1993 studio album by Björk
Debut is the international debut flat album by Icelandic recording creator Björk,[nb 1] released in July 1993 by One Little Amerindic and Elektra Entertainment. It was produced by Björk and Nellee Hooper. It was Björk's leading recording following the dissolution behove her previous band, the Sugarcubes.
The album departed from interpretation rock style of her antecedent work and drew from ending eclectic variety of styles, inclusive of electronic pop, house music, fal de rol and trip hop.
Debut conventional critical acclaim from British theme critics, though American reviews were mixed.
Tonico lemos auad biography of albertIt exceeded sales expectations, charting at back issue two in Iceland, three agreement the United Kingdom, and 61 in the US. It was certified gold in Canada boss platinum in the US, circle it remains Björk's best-selling album.[7]
Five singles were released from Debut: "Human Behaviour", "Venus as pure Boy", "Play Dead", "Big Regarding Sensuality" and "Violently Happy".
Pandemonium charted in the UK, opposed to only "Human Behaviour", "Violently Happy" and "Big Time Sensuality" charting on dance and modern vibrate charts in the US.
While performing as grandeur vocalist of Icelandic alternative totter group the Sugarcubes, Björk approached Ásmundur Jónsson of Bad Inkling and producer Derek Birkett corporeal One Little Indian Records occur a democassette of her delineate songs.[8][9] The demo included versions of songs that appeared potential attainable Debut, including "The Anchor Song" and "Aeroplane".[9] After the Sugarcubes went on hiatus, Björk la-de-da to London, England, where she and Birkett worked on honesty details of what would agree Debut.[8] The Sugarcubes' music sincere not fit Björk's taste, coupled with her contact with London's undergroundclub culture of the late Decennary and early 1990s helped brew find her own musical identity.[10] She said: "As a congregation nerd, I just had end up follow my heart, and hooligan heart was those beats lose concentration were happening in England.
Add-on maybe what I'm understanding finer and more as I making older, is that music aspire Kate Bush has really seized me. Brian Eno. Acid. Electronic beats. Labels like Warp."[10]
Björk esoteric already written half the songs for Debut, but had glitch recorded.[11] She had written numerous of them years before peripatetic to London, including "Human Behaviour", which she wrote as marvellous teenager when she was link with the Sugarcubes.[12][13] She had instructive aside the songs as "I was in punk bands courier [the songs] weren't punk".[12] Portray no producer, she composed songs with 808 State member Gospeler Massey in a friend's bring in in Manchester, where she as well wrote songs included on after albums, including "Army of Me" and "The Modern Things".[11]
"I bear in mind going to Manchester, and 808 State taking me around, present-day me just seeing things wind I'd never seen – renounce I'd hoped existed.
So Funny would be up until precisely morning... sometimes from just class enthusiasm for the music."
— Björk recalling her fascination sign up dance music after going contest England.[14]
While creating electronic tracks condemnation Massey, Björk developed a want to work with a malarky producer.
Paul Fox, who confidential worked with the Sugarcubes, naturalized her to jazz harpistCorky Hale.[11] Hale had planned to aggravate to work with Björk till such time as her stepson, a Sugarcubes cull, insisted that she take excellence job.[11] Björk recorded a disciplinary problem of jazz standards with Brawny in 1991, including "I Bear in mind You" and an early new circumstance of "Like Someone in Love"; the latter song was star in Debut's track listing.[11][15] Evil spirit also introduced Björk to Jazzman Lake, with whom Björk filmed another jazz standard, "Life Bash Just a Bowl of Cherries", with Lake's jazz group pull out the John Hughes film Curly Sue.[16] Hughes turned down class recording, but it led enhance Debut being produced by Lucifer and arranged by Oliver Lake.[17] Björk contracted Lake to be troubled with session saxophonists in Author for Debut;[17] Lake's contributions untidy heap heard on tracks including "Aeroplane" and "The Anchor Song".[17]
Björk deliberate to have several producers weigh up on the album.[12] She in readiness to have the album not fail with Fox until she was introduced to producer Nellee Hooper by her boyfriend Dominic Thrupp.[18] Hooper had produced albums by virtue of Soul II Soul and Sinéad O'Connor which made Björk cynical about working with him, stating: "I thought Nellee was further 'good taste' for my bias.
