Album: Homogenic
For me, this album is Björk's crowning achievement. Post was definitely a more experimental album than Debut, but I still much prefer the songs on her first album. Some tracks on Post, like It's Oh So Quiet, never fail to grate my earlobes. After Post, Björk moved away from her Icelandic pixie image, not least to deter crazed weirdos like her stalker Ricardo Lopez, who committed suicide during the recording sessions for Homogenic. The surrounding media fury led Björk to seek pastures new, away from London to the south of Spain. She also drafted in a new producer, swapping Nellee Hooper for LFO's Mark Bell, who took care of programming the electronic beats that would enhance Björk's melodies. Right from the outset, this new forward-thinking, futuristic sound is evident, with Hunter's menacing, trip hop style atmospherics and mysterious lyrics. It was a perfect fit for the X-Files soundtrack and had a great video (see below) that challenged perceptions of Björk as a cute, elfin singer. Hunter was one of five singles released from the album, all of which failed to chart in the UK Top 20, a sign that Björk had traded in her mass appeal for artistic maturity.
Two of my favourite songs on the record are Jóga and Unravel. The intense, baroque arrangement of Jóga reflects the emotional depth of the song, which is an ode to Björk's homeland of Iceland and also her close friend, Jóhanna "Jóga" Jóhannsdóttir, who had recently died. The beats are especially impressive in the way they attempt to replicate the sound of a volcano exploding. Unravel is just as sublime, with its Arthur Russell-inspired violin sound and Björk's astonishing vocal performance, half-speaking and half-singing. Homogenic's state-of-the-art production is most evident on Bachelorette, with its epic orchestral arrangement, as well as stunning lyrics co-written by Icelandic poet Sjón ("I'm a whisper in water / secret for you to hear / you are the one who grows distant / when I beckon you near"). There's an elemental, mystical feel to the album that's reminiscent of Kate Bush's The Ninth Wave section of Hounds Of Love. All Neon Like completes the run of outstanding tracks, again the mix of beats and exotic instruments, like the glass harmonica, makes for a captivating listen. 5 Years sounds like an end-of-relationship song, with lyrics possibly directed at Tricky, while the intense, industrial chaos of Pluto is full of rage, intensified by big beats and Björk's screams and yelps. Alarm Call is another of my favourites on the record, and I love the growling voice ("I'm no f**king Buddhist, but this is enlightenment"). All Is Full Of Love is a return to the baroque sound of earlier tracks and makes for a serene ending to the album. Björk is a true original and hearing this album for the first time generated the feeling of "future-rush" that Simon Reynolds talks about so eloquently. Homogenic is a masterpiece.
Artist: Björk
Born: Rejkavik, Iceland
Released: June 1997
Genre: Baroque Electronica
Genre: Baroque Electronica
For me, this album is Björk's crowning achievement. Post was definitely a more experimental album than Debut, but I still much prefer the songs on her first album. Some tracks on Post, like It's Oh So Quiet, never fail to grate my earlobes. After Post, Björk moved away from her Icelandic pixie image, not least to deter crazed weirdos like her stalker Ricardo Lopez, who committed suicide during the recording sessions for Homogenic. The surrounding media fury led Björk to seek pastures new, away from London to the south of Spain. She also drafted in a new producer, swapping Nellee Hooper for LFO's Mark Bell, who took care of programming the electronic beats that would enhance Björk's melodies. Right from the outset, this new forward-thinking, futuristic sound is evident, with Hunter's menacing, trip hop style atmospherics and mysterious lyrics. It was a perfect fit for the X-Files soundtrack and had a great video (see below) that challenged perceptions of Björk as a cute, elfin singer. Hunter was one of five singles released from the album, all of which failed to chart in the UK Top 20, a sign that Björk had traded in her mass appeal for artistic maturity.
Two of my favourite songs on the record are Jóga and Unravel. The intense, baroque arrangement of Jóga reflects the emotional depth of the song, which is an ode to Björk's homeland of Iceland and also her close friend, Jóhanna "Jóga" Jóhannsdóttir, who had recently died. The beats are especially impressive in the way they attempt to replicate the sound of a volcano exploding. Unravel is just as sublime, with its Arthur Russell-inspired violin sound and Björk's astonishing vocal performance, half-speaking and half-singing. Homogenic's state-of-the-art production is most evident on Bachelorette, with its epic orchestral arrangement, as well as stunning lyrics co-written by Icelandic poet Sjón ("I'm a whisper in water / secret for you to hear / you are the one who grows distant / when I beckon you near"). There's an elemental, mystical feel to the album that's reminiscent of Kate Bush's The Ninth Wave section of Hounds Of Love. All Neon Like completes the run of outstanding tracks, again the mix of beats and exotic instruments, like the glass harmonica, makes for a captivating listen. 5 Years sounds like an end-of-relationship song, with lyrics possibly directed at Tricky, while the intense, industrial chaos of Pluto is full of rage, intensified by big beats and Björk's screams and yelps. Alarm Call is another of my favourites on the record, and I love the growling voice ("I'm no f**king Buddhist, but this is enlightenment"). All Is Full Of Love is a return to the baroque sound of earlier tracks and makes for a serene ending to the album. Björk is a true original and hearing this album for the first time generated the feeling of "future-rush" that Simon Reynolds talks about so eloquently. Homogenic is a masterpiece.
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