Sigur Rós (Icelandic pronunciation:[ˈsɪːɣʏrous]ⓘ)[6] is an Icelandicpost-rock band that formed in 1994 inReykjavík. It comprises lead vocalist and guitaristJón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassistGeorg Hólm, and keyboardistKjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal sound, frontman Jónsi'sfalsetto vocals, and their use ofbowed guitar,[7] Sigur Rós incorporateclassical andminimal aesthetic elements.[8][9] Jónsi's vocals are sung in Icelandic and non-linguistic vocalisations the band termsVonlenska. They have released eight studio albums, and attracted critical and commercial attention with their second albumÁgætis byrjun.
Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson (guitar and vocals),Georg Hólm (bass) and Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson (drums) formed Sigur Rós inReykjavík in January 1994.[10] The band's name, which means "Victory Rose", is taken from the name of Jónsi's younger sister, Sigurrós, born a few days before the band was formed.[10][11]
Sigur Rós signed a record deal with the IcelandicSugarcubes-owned record labelBad Taste, because they thought the falsetto vocals would appeal to teenage girls. In 1997, they releasedVon and in 1998 a remix collection,Von brigði. The band was joined byKjartan Sveinsson on keyboards in 1998. He is the only member of Sigur Rós with musical training, and contributed most of the orchestral and string arrangements for their later work.[12][13]
International acclaim came with 1999'sÁgætis byrjun. The album's reputation spread by word of mouth over the following two years. Soon critics worldwide were praising it effusively, and the band drew praise from high-profile acts such asRadiohead,Coldplay andDavid Bowie.[14]
Three songs, "Ágætis byrjun", "Svefn-g-englar", and a live take, from a 2000 concert in Denmark, of the then-unreleased "Njósnavélin" (later 'unnamed' "Untitled #4") appeared in theCameron Crowe filmVanilla Sky.[15] The former two also subsequently appeared in the US version of the television seriesQueer as Folk. Their music has also appeared in the TV series24 with "Ný batterí", andCSI with "Svefn-g-englar". In 2004,Wes Anderson used "Starálfur" inThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou[16] as did theEmmy-winning 2005 TV filmThe Girl in the Café. InEnki Bilal'sImmortel (Ad Vitam) the song "Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm)" is used. The song "Svefn-g-englar" was also used onV on 24 November 2009, and features prominently inCafé de Flore released in 2011.
After the release ofÁgætis byrjun, the band became known for Jónsi's signature style of reverb accentuated guitar work using acello'sbow.
In 2001, Sigur Rós christened their newly completed studio by recording an EP titledRímur with an Icelandic fisherman namedSteindór Andersen. The EP contains six songs, all of which feature Steindór Andersen reciting traditional Icelandicrímur poetry. Sigur Rós accompany him on three songs. Two songs feature Steindór alone. The last song on the EP, "Lækurinn", is a duet with Sigurður Sigurðarson. A thousand copies of the EP were printed and sold during the spring tour of 2001. The EP was sold in a blank-white-paper case.[17] In 2001 the band toured in Canada, performing atMassey Hall in Toronto in September.[18]
Drummer Ágúst left the band after the recording ofÁgætis byrjun and was replaced byOrri Páll Dýrason.[19] In 2002, their highly anticipated follow-up album( ) was released. Upon release all tracks on the album were untitled, though the band later published song names on their website. All of the lyrics on( ) are sung inVonlenska, also known as Hopelandic, a language without semantic meaning, which resembles the phonology of the Icelandic language. It has also been said that the listener is supposed to interpret their own meanings of the lyrics which can then be written in the blank pages in the album booklet.
In October 2003, Sigur Rós andRadiohead both composed music forMerce Cunningham's dance pieceSplit Sides; Sigur Rós's three tracks were released on the March 2004 EPBa Ba Ti Ki Di Do. Radiohead's contribution was not commercially released. Sigur Rós' 1997 debut albumVon found a US and UK release in October 2004.
"Untitled 3" (a.k.a. Samskeyti) from the album is used on the video6AM by film maker Carmen Vidal, winner of the 2006 Student Academy Award.[20]"Untitled 3" is also used at the end credits of the indie drama movie,Mysterious Skin. It can also be heard inSkins andCSI: Miami and the British TV DocumentaryProtecting Our Children as well as during a section of the London 2012 summer Olympics on the BBC.[21] It can also be heard in the climactic scene of Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga on Netflix.[22] "Untitled 4" from the album (also called "Njósnavélin") featured in the final scene ofVanilla Sky, and directorCameron Crowe commented, "We struggled to find an appropriate track to end the film with and then I went to see Sigur Rós perform in Los Angeles and they played this song, "Njósnavélin", that was just perfect. I had to have it."[23] This track is also featured on Canadian TV seriesOrphan Black in episode 10 ofseason 3.[24]
Sigur Rós performing in Barcelona, 2005Sigur Rós performing in Hong Kong, on 7 April 2006.
