Baker's Dozen

Artists discuss the 13 records that shaped their lives

8. BjorkVespertine

I love everything Bjork does of course… But this album just hit me in a period when I was vulnerable and young and confused. My first long term relationship had just ended when it came out. It was a really rough period for me and I just spent a lot of time alone with this album playing. Somehow it was a “break-up album” despite not being a “break-up album” at all.

During that time I was moving around a lot… I was living together with a lot people in a collective but I was basically alone…. trying to work a lot of things out I guess. It’s a really good headset album… And at that time I guess I had to listen on headset a lot more because I was living with all of these people. It’s just such a very special sounding album. The way the vocals are recorded and mixed makes it all feel very close up and so you get a direct line into what makes it so good. ‘Cocoon’ is the real highlight I think.

I really regret missing her play on that tour. I’ve never heard her in an indoor concert, only at a festival…

This album was really important to me when we were making my debut album. It was defining for the way I wanted my music to sound and her voice was so special in helping me find my own. She just creates a whole different world with her singing.

Selected in other Baker’s Dozens: The Anchoress, Lotic, Shabaka Hutchings, Teju Cole, Charlotte Church
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