Sigur Rós "Átta" (2023)

Átta

release date: Jun. 23, 2023

format: 2 lp vinyl (gatefold - 45 rpm) / digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,88]

producer: Sigur Rós, Paul Corley

label: Von Dur / Krúnk - nationality: Iceland

Track highlights: 1. "Glóð" - 2. "Blóðberg" - 3. "Skel" - 4. "Klettur" - 7. "Gold" - 10. "Átta"

8th studio album by Sigur Rós following a whole decade after Kveikur. Since then, the band has released the remix album Route One, the 'endless mixtape' Liminal, Limnial 2, and the soundtrack Odin's Raven Magic (Dec. 2020). In early '22 the band announced that Kjartan Sveinsson had rejoined the band - he had left in early 2012 - again, making it a trio of Jónsi, Hólm and Sveinsson, but still no replacement for drummer Orri Dýrason, the band has made the new album with little focus on drums and percussion. Former touring member (2012-13) Ólafur Ólafsson is credited as additional personnel playing percussion on an album, which also counts London Contemporary Orchestra and several horn instrumentalists. The album is produced by the band and with American sound artist Paul Corley, who was installed as music director for Sigur Rós in 2016.

The album both reinstates former virtues of harmony-driven melodies with especially Jónsi delivering his characteristic singing style but it also appears as a new version combining a quiet ambient sound of keyboards and synths in unison with the addition of strings and horns. It's almost made completely without traces of drums, bass or guitars, but with a compositional 'progressive' ingredient, the songs echo former album moments of sheer beauty.

At first, the album may appear as closed and very etheral, but it contains more when given the attention it deserves. It's not necessarily among the band's most audience-friendly experiences - it may denote introspectiveness and fragility but it comes with 'hidden' layers to unfold, and I really enjoy the musical journey it invites us on. With Átta, Sigur Rós is definitely back on full sails.

Highly recommended.

[ Pitchfork 7,2 / 10, 👍NME, Clash, Exclaim! 4 / 5 stars ]

2023 Favourite releases: 1. Anohni and the Johnsons My Back Was a Bridge for You to Cross - 2. Ukendt Kunstner Dansktop - 3. Sigur Rós Átta

Sigur Rós "Odin's Raven Magic" (2020)

Odin's Raven Magic (soundtrack)

release date: Dec. 4, 2020

format: digital (8 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]

producer: Sigur Rós [?]

label: Krúnk - nationality: Iceland

Track highlights: 2. "Alföður orkar" - 3. "Dvergmál" - 4. "Stendur æva" - 5. "Áss hinn hvíti" - 7. "Spár eða spakmál" - 8. "Dagrenning"

Soundtrack album, or so it has been described by the band on its bandcamp site. The music here is actually "an orchestral collaboration between Sigur Rós, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, Steindór Andersen and Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir which premiered 18 years ago at the Barbican Centre in London [...]" [written in 2020] - it premiered at the Barbican Centre in London, Apr. 21, 2002, which means the band had not yet released its third studio album as the collaboration falls between the second, Ágætus byrjun (Jun. 1999) and [ ] ('the brackets album') (Oct. 2002).

In hindsight, 'cause I didn't know about it until it was released in 2020, it's remarkable album. Near majestic. I understand the term soundtrack, although it's 'only' the music to an ancient Icelandic poem without a visual side to it. It's orchestrated, but nevertheless it also feels like a post-rock, or experimental transgressing piece of art. It's neo-classical and experimental rock - but it works unlike many other such attempts of a fusion between classical music and music from the pop culture.

Odin's Raven Magic is simply a truly wonderful album.

All tracks are credited Jón Þór Birgisson, Georg Hólm, Orri Páll Dýrason, Kjartan Sveinsson, Steindór Andersen, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson and María Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir.

Sigur Rós "Route One" (2017)

Route One

release date: Dec. 2017 (re-released Apr. 27, 2018)

format: digital (8 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,12]

producer: Sigur Rós

label: self-released - nationality: Iceland

Remix album by Sigur Rós, or at least a special type of remix album. The band broadcast their more than 1300K road trip around Iceland's ring road in the Summer of 2016 live on YouTube, while using software to make continous remixes of one original composition - "Óveður". Eight of these were then selected for this remix album.

