Emilíana Torrini
Emilíana Torrini
Emilíana Torrini | |
|---|---|
 Emilíana performing in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Emilíana Torrini Davíðsdóttir |
| Born | 16 May 1977 Iceland |
| Origin | Kópavogur, Iceland |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | Rough Trade Records |
| Associated acts |
|
| Website | EmilianaTorrini.com [29] |
Emilíana Torrini (born 16 May 1977) is an Icelandic singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 2009 single "Jungle Drum", her 1999 album Love in the Time of Science, and her performance of "Gollum's Song" for the 2002 film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
Emilíana Torrini | |
|---|---|
Emilíana performing in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Emilíana Torrini Davíðsdóttir |
| Born | 16 May 1977 Iceland |
| Origin | Kópavogur, Iceland |
| Genres |
|
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Labels | Rough Trade Records |
| Associated acts |
|
| Website | EmilianaTorrini.com [29] |
Early life
Emilíana was born in Iceland, where she grew up in Kópavogur. At the age of seven, she joined a choir as a soprano, until she went to opera school at the age of 15. Her father, Salvatore Torrini, is Italian (from Naples), while her mother, Anna Stella Snorradóttir, is Icelandic. Because of name regulations in Iceland at the time, her father had to change his name to "Davíð Eiríksson", which also meant that Emilíana had to use the surname after her father in the traditional way. A few years later, the name regulations were changed,[1] and she was again allowed to use her original surname.[2][3] After being discovered singing in a restaurant in Iceland by Derek Birkett, the owner of One Little Indian Records, Emilíana was asked to visit London to record a song. She decided to stay in London.
Career
Emilíana has been a member of Icelandic artist group GusGus, and contributed vocals to several songs on their debut Polydistortion (1997), most notably "Why". She co-wrote Kylie Minogue's "Slow" and "Someday" from her Body Language album in 2003. She also produced "Slow" along with Dan Carey; the two were nominated for a Best Dance Recording Grammy Award in 2005 for their work on the track. Prior to these, Emilíana contributed vocals to songs on Thievery Corporation's 2002 album The Richest Man in Babylon and was credited with composing the songs "Resolution", "Until The Morning", and "Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes" from that album. Also in 2002, she sang vocals on Paul Oakenfold's song "Hold Your Hand" taken from his Bunkka album.[4]
On 3 June 2013,[5] Emilíana revealed to fans that she would release her new album on 9 September 2013 in the UK. The album was released in Ireland,[6] Iceland, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland on 6 September 2013. The new LP is titled Tookah. Emilíana played a number of music festivals in the lead up to the album's release in Russia and Budapest.
Discography
Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ISL | AUS | AUT [9] | BE (FL) [10] | BE (WA) [11] | FRA [12] | GER [13] | NLD [14] | SWI [15] | UK | ||
| Crouçie d'où là |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Merman |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Love in the Time of Science |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Rarities |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Fisherman's Woman |
| — | — | — | 98 | 97 | 67 | 64 | — | 73 | 94 [16] |
| Me and Armini |
| — | — | 32 | 56 | — | 56 | 19 | 94 | 71 | 96 [17] |
| Rarities |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tookah |
| — | — | — | 69 | 42 | 44 | 51 | 91 | 36 | 86 |
| The Colorist & Emilíana Torrini (with The Colorist Orchestra) |
| — | — | — | 86 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||
As featured artist
| Title | Album details | Main artist |
|---|---|---|
| Spoon |
| Spoon |
| Music To Draw To: Satellite |
| Kid Koala |
EPs
2009 – Me and Armini EP
Singles
| Song | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICL | AUS | AUT [9] | BE (FL) [10] | BE (WA) [11] | FIN [19] | GER [13] | NLD [14] | SWI [15] | SPA | UK [20] | |||
| "Dead Things" | 1999 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Love in the Time of Science |
| "Baby Blue" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "To Be Free" | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Easy" | 2001 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 63 | |
| "Unemployed in Summertime" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 63 | ||
| "To Be Free" (reissue) | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 44 | ||
| "Lifesaver" | 2004 | 46 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Fisherman's Woman |
| "Sunnyroad" | 2005 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 82 | |
| "Heartstopper" | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 126 | ||
| "Me and Armini" | 2008 | 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Me and Armini |
| "Big Jumps" | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| "Jungle Drum" | 2009 | 1 | 84 | 1 | 1 | 55 | 5 | 1 | 57 | 11 | 14 | — | |
| "Speed of Dark" | 2013 | 6 | — | — | — | 81 | — | — | — | — | — | — | Tookah |
| "—" denotes a title that did not chart or was not released in given territory. | |||||||||||||
Other charting tracks
| Year | Song | ICL | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "White Rabbit" | 34 | featured on various compilations |
| "Stephanie Says" | 47 | Merman | |
| "Chelsea Morning" | 50 | ||
| 2005 | "The Boy Who Giggled So Sweet" | 36 | |
| "Blame It on the Sun" | 69 | ||
| "Someone Knows" (remix) (with Björn Jörundur Friðbjörnsson) | 41 | featured on various compilations | |
| "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)" | 84 | ||
| "Tvær stjörnur" | 85 | ||
| 2006 | "Nothing Brings Me Down" | 41 | Fisherman's Woman |
| "Today Has Been OK" | 47 | ||
| "Snow" | 51 | ||
| "Thinking Out Loud" | 56 | ||
| "Serenade" | 57 | ||
| "Next Time Around" | 59 | ||
| "Honeymoon Child" | 60 | ||
| "At Least It Was" | 63 | ||
| "Crazy Love" | 49 | Crouçie d'où là | |
| "I Hope That I Don't Fall in Love with You" | 62 | Merman |
Collaborations
Torrini contributed vocals on all tracks, otherwise noted.
