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Medúlla

Björk

2004

Medúlla

Album Summary

Medúlla is the fifth studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk. It was released on 30 August 2004 in the United Kingdom by One Little Indian Records and in the United States by Elektra Entertainment. After the release of her electronic–influenced previous album Vespertine (2001), Björk intended to make an album almost entirely a cappella constructed with human vocals. For the project, she collaborated with vocal artists such as Mike Patton of rock band Faith No More, beatboxers Rahzel and Dokaka, as well as Inuit throat singer Tanya Tagaq. The album's title derives from the Latin word for "marrow". Medúlla received critical acclaim from music critics, with many calling it "unique", although others deemed it "confusing". The album was also commercially successful, reaching number one in Belgium's Wallonia, France and Iceland, whilst also peaking within the top ten in the United Kingdom. Medúlla is estimated to have sold more than a million copies worldwide, and received two nominations at the 47th Grammy Awards. Two singles were released from Medúlla: "Who Is It" and "Triumph of a Heart", with both charting inside the top 40 in the United Kingdom and the top 10 in Spain. Björk further promoted the album by performing the song "Oceania" at the 2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and other television and radio shows. Other than these few performances, no concerts or tours were arranged to promote Medúlla, as Björk thought it would be too difficult to play the songs live. In 2015, the album was adapted into an opera at the Brussels opera house La Monnaie by Sjaron Minailo and Anat Spiegel.

Wikipedia

Rating

2.77

Votes

5316

Genres

  • Pop
  • Electronica
Reviews
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Sun Dec 12 2021
4

Quite an achievement. Very brave and adventurous but still pretty listenable for the most part. Brought together an incredible crew of voices here. Makes sense that a singer would want to more fully explore the possibilities of the human voice.

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Sun Feb 27 2022
4

I've laughed a lot at all the one star reviews.

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Wed Feb 16 2022
1

What the f*** is this album? I can normally struggle through most any album, and listen to every last minute. Not this one. Wandering, boring, confusing, unnecessarily disjointed. I find nothing redeeming here. Solid F

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Mon Jan 31 2022
5

Basal greatness

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Wed Apr 20 2022
5

India’s Shubham Choudhary first said ‘Good things come in small packages.’ In the case of the diminutive Icelandic singer, Bjork, on 'Medulla,' things become great. I’m not entirely sure in one review how to even begin do justice to the sheer majesty of Bjork, so in its place I think I’ll simply bow in honorable recognition, and pledge my faithful service. This is music that is best experienced before understanding. So, I’ll keep this one uncharacteristically brief. Are there (m)any other artists beside Bjork who can create the cornucopia of musical sounds so aptly describing moods and emotions, while utilizing almost exclusively vocals? What does a palm full of diamond stars being cast like dice on a table sound like? ‘Desired Constellation.’ How about the glub-glub sound wine makes as its being decanted? ‘Mouth’s Cradle’ recreates that, and to the further accompaniment of a chorus of dark, mournful angels. What do you think greed sounds like? ‘Where Is the Line,’ that’s what. Or the inner sounds of a working human body? ‘Triumph of a Heart.’ Bjork’s creativity astonishes throughout this entire LP. And the strength, passion, range, and elegance of her vocals on ‘Oil Birtan,’i.e. or ‘Desired Constellation’ (possibly the best song off an LP chocked full of wonders) rivals one of 20th century America’s greatest singers, Barbara Streisand. Add to the mix Icelandic and British choirs evoking medieval monastic cathedral tones, background vocals from Faith No More’s Mike Patton and founding Soft Machine member, Robert Wyatt, the incredible Inuit throat singing styles of Tagaq, a team of talented beatboxers, all recorded and mixed by an army of programmers and engineers manifesting Bjork’s visionary arrangements, and the end result for the listener is like unwrapping fourteen sparkling, magical songs presents under the tree on Christmas morning. And great things, incredible things, come in each of those little packages, one after another. Bjork’s compositions and performance on 'Medulla' is nothing short of spellbinding. An extraordinary work of art.

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Sun Dec 12 2021
4

She really commands a unique space of her own, I admire and respect that.