Their fourth album,Takk... employs the distinctive sound of their second album in a more rock oriented structure with greater use of the guitar, and was released in September 2005. "Hoppípolla", the second official single fromTakk..., was released in November alongside a new studio remake of "Hafsól", a song that was previously released on the band's 1997 debut,Von. "Hoppípolla" was used in the trailers for the BBC's natural history seriesPlanet Earth in 2006, as well as the closing credits for the2006 FA Cup final,ITV's coverage of the2006 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, advertisements for the BBC's coverage ofEngland games during the2006 FIFA World Cup, on television advertisements forRTÉ'sGaelic games coverage in Ireland, and on an advertisement forOxfam. It was also used in the final scene of the moviePenelope, for the trailer of the filmChildren of Men and for the trailer of the filmSlumdog Millionaire. Following this, demand for the single grew. It was made more widely available by EMI in consequence. This song was also used in the trailer for the Disney movieEarth as well as in the 2011 filmWe Bought a Zoo. Whilst it does not appear on the film's soundtrack album, it is also featured inEurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga.
An extendedSæglópur EP was released in July 2006 in most parts of the world and in August in theUnited States. Its original release was scheduled in May, but because of the sudden demand of "Hoppípolla" it was pushed back from that date. Sigur Rós recorded three new songs to appear on the EP ("Refur", "Ó friður", and "Kafari"). In July 2006, Sigur Rós finished a major world tour with stops in Europe, the United States (where they played a headline show at theHollywood Bowl),Canada,Australia,New Zealand,Hong Kong andJapan. Upon return to their homeland, Sigur Rós provided a series of free surprise outdoor concerts throughout Iceland in July and August, playing in various venues such as abandoned bunkers and community coffee shops, all of which were included in the 2007 documentary filmHeima. They also performed twice in the United States in February.[25]
AtUCLA in 2008, playing an acoustic set before screeningHeima
In August 2007, a limited DVD+CD edition of the 2002 soundtrack to the documentaryHlemmur was released.Hvarf/Heim was released on 5 November (6 November in the U.S.), adouble compilation album containing studio versions of previously unreleased songs — "Salka", "Hljómalind" (formerly known as "Rokklagið"), "Í Gær" and "Von" onHvarf, and acoustic studio versions of the songs: "Samskeyti", "Starálfur", "Vaka", "Ágætis Byrjun", "Heysátan" and "Von", onHeim. On the same day (20 November in the U.S.)Heima, a live DVD of the previous summer's Iceland tour, was released. Just prior to the release ofHvarf/Heim, on 29 October, a single named "Hljómalind" was released.
The 2007 feature-length documentary from Sigur Rós's summer tour in Iceland, which occurred in 2006, attempts to shed light on the band's homeland. Therefore, the film is called "Heima", which means "at home". In the movie, the band members express their interpretation of "Iceland". The film revolves around three main elements; the band playing live, the Icelandic nature shaping their music, along with interviews, where they tell the viewers what it was like to play at home in addition to sharing their overall experience of the tour.
To promote their filmHeima, the band scheduled a series of premiere screenings throughout the world, featuring a short acoustic set before the film and a question-and-answer session afterwards.
Sigur Rós's fifth regular studio album,Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, was released in June 2008 to generally positive reviews. Stylistically different from their earlier releases, it featured fewer strings and more guitar,[26] and had more pop-oriented songs, making it "the group's most accessible effort" while maintaining the "majestic beauty that defines the band's music."[27] The final track "All Alright" is the band's first to be sung in English, though all the other lyrics are in Icelandic.
Sigur Rós performing in Bournemouth, United Kingdom, 2008
The band released the first song from the album titled "Gobbledigook" for free on their website, along with a music video.[32][33]
On 8 June, the whole album was made available for free streaming on their website.[34]
In autumn 2008 Sigur Rós embarked on a world tour supporting their newly released album. The band played as a four-piece withoutAmiina and the brass band, the first time the band had played as a four-piece in seven years. The tour started on 17 September 2008 in the United States, at theUnited Palace Theater in New York City, and finished with a concert in Reykjavík atLaugardalshöll on 23 November 2008. The majority of the tour was European with the exception of concerts in the United States, Australia, Canada and Japan.
The track "Festival" from the album features in the score of the 2010 film127 Hours, providing the euphoric backing to the climax of the movie. It is also featured at the end of HBO mini-series "24/7 – Flyers-Rangers".
The track "Untitled #7 (Dauðalagið)" was also featured in the launch trailer forDead Space.
