FAMILY TREE PLATES
[01] |
Telepathy |
[02] |
Uppspretta |
[03] |
The conquest of the polyconsoler |
[04] |
A fortiori |
[05] |
Rhapsody |
[06] |
Temper examples |
[07] |
Balderdash |
[08] |
Operazione Morizia |
[09] |
The elliptic mouthed illusionist |
[10] |
The bottom seeker |
[11] |
The core |
[12] |
Equilibrium |
[13] |
Portrait of denial |
[14] |
Mjaldur |
[15] |
Elliptics |
[16] |
Fernando |
[17] |
Halfman halfbeast |
[18] |
Simplicity |
[19] |
The bottle run |
[20] |
Terrific snowman |
[21] |
Zahir |
[22] |
Attack of the minor-complex bacteria |
[23]
|
M.I.R |
[24] |
Melancholy |
[25] |
Reason |
[26] |
Sculptor |
[27] |
Operazione pane |
[28] |
Sculptor |
Read more about the plates in
the Extra page! |
|
Family Tree : A taxonomy of songs |
The artwork for Family Tree
is by an Icelandic friend, a sculptor named Gabriela. Like me, she has
four chambers in her which we call "roots," "beats," "strings" and
"words." So I used this for the taxonomic structure of Family Tree…
To bring together roots, beats, strings, and words, to unite all these
opposing sytems, is to be a medium between disparate worlds trying to
unite history, the present and the environment into a song on the radio,
in a possible moment of utopia…
Roots
Where we come from, the
ancient things in us - in my case, stubbornness and patriotism;
enthusiasm for Iceland, the culture and the natural physical
environment; old-woman melodies and indigenous punk rock; my voice.
Appears here in songs representing some of the biggest leaps and
discoveries in my harmonic development from the age of fifteen until
now…
Beats
Our craving for
modern times - in my case, the desire to unite with the new and
unknown, the alien and taboo by merging my voice with foreign
electronic beats. With this experience, I could then try to develop a
peculiarly “Icelandic” electronic rhythm. Appears here as some of the
first experiments I made around 1990 with English electronic
beatmakers Graham Massey and Mark Bell…
Strings
Our struggle with education and all things
academic—in my case, ten years of classical music training where I was
force-fed German composers then spent the next fifteen battling them:
if we were going to invent a new Icelandic modern musical language
then where did Brahms and Beethoven come into it? After all these
years, string arrangements have enabled me to unite my musical
universe with the academic one. Appears here as my collaborations with
the Brodsky quartet in 1995…
Words
How we use words to tell stories about different
emotional states—in my case, I always felt that I was first a
music-maker using words as signposts for the music; no mood is
inferior, every emotion can be defended; I can write songs in a
spontaneous, flippant mood or I can focus on more complex structures
that require a whole notebook of thoughts compressed into a few
verses. Appears here as a selection of my lyrics over time… |
ROOTS CD1 |
details |
One
Sídasta Ég
1984
Written by Björk, G.K. Ottarsson, Thor Eldon. Orginal production by:
Björk, G.K. Ottarsson. Guitar
by G.K. Ottarsson. Engineered by Mel Jefferson. Mixed by Jim Abbiss. |
Two
Glóra
1980
Written by Björk. Production and flute by Björk. Engineered by Mel
Jefferson.
Mixed by Jim Abbiss. |
three
Fuglar 1983
Written by Kukl. Produced by Kukl. Engineered by Tony Cook. |
Four
Ammæli
1986
Written by The Sugarcubes.
Produced by Ray Schulman & Derek Birkett. |
Five
Mamma
1987
Written by The Sugarcubes.
Produced by Ray Schulman & Derek Birkett. |
|
ROOTS CD2 |
details |
One
Immature
1996
Written by Björk. Piano by
Björk. Produced by Björk.
