Voltaic
Encyclopedia
Voltaïc refers to five separate releases of related material from singer-songwriter Björk
's sixth studio album Volta
. The full version of the release will include a CD of 11 songs performed live at the Olympic Studios
, a DVD of Björk's live performances in Paris
and Reykjavík
during the Volta tour, a second DVD of the Volta music video
s as well as videos of the top ten runners-up from the "Innocence
" video contest, and a second CD of remix
es from Voltas singles. The official worldwide release date of all editions was June 23, 2009. The artwork was nominated for an award at the 2010 Brit Insurance Design Awards.
campaign for Volta, the EPK interview that was used in the Volta podcasts available on the iTunes Store
, and an unreleased "AOL Online session".
Björk then filmed a concert at L'Olympia in Paris
, France
during the last leg of the Volta tour and a small concert in Reykjavík
, Iceland
straight after the tour had finished. The "Volta Revisited" collection eventually surfaced as Voltaïc and was to include a live DVD among 3 other discs, although manufacturing problems lead to a delay of up to six months for its release. One manufacturing error led to 20,000 copies of the box-set having to be destroyed, and with a remanufacture necessary, Björk decided to make changes to the track listing resulting in four songs being cut from the live DVD. Towards the end of April 2009 Universal Europe accidentally shipped their copies of Voltaïc early. A statement released by One Little Indian stated that the projected release date was meant to be June 2009 as they wanted all three versions of Voltaïc to be available upon official release - the early shipment by Universal Europe was only of the Deluxe Edition. However, UK-based music retailer CD Wow
was found to be for a brief period selling un-cut copies of the box set, before its official release. These copies, which had allegedly been destroyed, were manufactured in Malaysia - and as such contained more tracks than the other released (cut) editions. Voltaïc eventually enjoyed its full official release on June 23, 2009.
Throughout July 2009 the concert was also shown twice weekly at the Háskólabíó theatre in Reykjavík. Björk herself was present at the first screening.
.
Live at Olympic Studios
Björk was ill on the night of the Paris concert and later described the recording as being "quite traumatic" as her voice was not in good condition at this late point during the tour. Because of this, some small parts of Björk's vocals in the Paris concert were edited in post-production, for example in the performance of "Where Is The Line". The Reykjavík concert shows her voice in much better condition. It is notable that both "My Juvenile" and "Pneumonia" were only performed live during the Reykjavík concert - all the other songs were performed throughout the Volta tour.
The originally announced tracklisting for the Voltaïc Live DVD contained more tracks than those which appear on the final release. "Triumph of a Heart" was cut from the Paris concert, while "Cover Me", "Immature" and "The Dull Flame of Desire" were cut from the Reykjavík concert. Additional 'cut' songs were performed at each respective concert but were never featured on any tracklists for the box-set, e.g. "Oceania". "Brennið Þið Vitar" is the walk-in played by the brass band, and is a traditional Icelandic choral piece.
Live in Paris
Live in Reykjavík
Music Videos:
The "Innocence" Video Competition:
While the two "making of" features are exclusive to this release, the 3D version of "Wanderlust" (released as part of its corresponding box set) is not included on this DVD.
)
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
's sixth studio album Volta
Volta (album)
Volta is the seventh studio album by Icelandic musician Björk, released in May 2007. It was produced by Björk, Mark Bell, Timbaland and Danja. The music of Volta was a new style for Björk, focusing on similar sounding music combining African beats and other instruments with songs in tribute to Africa...
. The full version of the release will include a CD of 11 songs performed live at the Olympic Studios
Olympic Studios
Olympic Studios was a renowned independent commercial recording studio located at 117 Church Road, Barnes, South West London, England. The studio is best known for the huge number of famous rock and pop recordings made there from the late 1960s onward....
, a DVD of Björk's live performances in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
during the Volta tour, a second DVD of the Volta music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
s as well as videos of the top ten runners-up from the "Innocence
Innocence (Björk song)
"Innocence" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The song was released as the second single from her sixth full-length studio album, Volta. It is co-produced by Hip-Hop/R&B record producer Timbaland and his protégé Danja. The song was premiered on Björk's MySpace profile on...
" video contest, and a second CD of remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es from Voltas singles. The official worldwide release date of all editions was June 23, 2009. The artwork was nominated for an award at the 2010 Brit Insurance Design Awards.
Release history
The release was subject to numerous delays, mostly due to manufacturing problems. The first mention of the release of live material from the Volta tour was made through an announcement made on Björk's official website regarding a "Live Session Album" made at the now-closed Olympic Studios. This was then followed by online stores adding to their pages a release titled "Volta Revisited" in February 2008, with projected (and incorrect) release dates of April/May 2008 listed. An email from Derek Birkett, head of One Little Indian, stated the proposed contents of the release, meant to 'tie-up' the Volta compaign. The release was originally not going to include a live DVD, but amongst those items that did not make the final release were the online blips made as part of the viral marketingViral marketing
Viral marketing, viral advertising, or marketing buzz are buzzwords referring to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of viruses...
campaign for Volta, the EPK interview that was used in the Volta podcasts available on the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
, and an unreleased "AOL Online session".
