Big Time Bjork!

Even though she is probably the world’s most famous Icelander (Leif Erikson may have discovered America, but he was no singer), not many people will realise that the release of Björk’s new album Volta this summer marks the 30th anniversary of her recording career. Not bad for a 41-year-old. Yet Björk remains, even for the devotee, ever full of surprises: a genre-hopper extraordinaire, each new release packed with new fearless experiments and expertly chosen collaborators from all corners of the musical world. The phrase “Björk by numbers” is pretty much oxymoronic.

From a young age, she soaked up all kinds of influences (classical theory at music school, classic rock from her parents, jazz from her grandparents), and by 11, the young Björk Guðmundsdóttir done enough absorbing, and was ready to put back out.

Her debut proper, Björk, was recorded with the help of her stepfather’s musician friends and released on Falkinn records in 1977. It featured covers of The Beatles’ The Fool On The Hill (or Alfur ‘Ut ‘U Hol) and Alma Mira by early Björk favourite Edgar Winter. It’s the first item in catalogue that offers endless joy for the collector, from early Icelandic rarities to a wealth of beautifully designed singles, boxes and promos …

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