I find the project fascinating, especially as a full audio-visual experience but as is often the case with soundtracks, the audio part alone may suffer from the missing dimension, and that's what I find is at stake with Route One. The compositions are not only instrumentals but they're also held in a mostly ambient style, which makes the end result quite coherent but also challenging as a full listen from start to finish.

One of the band's lesser releases.
In May 2018, Route One was followed by the project Liminal, which was an attempt to make an 'endless mixtape' they would add new pieces to over time, and in Sep. 2018 the band made an announcement that drummer Orri Dýrason had left the band - practically leaving the band reduced to a duo of Jónsi and Georg Hólm.

Sigur Rós "Kveikur" (2013)

Kveikur
release date: Jun. 14, 2013
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,46]
producer: Sigur Rós
label: XL Recordings - nationality: Iceland

Track highlights: 1. "Brennisteinn" - 3. "Ísjaki" (4 / 5) - 5. "Stormur" - 6. "Kveikur" - 7. "Rafstraumur" - 8. "Bláþráður"

7th studio album by Sigur Rós follows only one year after Valtari and is released on XL Recordings and produced by the band assisted by former member Kjartan Sveinsson and Alex Somers.

Almost as usual with Sigur Rós, they enjoy stylistic changes. This time it might be the result of a change in the usual line-up due to the reduction from a quartet to a trio, as Kjartan Sveinsson (keyboards, guitar, vocals, since 1998) left the band in early 2012, and on this, he only contributes as technical personnel.

The album marks a stronger return to a more traditional shape of post-rock in respect to what we heard on the predecessor, and this time they combine with an industrial touch that I haven't heard them play with before. At some point it resembles the music of Mogwai more than ever (listen e.g. to Come on Die Young, 1999, and Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, 2011), although, Sigur Rós is still more ambient, ethereal, and dream pop-founded, which ain't necessarily bad. In a sense it's also a return to their first more experimental releases only without the art rock connection.

Compared to Valtari, I'm not entirely convinced this is an improvement but as I've come to experience with this band, you need to give it time to unfold.

[ allmusic.com, NME 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Sigur Rós "Valtari" (2012)

Valtari
release date: May 28, 2012
format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,58]
producer: Sigur Rós, Alex Somers
label: self-released - nationality: Iceland

Track highlights: 1. "Ég anda" - 2. "Ekki múkk" - 3. "Varúð" - 5. "Dauðalogn" - 6. "Varðeldur"

6th studio album by Sigur Rós following four years after their fine Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust is originally released on EMI / Parlophone and produced by Sigur Rós assisted by Alex Somers. Since then the band went on a hiatus during which lead vocalist Jónsi (aka Jón Þór Birgisson) and (his partner) Alex Somers released their collaboration album Riceboy Sleeps in 2009, and the following year, Jónsi released his solo debut Go. Sigur Rós later issued the 2-disc live album Inni (Nov. 2011, from two concerts recorded in 2008). Valtari consists of eight compositions with a total playing time just below 55 minutes in the standard issues - the WEB-version offered through bandcamp.com comes with two bonus tracks and has a total running around 68 minutes.

With this, the band has in a way returned to an initial state of playing ambient music. It's not as direct and uptempo-shaped nor as open as their great 2008 album but appears as more closed and introspective, It's laid-back and almost exclusively ambient with light harmony vocals as a complete U-turn to their so far most uptempo album to date. In a way, it bonds with the debut but more specifically to the third album, aka "the brackets album" ( ) (2002) but on top of that it also feels very much like a soundtrack - with a soundscape so minimalist, as if without a distinct mission except from creating atmosphere and calmness; and perhaps with an attempt to inspire to be your new favourite music for mindfulness, meditation or for your daily yoga exercises. Actually, this is what it is: ambient touching on new age with drops of progressive pop. And although new age has never been a genre I normally fancy all too much, the thing about this band is, they still make such an original artistic effort that you're still blown away regardless your stylistic preferences.