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Mon Dec 20 2021
4

Well, this is definitely a Bjork album. Like every other Bjork album I've ever heard, I enjoyed it. However, there's not a lot that I can say about this album that I wouldn't say about any other Bjork album. It's challenging at times, experimental in a way that often hits home, carried by her voice despite the fact that her voice isn't particularly incredible (it's good, just not super notable). The layering of different voices in this album works really well and is the biggest strength of Medulla. 4/5

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Sun May 22 2022
5

Music of the Feywild. This was one of the coolest, most unique projects on the list, and I can't get enough of it.

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Sun Dec 12 2021
4

The more experimental-side of Björk. I'm glad to listen to more of her different albums since I have never really heard them. A few songs on here I would listen to again but I don't love them all, still all respectable. Vokuro is like a lovely Gregorian chant and I'm a sucker for that. Who Is It starts off with a minimal choral vocal arrangement then goes into some crazy synth/beatbox drums with more uptempo vibes, kinda like it. A lot of the various octave vocals are unsettling and I'm not a huge fan of their implementation, but it's bold. The whole album feels like a progression and is essentially a narrative/play to me. I could see a whole interpretive dance performance to this. I love the bitcrushed/snappy percussion start in Desired Constellation and when the vocals amp up and the whispers come in left and right. Oceana has some really impressive instrumental flourishes that come in and out. Ancestors is kind of disturbing actually, not a huge fan. Pretty crazy for 2004, the production is beautiful as well.

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Sun Jan 16 2022
4

This is a highly experimental album - nearly every single instrument is the human voice. This is an interesting concept, but Björk manages to pull it off and still sound like ... Björk. This is a small hiccup for me. I have massive respect for Björk, but could never really get into her music. There is only a handful of Björk songs that I like. Luckily, one of these is Oceania from this album, in which Björk summons an incredibly amount of energy, which I find is lacking in many other of her songs. All in all, I'm a bit torn, but I'll give this album 3.5/5.

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Thu Feb 10 2022
4

Fascinating album using mainly voices, Björk’s experimentation is often tricky to listen to but ultimately absorbing. Her singing ability is on a level with the greatest opera singers. Mesmeric.

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Sun Apr 03 2022
4

I can’t tell if I like this for my principled appreciation of weird, experimental shit or if I actually enjoyed it. Either way bjork and sault are like the only two artists I’ve gotten that have made me seek out more of their music. Side note: her music is eclectic asf. Submarine was my fav and sounded like a demonic barbershop quartet

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Sun Mar 06 2022
3

Not the easiest Björk listening experience, I’m more partial to her more accessible stuff from Post. But it’s beautiful nonetheless. Oceania and triumph of a heart are my favorite. 3.5/5

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Wed Mar 09 2022
3

After listening to the 1st couple of songs I feared this was one of those "accomplishment" albums that made it on to the list it was acapella (with Bjork's voice, a scary thought). Then I hit the third song "Where is the Line" and liked it. The next track "Vokuro" was great too but very different. "Triumph of the Heart" is adventurous. Some of the others are enjoyable but often followed by something annoying.

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Wed Mar 23 2022
3

Indulgent and slightly irritating. Not entirely convinced that this list needs more than one Bjork album.

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Sun Mar 27 2022
3

Avant-garde is certainly accurate for this album. I don't dislike it but I have a hard time enjoying the vocals throughout all of it. If this was a instrumental album or even a limited vocal performance album I would enjoy it more. I'm confused as to how to rate this album. At times I get it and love the artistry and at other times I just feel like I'm about to be possessed.

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Wed Mar 22 2023
3

Bjork has a unique and wonderful voice, but this isn’t for me.

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Thu Apr 28 2022
2

Just droned on, really not my thing

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Fri May 06 2022
2

Struggled to get this one to two stars.

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Fri Dec 31 2021
5

Þetta er bara ein besta plata sem ég hef hlustað á. Hljóð-heimurinn er úr annarri veröld. Einnig ekki hægt að gefa íslending hér annað en fimm stjörnur. Við kunnum þetta

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Fri Feb 04 2022
5

ok

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Mon May 09 2022
5

Hoots and boops, moans and growls, mewling and heavy breathing. Unlike anything else. Björk!

