VALGEIR

an exclusive bjork.com interview withVALGEIR

Have you previously worked with Björk & how did you get involved in this album?

Björk asked me to do some work with her in January 1998. She came around to my then recently set up studio, the Greenhouse and the first song to emerge was the Overture / Next To Last Song. So the first things we worked on together was her score for "Dancer In The Dark". When shooting of the film started in Denmark in spring 1999, I took all the gear out of my studio and set it up over there so we could continue working on the film music and also develop some new noises and new music. At the time there was not a concentration on a "new album" but rather the concept of further expanding on a new musical language.

What was your task on this album?

In the beginning I was mainly there to finish off the "Dancer In The Dark" music. But we had so many sketches of other music. While Bjork was on the film set during the day, I would be in the studio working on beats, creating sounds and often she would come in the evening and work on her vocals or a new idea she got that day while filming. Sometimes she was inspired to sing on top of a beat and some amazing songs just turned up. The idea of a making a record in a kind of "a domestic mood" soon surfaced and I know that she had been carrying the idea with her for some time. The working title for the new music was then "Domestica". So it was all about making music as you would prepare food and enjoy a glass of wine. Everyday moods and everyday noises translating into melodies and beats. A lot of material was created that has not made it to Vespertine but has been important to the sound and spirit of the album. When we left Denmark we had around 25 pieces we were working on. We did some more work after returning to Iceland, but my role was mostly finished. I guess, to compare further with making food, my role was to assemble the ingredients for her recipes !

What does a programmer/engineer do?

These are two different jobs really but in this case it suited Bjork well that I do both. It is the engineer's job to operate the studio, put up microphones and record things, etc. (to be brief). A programmer is someone who is usually a musician and "performs" using computers, synthesizers and drum machines, and programs sounds. Of course everyone has their own way of doing things, but in my case the lines often blur as I might record a performance and then manipulate that same performance in different ways or reconstruct the tracks, so the lines cross here from engineer to programmer, even producer as a lot of the time it is about making choices that significantly affect the way the end result sounds. I don't really think about what my job is supposed to be, just do what I do and then put a label on it later.

Any special equipment you use?

A lot of special equipment! For those interested I suggest they check out my studio equipment at www.greenhouse.is.

How is Björk to work with?

Fantastic, she will give you a lot of space to experiment, inspire you to seek the obscure and give your best performance. It's amazing to be around because whenever she picks up a microphone and starts singing the magic happens. Very few people have that gift. She has also been learning and operating the computers herself, and that gives it a new dimension. I think it helps that we are both Icelandic, we speak the same language but don't necessarily need to say much to understand what we mean.

What other artists have you worked with?

Mostly Icelandic artists obviously, as that's where I am living! Recent works include a score for "Villiljos" an Icelandic feature film, writing stage music for the National Theatre, production and recording with artists Magga Stina, Moa & Vinylistics, Ulpa and Egill S whose album "Tonk Of The Lawn" will be out on Some Bizarre in June. I recommend that to look out for. Working with Björk has also involved collaboration with people like Mark Bell and Guy Sigsworth and many others.