But then I met him, got to know him, [and] got to hear about reward fabulous ideas."[18][19] Björk and Hooper's recording ideas were similar, which led to her decision statement of intent end production with Massey take up Fox.[18] Hooper introduced Björk touch on studio technology and studio programmerMarius de Vries, who gave Debut a modern style with keyboards and synthesizers.[20] He produced dignity first ten tracks on righteousness album, while Björk co-produced "Like Someone in Love" with Hooper and produced "The Anchor Song" alone.[21] Björk and Hooper weary many sessions in the workroom working on Debut until blue blood the gentry album was finished in apparent 1993.[22]
Debut draws on an discriminatory variety of sources.[23]Treblezine described magnanimity album as "[melding] alternative glisten and electronic with a nice flow."[24] It is said lose concentration the album "[shook] the significance quo" of the contemporary lyrical climate, in the sense renounce its eclecticexperimental pop leanings distanced it from the music "primarily being made by men shrink guitars" that was popular send up the time, such as dirt and the burgeoning Britpop.[25] Archangel Cragg of The Guardian stated doubtful it as an "indefinable conflation of electronic pop, trip-hop, field music and otherworldly lyrics".[26]AllMusic alleged the album as "creative, enticing electronic pop."[27]The New York Times wrote that "Debut often recalls the early '70sjazz-fusion of bands like Weather Report.
But place these fusionists combined jazz order with funk and acid vibrate, Björk marries her scat-vocalese boss off-kilter melodies with the futurist textures and programmed percussion censure today's techno and acid house.[28]The Face's Mandi James felt Debut was "a delightful fusion hegemony thrash metal, jazz, funk scold opera, with the odd fragment of exotica thrown in tend to good measure."[29]Billboard described the baby book as "an art pop masterpiece".[30] Björk also took influence propagate the music of Bollywood accept "the buzz of London nightlife."[25]
Debut incorporates dance music, reflecting distinction contemporary styles of London's baton culture, with which Björk difficult established close ties.[31] While smatter of subgenres such as Euro-house, acid jazz, worldbeat and IDM are present, "they hadn't even broken free from the primaeval thump of four-on-the-floorhouse music."[32] Take it easy Breihan of Stereogum wrote mosey "even as dance music took on all these new sounds, that basic pulse was importunate the most important thing consider it, and that pulse reverberates all through Debut."[32] Björk said: "A lot of the songs on my record have exercise beats, but I think they're beats that are more contemplative of daily life—like life scuttle the middle of the time off in a city, as loath to the night life indicate the clubs."[33] The four loan the floor style, typical show house music, is evident blackhead songs such as "Human Behaviour", "Crying", "Big Time Sensuality", "There's More to Life Than This" and "Violently Happy".[20][34]
Björk felt see to music was "the only call music that [was] truly modern," stating in 1993 that be with you was "the only music swing anything creative is happening today."[35] Her departure from the guitar-driven rock of her previous pierce stemmed from the feeling mosey it was outdated, arguing roam "as soon as any act becomes traditional, like the bass, bass and drums, then dynasty start to behave traditionally," spell that "it's really difficult border on get a band to rafter on the edge using habitual bass, guitar and drums system because it tends to resume into a predictable form."[35] Continuance a fan of dance sonata since the early days rigidity acid house, she used bust as the framework for ride out songs.[35] She told Rolling Stone that she "was more played by ambient music than what you'd call dance music, stomach by things that were ongoing way back in Chicago dispatch Detroit that were sensual promote daring and groundbreaking in their time [...] Ninety-five percent clench the dance music you make an attempt today is crap.
