Bjork has never been one for indulging in nostalgia, so this podcast, alongside friends, writer and philosopher Oddny Eir and music historian Asi Jonsson, is a welcome deep dive into the influences and creative process behind each of her solo albums.
From the shy newcomer of Debut, who had to get the songs bursting out of her, to the global citizen in Post, Homogenic and the “warrior who came to unarm” and intimacy and secrets of masterpiece Vespertine, Bjork describes her steps to creation with a candour and warmth which feels like listening in on someone sharing a fireside chat with trusted pals.
Her influences, as you would expect, aren’t always immediately apparent. Debut sees her referencing queer synth pop like Soft Cell as much as club culture, her grandfather’s love of jazz and esoteric artists like Eno and Kate Bush.
Meanwhile, Vespertine was a conscious rejection of the Icelandic cliches, and the first thing that Bjork recorded on her first laptop, a move away from the restrictions of the recording studio.
Ultimately, as this singular singer songwriter continues to delight and confound in equal measure, there’s an overarching sense of one who, as with her eight year old self, is still “me against the elements” .
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