Sigur Ros

Posted this on wigwam but wondered what view was here too...

After reading reviews and talking to folks who know more about music than I do I decided to give the Icelanders a try. Oh dear. I don't think these discs (latest album + one with child/angel drawing on front, no idea what its called) are going to get played very often.

Basically, the music goes nowhere, just meanders around in a drippy hippy nicey-nicey kind of way and fizzles out. How on earth is this album recieving such massive critical plaudits?

In many ways they seem very similar to another recent discovery for me, Mogwai. Both bands use similar materials - slow tempos, slow crescendos, melismatic guitars, bathloads of feedback, tintinabulistic piano/synth chords (both bands obviously very influenced by Arvo Part), yet its Mogwai who deliver a far greater emotional payload and I find their music involving and moving. But Sigur Ros... I wouldn't even want it as wallpaper based on what I've heard so far.

Anyone got any suggestions along the lines "if you like Mogwai but not Sigur Ros then try this..."

 

No suggestions I'm afraid I think Sigur Ros are a bit like marmite you either luv em or hate em.
Personaly I think there some real inner beauty to their music.

 

The Agaetis Byrjun album is stunning. Give it some time.
I am seeing them live tonight at Birmingham Academy and should imagine it will be quite an event.

 

I like them too, good live band as well. Give them another try. Personally I do get tired of the fact it takes them 5 years to release stuff on vinyl though.

Which parts of mogwai do you like, they cover alot of bases from the shoegaze of My Bloody Valentine/Ride etc. to the god knows what rock of Slint. Nothing like Sigur Ros though. If you can find it get Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do by Sigor Ros, it may change your mind, its a fantastic piece, 30 min sound track. I think Radiohead had something to do with it too but not sure and not sure what either.
You could try múm, I particularly like Yesterday Was Dramatic, Today is OK if you want a more sigur ros type feel. Also take forever to release on vinyl.

 

Ok... maybe I was a bit hasty... have just managed to listen to all of Agaetis Byrjun and actually, some of its very impressive and imaginative, but some of it just want to hit the forward button. I reckon its a lot better than latest album. Will keep trying.

 

100% agree. I like their music simply because I don't have anything else like it. Thoroughly enjoy it actually. Agaetis is the one to get though. Much better than Takk IMO.

DT

 

Oh yes, an essential purchase. Very interesting indeed! Probably their best stand-alone work IMO.

DT

 

I listened to this again last night, in the pitch black. I have to say, the recording engineer has managed to create the most atmospheric, three-dimensional soundstage I have ever heard. The xylophone notes hang in the air perfectly, 1 foot in front of your face, and then ten feet behind the speakers. Incredible.

It also ranks as some of the most enchanting and hypnotic music I have ever heard. The sort of music that genuinely takes you to another place & time entirely. Magic.

Track 3 is quite different - very unsettling. I felt scared listening to it in the dark, so effective was the sensation of unease and foreboding.

Can anyone explain to me why this work (a stand-alone 22 minute mini-album) has not received more attention? It is quite the most startling piece of music (if you can classify it as music), I've ever heard.

DT

 

might be cuz its vinyl only afaik

 

Nope. T'is CD also.

 

I was gyped! Still they don't get the etchings

 

just ordered - Agaetis Byrjun and Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do from amazons market place for around a tenner!

 

Bargain!!

Dim the lights and turn them up loud.

I got a copy of Agaetis Byrjun after a mate fell in love with them having seen them support Radiohead a few years back. I've since added ( ), Tak, Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do, and Angels of the Universe (Film soundtrack with Hilmar Orn Himarsson).

Sometimes I might not listen to any of them for weeks, maybe MOnths. But then one day nothing else will quite do.

Has anyone heard Von? There seems to be a remix version of the album too.

 

Yes, I bought both from Iceland by mail order many years back – Von is pretty shoegazer-ish and a lot less unique, quite good in it's own way, but no where near the astounding work of god-like brilliance that is Agaetis Byrjun. Von Brigði is pretty inessential IMHO, though I'm not a huge fan of remix albums finding them almost always to dilute the original rather than to enhance.

The other nice to have Sigur Ros items are the early EPs Svefn-G-Englar and Ný Batterí, both of which add a couple of stunningly good extra tracks from the Agaetis Byrjun period and were released on both CD and vinyl (I've got the CDs). The two extra studio tracks from Ný Batterí have since turned up on the Englar Alheimsins film sound track, but the two live tracks from the other EP are still unavailable elsewhere and superb.

Tony.

(waiting patiently for Takk to come out on vinyl)

 

Takk vinyl 5th December. Bloody hell, that was quick. 30 notes is pretty damn steep though

 

£30? Ouch! is it 200g Quiex or something?!?!

 

3x 180 box set I think

 

God - too much hassle for me - cleaning six sides and having to get up numerous times to change the discs etc. Just to listen to one album?

I think I'll stick with the CD for now....

 

been playing these over the weekend...

Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do is ok...

but Agaetis Byrjun - wow...track 2 just blew me away...!!

 

Just ordered this on ebay for £4.99 + £1.50 pp. Worth a try at that money