Labels

Bjork - All is Full of Love

"You'll be given love. You'll be taken care of."

Album: Homogenic [3rd solo album]
Recorded: Malaga, Spain
Genre: Art Pop, Trip Hop
Album Release: September 20th 1997
Single Release: May 24th 1999 [5th single]
Length: 4.47
Producer: Bjork
Vocalist: Bjork [age 31]
Label: Elektra Records, One Little Indian Records


Music video


Live in New York


Greatest Hits Version [Audio Only - Best Version]


Howie's Version [Version on Homogenic]


Charts

Spotify: Over 20 million
YouTube Music: Over 30 million 


Credits

Accordion, clavichord, drum machine, harp, keyboards, pipe organ, strings


Details
  • The last track recorded for the album.
  • The track on Homogenic is produced by Howie B. The version of the track featured here, which was also released as the single, was produced by Bjork herself.
  • This is Bjork's first record produced by Mark Bell and has a distinctly more uniform approach than her previous efforts. The songs also have a chillier, icy feel but still burn with emotion. 

  • The music video, which features a robotic lesbian version of Bjork kissing another robot, was directed by Chris Cunningham using full size 3-D models and serves as a stand-in for the the relationship between electronic music and emotion. In the 90's people would often criticise electronica using words such as lifeless, souless and emotionless. They focused on what the music lacked instead of what it had.

    Bjork took chagrin to these comments telling BBC's Southbank Show in 1998 "they've got their finger and they point at the computer 'there's no soul here'. It's like you can't blame the computer. If there's not soul in the music it's because nobody put it there and it's not the tools fault." She had strong feelings on the subject and when the machines come to life in 'All is Full of Love' it represents Bjork putting the soul into electronic music, as if she was giving the tin man a heart.

    'All is Full of Love' has a strong emotional core and it's fitting that, from Bjork's perspective, upon coming to life, the first feelings the machines have is love. People tend to fear robots and that phobia extends to electronic music, as if using machines to complete human tasks would somehow makes us less human. What they really is the unkown. Robots are often pictured running amok, taking over the world and destroying what came before even in the face of evidence to the contrary.

    Industrialisation and automation represent natural progress and technological leaps forward have been with humankind since the stone age. The often foretold mass unemployment arising from such changes has inevitably failed to materialise. People adapt.

    The love the machines display in 'All is Full of Love' is Bjork's love for electronic music come to life, which is why the robots wears Bjork's face. It's personal for her. As the long time champion of electronic music it's only fitting that its finest hour wears her face.

    The music video's aura of sensuality has led to it been age restricted on YouTube. The robots do kiss and touch but any idea of sexual activity between them is a non-starter as there are no real people involved. The production utilised 3-D models that are deprived of genitalia therefore the idea of them having sex is ludicrous. However, there's an erotic feeling to the piece which is testament to its the artistic merit. Combined with the music, the overall effect of the video was enough to make one of the worlds largest tech companies declare it unsafe for anyone under the age of 18.

    Of course, YouTube doesn't believe people will see 'All is Full of Love' and start behaving inappropriately with kitchen appliances. It's restricted because the models seem so human. In YouTube's defence the video does contain fallic imagery but that's all it is, highly effective imagery, entirely suitable for a 17 year old by any rational measure. The video has been displayed at art galleries throughout world and to the best of my knowledge people under the age of 18 were permitted entry.
    Robo-Bjork

  • Bjork released a greatest hits album in 2002 comprised of songs voted for by the public, 'All is Full of Love' was the second most popular behind only 'Hyperballad'.

  • "I guess waking up after having been in Spain for six months in the mountains with few people. It was kind of solitary. And it was April, and I had to walk in the morning, around the mountains. And spring just kicked in. It was definitely nature-inspired. On a more personal level. It's about when you have been too stubborn about giving love to one particular direction... you expect it back, like it's a bank or something. And kind of realizing that it's up to you what you give, but it's not up to you what you are given and where from." (Bjork talking to bjork.com in 2000)

  • 'All Is Full Of Love' was written after the rest of Homogenic which I’d wanted to be an agressive, macho album. In Icelandic mythology, you have this saga where the gods get agressive and the world explodes and everything dies and then the sun comes up and everything starts all over again. It’s the last track on Homogenic after ’Pluto’ which stands for death. 'All Is Full Of Love' is like the birds coming out after the thunderstorm. In a way, in my head, 'All Is Full Of Love' is the first song on Vespertine. (Bjork talking to Record Collector in 2002)

  • There is a remix by Death Cab for Cutie
  • There is a remix by The Microphones


Artwork

Labels:

Popular Posts