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Sun May 22 2022
5

I'll be frank: I didn't expect Nordic Beatboxing tonight, but it is a welcome sound.

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Thu Jun 16 2022
5

really good I liked Vespertine more but this was still really fun and experimental I think there were a lot more vocally oriented tracks, a cappella and whatnot but the instrumentals were crazy too it was awesome hearing just how heavy some of those songs hit amazing experience- 10/10

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Wed Jul 20 2022
5

I had mixed feelings when I saw that the album today is from Björk. At the same time, that is not my favorite music style (far from it), but it's impossible to say that she does not bring a great personality and a natural artistic feeling to this list. Given that this album is an excellent way to spend 50 minutes. More experimentalism than I like, but in the end, it's good music. This is the third Björk album that I got here, and I hope this is the last, but if not, I'm sure I'll enjoy the next strange musical trip waiting for me there. It's necessary to rate it with five stars because some music is far from my preference, but it's a piece of art.

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Thu Jul 28 2022
5

Finally I can dust off my hipster beret and say I completely loved this challenging, beautiful album and played it through three times today. What gorgeous, inventive use of vocal layering, and the songs underneath it all are so great! Maybe a new favorite.

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Wed Aug 17 2022
5

Seriously impressive. It is not going to be to averyone's taste, but the vocal control and technical competence is just at a different level to nearly anything else I have ever heard. The phrasing patterns are distinctly Bjork, whether this is her or an effect of having icelandic as her first language I don't know, but it certainly is distinctive. Well constructed harmonies, with minimal instrumentation make this a vocal tour-de-force. There are moments that don't quite work for me - Ancestors is too discordant and chaotic for me, for example

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Fri Sep 02 2022
5

Absolutely love this as an idea. And as it turns out, also in its execution. The first Bjork album I didn't pay attention to when it came out, I think after 4 absolutely fantastic albums, I felt I had enough to be going on with and checked out other stuff. Came back to this recently ahead of going to see her at Bluedot. Triumph of a Heart is spectacular (watch the video), Who is It, Oceania also excellent. This has gone from the book but Vulnicura remains, which I find harder to like and find less noteworthy really because of the unique (lack of) instrumentation here. I want to argue with people who think Bjork only makes mental music, get to the point where they're willing to listen to examples to back up the argument, then play Ancestors to them and run away.

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Sun Sep 11 2022
5

Truly beautiful

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Fri Sep 23 2022
5

love

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Sun Nov 20 2022
5

This was my third listen of this album. I’ve heard all of Björk’s solo albums (besides the jazz one, Selmasongs, and the one she did as a child) and I think this is my favorite, although it wasn’t initially and it might change in the future. Despite that, I’m surprised that this (+ Debut and Vulnicura) is even on this list when Post and Homogenic aren’t. I don’t know if I have much to say about the album itself because I don’t have anything insightful to say about it. It’s just good. Favorite songs: “Oceania”, “Pleasure Is All Mine”, “Mouths Cradle”. (Also, by the way: would like to change my ratings for Debut to a 5, Abbey Road to a 4, and Tracy Chapman’s self-titled album to a 3 because my rating system has already changed.)

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Wed Jan 04 2023
5

What even can I say about this album? I feel unqualified to really put a proper review to it. Highly experimental, sometimes haunting, chaotic at times and borderline unlistenable at others. It includes some things you don't hear much in recorded popular music - throat singing, beatboxing - overall it relies a lot on human sounds, and that brings out a raw and mysterious property. It really felt like some found album of a fantasy or alien civilisation. Honestly I think it's kind of beautiful in its total uniqueness. Surely there are few albums quite as unique as this one. A willingness to be this experimental realy makes me see why Björk is such a revered artist.

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Thu Jan 12 2023
5

This is the most interesting album from this list yet. I'm so into this. 5 Stars. The end of Ancestors guttural retching was so hard to listen to I nearly docked a star, but not quite.