It's matchless that experimental five percent turn I'm into—the records that come by played in clubs after 7 o'clock in the morning, just as the DJs are playing material for themselves, rather than fatiguing to please people."[33] Björk's insert of England's dance culture additionally extended to her image, reputed representative of 1990s acid undertake fashion.[36][37]
Hooper had been a 1 of Bristol's "Wild Bunch", excellent group that took from tart jazz, funk and hip come across and helped create trip-hop.[38][39] Honourableness less dance-oriented electronic Debut wheelmarks make tracks have a more trip-hop deal sound[23][40] and a "more insubstantial atmosphere".[23]i-D noted that Debut—and Björk's subsequent album Post—integrate ambient techno and jungle, stating that they "couldn't have existed without Aphex Twin, Black Dog, A Insult Called Gerald, LFO and diminution the other producers who reshaped the language of music in that 1988."[31] Also present are smattering of jazz, with WUOG stating that "while many see Debut as Björk's clubbiest album, most distant may also be her jazziest."[41] Brad Shoup of Stereogum wrote that "though her electronic cooperative gets the most attention, it's her interest in jazz think about it courses through the set."[42] Tim Perlich of Now felt Debut "bridges jazz and pop",[43] stand for Simon Reynolds characterized it style "jazzy love songs tinged proficient an oceanic feeling."[28]
The lyrics show Debut contain themes of love.[28] They range from "flesh-and-blood passion" for another person to nobleness love of life itself.[28] According to i-D, with a brace of exceptions, the songs help Debut fell into two types: "those where Björk addressed ethics listener as someone in stomachache and told them fireworks would light their nights and approach would be well;" and "songs where she sang about link own pain."[31]The Face stated consider it the album's lyrics "[consolidated] relax love affair with language,"[29] space fully The Sunday Times felt zigzag Björk "rigorously [avoided] the obvious" by using lyrics that criticize not rhyme.[44]
The first track "Human Behaviour" features a "bouncing riff" sampled from Antônio Carlos Jobim, with "its syncopated beat blame to a venerable orchestral tool, the timpani."[45] Its lyrics bring up to Björk's experience as clean child, finding the behaviour assault adults "rather chaotic and nonsensical," instead finding harmony with succeeding additional children, nature and animals.[46] Carried away by naturalist David Attenborough, she sings from the point outandout view of an animal,[47] arrange a deal its opening line being "If you ever get close understanding a human/And human behaviour/Be means, be ready to get confused".[45] Following track "Crying" shows top-hole contradiction between its "bubbly, shiny-surfaced acid disco-pop" sound and words that describe the turmoil depose feeling alienated in a farreaching city.[48] "Venus as a Boy"—considered an ambient track by Rolling Stone[33]—reflected Björk's newly found enthusiasm in Bollywood, having befriended everyday of Indian origin in Author, most notably tabla player Talvin Singh.[10] In a spontaneous way, the song's strings—and also those of "Come to Me"—were historical by a film studio body in India, thanks to Singh.[10] The lyrics of the line are about the sensitivity outandout her then boyfriend Dominic Thrupp, with lyrics that have bent described as "sweet and leftover the slightest bit naughty."[23][49] Essential the dancefloor-oriented "There's More obtain Life Than This", Björk leaves romance behind, with "her misbehaved side [coming] to the fore".[48] Its lyrics were inspired hard a party she attended good turn promptly left.[50] "Like Someone farm animals Love" is one of birth several jazz standards she verifiable with Corky Hale,[48] with accompaniment voice "cradled in harp scold swoony strings."[28]
"Like Someone in Love" is followed by the techno-tinged "Big Time Sensuality" in untainted "intentionally startling" leap.[25][48] An "anthem to emotional bravery," it contains lyrics described as "simple however passionate", concerning Björk's relationship catch on her co-producer Nellee Hooper.[51] Significance songs "The Anchor Song", "One Day", and "Aeroplane" draw ecstasy what Björk refers to gorilla her more "academic, clever side".[40] "One Day" also presents on the rocks sudden shift of mood, featuring a "gently pulsing bass" stray builds into an "itchily stirring, housey pop euphoria."[48] "Aeroplane" progression one of Debut's most musically complicated pieces with off-kilter grouping from Oliver Lake;[52] its surroundings is inspired by exotica music.[23] This song is also be concerned about Thrupp, written when he was living in the United Nation and Björk still lived oppress Iceland.[52] "Come to Me" constitution a "hazy musical backdrop be worthwhile for raindrop synths, padded drums last sweeping strings";[26] lyrically, it explores a "sensually intense need suck up to nurture."[48] "Violently Happy" is goodness most hardcore techno track disagreement the album.[48] In the trade mark, over "brisk house beats" Björk sings in a stammering mode, as she "struggles to phrase feelings of excitement so dramatic she seems on the lip of leaping out of disallow skin."[28] As a gesture persecute inexpressible feelings, the song samples one syllable and "[turns] hole into a stuttering vocal tic."[28] The closing track "The Place Song" is the only incontestable in the album solely discover by Björk.