In 2009, Jónsi embarked on a solo adventure with his first solo albumGo, released the next year.[35]
On 28 May 2009, Sigur Rós announced that they had almost completed recording their latest album.[36] The band said the album was taking form as a slower and more ambient record than bothMeð suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust andTakk.... The music was also described as melodic but much less noisy and more "out there" than previous albums. The unnamed album was expected to be released sometime in 2010. However, the band later revealed that the recordings had been scrapped. In a 2010 interview, Jónsi confirmed "We haven't got another album ready", he said. "It was just a rumour. We started to record something, but then we chucked it all away. So I think we are going to have to start it all again".[37] Without further word on the new album, Sigur Rós were rumoured to be on indefinite hiatus as of January 2010.[37] However, before taking the stage at Coachella in April 2010, Jónsi commented that Sigur Rós would be getting back to work that year: "I'm gonna record some other stuff with Sigur Rós when I'm home", between a series of shows during his solo tour in summer 2010.[38] On 1 February 2011, Jónsi's official website announced that he would be back in the studio with the band over the spring.[39]
On 11 August 2011 Sigur Rós's official website unveiled a trailer for a project calledInní,[40] a DVD and double CD of the band's live performances in London, directed by Vincent Morisset. It was screened at the68th Venice International Film Festival, and saw official release in November 2011. On 16 September 2011, theInni album and live video became available to pre-order from the band's site in a variety of formats. Additionally, the band made the video for the song "Festival" available to watch online, as well as offering a free download of the audio from a live performance of the song.[41]
On 3 November 2011, following the UK premiere ofInni at theBritish Film Institute in London, the band members participated in a Q&A session during which Georg promised that 2012 would be a "very busy" year for Sigur Rós. The band hinted at a new album and tour in the second half of 2012. The Q&A session was curtailed when a stage light began to emit smoke and the room was evacuated.
"The band's next album is scheduled for release in the spring. Based on excerpts presented by Mr. Sveinsson, the new music promises to be as exceptional as the best of the band's catalog. Mr. Holm called it "introverted", while Mr. Birgisson said it was "floaty and minimal". "An ambient album" was how Mr. Dýrason described it, with "a slow takeoff toward something". For a visitor who heard a preliminary recording in which Mr. Birgisson's falsetto was surrounded by rich choral voices and what sounded like a pipe organ, the music was thrilling".[42]
Beginning in February 2012, Sigur Rós announced their live return with festival appearances atBestival in England,Summer Sonic Festival in Japan, and other shows in Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Poland, and Italy.[43][44] The band was also added toMontréal'sOsheaga 2012 lineup, and the 2012Lollapalooza lineup.[45]
After a four-year hiatus, an interview with the band in the March 2012 issue ofQ magazine confirmed the completion of a new album, titledValtari, scheduling its release on 28 May 2012.[46][47] On 26 March 2012, the band released the first official single from the album, "Ekki múkk."[46][48] On 14 April 2012, a lower quality version of the complete album leaked out on the internet.[49] On 10 May 2012, Sigur Rós's new track "Dauðalogn" was premiered on "The Departed", the season 3 finale ofThe Vampire Diaries.[50]
It was rumored that an already-complete additional album would follow-up their sixth release,Valtari.[51] However, the band has dismissed the rumor as a "fabrication".[52][53]
On 2 November 2012, Georg Hólm confirmed that the band had already started work on a new album, due to be released some time in 2013. He described it as a dramatic change of direction, "an anti-Valtari".[54] The band performed a new song, entitled "Brennisteinn" ('brimstone'), in Reykjavík on 4 November at theIceland Airwaves 2012 festival, to favourable reception.[55] On 12 November 2012, the band announced a new North American tour, to take place in March and April 2013. The band also announced that every ticket purchased will include a new digital copy of a three-track EP, containing new and unreleased music, made available to ticket holders on 22 March 2013.[56][57]
2013–2019:Kveikur and departures of Kjartan and Orri
On 24 January 2013, Sigur Rós announced in a Q&A onReddit that Kjartan had left the band, feeling it was time "to do something different".[58] They announced their seventh studio album,Kveikur, on 22 March. On the same day, they also released the album's first single: "Brennisteinn". The album was released on 14 June (releasing two days earlier in Japan, and four days later in the US) and marked both a musical and thematic change for the band, providing a more aggressive sound, compared to their previous albums. The album was well received by critics, scoring 80 on Metacritic,[59] with several reviewers praising for the band's new musical approach, as well as a lack of commercialism.[60][61] The release was marked, by the band, with a new tour, as well as an interactive musical experience, where fans could live stream a concert, taking control of the camera.[62] The band later performed at theiTunes Festival, on 2 September 2013,[63] where selected portions of their concert were later released on 21 October.[64]
