HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Sigur Rós () is an Icelandic
post-rock Post-rock is a subgenre of experimental rock that emphasizes Texture (music), texture, atmosphere, and non-traditional song structures over conventional rock techniques. Post-rock artists often combine rock instrumentation and rock stylings wit ...
band that formed in 1994 in
Reykjavík Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...
. It comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassist
Georg Hólm Georg "Goggi" Hólm (; born 6 April 1976) is the bassist of the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. He is the most prominent member of Sigur Rós in the English press, as he does significantly more press than the other members due to him being th ...
, and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal sound, frontman Jónsi's
falsetto Falsetto ( , ; Italian language, Italian diminutive of , "false") is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ...
vocals, and their use of bowed guitar, Sigur Rós incorporate classical and minimal aesthetic elements. Jónsi's vocals are sung in Icelandic and non-linguistic vocalisations the band terms ''Vonlenska''. They have released eight studio albums, and attracted critical and commercial attention with their second album '' Ágætis byrjun''.


History


1997–1998: ''Von'' and ''Von brigði''

Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson (guitar and vocals),
Georg Hólm Georg "Goggi" Hólm (; born 6 April 1976) is the bassist of the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. He is the most prominent member of Sigur Rós in the English press, as he does significantly more press than the other members due to him being th ...
(bass) and Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson (drums) formed Sigur Rós in
Reykjavík Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...
in January 1994. 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. Sigur Rós signed a record deal with the Icelandic Sugarcubes-owned record label Bad Taste, because they thought the falsetto vocals would appeal to teenage girls. In 1997, they released '' Von'' and in 1998 a remix collection, '' Von brigði''. The band was joined by Kjartan 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.


1999–2001: ''Ágætis byrjun''

International acclaim came with 1999's '' Ágætis 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 as
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...
,
Coldplay Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...
and
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
. 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 the Cameron Crowe film '' Vanilla Sky''. The former two also subsequently appeared in the US version of the television series ''Queer as Folk''. Their music has also appeared in the TV series '' 24'' with "Ný batterí", and '' CSI'' with "Svefn-g-englar". In 2004,
Wes Anderson Wesley Wales Anderson (born May 1, 1969) is an American filmmaker. Wes Anderson filmography, His films are known for themes of grief, loss of innocence, and dysfunctional families. Due to his films' eccentricity, distinctive visual and narrative ...
used "Starálfur" in '' The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou'' as did the
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...
-winning 2005 TV film '' The Girl in the Café''. In
Enki Bilal Enki Bilal (born Enes Bilal; born 7 October 1951) is a French comic book creator and film director. Biography Early life Bilal was born in Belgrade, PR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia, to a Czech mother, Ana, who came to Belgrade as child from Karlovy ...
's '' Immortel (Ad Vitam)'' the song "Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm)" is used. The song "Svefn-g-englar" was also used on '' V'' on 24 November 2009, and features prominently in ''
Café de Flore Café de Flore () is one of the oldest coffeehouses in Paris, known for its emblematic shopfront and celebrated for its famous clientele, which in the past included influential writers, philosophers, and members of Parisian high society (tout-Par ...
'' released in 2011. After the release of ''Ágætis byrjun'', the band became known for Jónsi's signature style of reverb accentuated guitar work using a
cello The violoncello ( , ), commonly abbreviated as cello ( ), is a middle pitched bowed (sometimes pizzicato, plucked and occasionally col legno, hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually intonation (music), tuned i ...
's bow.


2001–2004: ''( )''

