The visionary artist Björk has officially announced the upcoming release of Björk Orkestral with the Hamrahlíð Choir, a live album documenting her 2021 collaboration with the renowned Icelandic ensemble. Scheduled for release on November 27, the project will be available across multiple formats, including LP, CD, Blu-ray, and DVD, with pre-orders currently open to fans.
The recording captures a pivotal moment from October 24, 2021, at Reykjavík’s Harpa Concert Hall. This performance was part of a four-show series titled Orkestral, which saw the artist pivot away from the elaborate, high-concept staging of her previous tours in favor of intimate, stripped-back arrangements. The series featured over 100 Icelandic musicians, with all proceeds benefiting Kvennaathvarfið, a local women’s shelter in Reykjavík.
The concert highlighted a deep musical synergy between the artist and the Hamrahlíð Choir, which is conducted by its founder, Þorgerður Ingólfsdóttir. The setlist notably includes a performance of her 2004 album Medúlla—a record defined by its reliance on the human voice—alongside reimagined versions of tracks such as “Hidden Place” from Vespertine, “Cosmogony” from Biophilia, “Unravel” from Homogenic, and “New World” from Selmasongs.
Reflecting on the process, the artist noted that the extended rehearsal periods necessitated by the pandemic allowed her to explore the delicate balance between human vocals and electronic elements. “For me, it is a philosophical matter, how nature and technology can coexist amicably,” she explained. She further shared that the shows provided a rare opportunity to revisit and refine older material that she felt she hadn’t yet fully mastered for a live setting.
Tracklist for Björk Orkestral with the Hamrahlíð Choir
“Pleasure Is All Mine” from Medúlla
“Hidden Place” from Vespertine
“Cosmogony” from Biophilia
“Sonnets / Unrealities XI” from Medúlla
“Unravel” from Homogenic
“Vertebræ by Vertebræ” from Volta
“Who Is It” from Medúlla
“Mouth’s Cradle” from Medúlla
“Where Is the Line” from Medúlla
“New World” from Selmasongs
