition to appearing on the tracks "Atom Dance", "Notget" and "Family", the Viola Organista performs a solo instrumental of "Black Lake", Vulnicura's 10-minute-long centerpiece. Björk described why that song and instrument went well together: "I'm glad I waited until after we'd played the album live to record it. After some time had passed, it became obvious that "Black Lake" in particular was just this weird ghost of a song. It doesn't matter what mood you're in, what concert hall you're in: (performing this song was) always like going back to the Middle Ages. So I thought, OK, this is a little ancient song that would probably have a good relationship with the Viola Organista."
In describing why she returned to writing for strings after years of experimental instruments and orchestrations, she offered, "It was kind of perfect timing – I mean, I'd given strings a 12 year break. When I came back to them, I felt a lot more confident, and arranging and transcribing felt much more natural. It's the first time I've really done all the arrangements myself: coming up with the melodies, but also distributing the parts and printing out the scores." She said doing Medúlla, an all-vocal album, helped develop her composing skills, adding, "...I did the choir arrangements totally myself. Maybe it was easier for me, because I know the instrument much better – I've been singing since I was a kid. During Medúlla I sat with the choir working out the music, the harmonies, the Italian – you know, forte, piano, sforzando, that stuff."
Vulnicura Strings was mixed by Björk and Chris Elms[8] and stands as Björk's first companion project to one of her studio albums that wasn't a traditional remix album or a collection of live recordings. It is also her first completely acoustic studio effort. The cover artwork features a live photo by Brooklyn-based photographer Santiago Felipe and a dress by Geoffrey Mac.
Just like the original release of Vulnicura, Vulnicura Strings leaked online in inferior mono sound mere days after being announced. Unlike the original album, however, Vulnicura Strings was not rush-released digitally to head off potential loses in sales. The album was released on 6 November 2015 on CD and digitally, to be followed a month later by the vinyl edition on 4 December, though North America did not see a vinyl release until 8 January 2016.
Vulnicura Strings received general acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 80, which indicates "generally favorable reviews", based on six reviews.[10]
Live performances
On 19 July 2016, Björk announced her first live show since abruptly ending the Vulnicura tour in 2015, a special performance at London's historic Royal Albert Hall on 21 September 2016 to coincide with the London premiere of her VR show Björk Digital.[15] It was her first show in London in three years but no other details were given. A month later on 15 August 2016, after instantly selling out the Royal Albert Hall, Björk announced a second London show for 24 September, this time at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith.[16]
On 21 September 2016 Björk took to the Royal Albert Hall stage, performing a set of strings-only songs, starting with the first six songs from Vulnicura and then debuting strings-only interpretations of many of her most popular songs including “Pagan Poetry” and “Pluto”. Over two-dozen members of the Aurora Orchestra and conductor Andrew Gourlay joined her on stage in a performance that The Guardian described as “startlingly, punishingly direct.”[17] Of the Vulnicura songs "History of Touches" saw the greatest reinvention in its acoustic form, having been omitted from Vulnicura Strings entirely: the electronic synths of the original album version were replaced with high-pitched strings.
On 26 September 2016, the organizers of the 2016 Iceland Airwaves music festival announced Björk would perform two shows at the Harpa concert hall.[18] These were held on 5 and 8 November 2016 and coincided with the debut of Björk Digital in her native Iceland. The previous year Björk cancelled two shows at Iceland Airwaves due to vocal issues, thus these 2016 performances were her live debut of Vulnicura in her homeland.
On 9 January 2017, it was announced that Björk would perform an exclusive show in Mexico City at the Auditorio Nacional on 29 March 2017.[19] It was her first time performing in Mexico City and her third concert in Mexico overall. The concert followed the acoustic format set by her 2016 shows to promote Björk Digital which played in Mexico City at the same time. A second appearance in Mexico was confirmed on 16 January when it was announced that Björk would headline Toluca's Ceremonia Festival on 1 April 2017[20] where Arca, the electronic co-producer of Vulnicura, joined her for a strings and beats-type show similar to her 2015 Vulnicura tour.
On 3 March 2017, Björk and the LA Philharmonic Association announced the west coast debut of Björk Digital as well as a special concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall which was held on 30 May.[21] Bjarni Frímann Bjarnason served as guest conductor for the show that capped off the L.A. Phil's spring 2017 Reykjavík Festival.[22] Her debut performance at the venue sold out in minutes, and during the show Björk announced that it would be her final Vulnicura concert,[23] ending her 7-month tour of the Vulnicura Strings album.
The digital release features "Black Lake (Viola Organista Version)" as a bonus track while the CD edition features it as a hidden track tagged onto the end of the final track, "Family".
The discography of Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk consists of eleven studio albums, two soundtrack albums, one compilation album, six remix albums, seven live albums, four box sets, three collaboration albums, forty-five singles, ten promotional singles and eight remixes series.
The viola organista is a musical instrument designed by Leonardo da Vinci. It uses a friction belt to vibrate individual strings, with the strings selected by pressing keys on a keyboard. Leonardo's design has intrigued instrument makers for more than 400 years, but though similar instruments have been built, no extant instrument constructed directly from Leonardo's incomplete designs is known. Sometimes it is mistakenly referred to as the harpsichord viola, which is a different instrument.
"Venus as a Boy" is a song by Icelandic musician Björk, released as the second single from her 1993 album, Debut. The song was written by Björk and was produced by Nellee Hooper, who produced the majority of her debut album. The single was released in August 1993 by One Little Indian, a month after the release of the album. The song was inspired by a boy who saw everything from a "beauty point of view".