In 2001, Sigur Rós christened their newly completed studio by recording an EP titled ''
Rímur In Icelandic literature, a ''ríma'' (, literally "a rhyme", pl. ''rímur'', ) is an epic poetry, epic poem written in any of the so-called ''rímnahættir'' (, "rímur meters"). They are rhymed, they alliterative verse, alliterate and consist of ...
'' with an Icelandic fisherman named Steindór Andersen. The EP contains six songs, all of which feature Steindór Andersen reciting traditional Icelandic
rímur In Icelandic literature, a ''ríma'' (, literally "a rhyme", pl. ''rímur'', ) is an epic poetry, epic poem written in any of the so-called ''rímnahættir'' (, "rímur meters"). They are rhymed, they alliterative verse, alliterate and consist of ...
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. In 2001 the band toured in Canada, performing at Massey Hall in Toronto in September. Drummer Ágúst left the band after the recording of ''Ágætis byrjun'' and was replaced by Orri Páll Dýrason. 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 in ''Vonlenska'', 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 2002, the band also wrote an original score for the Bodyscript dance production by Wayne McGregor Random Dance in collaboration with Sadler's Wells Theatre and the
Arts Council England Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council o ...
. In October 2003, Sigur Rós and
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...
both composed music for Merce Cunningham's dance piece ''Split Sides''; Sigur Rós's three tracks were released on the March 2004 EP '' Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do''. Radiohead's contribution was not commercially released. Sigur Rós' 1997 debut album ''Von'' found a US and UK release in October 2004. "Untitled 3" (a.k.a. Samskeyti) from the album is used on the video ''6AM'' by film maker Carmen Vidal, winner of the 2006 Student Academy Award. "Untitled 3" is also used at the end credits of the indie drama movie, '' Mysterious Skin''. It can also be heard in '' Skins'' and '' CSI: Miami'' and the British TV Documentary '' Protecting Our Children'' as well as during a section of the London 2012 summer Olympics on the BBC. It can also be heard in the climactic scene of Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga on Netflix. "Untitled 4" from the album (also called "Njósnavélin") featured in the final scene of '' Vanilla Sky'', and director Cameron 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." This track is also featured on Canadian TV series '' Orphan Black'' in episode 10 of season 3.


2005–2006: ''Takk...''

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 from ''Takk...'', 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 series '' Planet Earth'' in 2006, as well as the closing credits for the 2006 FA Cup final, ITV's coverage of the 2006 Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race, advertisements for the BBC's coverage of
England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
games during the
2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international Association football, football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to FIFA World Cup hosts ...
, on television advertisements for
RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...
's
Gaelic games Gaelic games () are a set of sports played worldwide, though they are particularly popular in Ireland, where they originated. They include Gaelic football, hurling, Gaelic handball and rounders. Football and hurling, the most popular of the s ...
coverage in Ireland, and on an advertisement for Oxfam. It was also used in the final scene of the movie '' Penelope'', for the trailer of the film '' Children of Men'' and for the trailer of the film '' Slumdog Millionaire''. Following this, demand for the single grew. It was made more widely available by EMI in consequence. This song is also used in the trailer for the Disney movie ''
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
'' as well as in the 2011 film '' We Bought a Zoo''. Whilst it does not appear on the film's soundtrack Album, it is also featured in '' Eurovision Song Contest: The Story Of Fire Saga''. An extended '' Sæglópur'' EP was released in July 2006 in most parts of the world and in August in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
. 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 the Hollywood Bowl),
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
,
New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
and
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. 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 film ''
Heima ''Heima'' (; ''at home'') is a documentary film and double DVD set about the tour around Iceland in the summer of 2006 of the band Sigur Rós. During the tour the band played two big open-air concerts at Miklatún - Reykjavík (30 July) and Ásbyr ...
''. They also performed twice in the United States in February.


2007: ''Heima'' and ''Hvarf/Heim''

In August 2007, a limited DVD+CD edition of the 2002 soundtrack to the documentary '' Hlemmur'' was released. '' Hvarf/Heim'' was released on 5 November (6 November in the U.S.), a
double Double, The Double or Dubble may refer to: Mathematics and computing * Multiplication by 2 * Double precision, a floating-point representation of numbers that is typically 64 bits in length * A double number of the form x+yj, where j^2=+1 * A ...
compilation album containing studio versions of previously unreleased songs — "Salka", "Hljómalind" (formerly known as "Rokklagið"), "Í Gær" and "Von" on ''Hvarf'', and acoustic studio versions of the songs: "Samskeyti", "Starálfur", "Vaka", "Ágætis Byrjun", "Heysátan" and "Von", on ''Heim''. On the same day (20 November in the U.S.) ''
Heima ''Heima'' (; ''at home'') is a documentary film and double DVD set about the tour around Iceland in the summer of 2006 of the band Sigur Rós. During the tour the band played two big open-air concerts at Miklatún - Reykjavík (30 July) and Ásbyr ...
'', a live DVD of the previous summer's Iceland tour, was released. Just prior to the release of '' Hvarf/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 ''Heima'' (; ''at home'') is a documentary film and double DVD set about the tour around Iceland in the summer of 2006 of the band Sigur Rós. During the tour the band played two big open-air concerts at Miklatún - Reykjavík (30 July) and Ásbyr ...
", 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 film ''Heima'', 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.


