Björk is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, actress, and fashion icon, a queen of experimentation and innovation, producing eclectic, genre-bending music. This week I look at her fifth album, 2004’s Medúlla, where Björk exercised the most powerful instrument of them all; her voice.
Vespertine proved to be another critical smash for Björk, becoming her fastest-selling album at the time. After its release, Björk embarked on an epic world tour, playing 35 shows across Europe, America, and Asia. Performances took place at opera houses, theatres, and small venues, with favourable acoustics for the concert. Björk was backed throughout by an Inuit choir and a 70-piece orchestra. By 2002, Björk was already working on her next record, Medúlla.
2002 proved to be a busy year for Björk, with the birth of her daughter, Isadora, in October. Björk also released a CD box set called Family Tree, an extensive compilation of previously unreleased material, and a greatest hits CD selected by Björk herself. It coincided with the release of another greatest hits album, with material selected by Björk’s fans via a survey. Considering how busy she was, it’s no surprise she turned down an opportunity to feature on The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers soundtrack.
Björk decided early on that Medúlla would be an entirely vocal-based album, something Björk had decided she wanted to do one day when she was just a teenager. The album is primarily connected to Björk’s teenage years, focusing on life, love, family, and friends. The record was also inspired by paganism, resulting in a far more minimalist sound than Vespertine. It also reflected Björk’s growing unease with overt patriotism, especially following the racist outbreaks that occurred post-9/11. Political discord left Björk searching for a common soul in everybody, stripping away material barriers to expose basic human spirituality.
The album wasn’t entirely a capella, with tracks featuring some basic electronic programming and some minor instrumentation. But the album’s primary purpose was harnessing the power of the human voice and using it as an instrument. The recording process was extensive, taking place in eighteen locations worldwide, including New York, Iceland, Venice, and the Canary Islands. Björk assembled an eclectic ensemble to help her, with some returning faces, such as Mark Bell, and plenty of new ones. Collaborators included: Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq (who had toured on Vespertine), Mike Patton, the lead singer of the alternative metal band Faith No More, hip hop beatboxer Ruhzel (former member of The Roots), and Robert Wyatt of Soft Machine. Performances from several choirs supplemented the whole album.
Medúlla was released in August 2004 and was heavily promoted, with Björk performing at that summer’s Olympic Games in Athens (seriously follow the link). It feels derivative to call a Björk album unique, but there’s really no other description. It’s an enthralling, captivating affair and a testament to the power of the human voice. Relying on the myriad textures and timbres of the human voice, Björk creates something primitive and diverse. It’s a record that feels caught between the medieval and contemporary, celebrating human voices across time.
The album opens with ‘Pleasure Is All Mine’, a song about breastfeeding written after the birth of Björk’s daughter, Björk singing, “The pleasure is all mine/To get to be the generous one”. The track begins with a vocal harmony set over the top of a woman panting. Once Björk starts singing the verse, these ominous cathedral-like harmonies come in with a pounding beat lurking in the background. ‘Show Me Forgiveness’ is a brief confessional effort, completely a capella. ‘Where Is The Line’ showcases Rahzel’s immense talent, as he manages to create the sound of these glitchy techno beats with his voice. The deep guttural sounds contrast with the floating harmonies of the choir; it sounds like a battle between the devil and an angel. ‘Vökuró’ is a sombre adaptation of an old Icelandic lullaby.
‘Öll Birtan’ sees Bjork’s voice layered over several times, with a half-drone in the left channel and repetitive doot-doos echoing in the right channel. ‘Who Is It’, the album’s lead single, sees Rahzel again creating glitchy techno-like beats while Tanya Tagaq provides a deep monster-like roar that hides in the background. It has a pop-like chorus, but the song’s meaning remains ambiguous. When Bjork sings, “His embrace, a fortress/It fuels me and places/A skeleton of trust”, you’re not sure whether she’s referring to her son or a lover. ‘Submarine’ features Robert Wyatt’s reedy vocals, with some bassy guttural noises and someone breathing in the background. Rather appropriately, it creates a haunting atmosphere that submerges you.
‘Desired Constellation’ takes you into space, Bjork’s voice floating around the stars. The song was created by taking a sample of Bjork’s vocals on her song ‘Hidden Place’ from Vespertine. ‘Oceania’ is a glorious celebration of the ocean and natural life, Bjork singing from the perspective of the sea (“Hawks and Sparrows race in my waters/Stingrays are floating”). Written specifically for the Olympic Games opening ceremony, it’s mythologically evocative. ‘Sonnets/Unrealities XI’ sees Bjork adapt E.E. Cummings’ poem; It may not always be so; and I say, though I don’t feel she quite captures the mournful energy of the poem. ‘Ancestors’ is a gentle, primal affair featuring no lyrics, just the voices of Bjork and Tagaq. It features some rare instrumentation in the form of a piano but overall has a very raw, human element. The track feels like it could have been produced in a cave thousands of years ago.
‘Mouth’s Cradle’ is another song about breastfeeding, with Björk singing about the closeness it brings with her daughter (“This tooth is warmth-like”). The end of the song sees her get political, singing, “I need a shelter to build an altar away/From all Osamas and Bushes”, seeking to protect her daughter from a world that is getting more and more dangerous. It’s the record’s most textured affair, a jungle of clashing harmonies, all sustained by this glugging rhythm. ‘Miðvikudags’ is reminiscent of ‘Öll Birtan’ with Björk’s voice split in two, with the repetitive doot-doo in the right channel. The closer, ‘Triumph of the Heart’, is a form of organic techno, the closing thing on the album to a dance track. The beatboxing provides popping energy, while Björk’s voice is at its most melodic.
Medúlla is another example of Björk’s spirit of adventure, with no record sounding like its predecessor. It’s as fascinating as it is unexpected, as Björk demonstrates the emotional range of the human voice. It’s primitive but deeply melodic; Björk’s abilities as a composer shine through throughout. It’s a record that needs time, not as instantly accessible as her previous efforts, but if you give yourself time, you’ll be rewarded with a captivating listening experience.