Mixed by Mark <Spike> Stent. Engineered by Markus Dravs. |
Two
Cover Me
1995
Written by Björk. Produced
by Björk & Nellee Hooper. Engineered by Howie Bernstein. Assistant
Engineer Oswald <Wiz> Bowe. Programming by Marius de Vries. Keyboards:
Björk |
Three
Generous Palmstroke
2000
Written by Björk & Zeena
Parkins. Harp by Zeena Parkins. Live recording by Kevin Pruce at the
Santa Cecilia di Academia, Rome, 10 November 2001. Produced by Björk.
Mixed by Valgeir Sigurdsson. |
Four
Jóga (Strings & Vocals)
1996
Written by Björk & Sjón.
Produced by Björk & Mark Bell. Mixed by Howie B. |
Five
Mother Heroic
2001
Written by Björk & Guy
Sigsworth. Lyrics taken from the poem <Belgium> by E.E. Cummings.
Celeste by Guy Sigsworth. Pro tools: Yan <Stan> Kybert. Engineered by
Valgeir Sigurdsson. Mix Engineer Paul <P-Dub> Walton. Assisted by Matt
Fields & David Treahearn. Mixed by Mark <Spike> Stent. <Belgium> the
lines from <Oh Thou That Bowest Thy Ecstatic Face>, copyright 1925,
1953 © 1991 by the trustees for the E.E. Cummings Trust, Copyright ©
1976 by George James Firmage, from: Complete Poems: 1940-1962 by E.E.
Cummings, edited by George J. Firmage. Used by permission of Liveright
Publishing Corporation. |
|
BEATS |
details |
One
The Modern Things
1991
Written by Björk & Graham
Massey. Original demo produced by Björk & Graham Massey. Programming
by Graham Massey. Keyboards by Graham Massey & Björk. Mix Engineer
Graham Massey. |
Two
Karvel
1994
Written by Björk & Graham
Massey. Produced & mixed by Graham Massey. Engineered by Markus Dravs. |
Three
I Go Humble
1995
Written by Björk & Mark
Bell. Programming by Mark Bell & Marius de Vries. Keyboards: Mark
Bell. Recording engineers Mark Bell & Alan Fisch. Assistant engineer
Oswald <Wiz> Bowe. Mix Engineer Howie Bernstein. |
Four
Nature
Is Ancient
1997
Written by Björk & Mark
Bell. Produced by Björk & Mark Bell. Recorded by Markus Dravs. Mixed
by Mark <Spike> Stent. |
|
STRINGS CD1 |
Björk & Brodsky Quartet:
Live & Studio recordings, 1999/2000. |
One
Unravel
Written by Björk & Guy
Sigsworth. String arrangements written by Brodsky Quartet.
Mixed by Jake Davies. |
Two
Cover Me
Written by Björk. String arrangements written by Brodsky Quartet.
Mixed by Jake Davies. |
Three
Possibly Maybe
Written by Björk, Nellee Hooper & Marius de Vries String arrangements
written by Brodsky Quartet. Mixed by Jake Davies. |
Four
The Anchor Song
Written by Björk. String arrangements adapted for string quartet by
Brodsky Quartet. Mixed by Jake Davies. |
Five
Hunter
Written by Björk. String arrangements written by Brodsky Quartet.
Mixed by Jake Davies. |
|
STRINGS CD2 |
Björk & Brodsky Quartet:
Live & Studio recordings, 1999/2000. |
One
All Neon Like
Written by Björk. String arrangements written by Brodsky Quartet.
Mixed by Jake Davies. |
Two
I've Seen It All
Written by Björk, Sigurjon Birgir Sigurdsson & Lars Von Trier. Mixed
by Jake Davies, Valgeir Sigurdsson & Björk. |
Three
Bachelorette
Written by Björk & Sigurjon Birgir Sigurdsson. String arrangements
adapted for string quartet by Brodsky Quartet. Mixed by Jake Davies,
Valgeir Sigurdsson & Björk. |
Four
Play Dead
Written by Björk, David Arnold & Jah Wobble. Mixed by Jake Davies. |
|
|
Family Tree
CD1 |
greatest hits as
chosen by björk |
4 nov 2002.