2008: ''Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust''

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, 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." The final track "All Alright" is the band's first to be sung in English, though all the other lyrics are in Icelandic. The band were announced as a headlining act for the 2008 Splendour in the Grass Festival in Byron Bay, Australia,
Latitude Festival Latitude Festival is an annual music and arts festival set within the grounds of Henham Park, near Southwold, Suffolk, England. The first edition of the festival took place in 2006 and has continued annually (apart from 2020 when it was cancel ...
2008, and the 2008 La Route du Rock Festival in St Malo, France. In addition, the band performed a late-night set at the 2008 Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, where they blew a speaker at the end of their second song. Jónsi Birgisson commented, "The piano is exploding, I think," one of the few things spoken in English. The band released the first song from the album titled " Gobbledigook" for free on their website, along with a music video. On 8 June, the whole album was made available for free streaming on their website. In autumn 2008 Sigur Rós embarked on a world tour supporting their newly released album. The band played as a four-piece without Amiina 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 the United Palace Theater in New York City, and finished with a concert in Reykjavík at Laugardalshöll 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 film '' 127 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 for '' Dead Space''.


2009–2012: Hiatus, ''Inni'', ''Valtari''

In 2009, Jónsi embarked on a solo adventure with his first solo album '' Go'', released the next year. On 28 May 2009, Sigur Rós announced that they had almost completed recording their latest album. The band said the album was taking form as a slower and more ambient record than both ''Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust'' and ''Takk...''. 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". Without further word on the new album, Sigur Rós were rumoured to be on indefinite hiatus as of January 2010. 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. On 1 February 2011, Jónsi's official website announced that he would be back in the studio with the band over the spring. On 11 August 2011 Sigur Rós's official website unveiled a trailer for a project called '' Inní'', a DVD and double CD of the band's live performances in London, directed by Vincent Morisset. It was screened at the 68th Venice International Film Festival, and saw official release in November 2011. On 16 September 2011, the ''Inni'' 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. On 3 November 2011, following the UK premiere of ''Inni'' at the
British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves filmmaking and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
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".
Beginning in February 2012, Sigur Rós announced their live return with festival appearances at Bestival in England, Summer Sonic Festival in Japan, and other shows in Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France, Poland, and Italy. The band was also added to
Montréal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
's Osheaga 2012 lineup, and the 2012
Lollapalooza Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...
lineup. After a four-year hiatus, an interview with the band in the March 2012 issue of ''Q'' magazine confirmed the completion of a new album, titled '' Valtari'', scheduling its release on 28 May 2012. On 26 March 2012, the band released the first official single from the album, " Ekki múkk." On 14 April 2012, a lower quality version of the complete album leaked out on the internet. On 10 May 2012, Sigur Rós's new track "Dauðalogn" was premiered on "
The Departed ''The Departed'' is a 2006 crime film, crime thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan. It is both an English-language remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film ''Infernal Affairs'' and also loosely based on the real-lif ...
", the season 3 finale of '' The Vampire Diaries''. It was rumored that an already-complete additional album would follow-up their sixth release, '' Valtari''. However, the band has dismissed the rumor as a "fabrication". 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". The band performed a new song, entitled " Brennisteinn" ('brimstone'), in Reykjavík on 4 November at the Iceland Airwaves 2012 festival, to favourable reception. 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.