Björk then filmed a concert at L'Olympia in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
during the last leg of the Volta tour and a small concert in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
straight after the tour had finished. The "Volta Revisited" collection eventually surfaced as Voltaïc and was to include a live DVD among 3 other discs, although manufacturing problems lead to a delay of up to six months for its release. One manufacturing error led to 20,000 copies of the box-set having to be destroyed, and with a remanufacture necessary, Björk decided to make changes to the track listing resulting in four songs being cut from the live DVD. Towards the end of April 2009 Universal Europe accidentally shipped their copies of Voltaïc early. A statement released by One Little Indian stated that the projected release date was meant to be June 2009 as they wanted all three versions of Voltaïc to be available upon official release - the early shipment by Universal Europe was only of the Deluxe Edition. However, UK-based music retailer CD Wow
CD WOW!
CD WOW! is an online retailer, offering Games, CD, DVD, Books and Cosmetics. Similar to Amazon.com, it offers websites in and ships from multiple countries including: UK, USA, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Republic of Ireland, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, Japan and Germany. Started...
was found to be for a brief period selling un-cut copies of the box set, before its official release. These copies, which had allegedly been destroyed, were manufactured in Malaysia - and as such contained more tracks than the other released (cut) editions. Voltaïc eventually enjoyed its full official release on June 23, 2009.
Theatre screenings
Voltaïc was screened at fifteen theatres throughout the USA to coincide with the North American release on June 23, 2009.- June 17 Boulder, CO Boulder Theater
- June 19, 20 Anchorage, AK Bear Tooth Theater
- June 19–21 Portland, OR Hollywood Theatre
- June 20 Philadelphia, PA 941 Theater
- June 23 New York, NY School of Visual Arts Theater
- June 23 Los Angeles, CA The Montalban Theater
- June 23 Madison, WI The Orpheum Stage Door
- June 23–28 Oxford, MS The AmpThe AmpThe Amp was a satellite and cable television channel, showing music videos, owned by British Sky Broadcasting, and operated on their behalf by Chart Show Channels...
- June 23–28 Lake Geneva, WI Geneva Theater
- June 24 Minneapolis, MN The Trylon Microcinema
- June 26, 27 Seattle, WA Northwest Film ForumNorthwest Film ForumNorthwest Film Forum is a non-profit film arts organization established in Seattle in 1995. NWFF operates a two-screen movie theater year-round in Seattle, but also offers workshops, equipment rentals, and filmmaking grants and sponsorships in support of local cinema...
- June 26, 27 San Francisco, CA The RoxieThe RoxieThe Roxie Theater is a movie theater at 3117 16th Street in the Mission District of San Francisco built in 1909. It is also known as the Roxie Cinema or just The Roxie.-History:...
- June 26, 27 Bellingham, WA Pickford Film Center
- June 26, 27 New Orleans, LA Zeitgeist Arts Center
- July 20 Austin, TX Alamo Drafthouse Ritz
Throughout July 2009 the concert was also shown twice weekly at the Háskólabíó theatre in Reykjavík. Björk herself was present at the first screening.
Track listing
Voltaïc is released in five different editions: CD (containing only the Olympic Studio session), CD+DVD (containing the Volta Tour Live DVD and the Olympic Studio session on CD), Deluxe Edition Standard/Limited Edition (containing 2 CDs and 2 DVDs) and a Deluxe Vinyl Edition (3 vinyls, 2 CDs and 2 DVDs). However, only the North American release (on Nonesuch Records) will feature all five different versions - the UK and European releases exclude the CD and CD+DVD editions. Both CDs (Live CD and Remix CD) are also available on the iTunes StoreITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
.
(Live CD) - Songs from the Volta Tour Performed Live at the Olympic Studios
(Available on all releases)Live at Olympic Studios
- "WanderlustWanderlust (Björk song)"Wanderlust" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The track was released digitally as the fourth single from her seventh full-length studio album, Volta, on 7 April 2008.White labels of the single were issued in February 2008...
" - "HunterHunter (Björk song)"Hunter" is a song by Björk, released in 1998 as the third single from Homogenic. The song peaked at number 43 in the UK Singles Chart and at number 55 on the French Singles Chart.The song also appeared on the soundtrack to The X-Files movie....
" - "Pleasure Is All Mine"
- "InnocenceInnocence (Björk song)"Innocence" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The song was released as the second single from her sixth full-length studio album, Volta. It is co-produced by Hip-Hop/R&B record producer Timbaland and his protégé Danja. The song was premiered on Björk's MySpace profile on...
