Emilíana Torrini

Emilíana Torrini

Torrini performing in 2009
Background information
Birth name Emilíana Torrini Davíðsdóttir
Born (1977-05-16) 16 May 1977
Iceland
Origin Kópavogur, Iceland
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
Instruments Vocals
Years active 1994–present
Labels Rough Trade Records
Associated acts
Website EmilianaTorrini.com

Emilíana Torrini Davíðsdóttir (born 16 May 1977), better known as Emilíana Torrini, is an Icelandic singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 1999 album Love in the Time of Science, her performance of "Gollum's Song" for the 2002 film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, and her 2009 single "Jungle Drum".

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

Torrini performing in June 2005

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 record 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 will play a number of music festivals in the lead up to the album's release in Russia and Budapest.

On 29 July 2013, Emilíana revealed the radio edition of a new track "Speed of Dark".[7] Three additional tracks were also revealed allowing fans to stream[8] these include "Autumn Sun", "Animal Games", and "Tookah".

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
  • Released: 1995
  • Label: JAPIS
  • Iceland only
Merman
  • Released: 1996
  • Label: JAPIS
  • Iceland only
Love in the Time of Science
Rarities
  • Released: 2000
  • Label: JAPIS
  • Promo only
Fisherman's Woman 98 97 67 64 73 94
[16]
Me and Armini
  • Released: 8 September 2008
  • Label: Rough Trade
32 56 56 19 94 71 96
[17]
Rarities
  • Released: 20 September 2010[18]
  • Label: One Little Indian
  • New edition – 2 disks
Tookah
  • Released: 6 September 2013
  • Label: Rough Trade
69 42 44 51 91 36 86
The Colorist & Emilíana Torrini
(with The Colorist Orchestra)
  • Released: 9 December 2016
  • Label: Rough Trade/Konkurrent
86
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Title Album details Main artist
Spoon
  • Released: 1994
  • Iceland only
Spoon
Music To Draw To: Satellite
  • Released: 20 January 2017
  • Label: Arts & Crafts
Kid Koala

EPs

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.

Songs on compilations

References

  1. "Information". Ministry of the Interior.
  2. Excerpt in fan forum from an interview by Mark Radcliffe at BBC, 17 January 2005
  3. Icelandic names
  4. "Paul Oakenfold Feat. Emiliana Torrini – Hold Your Hand". YouTube. 2007-09-21. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  5. http://www.emilianafans.com/en/news/news-2013-06-14-we-have-listened-to-tookah-new-emiliana-torrini-album-574.html
  6. "Tookah". iTunes.
  7. Emilíana Torrini – Speed Of Dark (radio edit). YouTube. 16 July 2013.
  8. "Tookah Clips". SoundCloud.
  9. 1 2 "Emilíana Torrini – Me and Armini" (in German). Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 25 January 2014. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Emilíana Torrini – Tookah" (in Dutch). Ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Emilíana Torrini – Tookah" (in French). Ultratop.be. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  12. "Emilíana Torrini – Tookah" (in French). Lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  13. 1 2 Chart positions in Germany:
  14. 1 2 "Emilíana Torrini – Tookah". Dutchcharts.nl. Hung Medien. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  15. 1 2 "Emilíana Torrini – Me and Armini" (in German). Swisscharts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 6 October 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  16. Zobbel (2007-06-16). "Chart Log UK". Zobbel. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
  17. "Official Album Chart for the week ending 20 September 2008". ChartsPlus. Milton Keynes: IQ Ware Ltd (369): 5–8.
  18. "Rarities by Emilíana Torrini". iTunes. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
  19. "Emilíana Torrini – Tookah". FinnishCharts.com. Hung Medien. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2014.
  20. Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 562. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  21. Asking for Love on Tonlist.is
  22. Nommo on Slovo homepage
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