2013–2019: ''Kveikur'' and departures of Kjartan and Orri

On 24 January 2013, Sigur Rós announced in a Q&A on
Reddit Reddit ( ) is an American Proprietary software, proprietary social news news aggregator, aggregation and Internet forum, forum Social media, social media platform. Registered users (commonly referred to as "redditors") submit content to the ...
that Kjartan had left the band, feeling it was time "to do something different". 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, with several reviewers praising for the band's new musical approach, as well as a lack of commercialism. 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. The band later performed at the iTunes Festival, on 2 September 2013, where selected portions of their concert were later released on 21 October. The band provided original music and a rendition of " ''The Simpsons'' Theme", as well as a brief cameo, for the '' Simpsons'' episode " The Saga of Carl", which aired on 19 May 2013. The band appeared in the HBO TV series ''
Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American Fantasy television, fantasy Drama (film and television), drama television series created by David Benioff and for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of high fantasy novels by ...
'' episode " The Lion and the Rose" on 13 April 2014. They also covered the song " The Rains of Castamere", which was originally recorded by the National for the earlier episode " Blackwater". Georg and Orri worked with Georg's brother Kjartan Dagur "KD" Hólm and the composer
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson (; born 23 April 1958), also known as HÖH, is a musician, an art director, and '' allsherjargoði'' (''chief goði'') of Ásatrúarfélagið ("the Ásatrú Association"). Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson was a pioneer in the use ...
on the
soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
to '' The Show of Shows: 100 Years of Vaudeville, Circuses and Carnivals''. This was released as an album, ''Circe – Music Composed for The Show of Shows'', on the Krunk label in the UK on 28 August 2015. 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. 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. The band, in collaboration with Alex Somers, produced two instrumental pieces, "End" and "Match", for the '' Black Mirror'' season four episode " Hang the DJ", aired on 29 December 2017. On 8 May 2018, the band released a new multimedia project called ''Liminal'', which they described as an "endless mixtape" of ambient music which will be continuously added to over time. 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. In September 2018, Orri was accused of
sexual assault Sexual assault is an act of sexual abuse in which one intentionally Physical intimacy, sexually touches another person without that person's consent, or Coercion, coerces or physically forces a person to engage in a sexual act against their w ...
by artist Meagan Boyd. On 1 October 2018, he announced that he had decided to leave the band "in light of the scale of this matter". In March 2019, Sigur Rós were charged with
tax evasion Tax evasion or tax fraud is an illegal attempt to defeat the imposition of taxes by individuals, corporations, trusts, and others. Tax evasion often entails the deliberate misrepresentation of the taxpayer's affairs to the tax authorities to red ...
, accused of having submitted incorrect tax returns from 2011 to 2014, evading 151 million Icelandic krona. The band members blamed their former accountant and said they were co-operating with the authorities. The case was dismissed in October 2019 but this decision was later overruled by an appellate court. Three members were cleared, but the charges against Jónsi and his company Frakkur proceeded. On March 24, 2023, all charges were dismissed.


2020–present: Kjartan rejoins and ''Átta''

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. On 14 February 2022, Sigur Rós announced that Kjartan had rejoined them. 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. On 16 June 2023, Sigur Rós released "Blóðberg", the first single from their eighth studio album, '' Átta'' (eight in Icelandic). The self-produced album was recorded at Sundlaugin Studio, on the rural outskirts of Reykjavík.


Vonlenska

''Vonlenska'' (English: ''Hopelandic'') is a term coined by the band to refer to the vocalizations that Jónsi sings on ''( )'' in lieu of lyrics in Icelandic. It takes its name from "Von", a song on Sigur Rós's debut album ''Von'' where it was first used. However, not all Sigur Rós songs are in Vonlenska; many are sung in Icelandic. Vonlenska differs from both natural and
constructed language A constructed language (shortened to conlang) is a language whose phonology, grammar, orthography, and vocabulary, instead of having developed natural language, naturally, are consciously devised for some purpose, which may include being devise ...
s used for human communication. It consists of strings of meaningless syllables containing non-lexical vocables and
phoneme A phoneme () is any set of similar Phone (phonetics), speech sounds that are perceptually regarded by the speakers of a language as a single basic sound—a smallest possible Phonetics, phonetic unit—that helps distinguish one word fr ...
s. 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 of scat singing in vocal
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
and puirt à beul in traditional Irish folk music and Scottish. The band's website describes it as "a form of gibberish vocals that fits to the music".


