Bjork : Releases >>

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Debut >>

Her first album following the break-up of the Sugarcubes, Debut is Icelandic trickster Björk's statement of purpose: bringing curious experimentalism to the dance floor and putting her startling, expressive voice front and centre. Her perspective is a little alien--it's no accident that the first song talks about "getting close to a human"--but her levelling of genre distinctions has some wonderful results, especially the eroticised easy-listening reggae sway of "Venus As a Boy". Paired with producer Nellee Hooper (of Soul II Soul), she comes up with a series of invitingly artificial settings for her pipes, built from late-night beats and peculiar timbres, and sings like she's overwhelmed with joy from all her senses. --Douglas Wolk

Post >>

This Icelandic marvel is such an original that, even after four Sugarcubes albums and a brilliant solo Debut, she remains an acquired taste. "Army of Me" is a turbulent, darkling tune that's almost conventional next to the gloriously eclectic material that follows. Working with Tricky, Soul II Soul/U2 producer Nellee Hooper, and string arranger/one-hit wonder Deodato, Björk looses her helium-fuelled voice and surreal wordplay on Gershwinesque pop (the adorable "It's Oh So Quiet"), ambient dub ("Possibly Maybe") and all kinds of fresh dance/pop hybrids ("Enjoy", "Hyper-Ballad", "I Miss You"). Too raw and adventurous for mass success, perhaps, but a more unique, engaging, and oddly accessible artist just doesn't exist. --Jeff Bateman

Vespertine >>

Björk originally intended to call Vespertine Domestika. The title would have been entirely appropriate (as, indeed, is Vespertine, meaning "pertaining to the evening"). Ever since 1993's vital, effusive Debut, Björk's music has been increasingly intimate, gently private and concerned with seclusion. It's typical then that Vespertine's first single was called "Hidden Place". The studious solitude is rewarding, though. Vespertine is a lush, gorgeous swell of mid-pace electronica, symphonic strings and Björk's uniquely alien, spectral vocal. There are fantastical wonders here. "Cocoon" (another eulogy to withdrawal from the world) is delicate as a breath, Björk sounding too fragile to be flesh as she lauds "a beauty this immense". "Pagan Poetry" and "Aurora", likewise, are adrift in an enchanted reverie. When she chooses, she crafts killer tunes: "It's Not up to You" is as lovely as anything on Post. Yet frequently, on such tracks as the yearning, glancing "Undo", Björk seems to be simply thinking aloud, revelling in this wildly rich and visceral music. She's reclaimed cutting-edge electronica, so often the province of geeks and technicians, for the poets and the passionate. Vespertine is a landmark, a revelation, a truly fabulous achievement. --Ian Gittins

Greatest Hits >>

Compiled via a fan survey conducted on her Web site, Björk's Greatest Hits eschews presenting the tracks in chronological order, making for a jumbled ride through the vocalist's unique, twisted and frequently brilliant discography. A few welcome surprises surface, including EP remixes, a rarity (the 1993 David Arnold collaboration "Play Dead") and the previously unreleased "It's in Our Hands," a clever blip-pop number that would have fit nicely on either 1997's Homogenic or 2001's Vespertine. Starting off with a dreamy remix of "All Is Full of Love", the collection contrasts giddy dance-pop such as "Hyperballad" (from the wonderful Post) with the brooding thump of "Army of Me" and Debut's "Human Behaviour", while injecting liberal doses of experimental ballads such as "Joga" and "Pagan Poetry". Some choices will grate on the nerves of purists (the sans strings mix of "Hyperballad"), and it would have been nice to hear something from Selmasongs, but with Björk's incredibly consistent discography to work from, it's impossible to screw up a retrospective compilation such as this. --Matthew Cooke

Medulla >>

Normally, an artist such as Bjork with a mass audience across the globe steadily eases off as the back-catalogue starts to grow. However, Medulla, the fifth proper studio album from Bjork is without a doubt the most challenging collection of music she has ever released.

For the most part, the album is made up of layers uponlayers of processed vocal parts arranged in either harmony or dissonance such as "Vokuro" and "Oll Birtan", respectively. Some, such as "Show Me Forgiveness" are simple acapella, the aforementioned sounding like a vocal cut from Debut minus the music. Another echo of Bjork days gone by is "Desired Constellation", a slow trancy pulse underpinning her distinct vocals. "Where is the Line", "Who Is It" and "Triumph of a Heart" are a bit grimier with a semi-urban twist, the latter a fantastically funky beatbox number with an outstanding introduction, the closest moment to a pop song appearing on Medulla.