The album is their so far highest ranked in the US, peaking at number #7 on the Billboard 200, and in the UK it reached #8, which is only surpassed by the band's 2008 album (reaching #5). Furthermore, Valtari is the only album by Sigur Rós to top the album chart list in another country - all their studio albums have peaked the charts in Iceland, but with this they also topped the album sales list in Ireland.

Anyhow, the album is not among my absolute favourites from this amazing Icelandic band but I admit, it has grown on me over the years. So if you, like me, rejected this as a minor piece of work, or as a not successful new direction, you may wanna give it another chance - and then perhaps yet another one 'cause for this band it's obviously not a matter of pleasing current requests regarding choice of styles. And thankfully so.

Recommended listen.

[ allmusic.com 4 / 5, 👍PopMatters, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, 👎Pitchfork 3 / 5 stars ]

Sigur Rós "Inni" (2011) (live)

Inni (live)
release date: Nov. 7, 2011
format: 2 cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]

recorded by Birgir Jón Birgisson

label: XL Recordings - nationality: Iceland

Track highlights, disc 1): 4. "Fljótavík" - - disc 2): 1. "Sæglópur"

An official double live album by Sigur Rós released three years after the great Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (June 2008). Hvarf - Heim (2007) was the band's first official live album, which also consisted of previously unreleased material, but Inni is their first full live album. The 2008 album was followed by an extensive world-tour, and by 2010 a new album had been rumoured on its way, but instead the band announced to be on a hiatus, while the band members spent time on other projects.

The compositions here stem from most of the band's studio releases but exclude the debut. With two songs from both Ágætis byrjun (1999) and ( ) (2002), four from Takk... (2005), one from the compilation Hvarf / Heim (2007), and five from the 2008 album, Inni naturally focusses on the band's most recent material. One track has not previously been released but would later be included on the 2012 album, Valtari in a different version. Inni has been released in various issues, but both the 3 lp vinyl issue, the 2-disc cd, and the digital version all consist of the same 15 tracks with a total playing time just below 1 hour and 45 minutes. Extended DVD and Blue-ray issues vary with an additional 9-14 tracks film footage, and then an Icelandic limited issue contains even more.

It's truly an amazing performance and a brilliant production. Both the original vinyl issue and the cd issue released on the band's own label Krunk, contain a DVD with live concert footage directed by Vincent Morisset filmed over two nights at the Alexandra Palace, London, Nov. 20-21, 2008 from where all 15 tracks were recorded. Only the issue released on XL was released without DVD or Blue-ray material.

Sigur Rós is without doubt the biggest band from Iceland, and with this, they do it again - only, their music is really not that different played live, so despite the fact that they play absolutely magnificently, and despite that I really enjoy all of it, it's not the most original album of the year. But my gosh, do they perform well.

Highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Drowned in Sound, Clash, Consequence of Sound 4 / 5 stars ]

Best of 2008:Sigur Rós "Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust" (2008)

Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
release date: Jun. 23, 2008
format: 2 lp vinyl (XL LP 364 / 2343161) / cd
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,62]
producer: Sigur Rós, Flood
label: Krúnk / XL Recordings // EMI Japan - nationality: Iceland

Tracklist: 1. "Gobbledigook" (5 / 5) - 2. "Inní mér syngur vitleysingur" (4,5 / 5) - 3. "Góðan daginn" (5 / 5) - 4. "Við spilum endalaust" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Festival" (4,5 / 5) (live) - 6. "Með suð í eyrum" - 7. "Ára bátur" - 8. "Íllgresi" - 9. "Fljótavík" (4,5 / 5) - 10. "Straumnes" - 11. "All Alright" - 12. "Heima" (bonus track)

5th studio album by Sigur Rós originally released on EMI is produced by Sigur Rós and Flood [Mark Ellis]. The title translates to English "With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly." The album may follow the 2007 Hvarf / Heim compilation but is the natural follow-up to Takk... from 2005 making it the band's first album with newly composed material in three years.

Musically, it also builds quite naturally on the traits from Takk... (2005). It's still certified post rock, but it has more focus on dream pop harmonies as opposed to progressive ambient, which was more accentuated on ( ), the brackets album from 2002.

I think, it's the closest they have come to produce a "conventional" pop album with several shorter tracks. The longest composition here is "Festival" (9:23), which is more of a "typical" Sigur Rós composition starting off quietly, slow and soft and then builds up to a fantastic explosion of percussion, bass and guitar in a blast of a finale.