Musical style and influences

Sigur Rós' music has been described as
post-rock Post-rock is a subgenre of experimental rock that emphasizes Texture (music), texture, atmosphere, and non-traditional song structures over conventional rock techniques. Post-rock artists often combine rock instrumentation and rock stylings wit ...
, and
dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such ...
. Early influences for the band included British bands Spiritualized,
the Verve The Verve were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Wigan in 1990 by lead vocalist Richard Ashcroft, guitarist Nick McCabe, bass guitarist Simon Jones (musician), Simon Jones and drummer Peter Salisbury. Guitarist and keyboard player Sim ...
, Ride, and Irish band My Bloody Valentine. The Scottish
dream pop Dream pop (also typeset as dreampop) is a subgenre of alternative rock and neo-psychedelia that emphasizes atmosphere and sonic texture as much as pop melody. Common characteristics include breathy vocals, dense productions, and effects such ...
band Cocteau Twins was often cited as an influence on Birgisson early in his career; in fact he had not heard their music, but in an interview noted he was introduced to it subsequently by Alex Somers and remarked of the band "they're so good, man!".


Awards and nominations

{, class=wikitable , - ! Year !! Awards !! Work !! Category !! Result , - , 2000 , Edda Awards , '' Angels of the Universe'' , Professional Music , , - , 2001 ,
Shortlist Music Prize The Shortlist Music Prize, stylized as (shôrt–lĭst), was an annual music award for the best album released in the United States that had sold fewer than 500,000 copies at the time of nomination. First given as a cash prize in 2001 under ...
, '' Ágætis byrjun'' , Album of the Year , , - , 2002 , Icelandic Music Awards , " Viðrar vel til loftárása" , Video of the Year , , - , rowspan=5, 2003 ,
Shortlist Music Prize The Shortlist Music Prize, stylized as (shôrt–lĭst), was an annual music award for the best album released in the United States that had sold fewer than 500,000 copies at the time of nomination. First given as a cash prize in 2001 under ...
, rowspan=2, '' ( )'' , Album of the Year , , - , rowspan=2, GAFFA-Prisen Awards , Best Foreign Album , , - , Themselves , Best Foreign Band , , - , Edda Awards , '' Hlemmur'' , Professional Sound/Vision , , - , MTV EMA , rowspan="2" , " Untitled" , rowspan="2" , Best Video , , - , rowspan=2, 2004 ,
Juno Awards The Juno Awards (stylized as JUNOS), or simply known as the Junos, are awards presented by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to recognize outstanding achievements in Canada's music industry. The Grammy Awards are the United S ...
, , - ,
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
, '' ( )'' , Best Alternative Music Album , , - , rowspan=3, 2005 , XM Nation Music Awards , rowspan="4", Themselves , "Under the Radar" – Artist Most Overlooked by FM Radio , , - , GAFFA-Prisen Awards , Best International Group , , - , Žebřík Music Awards , Best International Group , , - , rowspan="6" , 2006 , rowspan=3, Icelandic Music Awards , Best Alternative Act , , - , rowspan=2, '' Takk...'' , Best Rock Album , , - , Best Album Design , , - , rowspan="2" , MVPA Awards , rowspan="3" , " Glósóli" , Best Alternative Video , , - , rowspan=2, Best Cinematography , , - , D&AD Awards , , - , 2007 , Q Awards , Themselves , Q Innovation in Sound , , - , rowspan=2, 2008 , UK Music Video Awards , rowspan=3, " Gobbledigook" , Best Rock Video , , - , Rober Awards Music Prize , Best Music Video , , - , rowspan=8, 2009 , rowspan=7, Icelandic Music Awards , rowspan=2, Song of the Year , , - , " Inní mér syngur vitleysingur" , , - , rowspan=2, Themselves , Performer of the Year , , - , Composer of the Year , , - , Jón Þór Birgisson , Vocalist of the Year , , - , rowspan=3, '' Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust'' , Pop/Rock Record of the Year , , - , Album of the Year , , - , Hungarian Music Awards , Alternative Music Album of the Year , , - , 2010 , MOJO Awards , rowspan=2, Themselves , Outstanding Contribution to Music Award , , - , rowspan=3, 2012 , rowspan=2, Antville Music Video Awards , Best Commissioning Artist , , - , rowspan=2, "Fjögur píanó" , Best Choreography , , - , rowspan=2, Camerimage , rowspan=2, Best Music Video , , - , rowspan="12", 2013 , " Valtari" , , - , rowspan=3, UK Music Video Awards , " Stormur" , Best Interactive Video , , - , rowspan="2", " Valtari" , Best Choreography , , - , rowspan="2", Best Cinematography , , - , rowspan="4" , MVPA Awards , rowspan="3", "Learning Towards Solace" , , - , Best Editing , , - , rowspan="2" , Best Video Produced for Under 25 000 , , - , rowspan=2, " Valtari" , , - , O Music Awards , Too Much Ass for TV , , - ,
Webby Awards The Webby Awards (colloquially referred to as the Webbys) are awards for excellence on the Internet presented annually by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, a judging body composed of over three thousand industry experts a ...
, "Fjögur píanó" , Online Film & Video – Music , , - , London Short Film Festival , " Ekki múkk" , British Council Award for Best UK Short , , - , UK Festival Awards , Themselves , Headline Performance of the Year , , - , rowspan=5, 2014 , Nordic Music Video Awards , " Brennisteinn" , Best Post Production , , - , Lovie Awards , rowspan=2, Themselves , Artist of the Year , , - , rowspan=2, World Music Awards , World's Best Group , , - , rowspan=2, '' Kveikur'' , World's Best Album , , - , rowspan=1, Icelandic Music Awards , Album of the Year , , - , 2016 , European Festival Awards , Themselves , Best Headliner , , - , rowspan="2", 2017 , Icelandic Music Awards , rowspan="2", "Óveður" , Video of the Year , , - , Hungarian Music Awards , Alternative Music Album of the Year , , - , 2019 , Music Video Festival , "Tonandi" , Innovation ,