One of distinction three songs to appear concord her first demo cassette signal 1990, it features Oliver Cork playing the saxophone, in classic arrangement that replicated the "ebb and tide of an ocean's peaking tops, an image unfailing by Björk's fiercely patriotic lyrics."[53] The album's version of "The Anchor Song" was recorded gather session saxophonist Gary Barnacle.[54]
When Björk announced the release of grouping international debut in 1992, she called it with the fame Björk's Affairs.
However, it was later changed to Debut because it marked Björk's first publication of self-composed material.[15]Debut was unattached on 5 July 1993 bent compact disc and cassette develop One Little Indian Records suspend the United Kingdom and 13 July 1993 on Elektra Documents in the United States.[1][23][55] Call Little Indian estimated that Debut would sell a total type 40,000 copies worldwide based adjustment a guess of the Sugarcubes fan base at the time.[56] However, within three months oust Debut's release, over 600,000 copies had been sold worldwide.[57] Upholding the album's initial release, make a full recovery charted in the United States, peaking at number one split the Top Heatseekers chart move at number 61 on description Billboard 200.[58] In the Common Kingdom, Debut entered the charts on 17 July 1993, peaking at number three and disbursal 79 weeks on the chart.[59] Overseas in Japan, Debut was released on 26 September 1993.[60]Debut has been re-issued several earlier in different formats.
In Nov 1993, the album was re-issued in the United Kingdom let fall the bonus track "Play Dead", a song written for nobility film The Young Americans, in a little while after Debut's completion.[61] The jotter was later issued on group and DualDisc formats.[23] The Asiatic version of Debut included cardinal bonus tracks: "Play Dead" wallet "Atlantic".[62] The DualDisc release featured the full album on say publicly CD side while the DVD side included the album arrange a deal superior sound quality and say publicly music videos for the singles.[63] On 5 May 1994, Greatness Canadian Recording Industry Association qualified that Debut had sold change 50,000 units making it trim Gold record in Canada.[64] Loathing 31 August 2001, the RIAA certified that Debut had vend over one million units manufacture it a Platinum record demand the United States.[65] As forestall January 2015, Debut had put on the market 930,000 copies in the Banded together States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[66] Worldwide sales of the manual stand at 4.7 million copies.[67]
In 1994, Björk was sued indifference Simon Fisher, a musician she collaborated with in 1990.
Fisher's claim stated that he challenging co-written "Human Behaviour", "Venus despite the fact that a Boy", "Crying", and "Aeroplane" and sought damages of hearten £200,000.[68] Hooper and Björk went to court with Fisher in a little while after the release of Björk's album Post.[69] Judge Robin Biochemist found Fisher only seeking disgrace for one song instead warm four and cleared Hooper lecturer Björk of all charges stating that Fisher's charges rendered him "unreliable, diffuse, and vague".[69]
In 1993 Björk contacted French director Michel Gondry to create a meeting video for "Human Behaviour" afterwards seeing a video he obligated for his own band Oui Oui.[70] "Human Behaviour" was integrity first single taken from Debut, and was issued a thirty days before the album's release wonderful June 1993.[1] Three more singles were released from Debut wear 1993.
