at a glance...

Hometown: Reykjavik, Iceland
First Solo Recording: 1975

Personnel:
Björk -vocals, keyboards, brass arrangements
Nellee Hooper -drums, percussion, engineering
Marius De Vries -keyboards, programming
Graham Massey -keyboards, programming
Eumir Deodato -orchestra conductor
Isobel Griffiths -orchestral leader

Bands In The Family:
The Sugarcubes, 808 State, Radiohead, Tricky, Underworld, Massive Attack, Howie B, Cassius, Talvin Singh

Notes:
Björk Guðmundsdóttir was famous by age 16 in her native country, after appearing on national TV with her first band, Tappi Tikarrass. It was with her third band, The Sugarcubes, where she became internationally known. The breakout single, "Birthday," was the band's first and biggest hit in Europe and America. After three albums, a marriage, and the birth of her son Sindri, Björk left the band (and the husband) in 1992 for a new life in London. Taking in the burgeoning dance scene, Björk sought out producers for her first solo record, finding a kindred spirit in former Soul II Soul guru, Nellee Hooper, who helped her mold a love of hip-hop, dance, and jazz music into a signature sound. Appropriately titled Debut, her first record was a massive success, driven by the hit single and Michel Gondry-directed video for "Human Behavior." She followed up with the melancholic Post in 1995, further expanding her sound and her fanbase. Between the second and third studio albums, she released a remix record called Telegram. Shortly after releasing a self-produced third album, Homogenic, in 1997, a retrospective of Björk's videos became a featured exhibit at The Paris Museum of Modern Art. One video she would like to forget, however, is the one of her beating up an unsuspecting television reporter at an airport in Singapore back in 1996.

Links:
Check out our
Björk Mothership

Read Ink Blot's tribute to Björk, "Dancing Queen"

An artist that revels in the re-texturing of her own music to expose its full range and potential, Björk's decision to release a remix album was as much a gift to her fans as it was an experimental labor of love. Björk and her various producers, collaborators, and remixers prove the cup did runneth over on the subtle, orchestral tones of Post, so much so that the fractured, highly episodic Telegram reveals nooks and crannies few could have imagined initially existed.

At its best Telegram is revelatory. One listen to Howie B's "I Miss You" in its original Post form and then "I Miss You - Dobie," remixed by Dobie with deep R&B grooves and a well-placed guest rap by Rodney P of The London Posse, will have you marvelling at just how dexterous Björk can be.

Björk's chameleon-like voice changes tone at will, taking a trip-hop vibe on the pained and distorted "Possibly Maybe - LFO," going Nine Inch Nails industrial on Tricky's "Enjoy - Outcast," becoming a drum 'n' bass diva on the jackhammering "Cover Me - Dillinja," and taking the ethereal to morbid depths on the strangely moaning death march "Headphones - Mika Vainio" with its irregular heartbeats and piano chords.

Even greater surprises emerge from Telegram. The only new song on the album, the quirky xylophone track "My Spine," recalls some of the lyrics of "Hyperballad" while harkening back to the more whimsical days of Debut. The remix of "You've Been Flirting Again - Björk" places the vocal in a crystalline vaccum while drawing out an even warmer orchestral movement, almost reminiscent of crooner Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable." Most shocking however is "Army Of Me - Graham Massey." The dense original single is almost unrecognizable, its complete deconstruction opening up a wilderness of flattened yet riveting beats.

Stark raving experimentation has led to a collection of stereo friendly mixes that casual fans couldn't have possibly expected. Telegram highlights the full scope of Björk's musical odyssey in a way that even her studio albums cannot. It's quite possibly her most adventurous and satisfying record to date.

If you like Björk, check out:
Björk Homogenic
Björk Post
Björk Selmasongs
Björk Debut
Talvin Singh OK
Virginia Rodrigues Nós
Massive Attack Protection
Tricky Maxinquaye
DJ Shadow Endtroducing...

-- Pierre Stefanos