This is my absolute favourite by the band, and I find it their most vivid and energetic outburst of all their great albums. To me, this is easily this year's best album, although, for years I played Bloc Party's Intimacy more often. However, in retrospect, this album is more enduring - perhaps with more layers to dig into - and the true masterpiece of not only 2008 but of the new millennium.

Highly recommended!

[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 4 / 5, The Observer 5 / 5 stars ]

2008 Favourite releases: 1. Sigur Rós Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust - 2. Bloc Party Intimacy - 3. Alanis Morissette Flavors of Entanglement

Sigur Rós "Hvarf - Heim" (2007)

Hvarf - Heim (compilation)
release date: Nov. 6, 2007
format: 2 cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: Sigur Rós
label: EMI - nationality: Iceland

Track highlights, disc 1: 1. "Salka" - 2. "Hljómalind" - 4. "Von"

Compilation album by Sigur Rós is both a compilation of previously unreleased compositions and the band's first official live album. The first disc, titled "Hvarf" is the collection of previously unreleased studio recordings from the years 1995 (tracks #4, 5), 1999 (track #2), 2000 (track #3) and 2002 (track #1) and it has a total running time of just below 37 mins. The first three tracks are previously unreleased compositions, whereas the last two songs both were released on the '97 album Von. The second disc, "Heim" ['Home'] contains six acoustic live recordings of tracks from earlier albums as "live performances recorded in Iceland 2006-2007" and its running time is just below 36 mins.

The style of the the studio recordings are not far from Ágætus byrjun (1999), although, they originate from various recording sessions, and it's my general impression that the songs here are more experimental ambient like what you'll find on ( ) from 2002, which means they are without the bolder dream pop element you'll will find on their most recent studio album, Takk... from 2005. Although, the first disc contains previously unreleased compositions the album should still be regarded as a compilation since the material originates from the band's early period and doesn't reflect the transitions they have made since then. It's still a fine collection of early compositions that serve to show us a more detailed view on their foundation in experimental art rock and early post rock.

Sigur Rós "Takk..." (2005)

Takk...
release date: Sep. 12, 2005
format: cd (2009 reissue)
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,36]
producer: Sigur Rós and Ken Thomas
label: Krúnk / EMI - nationality: Iceland

Tracklist: 1. "Takk..." - 2. "Glósóli" (5 / 5) - 3. "Hoppípolla" (5 / 5) - 4. "Með blóðnasir" - 5. "Sé lest" - 6. "Sæglópur" (5 / 5) (live) - 7. "Milanó" - 8. "Gong" - 9. "Andvari" - 10. "Svo hljótt" - 11. "Heysátan"

4th studio album by Sigur Rós following three years after ( ) (aka the 'brackets' album) here released on EMI Records and produced by Sigur Rós and Ken Thomas as was the case with their two previous studio albums. Since the 2002 album the band also released the soundtrack album Hlemmur (2003).

This is easily their so far best album and it's one of my top-3 favourites by this amazing band. It successfully combines the ethereal ambience of ( ) (2002) with a new combination of dream pop and stronger focus on vocal progressive arrangements, which should later be continued in 2008 with Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust.

Highly recommended!

[ allmusic.com, NME, Blender, Uncut, The Guardian, Q Magazine 4 / 5, 👎Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]

2005 Favourite releases: 1. Ali Farka Touré & Toumani Diabaté In the Heart of the Moon - 2. Kent Du & jag döden - 3. Sigur Rós Takk...

Sigur Rós "Hlemmur" (OST) (2003)

Hlemmur (soundtrack)
release date: Aug. 20, 2003
format: digital
[album rate: 2,5 / 5]

4th studio release by Sigur Rós following only one year after ( ) is not a traditional studio album but an original soundtrack to a documentary movie about the main bus terminal in Reykjavik, "Hlemmur", by Ólafur Sveinsson (2002).

The music is more ambient than any of their previous albums, and it contains many short musical fragments all without vocals. It's not easily digested as stand-alone audiophile work.

The album was reissued as a boxset including the film on the band's own label Krúnk in 2007.