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Sun Jan 29 2023
5

I feel like when I listen to this album it puts me in a trance. Bjorks singing is just so weird I can’t help to hyper focus on it and it’s awesome how instrumentals are either alcapella or non existent. With all the shit I listen to I’m happy when I can find an album that’s this distinct from the rest

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Mon Jan 30 2023
5

fun fact: beyonce was supposed to be on this album but scheduling problems got in the way and it never ended up happening. i really wish that happened but this is an amazing album. listening to all the different voices used is so interesting and it's so cool to hear how bjork combines all of them. you would think that an album like this would feel gimmicky but it is far from that. i'm very glad i got a bjork album on here because she's one of my favorite artists and i have been meaning to listen to this for a while. excellent album.

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Mon Feb 20 2023
5

Além de sua técnica vocal impressionante, a maneira como Björk transmite emoção e sentimento em suas músicas é envolvente a valer. O disco carrega um clima de tranquilidade ativa. Consegue prender a atenção e satisfaz a alma na quietude.

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Thu Dec 16 2021
4

Queen

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Fri Jan 14 2022
4

Beautiful, mesmerising album. There's always something new to discover in it.

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Mon Jan 31 2022
4

Это что-то с чем-то.

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Sun Mar 06 2022
4

My least favorite Bjork album but still a stunning achievement

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Fri Mar 18 2022
4

fully textured, but quite hard work for an easy listen

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Wed Apr 06 2022
4

Rarita como diario

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Fri May 06 2022
4

intense and weird like all bijork almost religiously pretty. 4. maybe a 3 if im having a shit day tomorrow.

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Mon May 09 2022
4

Would I play this at a party? No. (That's a lie, but most people probably wouldn't.) This is not decorative. But it's interesting. Beatboxing and throat singing in the same work? Wow. Experimentations with the human voice as instrument. I don't know how to rate this. Some of it was intriguing. Some of it made me laugh out loud. Some was really challenging to keep listening to. Sometimes, listening on my headphones made me feel like I was possessed and had voices in my head. Björk didn't just stick to what worked before, did she? So, I'm going to celebrate her artistic audacity here.

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Wed May 18 2022
4

Like stepping through a contemporary art exhibit. Her sound is more polished and atmospheric. Bjork takes on a more experimental approach here. Unlike her previous albums, not every song is intended to be pop-structured. Instead, we have these heavy glitch pop hits interlaced with simple a capella. It's insane when the channels are isolated and you realize it's nearly entirely a capella, even the heavy noises are beatboxing. This is meant for focused listening. The tracks are ethereal and frankly somewhat surreal that it will be found boring and distracting to listen in other means. It feels like a guide to a capella with how astonishing the producer can make a capella so recognizable yet versatile in utility. Some songs feel like a precursor to chillwave. Many of the simpler songs remind me of a late medieval choir. In terms of complaints, there's not much relistening to with so many experimental tracks. It helps that they're shorter, but you have songs like "Ancestors" which would help being half its length, but I could see how that could lose artistic effect. The album picks up and peaks in the middle, losing its momentum after "Oceania." The simple tracks don't engage me like the earlier ones. "Mouths Cradle" doesn't evolve much and ends anticlimatically, but its grand sound reminds me of the Norfair theme in Metroid. "Triumph of a Heart" is a lighthearted humorous finish. Please watch the music videos to this album.

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Thu Jul 14 2022
4

4.0 - I fell off the Björk fan-wagon with "Vespertine", just feeling burnt out on the weight of that album and her cringe-y "Dancer in the Dark" project. This album reminded me of what I love about her as an artist: the cocksure experimentation, the strange mysticism and the haunting melodies. Despite all the weirdness, the record feels light and human. Maybe it's the a cappella aspect, which is both boundary-pushing without being gimmicky.

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Wed Jul 27 2022
4

Le concept est original, l'album est court, la voix est superbe, tout l'inverse des Smashing Pumpkins.

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Thu Jul 28 2022
4

This is doing such cool harmonic things

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Thu Aug 11 2022
4

A very ambitious and fascinating album that many artists wouldn't be able to pull off, let alone make the end result sound so unsettling in some places and beautiful in others

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Thu Aug 11 2022
4

This made me feel like I was a cool witch when I am a little nerd playing animal crossing on a Thursday.