1995 – "Vanishing" with LHOOQ (Jóhann Jóhannsson, *1969), Volume 15 – Technology Alert! (Sampler)
1996 – "7-Up Days" with Slowblow, Fousque
1996? – "Flirt" as Emilíönu with Slowblow
1997 – "Asking for Love" with Jóhann G. Jóhannsson (1947-2013), Asking for Love[21]
1997 – "Is Jesus Your Pal?" with GusGus, Polydistortion
1997 – "Why?" with GusGus, Polydistortion
1999 – "Come Out" and "Love in the Time of Science" with Dip, Hi-Camp Meets Lo-Fi
2000 – "Heaven Knows" with Luxus, Have a Nice Trip
2001 – "101 Reykjavík Theme", remixed by Emilíana Torrini (no vocals) for 101 Reykjavík Soundtrack
2002 – "Absolutely No Point in Anything Anymore" with Cheapglue, Sexy Horses
2002 – "Hold Your Hand" with Paul Oakenfold, Bunkka
2002 – "Weebles Fall" with Slovo, Nommo[22]
2002 – "Heaven's Gonna Burn Your Eyes" and "Until the Morning" with Thievery Corporation, The Richest Man in Babylon
2002 – "Gollum's Song" for The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Soundtrack
2003 – "Slow" and "Someday", co-written and "Slow" also co-produced for Kylie Minogue, Body Language
2003 – "Soul on Fire", co-written for Kylie Minogue, "Slow" single
2005 – "Thinking Out Loud" with Sneaker Pimps as Line of Flight, online re-release of "Loretta Young Silks" single
2007 – "Flags" with Slovo, Todo Cambria
2011 – "Your Collarbone" with A Lily, Thunder Ate the Iron Tree
2013 – "Moi moi" with Albin de la Simone, Un homme
2013 – "I Go Out" with Steve Mason & Toy, 7" single
2013 – "Go with the Flow" with Olivier Libaux, Uncovered Queens of the Stone Age
2013 – "Life & Death" with Robin Foster & Dave Pen, Metro Manila Soundtrack
2014 – "Nightfall (Pale Blue)" with Kid Koala, Men, Women & Children Soundtrack
Songs on compilations
1994 – "Frank Mills" (Hárið)
1996 – "Candy Man" (Sprelllifandi)
1996 – "Lay Down" (Stone Free, cover of Melanie Safka's song "Lay Down (Candles in the Rain)")
1996 – "Ruby Tuesday" (Stone Free, The Rolling Stones cover)
1996 – "White Rabbit" (Stone Free, Jefferson Airplane cover)
1996 – "Sound of Silence" (Stone Free, cover of "The Sound of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel)
1997 – "Heaven Knows" (Veðmálið, with Björn Jörundur)
1997 – "Io e te" (Veðmálið)
1997 – "Leigubíll" (Veðmálið, with Kanada)
1997 – "Perlur og svín" (Veðmálið)
1997 – "Tvær stjörnur" (Megasarlög)
2002 – "If You Go Away" (Pumpkin soundtrack)
2002 – "Summerbreeze" (Mark Abis cover) Musique de Nuit Vol 5 – Compilation, Virgin/Labels France (2000) Meter Sessies Vol 10 – Compilation, Universal Holland (2001) Chilled – Compilation, Hot Tickets/Associated Newspapers Ltd (2002) The Late Lounge – Compilation, Jazz FM Records (2002) Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Radio Sunnydale (2003 Original Soundtrack release)
"To Be Free" Crazy/Beautiful soundtrack
2005 – "Sunnyroad" (Live) (Other Voices CD3)
2011 – "White Rabbit" Sucker Punch soundtrack