Bjork: Biography

VITALS
Born Bjork Gudmindsdettir on November 21, 1965, in Reykjavik, Iceland

Bjork began her singing career as an 11-year-old child prodigy who covered Beatles songs. As she grew into adolescence, she got together with an outfit called Tappi Tikarrass, which recorded two albums between 1981 and 1983. Soon after that, she was introduced to the future members of the Sugarcubes, the band which would bring her a degree of popularity during the late ’80s and early ’90s. After the Sugarcubes broke up, Bjork left the Cubes’ former base of operations in the UK for Iceland, where she began to pay herself out of debt.

It was in Iceland in 1993 that Bjork release Debut, a house-oriented album which yielded four hit singles. The songs on that album got huge play at dance clubs; remixes by some big-name DJs also helped propel it to the top of the charts. Bjork didn’t shy away from her success, and by the time her second solo effort, Post, was released, she had co-written the title track for Madonna’s Bedtime Stories, attacked a roving reporter and hooked up with jungle artist Goldie.

After releasing her third album Homogenic, Bjork made the move to acting and landed a role in Dancer in the Dark, a movie by Lars von Trier, which received rave reviews. For her role as Selma and for her soundtrack, Selmasongs, Bjork also received praise from film critics.

Her most recent release is Vespertine, which has been hailed by some as her best album yet.

DISCOGRAPHY

Debut, released in 1993 on Elektra Records
Summary: This is Bjork’s first solo release after her former band, The Sugarcubes, broke up. One of the album’s songs, “There’s More to Life Than This,” was recorded in the bathroom at a nightclub.

Post, released in 1995 on Elektra Records
Summary: Hailed as an improvement on her hit first album, Post is a bit less restrained than its predecessor, Debut. Bjork got production help from Nellee Hooper and Tricky on this effort.

Homogenic, released in 1997 on Elektra Records
Summary: Electronic sounds and the Icelandic String Octet complement Bjork on her comparatively calm third offering. It’s a collection of traditional songs from Iceland translated into English and arranged by Mark Bell, Howie B, and Bjork. Homogenic is the first album that Bjork actively produced.

Selmasongs, released in 2000 on Elektra Records
Summary: Selmasongs is the soundtrack to the movie Dancer in the Dark. All of the tracks were written by Bjork — some of them with the assistance of the movie’s director, Lars von Trier. Bjork sings along with Catherine Deneuve and Thom Yorke.

Vespertine, released in 2001 on Elektra Records
Summary: Vespertine is Bjork’s 4th solo album. Bjork worked on the music with Jake Davies and Marius de Vries in Iceland. Bjork later set up camp in New York and started work in a loft with harp player Zeena Parkins.