Members

Current members * Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson – lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonium, bass guitar (1994–present) * Georg "Goggi" Hólm – bass guitar, glockenspiel, toy piano, keyboards, backing vocals (1994–present) * Kjartan "Kjarri" Sveinsson – piano, organ, synthesizers, keyboards, programming, guitar, flute, tin whistle, oboe, backing vocals (1998–2013, 2022–present) Touring musicians * Ólafur Björn "Óbó" Ólafsson – drums, percussion (2022–present); keyboards, oboe, brass (2012–2013, 2022–present) Former members * Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson – drums, percussion (1994–1999) * Orri Páll Dýrason – drums, percussion, samples, keyboards (1999–2018) ;Former touring musicians * Kjartan Dagur "KD" Hólm – guitar (2012–2013) Former touring ensembles * Amiina – strings (1999–2008, 2022) * Brassgat í bala ''(The Horny Brasstards)'' – brass (2005–2008, 2022) * The Okkur Ensemble (2012–2013) ** Sigrún Jónsdóttir – trombone ** Laufey Jensdóttir – violin ** Ingrid Karlsdóttir – viola ** Guðbjörg Hlín "Guggý" Guðmundsdóttir – violin ** Eiríkur Orri Ólafsson – trumpet ** Bergrún Snæbjörnsdóttir – French horn


Timeline


Discography

* '' Von'' (1997) * '' Ágætis byrjun'' (1999) * '' ( )'' (2002) * '' Takk...'' (2005) * '' Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust'' (2008) * '' Valtari'' (2012) * '' Kveikur'' (2013) * '' Átta'' (2023)


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sigur Ros MTV Europe Music Award winners Art pop musicians Geffen Records artists Icelandic alternative rock groups Icelandic post-rock groups MCA Records artists Musical groups established in 1994 Icelandic musical quartets Icelandic musical trios Winners of the Shortlist Music Prize XL Recordings artists Musical groups from Reykjavík FatCat Records artists 1994 establishments in Iceland