Iceland’s Maverick Lands, The World Tilts

By the time Björk disbanded The Sugarcubes after their 1991 international hit, she had already spent a lifetime quietly becoming one of the most startling musical talents on the planet — recording a solo album at age 11, singing alone in windy Icelandic caves, and absorbing everything from avant-punk to traditional brass bands along the way. Armed with a tape of childhood compositions and the creative partnership of dance music pioneer Graham Massey and producer Nellee Hooper, she set her sights on London’s underground club scene — and the result was one of the most thrilling debut albums in modern music.

Debut captured the manic, cross-pollinating energy of its genesis — Björk audibly basking in sensual hits like “Venus As A Boy,” swooping from belting howls to soft, baby-like sighs on “Human Nature,” and conjuring sheer electrifying joy on “Big Time Sensuality.” At its centre is an extraordinary voice unlike anything the world had heard before — one that could charm music from sand. When she appeared on MTV Unplugged accompanied by monks and perfectly pitched singing wine glasses, it seemed entirely natural. The big time had well and truly arrived.

Björk – Debut (1993)