"Declare Independence" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. It was released on 1 January 2008 through One Little Indian as the third single from her sixth studio album, Volta. Björk has dedicated the song to the independence causes in the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Kosovo, Tibet, Scotland and Catalonia, with her dedications to Kosovo and Tibet at live performances in Tokyo and Shanghai, respectively, causing significant controversy.
Björk Guðmundsdóttir is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and sometimes eccentric public persona, she has developed an eclectic musical style over a career spanning four decades, drawing on electronica, pop, dance, trip hop, jazz, and avant-garde music. Regarded as the "Queen of Experimental Pop," she is one of the most influential pioneers in electronic and experimental music.
Biophilia is the seventh studio album by Icelandic singer Björk. It was released on 5 October 2011 by One Little Indian Records and distributed by Nonesuch Records in North America and by Universal Music Group in the rest of the world. Björk composed it as a concept album during the 2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis, exploring the links between nature, music and technology. Billed as the first "app album", Biophilia is a multimedia project released alongside a series of apps linking the album's themes to musicology concepts. It was followed by a series of educational workshops on four continents.
Vulnicura is the eighth studio album by Icelandic musician and singer Björk. It was produced by Björk, Arca and The Haxan Cloak, and released on 20 January 2015 by One Little Independent Records. Björk said the album expresses her feelings before and after her breakup with American contemporary artist Matthew Barney and the healing process.
"Stonemilker" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer and musician Björk for her eighth studio album, Vulnicura, in 2015. It was written and produced by Björk with beats by Venezuelan musician Arca. "Stonemilker" is Vulnicura's opening track and the first of a six-part narrative that details the devastating end of Björk's relationship with American contemporary artist Matthew Barney. Björk wrote the lyrics on the same Icelandic beach where the innovative 360-degree music video was later shot.
"Lionsong" is the second song by Icelandic singer and musician Björk from her eighth studio album, Vulnicura. It was written and composed by Björk and features beats by Venezuelan musician Arca, who co-produced the track with her.
"Black Lake" is a song by Icelandic musician Björk for her eighth studio album, Vulnicura (2015). At ten minutes and eight seconds, it is the longest song to appear on one of her studio albums. Written by Björk in the aftermath of her separation from contemporary artist Matthew Barney, the lyrics of "Black Lake" detail her heartbreak, anger, and attempts to forgive Barney — her emotions grow as each verse progresses in time, leading up to the final lines describing her "return home". The track was released alongside the rest of the album on 20 January 2015, by One Little Indian Records. Featuring additional production and programming by Arca, mixing by The Haxan Cloak, string and vocal arrangements by Björk, and a four-person group of cellists, "Black Lake" consolidates a dramatic sound with cellos and electronic beats that fade and reappear throughout the song.
The Vulnicura tour was the eighth concert tour by Icelandic musician Björk. The tour centered on her critically acclaimed 2015 album Vulnicura which chronicled the singer's breakup with American contemporary artist Matthew Barney.
"All Neon Like" is a song by Icelandic musician Björk. The song was written by Björk and produced by the singer and British producer Mark Bell for Björk's album Homogenic (1997).
Vulnicura Live is a live album by Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk featuring 14 songs performed during her 2015 Vulnicura tour. The original release was available exclusively through Rough Trade record shops in very limited quantities and is published by One Little Indian. Its online allotment quickly sold out but a limited number of CDs and LPs were available at Rough Trade brick and mortar stores on release day. The sets are now out of print. The album was followed 8 months later by a standard commercial release featuring an altered track order and new artwork taken during the Vulnicura tour.
Björk Digital is an "immersive" virtual reality exhibit by Icelandic musician Björk featuring 360-degree VR music videos from her eighth studio album, Vulnicura. The exhibit debuted at Carriageworks in Sydney, Australia as part of the Vivid Sydney festival on 4 June 2016 and has traveled across the globe to Tokyo, London, Mexico City, Los Angeles, and other cities around the globe. Originally announced as an 18 month tour, the exhibit is still running.
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.
"The Gate" is a song recorded by Icelandic musician Björk. It was released on 15 September 2017 through One Little Indian as the lead single from her ninth studio album, Utopia (2017). The song was written and produced by Björk and Arca. An ambient and electronica song, "The Gate" lyrically meditates on the possibilities of love, from both a speculative and emphatic point of view. The song was also noted to be a direct transition between the imagery included on Björk's previous studio album, Vulnicura (2015), and Utopia.
Utopia is the ninth studio album by Icelandic singer-musician Björk. It was primarily produced by Björk and Venezuelan electronic record producer Arca, and released on 24 November 2017 through One Little Indian Records in the United Kingdom and The Orchard Enterprises in the United States. The album was acclaimed by music critics for its production, songwriting and Björk's vocals, and later received a nomination for Best Alternative Music Album at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, becoming Björk's eighth consecutive nomination in the category.
Cornucopia was the tenth concert tour and first theatrical production by Icelandic singer and songwriter Björk. Debuting as a residency show on eight non consecutive nights at Manhattan's The Shed culture center, it was one of the first shows being performed at the venue, which was inaugurated in April 2019. Concepted upon Björk's ninth studio album, Utopia (2017), it is directed by Argentine film director Lucrecia Martel, and was described as the singer's "most elaborate stage concert yet."
Björk Orkestral was an "unplugged" concert series by Icelandic musician Björk. Originally announced for the summer of 2020, all concert dates were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A four-part concert series was later announced for August 2020 at the Harpa concert hall in Reykjavík, then rescheduled to October and November 2021 due to new restrictions against the pandemic by the Icelandic government. Each date featured different musicians, instrumentation and set lists and all four concerts were live streamed to raise money for Kvennaathvarfið, a women's shelter in Reykjavík. Over 100 Icelandic musicians joined Björk on stage across the four matinee performances, which were some of the first live performances with an audience by a major international singer since COVID-19 crippled the live music industry.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