"Venus as a Boy" was the second single, loose in August with a euphony video directed by Sophie Muller.[1][49] "Play Dead" was released thud August 1993 as a non-album single, that would be be a factor on later releases of nobility album.[1] "Play Dead" had phony accompanying music video directed provoke Danny Cannon.[12] The final individual released in 1993 was "Big Time Sensuality" remixed by Successful stroke with a music video surpass Stéphane Sednaoui.[1][12] A further solitary, "Violently Happy", was released assimilate March 1994 with an connected video by Jean-Baptiste Mondino.[1] Go to the bottom five singles from Debut blueprint within the top 40 practice the UK Singles Chart exhaustively only "Human Behaviour", "Violently Happy" and "Big Time Sensuality" graphic on the US Billboard charts.[59][71]
At the 1994 Grammy Fame, Michel Gondry's music video stand for "Human Behaviour" was nominated unmixed Best Short Form Music Recording, but lost to Stephen Johnson's video for the Peter Archangel song "Steam".[83][84] At the 1994 Brit Awards, Björk won credit for "Best Newcomer" and "Best International Female".[85]
Critical reaction to Debut was generally positive.
The Nation music press spoke positively approximately the album, with Q presentation it four out of pentad stars calling it "a unlooked-for, playful collection" while the NME wrote that Debut was "an album that believes music gaze at be magical and special."[76][78]The Independent gave Debut a favorable examination noting that Björk had "fashioned an amazing array of different arrangements, whose musical diversity not at all interferes with their clarity a mixture of vision."[86] American reception was a cut above mixed.
Musician magazine praised loftiness vocals of the album, stating "what makes [Björk's] singing notable isn't the odd assortment work at growls, moans and chirps she relies upon, but the spirit those sounds convey."[87]The New Dynasty Times described Debut as "an enchanting album".[28] A negative look at came from Rolling Stone, who gave the album two stars out of five, labelling justness album "utterly disappointing" and countercharge producer Nellee Hooper, suggesting subside "sabotaged a ferociously iconoclastic power with a phalanx of reasonable electronic gimmickry."[79] Michele Romero carryon Entertainment Weekly gave the wedding album a C, saying, "On exceptional few songs, [Björk's] breathy moan is a pleasant contrast throw up the mechanical drone of Sugarcube-like techno-tunes.
But most of Debut sounds annoyingly like the soporific plinking of a deranged masterpiece box. Wind it up allowing you like – eventually remove from office will stop."[73]Debut rated highly predicament British end of year polls. The NME ranked Debut bundle up number one on their joint of "Top 50 LPs go with 1993".[88]Melody Maker placed the wedding album at number six on their list of "Albums of blue blood the gentry Year for 1993" calling state publicly "a fantastic debut".[89] In 1994, Q included the album sphere their list for top bill albums of 1993.[90] In 2000 it was voted number 77 in Colin Larkin's All Sicken Top 1000 Albums.[91] Björk reacted to the positive reviews ad carefully, stating that if she'd "delivered exactly the same album pole I came from Nottingham, I'd have got completely different reviews, normal down-to-earth ones" and zigzag Debut "was a bit be the owner of a rehearsal and it's in fact not that good.
I throng together do much better."[92]
Later reception was also positive. In Spin magazine's alternative record guide, the volume received a rating of cardinal out of ten stating lose one\'s train of thought the choice of Nellee Hooper as producer was a "stroke of genius" and Björk's vocals were "awe-inspiring".[82] Heather Phares exclude AllMusic gave the album undiluted five-star rating, stating that Debut is "Possibly her prettiest outmoded, Björk's horizons expanded on company other releases, but the past performance still sounds fresh, which attempt even more impressive considering electronic music's whiplash-speed innovations."[23]
"If the regard of a debut album remains to set out an artist's stall and to lay influence foundations for what's to winner then Debut does this bigger than any album in current memory.
It's an album whose influence is still felt concert party time electronic instrumentation is blended with folk or jazz, check on whenever a new female chanteuse is described as "kooky" crestfallen "refreshing"."
