SIGUR RóS (IS)
Thursday
Sigur Rós from Iceland have created a universe of their own, a universe best described as cool post-rock mixed with Arctic pop. They bring Icelandic nature and mysticism into their music. Their material has been referred to as symphonic and progressive, but above all they’re steady suppliers of musical magic. Comparison-wise, suitable references would be bands like Radiohead, Mogwai, Spiritualized, and Godspeed You Black Emperor!
The band was founded in the Icelandic capital Reykjavik in the mid 90s. Round about the turn of the millennium, the band gained increasingly more attention internationally, and they also managed to acquire a large fan base in the US, not least due to the album ‘ágætis byrjun’ from 1999. David Bowie, Moby, Metallica, Foo Fighters, and Radiohead reportedly count themselves as Sigur Rós fans. Today, the band is one of the Saga Island’s most important export commodities.
The guys in Sigur Rós have not been afraid to do their own thing, either, as the album ‘()’ from 2002 is a great example of. All the lyrics are sung in “Hopelandish”, a language they invented themselves.
Their latest releases so far are the sampler ‘Heim/Hvarf’ (2007), a collection of previously unreleased recordings and live material, and ‘Hlemmur’ (2007), a band documentary accompanied by a soundtrack. Sigur Rós fans will be happy to hear that a new studio album is due for release late 2008.
Sigur Rós will perform in the Medieval Park on Thursday Aug.7, and this will be their only performance in Norway this year. Come, and let Sigur Rós work their magic on you!