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Mon Aug 15 2022
4

I just told someone "If there is such a thing as a 'mostly the singles' fan or Bjork I am it" but this was interesting and clubby in a way that was accessible for me

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Thu Aug 18 2022
4

This is the most Björk album ever. A horrible start for anyone new to the singer and the perfect album to test wether or not you really like Iceland’s most adventurous musician. Claustrophobic, haunting, devastating but still stunningly beautiful. A unique album to be sure; but what a thrill. This is THE Björk album I would love to hear performed live.

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Sun Sep 18 2022
4

captivating, addictive although I still dislike Bjork's singing manners

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Wed Oct 12 2022
4

Weird Bjork always a fan, go Iceland!

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Sun Oct 16 2022
4

I thought 'Oh no not another Bjork album' but I like this. I've always thought I should like her- all the ingredients are there but never clicked. I like the capella slant though. Very well produced and executed.

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Fri Oct 28 2022
4

I kind Bjork, but too many of the songs sounds the same

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Wed Nov 02 2022
4

I really need to listen to some more trip-hop, it is aesthetically pleasing to my ears

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Thu Nov 10 2022
4

I really enjoyed this Bjork album and especially the appearances of two artists that I like a lot, Tanya Tagaq and Robert Wyatt. 2 unique voices to join Bjork's string of eccentricities, it's perfect.

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Thu Nov 10 2022
4

Many will say that this is where Björks music started to collapse under the weight of her concepts/character and I can see why, but I think this one still has a lot to offer, both musically and emotionally. The album was made to explore the possibilities of the human voice and as such, I think it succeeds to demonstrate how strong, fragile and diverse our voice can get. It's also less catchy than anything she'd done before, but I think this one is supposed to talk to the heart instead of the feet.

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Mon Dec 05 2022
4

She is an absolutely fascinating and original artist in so many ways. This album reflects that. Wow. Such interesting use of melody and harmony, amazing compositions, and stellar performances.

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Thu Dec 15 2022
4

Ehkä alan vähitellen lämmetä Björkillekin. Voimakkaiden tunteiden paikasta tämä(kin) tulee ja sitä on pakko arvostaa. 4/5

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Thu Dec 15 2022
4

Björkin kokeellisimpia levyjä, mutta silti mielettömän kaunista. Ihmeellistä, miten voi samaa aikaa testailla äänimaailmojen rajoja ja välittää uskottavia tunteita näin suvereenisti.

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Thu Dec 15 2022
4

Todella kaunis levy! 4/5

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Thu Jan 05 2023
4

Focus more on mantras than verses or conventional song structures with the vocal beats switching up in the background to keep it interesting. This is bold and avant-garde, the beat-boxed beats are enjoyable in the way human voices are, emotionally evocative in how they strain, soar, rasp, bark etc. I enjoyed this album more when I first heard it years ago, the problem being that while I enjoy this when it’s on the songs don’t stick in my mind and beckon me back when it’s over. But to reiterate I do enjoy the shit out of this when it’s on and I respect it just as much as ever.

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Mon Jan 30 2023
4

Wasn't looking forward to this - I always felt this album was the beginning of inaccessible and unenjoyable bjork. But actually, despite it's experimentation, it still sets wonderful scenes that get me through my office day. Also, Rahzel is great. Once saw a gig of his where he brought along roses and gave one to each woman in the audience. Really casts a wide net.

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Thu Feb 23 2023
4

I love Bjork, but it has to be the right day to listen to her experimental bent towards music. Luckily today was the right day. I don't think I've ever heard his album, but one thing stuck out immediately. While listening to "Ancestors" I heard the familiar (yes, familiar) sounds of Inuit throat singing. And I had a hunch that this song was a collaboration between Bjork and Inuit recording artist Tanya Tagaq. And it was. It was a nice surprise to hear two artists I appreciate getting together to make some music.

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Thu Feb 23 2023
4

The vocals on this album are incredible. I don't know what kind of training it takes to sing like this, but it's gotta take a lot of work for both Björk & her backup vocalists. Ethereal, surreal, soothing, and beautifully foreign. A nice rounded 4.