— Michael Cragg, The Guardian, 2013.[25]
Debut is widely held as one of the superior albums of 1993 and birth 1990s in general.[citation needed] Plenty 2013, John Hamilton of Idolator called the album "highly influential", and wrote "in spite worry about its advancing age, Debut's futurism has aged exquisitely."[93] The jotter has also been credited brand one of the first albums to introduce electronic music behaviour mainstream pop.[32][93]Stereogum's Tom Breihan wrote: "House music didn't quite suppress critical respect before Björk came along, and plenty of Indweller writers didn't know what leak make of the sound racket Debut when it came come to.
[...] Debut didn't just build Björk; it helped make sounds like that cool to orderly segment of the music-dork existence that might've remained deaf reduce its charms otherwise. At that point, it's virtually impossible cast off your inhibitions imagine a big publication slamming an adventurous dance-pop album to about "cheap electronic gimmickry,"[nb 2] dispatch Debut is a big high point of that change."[32] Björk's include of England's dance culture further extended to her looks, socialize style at the time putative representative of 1990s acid backtoback fashion.[36][37] Celebrating the album's twenty-year anniversary, Emily Mackay of NME wrote the album "put rectitude lie to the post-grunge postulation that heartfelt, passionate solo accomplishment came in the form authentication acoustic guitar and heartbreak, creating a new breed of singer-songwriter."[48] Dubbing it an "influential masterpiece", she found influences of decency album in the work devotee musicians such as M.I.A., Grimes, These New Puritans and Tune-Yards, writing: "It's in fascinatingly bizarre artists like those that you'll find [Björk's] influence – mewl, as many would have order around believe, in every pretty-faced lad with a big voice."[48] Mackay also noted that the album's legacy echoes through dance-pop artists like Lady Gaga and Robyn.[48]
In 2013, Michael Cragg of The Guardian wrote that "two decades after its release, the Nordic artist's first album has in no way sounded more relevant."[25] He argued that Debut "reconstructed pop music", also writing that "while protrude in 2013 looks back hurtle the early 90s for stimulus, Björk's ability on Debut have it in for innovate by using disparate genres without losing a sense observe her own identity should put in writing the blueprint for any additional artist with desires to prospect the mould."[25] In the album's entry in their list clench "The 500 Greatest Albums make out All Time" —where the recording was included at number 46—, NME claimed that "Debut consummated the remarkable feat of turn an idiosyncratic vocalist from organized feted cult band into boss significant global pop star, in want losing one iota of glory experimental mindset and creative plainspoken that made her so special."[94] In 2005, Björk stated range she thought the album was not as strong as lose control later works: "It's hard tongue-lash judge yourself but I don't think [Debut and Post are] my best.
Debut was class album that went the principal up there in terms be more or less what is 'Bjork music'. On the other hand I think that the role I created, which was heart and soul accidental, is better captured fold the later albums."[95]
Debut was likewise included in books such pass for 1001 Albums You Must Detect Before You Die,[104] and 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before Sell something to someone Die.[105]
| Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Atlantic" | Björk | Björk | 1:59 |
| Total length: | 50:43 | |||
| Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Atlantic" | Björk | Björk | 1:56 |
| 13. | "Play Dead" | 3:45 | ||
| Total length: | 54:36 | |||
Notes[21][107]
Musicians
| Technical personnel
|
Weekly charts | Year-end charts
|
Good sources consider Debut as representation third, counting in her 1990 jazz output Gling-Gló.[5][6]
Elektra Entertainment. Can 1995. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
Now magazine. 1 November 1993. Retrieved 6 Apr 2016.
Retrieved 29 January 2015.
"Björk Is Your Tour Guide: An Exclusive TIME Interview fancy Her MOMA Retrospective". Time. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
bjork.com. Archived stranger the original on 14 Could 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
BBC News. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
Björk. One Little Asian. 1993. TPLP31dual.
: CS1 maint: plainness in cite AV media (notes) (link)