Björk Guðmundsdóttir, better known as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Over her four-decade career, the wildly eccentric performer has developed an eclectic musical style that has drawn on influences and genres including electronic, pop, experimental, classical, and avant-garde music.
Björk has sold nearly 40 million records worldwide. She is clearly not a one-hit wonder.
This week, Mailchimp Presents and Talkhouse announce the launch of Björk: Sonic Symbolism. Created and hosted by Björk, this new podcast features a first-person reflection on the textures, timbres and emotional landscapes that characterized the creation of each of her albums.
From 1993's Debut, to Post, Homogenic, Vespertine, Medúlla, Volta, Biophilia, Vulnicura and Utopia, every episode of the series is focused on a single and singular installment in the multidisciplinary artist's expansive catalog, capturing not only the creative inspirations, but the changing phases of life that came in between.
In conversation with her friends – philosopher and writer Oddný Eir and musicologist Ásmundur Jónsson – Björk shares stories that have never been told as she lets listeners into a process that continues to inspire, experiment and redefine the boundaries of how a musician works.
"When I get asked about the differences of the music of my albums, I find it quickest to use visual short cuts. That's kind of why my album covers are almost like homemade tarot cards," says Björk. "The image on the front might seem like just a visual moment, but for me it is simply describing the sound of it. I try to express it with the colour palette, the textures of the textiles, with what I am holding, the posture I am in, and the angle of it shows its relationship to the world. Also, the emotion of the mouth tries to share the overall mood of the album. Perhaps you can call it some sort of a sonic symbolism? Most of us go through phases in our lives that take roughly three years, and it is not a coincidence this is also how long it takes to make an album or a film. This podcast is an experiment to capture which moods, timbres, and tempos were vibrating during each of these phases."
The first three episodes of Björk: Sonic Symbolism will be released on Thursday, September 1st, exploring the worlds of Debut, Post and Homogenic. New installments will continue to come out album by album, each running 40-50 minutes, on a weekly basis through October 13th.
Hear Björk in the show's first trailer, out now.
"What an unbelievable honor and privilege to work with Björk to tell these stories, her stories," says Ian Wheeler, Founder of Talkhouse Creative Studio. "We're so grateful to Björk for letting us in, and to Oddný Eir, Ásmundur Jónsson, Christian Koons, Anna Gyða and Derek Birkett — as well as our partners at Mailchimp — for their invaluable roles in bringing this to life."
"Björk is a continual source of inspiration, and we're delighted to help bring her vision for this project to life," adds Sarita Alami, Director of Programming at Mailchimp Studios. "We hope that the dreamers, creatives, and entrepreneurs who listen find the spark they need to unlock their next big idea."
Next Wednesday, August 31st, Björk will also appear in the final episode of Listening, another new podcast from Mailchimp Presents and Talkhouse. Exploring how some of the most acclaimed, inventive musicians hear and process the world around them, the series invites artists to transform their surroundings into a special composition that allows others to experience a particular time and place in their lives.
To her credit, Björk did cancel an upcoming concert in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine.
The podcast definitely has potential for two reasons. First, who knows what Björk will say. Second, a musical artist like Björk can offer invaluable insights into the creative process.
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