" - "Army of MeArmy of Me"Army of Me" is a song by Björk, released in 1995 as the first, and leading, single from her second solo album Post. The song also appeared, later in the same year on the soundtrack of Tank Girl as well as in the soundtrack of Sucker Punch in 2011...
" - "I Miss YouI Miss You (Björk song)"I Miss You" is a song by Björk, the sixth and final single release from her 1995 album Post. It is amongst her least-well performing singles in the UK, but it hit #1 on the U.S...
" - "Earth IntrudersEarth Intruders"Earth Intruders" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The song was released as the first single from her sixth full-length studio album, Volta. The single was released digitally in the USA on 9 April and 21 April 2007 and in Europe on 28 April 2007. It is produced by R&B...
" - "All Is Full of LoveAll Is Full of Love"All Is Full of Love" is a song by Björk, released as the fifth and final single from her album Homogenic. The version of the song used in the video is actually the original version of the song, while the version on Homogenic is a remix by Howie B...
" - "Pagan PoetryPagan Poetry"Pagan Poetry" was the second single from singer Björk's album Vespertine. The single peaked at number 38 in the UK and number 12 in Canada. It was written and produced by Björk with additional production by Marius De Vries and mixed by Mark "Spike" Stent...
" - "Vertebræ by Vertebræ"
- "Declare IndependenceDeclare Independence"Declare Independence" is an industrial-nu metal song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The track was released as the third single from her sixth full-length studio album, Volta. The single was released on January 1, 2008...
" - "My Juvenile" (North American iTunes Store exclusive)
(Live DVD) - The Volta Tour
(Available on all releases apart from CD edition)Björk was ill on the night of the Paris concert and later described the recording as being "quite traumatic" as her voice was not in good condition at this late point during the tour. Because of this, some small parts of Björk's vocals in the Paris concert were edited in post-production, for example in the performance of "Where Is The Line". The Reykjavík concert shows her voice in much better condition. It is notable that both "My Juvenile" and "Pneumonia" were only performed live during the Reykjavík concert - all the other songs were performed throughout the Volta tour.
The originally announced tracklisting for the Voltaïc Live DVD contained more tracks than those which appear on the final release. "Triumph of a Heart" was cut from the Paris concert, while "Cover Me", "Immature" and "The Dull Flame of Desire" were cut from the Reykjavík concert. Additional 'cut' songs were performed at each respective concert but were never featured on any tracklists for the box-set, e.g. "Oceania". "Brennið Þið Vitar" is the walk-in played by the brass band, and is a traditional Icelandic choral piece.
Live in Paris
- "Brennið Þið Vitar"
- "Earth IntrudersEarth Intruders"Earth Intruders" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The song was released as the first single from her sixth full-length studio album, Volta. The single was released digitally in the USA on 9 April and 21 April 2007 and in Europe on 28 April 2007. It is produced by R&B...
" - "HunterHunter (Björk song)"Hunter" is a song by Björk, released in 1998 as the third single from Homogenic. The song peaked at number 43 in the UK Singles Chart and at number 55 on the French Singles Chart.The song also appeared on the soundtrack to The X-Files movie....
" - "Immature"
- "JógaJóga"Jóga" is a song by Björk, and the first single from her 1997 album Homogenic. It features a mix of classical string instruments with heavy electronic beats which is present in the whole album.-Background:...
" - "The Pleasure Is All Mine"
- "Vertebræ by Vertebræ"
- "Where Is the LineWhere Is the Line"Where Is the Line" is a song by Icelandic artist Björk, taken from the 2004 album Medúlla. The track was originally intended to be released as the albums third commercial single "Where Is the Line" is a song by Icelandic artist Björk, taken from the 2004 album Medúlla. The track was originally...
" - "Who Is It"
- "Desired Constellation"
- "Army of MeArmy of Me"Army of Me" is a song by Björk, released in 1995 as the first, and leading, single from her second solo album Post. The song also appeared, later in the same year on the soundtrack of Tank Girl as well as in the soundtrack of Sucker Punch in 2011...
" - "BacheloretteBachelorette (song)"Bachelorette" is a song by Björk, released as the second single from her 1997 album Homogenic.The song was originally written for a film by Bernardo Bertolucci, but the project was withdrawn...
" - "WanderlustWanderlust (Björk song)"Wanderlust" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The track was released digitally as the fourth single from her seventh full-length studio album, Volta, on 7 April 2008.White labels of the single were issued in February 2008...
" - "Hyperballad"
- "Pluto"
- "Declare IndependenceDeclare Independence"Declare Independence" is an industrial-nu metal song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The track was released as the third single from her sixth full-length studio album, Volta. The single was released on January 1, 2008...