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Thu Feb 23 2023
4

Bjork's a trip, man. Can't say I'd listen to this on the regular, but it's hard not to respect her steadfast refusal to adhere to the norms of the recording industry. Bjork's gonna Bjork, and I dig it.

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Thu Mar 09 2023
4

2004. Not in my edition of the book! 4 stars Icelandic Kate Bush, all the weirdness without the tunes. Oddly appealing to listen to, and she has got a good voice. Not for everyone, but well worth a listen.

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Thu Mar 23 2023
4

I love Desired Connections and the two singles, "Who Is It" and "Triumph of a Heart". Amazing album cant imagine the production of this mostly accapella masterpiece.

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Thu Mar 23 2023
4

wild album, mostly voice-based but sounds like electronica. 4 stars. weird.

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Tue Dec 14 2021
3

It was just okay.

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Thu Dec 16 2021
3

Very cool experiment. Can never go wrong collaborating with Rahzel and Patton. But hardly repeatable.

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Wed Jan 26 2022
3

A really strange and beautiful album. I can't say I am a fan of Bjork, however that is not because a dislike of her music more because I have never really heard her solo music. I don't think this is the best introduction, I presume not anyway, nevertheless I enjoyed it 3.5 stars

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Sun Feb 13 2022
3

It's much better than I remember it being but it's still undeniably niche.

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Fri Feb 18 2022
3

Non ci sono strumenti musicali, ho paura. Non così pessimo, ma sicuramente straniante. Particolare a dir poco, tra il 2 e il 3.

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Sun Feb 20 2022
3

This was interesting and experimental, some songs worked others didn’t. Really glad I listened but would I listen again probably not.

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Wed Mar 09 2022
3

The album is decent but her voice is starting to get to me. I appreciate the notes she can hit but it’s still getting to me.

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Thu Mar 10 2022
3

Not my favorite Bjork album but there are some great songs here

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Fri Apr 22 2022
3

A lovely voice. The music felt like an avant garde art performance. Might have been more tolerable if I was deep into my cups

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Mon May 09 2022
3

This album presents me with a conundrum. I was in awe of what could be done using just the human voice. Once I had admired that, the mostly slow vocal delivery of the main lyrics became tedious. I appreciated this but could not find emotional connection to it. Still, I am marveling at the accomplishment of this album. I understand why it is on this list and it is definitely something to behold which rounds up the rating half a point. But the academic attraction I felt was not enough to say I enjoy this.

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Mon May 09 2022
3

I really appreciate the concept of the album. I didn’t realize from the start that it was pretty much all human vocals. At the point that I asked myself “Is that someone beat boxing?” I suddenly became more aware of what I had been listening to. I did find quite a bit of the album a challenge, though. I was not able to embrace all the compositions even with the variety of interesting vocal sounds.

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Wed May 11 2022
3

Wat een stem, maar zal het niet vaak uit mezelf aanzetten

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Sun May 29 2022
3

My favorite Bjork album. I feel like it's severely underrated by her fans.

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Fri Jun 03 2022
3

Excellent artistry but I struggled for any standout tracks or moments

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Wed Jul 13 2022
3

Yes

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Wed Jul 13 2022
3

Þessi er skemmtileg og vel gerð. Er ekki reglulegri hlustun þó, því ég myndi fá leið fljótt.

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Fri Jul 22 2022
3

Respectable but not something I’d listen to very much.

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Wed Jul 27 2022
3

Á ma grande surprise cet album n'est pas classé dans la catégorie trip-hop et pourtant, j'ai ressenti tous les désagréments procuré par ce genre musical sur mon comportement : montée de stress, mains tremblantes, pensées suicidaires, diarrhées et j'en passe.

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Fri Aug 05 2022
3

Some amazingly bright moments on this brought down with an bit too much dull and aimless experimentation. Worth a listen for the good tracks

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Wed Aug 10 2022
3

It's Bjork...just kind of weird.

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Wed Aug 17 2022
3

Pretty much what one would expect. Was a long one, but fair play to her for creating this.