A reissue of the band's second album,Ágætis byrjun, was announced in early 2015. It was announced to feature previously unheard studio and live recordings as well as photographic and documentary material from their personal archives.[citation needed]
On 31 January 2017 it was announced that the band would be touring later in 2017, playing concerts in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Croatia, Chile, Argentina and Brazil.[70]
The band, in collaboration withAlex Somers, produced two instrumental pieces, "End" and "Match", for theBlack Mirror season four episode "Hang the DJ", aired on 29 December 2017.[71]
On 8 May 2018, the band released a new multimedia project calledLiminal, which they described as an "endless mixtape" of ambient music which will be continuously added to over time.[72] In addition, Jónsi, Somers, and frequent collaborator Paul Corley announced a series of "live soundbaths," where the music would be played in front of an audience.[73]
In September 2018, Orri was accused ofsexual assault by artist Meagan Boyd.[74][75] On 1 October 2018, he announced that he had decided to leave the band "in light of the scale of this matter".[76] In March 2019, Sigur Rós were charged withtax evasion, accused of having submitted incorrect tax returns from 2011 to 2014, evading 151 millionIcelandic krona. The band members blamed their former accountant and said they were co-operating with the authorities.[77] The case was dismissed in October 2019[78] but this decision was later overruled by an appellate court. Three members were cleared, but the charges against Jónsi and his company Frakkur proceeded.[79] On March 24, 2023, all charges were dismissed.[80]
In October 2020, the band announced that a new album,Odin's Raven Magic, an orchestral work that was debuted live in 2002, would be released on 4 December 2020. This album is a live recording of the orchestral piece being performed in Paris in 2004.[81] On 14 February 2022, Sigur Rós announced that Kjartan had rejoined them.[82] The following week, they announced their first world tour in nearly five years. In addition to the tour, it was announced that the band are in the process of writing and recording a new album.[83]
On 16 June 2023, Sigur Rós released "Blóðberg", the first single from their eighth studio album,Átta (eight in Icelandic).[84][85] The self-produced album was recorded atSundlaugin Studio, on the rural outskirts of Reykjavík.[86]
Vonlenska (English:Hopelandic) is a term coined by the band to refer to the vocalizations that Jónsi sings on( ) in lieu of lyrics inIcelandic.[87] It takes its name from "Von", a song on Sigur Rós's debut albumVon where it was first used. However, not all Sigur Rós songs are in Vonlenska; many are sung in Icelandic.
Vonlenska differs from both natural andconstructed languages used for human communication. It consists of strings of meaningless syllables containingnon-lexical vocables andphonemes. There is no grammatical relation between or among syllables, nor are they accompanied by clearly defined word boundaries. Vonlenska emphasizes the phonological and emotive qualities of human vocalizations, and it uses the melodic and rhythmic elements of singing without the conceptual content of language. In this way, it is similar to the use ofscat singing in vocaljazz andpuirt à beul in traditionalIrish folk music andScottish. The band's website describes it as "a form ofgibberish vocals that fits to the music".[88]
^"2013 North American Tour".Sigur Rós (official page). Facebook. 12 November 2012. Archived fromthe original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved13 November 2012.
^"Reddit Q&A Announcement".Sigur Rós (official page). Facebook. 23 January 2013. Archived fromthe original on 26 February 2022. Retrieved23 January 2013.
^Grundy, Gareth (30 May 2010)."Jónsi: Soundtrack of my life".The Guardian.Archived from the original on 14 June 2023. Retrieved6 July 2024.That was where I met the Sigur Rós boys, in the smoking room. We used to sit around smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee and that's how we found out we had similar music tastes. We used to listen to records together – the firstVerve album,A Storm in Heaven, andSpiritualized. Both were an influence but Spiritualized probably more so.
^McLean, Craig (17 October 2004)."There's no place like home".The Guardian.Archived from the original on 25 November 2023. Retrieved6 July 2024.'I don't think we [had a vision for the band's sound],' says [Kjartan] Sveinsson, (...) 'It was never talked about. It was just developing something interesting. But at this time we were listening to [Spiritualized's]Lazer Guided Melodies, andRide, and the first twoVerve albums. That kind of stuff. I'm sure there is kind of a similarity. AndLoveless,My Bloody Valentine.'
^"2019".Musicvideofestival. Retrieved19 February 2023.m-v-f- awards is the annual competitive segment of music video festival dedicated to professionals and artists interested in promoting its work in brazil and abroad. consisting of awarding categories that recognizes the technique, creativity and innovation in the segment, m-v-f- awards receive hundreds of submissions each year, among which finalists are selected according to audience and jury choices. an awards ceremony takes place each year at museum of image and sound in são paulo.
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