Vespertine

For the term used in reference to phenomena observed during the evening hours, see Vespertine (biology).
For the restaurant in Culver City, California, see Vespertine (restaurant).

Vespertine
Studio album by
Björk
Released18 August 2001
Recorded1999–2001
Studio
  • El Cortijo, (San Pedro de Alcántara, Spain)
  • Olympic, (London, UK)
  • Avatar, (New York City)
  • Master Sound Astoria, (New York City)
  • Quad, (New York City)
  • Sear Sound, (New York City)
  • Magic Shop, (New York City)
  • The Loft on Lafayette Street, (New York City)
  • Looking Glass, (New York City)
  • Greenhouse, (Reykjavík, Iceland)
  • Thule, (Reykjavík, Iceland)
Genre
Length55:39
Label
Producer
Björk chronology
Selmasongs
(2000) 		Vespertine
(2001) 		Greatest Hits
(2002)
Singles from Vespertine
  1. "Hidden Place"
    Released: 30 July 2001
  2. "Pagan Poetry"
    Released: 5 November 2001
  3. "Cocoon"
    Released: 11 March 2002

Vespertine is the fourth studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk.[nb 1] It was first released on 18 August 2001 in Japan[5] by One Little Indian Records and in the United States by Elektra Entertainment. Björk aspired to create an album with minimal and intricate electronic music to evoke an intimate and domestic feeling, in contrast with the louder styles of her previous studio album Homogenic (1997). She enlisted producers such as Opiate, Console and the duo Matmos, and has also worked with harpist Zeena Parkins. Production on the album began whilst filming her role in Dancer in the Dark.

Björk composed arrangements with thin-sounding instruments, including the harp, the celesta, clavichord, strings and custom music boxes. Assisted by Matmos, Björk created "microbeats" from various commonplace sounds, such as that of shuffling cards and ice being cracked. Lyrically, the album drew inspiration from Björk's new relationship with Matthew Barney, exploring themes related to sex, intimacy, eroticism, and love. Other lyrical sources include the poetry of E. E. Cummings and British playwright Sarah Kane's Crave. Three singles were released from Vespertine: "Hidden Place", "Pagan Poetry", and "Cocoon". The music videos of the latter two were banned on MTV for their depictions of sexuality. Björk embarked on the Vespertine world tour with Parkins, Matmos, and a choir of Inuit women, where they performed at theatres and small venues in favor of acoustics.

The album peaked at number 19 on the US Billboard 200 selling 75,000 copies in its first week[6] and at number 8 on the UK Albums Chart. It was certified gold in Canada, France, and the United Kingdom. Noted for its erotic, intimate mood and sonic experimentation, Vespertine received universal acclaim from music critics, with some considering it Björk's best album to date. The album appeared on several publications' lists of the best albums of 2001 and of the decade, and has been evaluated by many critics to be one of the best albums of all time.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference vespertinespecial was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Pytlik155 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Layne, Joslyn. "Björk Gudmundsdóttir – Björk Gudmundsdóttir". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  4. ^ Perlich, Tim (1 November 1993). "Björk's brilliant Debut bridges Jazz and Pop". Now.
  5. ^ "None".
  6. ^ Hasty, Katie (16 May 2007). "Buble Sidesteps Bone Thugs To Claim No. 1". Billboard. Archived from the original on 21 October 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2024.


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