Vespertine

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Vespertine
Studio album by Björk
Released	August 27, 2001
Recorded	2000 - 2001
Genre	Electronica, Alternative Rock
Length	55:33
Label	One Little Indian
Producer(s)	Björk Thomas Knak Martin Console Marius de Vries
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link The A.V. Club (Favourable) link Blender link NME (8/10) August, 2001 p. 51 Pitchfork Media (7.2/10) link Q September, 2001 p. 109 Robert Christgau (A-) link Rolling Stone link Slant Magazine link
Björk chronology
Selmasongs (2000)	Vespertine (2001)	Greatest Hits (2002)

Vespertine, released in August of 2001 is an album by Icelandic singer/songwriter/musician Björk. This album saw Björk creating an introverted and quiet world of swirling microbeats and dreamy, personal lyrical themes. On the cover she can be seen wearing the swan dress that caused such a stir at the 2001 Academy Awards. It peaked at #8 at the UK Top 75 Albums, and #19 at the USA albums. Vespertine was also nominated for Best Alternative Album at the 2001 Grammy Awards. Recently music webzine Drowned In Sound named Vespertine the #1 album of the last six years not to garner press attention.[1]

Contents 1 Track listing 2 Album info 3 Samples 4 Personnel 5 Charts 6 External links

[edit] Track listing

1. "Hidden Place" (Björk/Sigsworth/Bell) – 5:28
2. "Cocoon" (Björk/Knak) – 4:28
3. "It's Not Up to You" (Björk) – 5:08
4. "Undo" (Björk/Knak) – 5:38
5. "Pagan Poetry" (Björk) – 5:14
6. "Frosti" (Björk) – 2:01
7. "Aurora" (Björk) – 4:39
8. "An Echo, A Stain" (Björk/Sigsworth) – 4:04
9. "Sun in My Mouth" (Björk/Sigsworth/Cummings) – 2:40
10. "Heirloom" (Björk/Console) – 5:12
11. "Harm of Will" (Björk/Sigsworth/Korine) – 4:36
12. "Unison" (Björk) – 6:45
13. "Generous Palmstroke" (Björk/Parkins) (Japanese bonus track) – 4:24

[edit] Album info

Matmos utlizes an array of interesting sampled objects to create beats and soundscapes in a number of songs on Vespertine, including shuffling cards on "Cocoon" and "Hidden Place"; snow being walked upon on "Frosti" and ice being cracked/smashed on "Aurora", used to create drum beats.

"Hidden Place", "Pagan Poetry" and "Cocoon" were released as singles from the album. A rumoured fourth, "It's Not Up to You", never made it to release, pending the birth of Björk's daughter Isadora.

Vespertine is Björk's longest album.

[edit] Samples

[edit] Personnel

• Björk - producer, programming, beat programming, basslines, string arrangements, choir arrangements, harp arrangements, music box arrangements, vocal editing
• Valgeir Sigurdsson - programming, beat programming, ProTools, engineer
• Martin Console - producer, programming
• Jake Davies - programming, ProTools, engineer
• Matthew Herbert - programming
• Leigh Jamieson - ProTools
• Thomas Knak - production, programming
• Jan "Stan" Kybert - ProTools
• Matmos - programming, beat programming
• Vince Mendoza - string arrangements, choir arrangements, orchestration
• Zeena Parkins - harp, harp arrangements
• Jack Perron - adaptation to music box
• Guy Sigsworth - programming, beat programming, celeste, celeste arrangements, clavichord, clavichord arrangements, choir arrangements
• Mark "Spike" Stent - mixing
• Damian Taylor - programming, beat programming, ProTools
• Caryl Thomas - harp
• Marius de Vries: producer, programming, beat programming
• M/M (Paris) - art direction, design and illustration
• Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin - photography

[edit] Charts

Album – Billboard (North America)

Year	Chart	Position
2001	Billboard 200	19
2001	Billboard Top Electronic Albums	1

[edit] External links

• Vespertine mini-site