cd in pink pvc case
01.
venus as a boy
02.
hyperballad
03.
you've been flirting again
04.
isobel
05.
jóga
06.
unravel
07.
bachelorette
08.
all is full of love
09.
scatterheart
10.
i've seen it all
11.
pagan poetry
12.
it's not up to you |
|
3"cd in paper slip
01.
sídasta ég
(1984)
02.
glóra
(1980)
03.
fuglar (1983)
04.
ammæli
(1986)
05.
mama
(1987) |
3"cd in paper slip
01.
immature
(1996)
02.
cover me
(1995)
03.
generous palmstroke
(2000)
04.
jóga (Strings&Vocals)
(1996)
05.
mother heroic
(2001) |
|
3"cd in paper slip
01.
the modern things
(1991)
02.
karvel (1994)
03.
i go humble
(1995)
04.
nature is ancient
(1997) |
|
3"cd in paper slip
01. unravel
02. cover me
03. possibly maybe
04. the anchor song
05. hunter |
3"cd in paper slip
01.
all neon like
02.
i've seen it all
03.
bachelorette
04.
play dead |
|
Words
booklet |
björk's own favourite
lyrics |
01.
all is full of love
02.
aurora
03.
cocoon
04.
cover me
05.
headphones
06.
human behaviour
07.
hyperballad
08.
jóga
09.
pagan poetry
10.
pluto
11.
scatterheart
12.
the anchor song
13.
the modern things
14.
unravel
15.
venus as a boy
16.
all neon like |
KUKL
"Before the Sugarcubes I was
in K.U.K.L., a punk band, and that was much more important to me. The
KUKL-period taught me a lot of valuable lessons in a quick and violent
way. That band really changed me. Then in 1986, the label went bankrupt
and Kukl quit and I was heartbroken. Crying for days. Much more upset
than I've been over any boyfriend. But things began to happen. I bought
a house with my then boyfriend and I had a kid. Our house became like a
cafeteria for all these people looking for something new to do. And we
formed this organisation called Bad Taste, where we reacted against all
this punk dressing down and being socially correct. We wore pink and
encouraged irresponsibility and had these mottoes like 'World Domination
Or Death'. Einar drove a huge, impractical convertible and everyone
hated us. It was a magical time, and out of this grew the Sugarcubes."
"When I was in the punk band Kukl with Einar, that was fucking therapy;
every gig was like cutting your chest open and tearing out your heart.
It just became ridiculous after a while."
THE SUGARCUBES
"It was a hobby really. We'd all get drunk at weekends and write these
weirdo pop songs and then when we had enough we could go on holiday as
The Sugarcubes. It was just a group of friends travelling all over the
world and thinking, 'this is crazy'. Nobody expected to last even as
long as it did."
"Folks might say something went wrong with the Sugarcubes. Not so! We
had worked together as a unit since we were 14, 15 years old - we'd done
all these different things together and always stuck by each other no
matter what. We've been
arrested, been thrown in jail together."
"The Sugarcubes were attracted to each other
because we were all extreme people. We always had a good time, even if
we were stuck in a boring German suburb eating cold hamburgers. The
music was secondary, so we didn't have this big musical ambition to be
brilliant. I could be in the background and write my melodies and lyrics
and then watch how the music turned out. Plus I got the chance to travel
all the time and see how other bands function, which taught me a lot.
Fame was not in our plan but at the same time, we enjoyed it. It was a
happy accident. The Sugarcubes people will support each other until the
ay we die. And we are also each other's hardest critics. Like, I'll send
my record to the bass player and he will tell me it's crap, you know?
And he sends me his poetry."
"Sugarcubes, number one was people. We liked each other and
we had a good time together and the music that came out of that
relationship was a bit of an accident. When I realized the Sugarcubes
had become this serious band-thing, I started to realize that it was now
or never. If I didn't record all those songs I'd written in my head,
then it would never do it." |
|