"
Live in Reykjavík
- "Pneumonia"
- "My Juvenile"
- "Vökuró"
- "Sonnets / Unrealities XI"
- "Mouth's Cradle"
(DVD) - The Volta Videos
(Available only with Deluxe/Deluxe Vinyl editions)Music Videos:
- "Earth IntrudersEarth Intruders"Earth Intruders" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The song was released as the first single from her sixth full-length studio album, Volta. The single was released digitally in the USA on 9 April and 21 April 2007 and in Europe on 28 April 2007. It is produced by R&B...
" - "Declare IndependenceDeclare Independence"Declare Independence" is an industrial-nu metal song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The track was released as the third single from her sixth full-length studio album, Volta. The single was released on January 1, 2008...
" - "InnocenceInnocence (Björk song)"Innocence" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The song was released as the second single from her sixth full-length studio album, Volta. It is co-produced by Hip-Hop/R&B record producer Timbaland and his protégé Danja. The song was premiered on Björk's MySpace profile on...
" - "WanderlustWanderlust (Björk song)"Wanderlust" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic singer Björk. The track was released digitally as the fourth single from her seventh full-length studio album, Volta, on 7 April 2008.White labels of the single were issued in February 2008...
" - "The Dull Flame of DesireThe Dull Flame of Desire"The Dull Flame of Desire" is a song recorded by Icelandic singer Björk featuring Antony Hegarty from the band Antony and the Johnsons. The track was released as the fifth and final single from her sixth full-length studio album, Volta, on 29 September 2008. Björk has performed the song 12 times...
" - "Declare Independence - The Making Of"
- "Wanderlust - The Making Of"
The "Innocence" Video Competition:
- Top ten runners-up, in alphabetical order:
- Davood Saghiri
- Dimitri Stankowicz
- Etienne Strube
- Julien Himmer
- Laurent Labouille
- Mario Caporali
- Mik o_o Armellino
- Renato Klieger and Terracotta
- Roland Matusek
While the two "making of" features are exclusive to this release, the 3D version of "Wanderlust" (released as part of its corresponding box set) is not included on this DVD.
(CD) - The Volta Mixes
(Available with Deluxe/Deluxe Vinyl editions and on SpotifySpotify
Spotify is a Swedish-founded, UK-headquartered DRM-based music streaming service offering streaming of selected music from a range of major and independent record labels, including Sony, EMI, Warner Music Group, and Universal. Launched in October 2008 by Swedish startup Spotify AB, the service had...
)
-
- "Earth Intruders" (XXXChangeSpank RockSpank Rock is an American hip-hop group consisting of rapper Naeem Juwan and producer Alex Epton . Their style is generally described as a mix of underground alternative rap and electro and rock.- Biography :...
Remix) - "Innocence" (Simian Mobile DiscoSimian Mobile DiscoSimian Mobile Disco are a United Kingdom-based production and remix team formed in 2005 by James Ford and Jas Shaw of the band Simian. Musically, they are known for their analogue production...
Remix) - "Declare Independence" (Matthew HerbertMatthew HerbertMatthew Herbert , also known as Herbert, Doctor Rockit, Radio Boy, Mr. Vertigo, Transformer, and Wishmountain, is a British electronic musician...
Remix) - "Wanderlust" (RatatatRatatatRatatat is a New York City electronic music duo consisting of Mike Stroud and producer Evan Mast .-History:Evan Mast and Mike Stroud first met as students at Skidmore College, but they did not work together until 2001, when they recorded several songs under the name "Cherry"...
Remix) - "The Dull Flame of Desire" (ModeselektorModeselektorModeselektor is an electronic music band formed in Berlin, featuring Gernot Bronsert and Sebastian Szary. The group draws heavily from IDM, glitch, Electro house and hip hop. In an interview the group said regarding their sound: "Happy metal, hard rap, country-ambient, Russian crunk. We don’t like...
Remix for Girls) - "Earth Intruders" (Lexx Remix)
- "Innocence" (Graeme Sinden Remix)
- "Declare Independence" (GhostigitalEinar Örn BenediktssonEinar Örn Benediktsson is a popular music singer and trumpet player who has worked with Björk and The Sugarcubes. Since the 2010 elections he is a member of the city council of Reykjavík....
Remix) - "The Dull Flame of Desire" (Modeselektor Remix for Boys)
- "Innocence" (Alva NotoAlva NotoAlva Noto is a stage name of sound artist Carsten Nicolai who uses art and music as complementary tools to create microscopic views of creative processes. Another alias he uses is Noto...
Unitxt Remodel) - "Declare Independence" (Black Pus Remix, previously unreleased)
- "Innocence" (Simian Mobile Disco Dub Remix)
- "Earth Intruders" (XXXChange
Charts
| Chart (2008–2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium Albums Chart | 80 |
| Spanish DVD Chart | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
118 |
| U.S. Billboard Top Rock Albums | 44 |