Björk – In Concert at The Warehouse, Toronto – August 7, 1995 – CBC Radio –
Björk this weekend. Perhaps fitting with the surreal nature of real life, the surreal nature of art and music. Björk is synonymous with eclecticism; a continuously changing and evolving evolution of art, performance and music – tapping on a vast panorama of styles and genres – taking the innovation and experimentation of the form and adding to it, sculpting it and making it her very own statement.
Björk has been an international icon and characterized by critics as “the most important and forward-looking musician of her generation” since beginning her solo career in 1993, after leaving the Iclandic band The Sugarcubes. She’s been considered one of the 100 Greatest Women in Music, and Rolling Stone has declared her as one of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time”. No pressure or anything.
This concert, a 1995 appearance at The Warehouse in Toronto, and broadcast live by the CBC in Canada, comes two months after the release of her second Solo album, Post and continues her exploration of Techno and Dance, following the huge success of her debut album, ironically titled Debut, which came out in 1993.
Between the first album and the second album, she collaborated a great deal with Electronica and hip-hop figures Tricky and Howie B, along with Graham Massey of 808 State and his Industrial influence, to create and album which ranked #7 in Best albums of the 90s, according to Spin Magazine and Rolling Stone considering it number 373 on the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
So this concert puts Björk smack in the middle of her breakthrough period. And as is pretty obvious by the reaction of the audience, she has already gathered an enormous fan base.
If you’re familiar with Björk going back to her early solo days, this concert will no doubt bring up a few memories. If you’ve just gotten into the music of Björk, or have come to her music only recently, this is a good place to start to get some idea of the immense range of eclectic influences she’s brought to the musical table over the years.
Crank it up and enjoy – you can probably use the break this weekend anyway.