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Thu Aug 18 2022
3

Greatest a cappella achievement since Don’t worry, be happy? All joking aside, it is impressive how much warmth and intimicy is created on Medúlla through the use of the human voice. This is amplified by the production on Björks voice, which makes you feel like she is either whispering or screaming into your ear - a great example is on the Icelandic 'Vokuro'. Maybe a bit uneven track listing favoring the first half - or perhaps the curiosity sparked by innovation quickly wears off?

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Wed Aug 31 2022
3

Well, well, looks like this album features none other than ol' Robert Wyatt (of the ''nit nit folley balloley'' fame), on 'Submarine' and 'Oceania' no less, still looking for that mermaid you old sea dog? I should have known our paths would cross again, after all, it may be a list of 1001 albums, but it's only like 50 artists. But enough about falsetto Bob, let's get to the star of the show, also known as the human beatbox - Rahzel. Ok, maybe not the star, but on a mostly acapella album, his beatboxing provides some indispensable grounding. The tracks that don't feature him suffer for it. I actually think just an album with just him and the Icelandic choir would have been interesting. Bjork could play the triangle or something. Half kidding. Speaking of the Bjorkster. I've had the occasional pleasure and occasional misfortune to hear her music before, but this album is a first for me. And for the most part it's a combination of pleasure and only occasional uncomfortable squirming (Ancestors stands out in particular). But for 45 minutes of Bjork, it is pretty damn tolerable. I feel compelled to comment on the lyrics. Some are in English, some Icelandic, still others appear to be just gibberish. As I don't speak Icelandic, and Bjork's English prose is of the a million monkeys on a million typewriters variety, it's all equally incomprehensible to me. I'm not sure how to appraise it, I respect the artistry of it, but giving it a 4 would not be consistent with my rating system so far. So a 3 it is, leaving plenty of room for her to impress me with her other work. Best songs: everything with Rahzel (But especially ''Where is the line'', also featuring Mike Patton and the human trombone Gregory Purnhagen).

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Sun Sep 11 2022
3

Sonically adventurous, and marked by Björk's ear for dynamic melody. I'm just not sure it's an album I'll end up listening to more than once.

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Mon Sep 12 2022
3

Música experimental de Björk. Ni fu ni fa.

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Sun Sep 25 2022
3

bjork - medulla (2004) notes: - follow up to vespertine (my fav) - didnt know going in that this was capella - thought it was just an interesting gimmick for the first song but it just kept going - never really worked for me, theyre good songs that would have been much better with instruments imo fav - oceania - the acapella stuff didn’t distract from this one - when she hits that high gritty note you can feeeeel it least favourite - grunting moaning breathing and animal noises for like 4 minutes - theres a bit in the middle that sounds like using a pump to blow up an air mattress - also kinda sounds like that korn song 3/5

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Thu Sep 29 2022
3

Surprised good

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Thu Oct 27 2022
3

No one is allowed to say that Bjork never innovated or pushed boundaries during her career. While an entire acappella album is risky (especially given the standard of quality set by her first 4 albums up to this point), I think that her execution here warrants respect. Utilizing different vocal styles throughout (choral, Mongolian throat singing, katajjaq, etc.), Bjork accesses a wide range of ambience and sound textures in order to give each song new dynamics. This avoids the obvious trapping of the album getting boring, as one would imagine using only your voice as being limiting. An easy highlight is the song Who Is It, which has long sustained notes being sung underneath Bjork's primary vox and a beatbox that makes it feel like it could be a normal pop song. It's a stunning use of vocal layers that serves as a testament to Bjorks compositional abilities. I sympathize with this self-imposed limitation as a way to sprout creatively, Bjork could have very easily found herself in a slump after coming out with four of the most innovative pop albums of all time. I do, however, struggle to think that a whole album of mostly acappella songs were viable to up to a certain level of quality. That is, these songs can only be so good. I think Bjork hit the upper limit of how well a vocal-only album can be, and that limit floats around the word "impressive!". It's impressive. It's not something you'd listen to again because the novelty of it precedes the actual content. This is a trapping that Bjork simply could not break free of, and that kneecaps Medúlla. I appreciate it nonetheless.

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Wed Nov 09 2022
3

Debo revisitar este disco más adelante.

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