Sigur Rós "( )" (2002)

( )
release date: Oct. 28, 2002
format: cd / vinyl (2015 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,62]
producer: Sigur Rós, Ken Thomas (uncredited)
label: FatCat / XL Recordings - nationality: Iceland

Track highlights: 1. [untitled] (Vaka) - 2. [untitled] (Fyrsta) - 3. [untitled] (Samskeyti) - 4. [untitled] (Njósnavélin) - 6. [untitled] (E-bow) - 8. [untitled] (Popplagið)

3rd studio album by Sigur Rós following more than three years after Ágætus byrjun (June 1999) originally released on FatCat Records and produced by Sigur Rós and Ken Thomas. The album is a step into a more experimental post rock style, and seems very much like a conceptual album. The title of the album is often referred to as "the brackets album" ('Svigaplattan' in Icelandic) or "the untitled album". The cover art underlines the idea of the left-out title by two bold brackets forming a symbol, which has been used for various projects by the band like a signature (also represented on their full-length live 2 cd release Inni from 2011). So, the album is without a title, and this is continued for each track on the album as no tracks are left with any title except for [untitled] or simply titled via the track number. The additional titles comes the band's own official website - when referring to tracks - and here the album is also given the producer credits that are likewise left out on all issues of the album. It contains eight compositions and they're all held quite stricltly in an ambient style, somewhat closer to the band's debut album than Ágætus byrjun, but again, compared to the debut this is without the experimental art rock and instead with more ambient vocal harmonies, and then it's much more of a whole making it a unique release.

Overall, the band seems to try out new ways of expression, and although, I don't find it a huge leap forward, it's a rather fine coherent collection of moody post rock.

[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine, Rolling Stone 4 / 5 stars ]

vinyl cover

Sigur Rós "Ágætus byrjun" (1999)

Ágætus byrjun
release date: Jun. 12, 1999
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]

producer: Ken Thomas

label: FatCat Records - nationality: Iceland

Track highlights: 2. "Svefn-g-englar" (4 / 5) - 3. "Starálfur" - 5. "Ný batterí" (4 / 5) - 9. "Ágætis byrjun"

2nd studio album by Sigur Rós released in Iceland on Smekkleysa Records and by FatCat Records in EU is produced by Ken Thomas.

This was the first album I heard with the band, and it immediately made me fall for their take on post-rock, ambient, dream pop and progressive rock in one highly original blend.

Stylistically, it's a more refined development from the debut Von (1997), which with this appears much less coherent and also more shoegaze-oriented without the distinct original sound one will find on this, as well as their later releases.

The album is deservedly enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".

[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 4 / 5, NME 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Sigur Rós "Von" (1997)

Von [debut]
Release date: Jun. 14, 1997
format: cd
[album rate: 2,5 / 5] [2,68]
producer: Sigur Rós

label: Smekkleysa Records - nationality: Iceland

Track highlights: 4. "Myrkur" - 7. "Hafssól" - 9. "Von"

Studio album debut by Sigur Rós released on Smekkleysa Records [Icelandic for 'Bad Taste Records'] and produced by the band. The album only had its release in Iceland in '97 and then was reissued in 2004 on One Little Indian. The album is rather different from most later releases by the band, as it's much more experimental. In that sense it's a strong and daring release for a debut, although, the story goes that the band upon hearing the result after long struggles with studio sessions, basically had wanted to start all over because they felt that the result was too far away from their initial ideas. Financially, they couldn't dump the recordings and start anew, so it was released as is.
I think some of the tracks could be inspired by noise pop, noise rock bands like Jesus and Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, and then other more ambient compositions with a certain Brian Eno, Talk Talk touch, which really makes it a rather diverse pond of inspirational sources. The result is rather original, although, it's also related to Godspeed You Black Emperor! and some releases by Mogwai; however, Sigur Rós really precedes these two bands.
I don't think it's one of their best albums, as the music is too much of a vast pond - like something that needs more direction. There's space rock, neo-psychedelic, and experimental rock in a huge blend, which makes it difficult to follow. It has moments but the end result isn't more than a mediocre but somewhat interesting [giving the band's later works] first draft.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]