Although traditional instruments and breaks have been removed from this album, Medulla is no great departure for Bjork but in a sense it is radically different from any of her previous work. Some will love it, some hate it, and some just wont be sure what to think. --David Trueman

Homogenic >>

Headline-grabbing personal upheavals turn into introspective surges on Homogenic, the third album by Icelandic singer Björk. Driven inward after a bizarre year accented by a much publicised mail bomb, airport cat fight and brawl between ex-lovers Tricky and Goldie, Björk gets lost in a wash of strings and minimalist techno patterns on her latest outing. The eccentricity and stylistic schizophrenia of Debut and Post have been cast away in favour of darker, more sublime edginess. Filled with songs about paranoia, heartbreak and lost faith, Homogenic not only showcases more mature themes, but a more uniform mood. Notch that up to Björk's decision to produce the album herself. Aside from a few nominal collaborations with Mark Bell of obscure techno outfit LFO and the Icelandic String Octet, this is the purest representation of the artist's vision. Little did we know that such a quirky personality would have such a bleak world view. Homogenic is almost too heavy to take in sitting, and songs, like the grating "Pluto", are downright unlistenable. But there are moments of inspiration that burn through the dark clouds, particularly on the contemplative "Joga" and the uplifting "Bachelorette". --Aidin Vaziri

Volta >>

Björk's main asset as a musician is her fearlessness. Since the end of The Sugarcubes and the pop-dance of Debut, she has released progressively more experimental records. But after well over a decade of going further and further out, Volta steps back. Make no mistake; this is Björk, and so it's still fabulously weird. Like 2004's mesmerizing Medúlla and the 2005 soundtrack for Drawing Restraint 9, the songs are blissfully peculiar, with narratives about love, offspring, aliens...you name it. Yet melodically and philosophically, Volta recycles more than it innovates; the driving pulse of "Declare Independence," for instance, reminds us of Homogenic's "Pluto," and the lead single "Earth Intruders" sounds like Post's "Army of Me" on steroids. And just as Medúlla oriented itself around a certain instrument--the human voice--this one concentrates on horns.

Still, the transition between her early work and the avant-garde bender she's been on since Vespertine is pretty harrowing, and it's satisfying to hear Björk revisit her more accessible self. Uber-producer Timbaland pitches in here and there, most successfully on "Innocence," which uses a fat, disjointed pulse to drive the euphoric vocals forward. Elsewhere, the hyperactive sitar sample on "I See Who You Are" provides texture for the song's theme of enjoying each other while there's still "flesh on our bones." And "Pneumonia" makes fantastic use of the horn section with a soft arrangement that compliments the song's lyrical melody.

So while it's a bit of a stall, Volta is a lovely pause. It reminds us how much we appreciate the laboratory of Björk's imagination, but also how much we missed her back when she was just goofing around. --Matthew Cooke

Volta: +DVD >>

Surrounded (7 DualDisc Box Set) >>

John Tavener - A Portrait >>

Ideal for neophytes, John Tavener: A Portrait is a two-disc set presenting a chronological survey of the composer's major works produced to coincide with his 60th birthday (January 2004). Although it's a sampler collection consisting of short extracts, it all fits together well because the music is accompanied by a lengthy and informative booklet essay by David McCleery that puts all the extracts in the context of Tavener's Gnostic musical journey of self-discovery, from avant-garde pal of the Beatles to Russian Orthodoxy to all-embracing spirituality.

The representative selection is compiled from a variety of recordings and record labels (though there's nothing here from his most famous early work The Whale). The Protecting Veil (performed by Maria Kliegel) as well as his later "divine" musings are given due prominence, naturally enough. But even Tavener acolytes who already have the full-length versions of many of these pieces will still be tempted by the inclusion of the premiere recording of Prayer of the Heart, featuring Icelandic singer Björk and the Brodsky Quartet. The addition of a recorded interview with the composer himself ensures that anyone wishing to learn more about Tavener's often opaque and enigmatic music will do well to begin here. --Mark Walker