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Sigur Rós () is an
Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...
ic post-rock band from Reykjavík, active since 1994. The band comprises singer 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 Kjartan "Kjarri" Sveinsson (; born 2 January 1978) is the keyboardist for the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. He joined the band in 1998. A multi-instrumentalist, he has also played such instruments as the flute, tin whistle, oboe, guitar a ...
. Known for their ethereal sound, frontman Jónsi's
falsetto ''Falsetto'' (, ; 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 ligamentou ...
vocals, and their use of
bowed guitar Bowed guitar is a method of playing a guitar, acoustic or electric, in which the guitarist uses a bow, rather than the more common plectrum, to vibrate the instruments' strings, similar to playing a viola da gamba. Unlike traditionally bowed ...
, Sigur Rós incorporate classical and minimal aesthetic elements. Jónsi's vocals are sung in Icelandic and non-linguistic vocalisations the band have termed ''Vonlenska''. They have released seven studio albums and five EPs since their formation.


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 the group in Reykjavík in January 1994. The band's name means Victory Rose. They took their name from Jónsi's younger sister
Sigurrós Sigurrós is an Icelandic female name, formed by conjoining ''sigur'' (victory) and ''rós'' (rose). Over 200 women currently carry it as their first given name and around 100 as their second or third given name. The Icelandic band Sigur Rós was ...
, who was born a few days before the band was formed. They soon signed a record deal with the local
Sugarcubes The Sugarcubes ( Icelandic: Sykurmolarnir) were an Icelandic alternative rock band from Reykjavík formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1992. For most of their career, the band consisted of Björk Guðmundsdóttir (vocals, keyboards), Einar Örn Bene ...
-owned record label Bad Taste, because they thought the falsetto vocals would appeal to teenage girls. In 1997, they released ''
Von The term ''von'' () is used in German language surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality, or as a simple preposition used by commoners that means ''of'' or ''from''. Nobility directories like the ''Almanach de ...
'' (pronounced , meaning "hope") and in 1998 a remix collection named '' Von brigði'' (). This name is also Icelandic wordplay: ''Vonbrigði'' means "disappointment", but ''Von brigði'' means "variations on ''Von''". The band was joined by
Kjartan Sveinsson Kjartan "Kjarri" Sveinsson (; born 2 January 1978) is the keyboardist for the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. He joined the band in 1998. A multi-instrumentalist, he has also played such instruments as the flute, tin whistle, oboe, guitar a ...
on keyboards in 1998. He is the only member of Sigur Rós with musical training, and has contributed most of the orchestral and string arrangements for their later work.


1999–2001: ''Ágætis byrjun''

International acclaim came with 1999's '' Ágætis byrjun'' ( "A Good Beginning"). The album's reputation spread by word of mouth over the following two years. Soon critics worldwide were praising it effusively, and the band was playing support to established acts such as
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass ...
. Three songs, "Ágætis byrjun", " Svefn-g-englar", and a live take, from a summer 2000 concert in Denmark, of the then-unreleased "Njósnavélin" (later 'unnamed' "Untitled #4") appeared in the Cameron Crowe film ''
Vanilla Sky ''Vanilla Sky'' is a 2001 American science fiction thriller film directed, written, and co-produced by Cameron Crowe. It is an English-language remake of Alejandro Amenábar's 1997 Spanish film '' Open Your Eyes'', which was written by Amenábar ...
''. 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 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 American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
-winning 2005 TV film ''
The Girl in the Café ''The Girl in the Café'' is a British made-for-television drama film directed by David Yates, written by Richard Curtis and produced by Hilary Bevan Jones. The film is produced by the independent production company Tightrope Pictures and was ...
''. In Enki Bilal's ''
Immortel (Ad Vitam) ''Immortal'' ( French: ''Immortel, ad vitam'') is a 2004 English language French live-action and animated science fiction film co-written and directed by Enki Bilal and starring Linda Hardy, Thomas Kretschmann and Charlotte Rampling. It is lo ...
'' 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 The Café de Flore () is one of the oldest coffeehouses in Paris, celebrated for its famous clientele, which in the past included high-profile writers and philosophers. It is located at the corner of Boulevard Saint-Germain and Rue Saint-Benoî ...
'' released in 2011. After the release of ''Ágætis byrjun'', the band became well known for Jónsi's signature style of reverb accentuated guitar work using a
cello The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, ...
'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 poem written in any of the so-called ''rímnahættir'' (, "rímur meters"). They are rhymed, they alliterate and consist of two to four lines per stanza. T ...
'' with an Icelandic fisherman named
Steindór Andersen Steindór Andersen (born 1954) is an Icelandic musician. Steindór is noted for his Rímur chanting and is most widely known for his collaborations with the band Sigur Rós. Other collaborations include with Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson and rapper ...
. 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 poem written in any of the so-called ''rímnahættir'' (, "rímur meters"). They are rhymed, they alliterate and consist of two to four lines per stanza. T ...
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 Orri Páll Dýrason (; born on 4 July 1977) is an Icelandic musician. He was previously the drummer for Sigur Rós. He joined the band in 1999, shortly after the recording of the studio album '' Ágætis byrjun'', when the previous drummer, Ág ...
. 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 Wayne McGregor, CBE (born 12 March 1970) is a multi award-winning British choreographer and director. He is the Artistic Director of Studio Wayne McGregor and Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet. McGregor was appointed Commander of t ...
in collaboration with Sadler's Wells Theatre and the Arts Council England. In October 2003, Sigur Rós and
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass ...
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 ''CSI: Miami'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: Miami'') is an American police procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2002 until April 8, 2012 on CBS. Featuring David Caruso as Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Detec ...
'' 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 ''Vanilla Sky'' is a 2001 American science fiction thriller film directed, written, and co-produced by Cameron Crowe. It is an English-language remake of Alejandro Amenábar's 1997 Spanish film '' Open Your Eyes'', which was written by Amenábar ...
'', 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...'' (; "Thanks...") 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" ( "Hopping into puddles"), the second official single from ''Takk...'', was released in November alongside a new studio remake of "Hafsól" ( "Ocean Sun"), 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 country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...
games during the
2006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host th ...
, on television advertisements for
RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the national broadcaster of Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, whil ...
's
Gaelic games Gaelic games ( ga, Cluichí Gaelacha) 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 ...
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 ''Children of Men'' is a 2006 dystopian action thriller film co-written and directed by Alfonso Cuarón. The screenplay, based on P. D. James' 1992 novel ''The Children of Men'', was credited to five writers, with Clive Owen making uncredited ...
'' 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 harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's sur ...
'' 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 (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. 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 The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in America by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018. The Hollywood Bowl is known for its distin ...
),
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
,
New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
,
Hong Kong Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a List of cities in China, city and Special administrative regions of China, special ...
and
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
. 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 A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * ...
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''

The band's fifth regular studio album (, "with a buzz in our ears we play endlessly"), recorded with producer
Flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
in downtown Reykjavík, 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 English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
, 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 2008, and the 2008
La Route du Rock LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
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 (2008 video game) ''Dead Space'' is a 2008 survival horror video game developed by EA Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts. It was released for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and Microsoft Windows as the debut entry in the ''Dead Space'' series. Set on a ...
.


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

In 2009, Jónsi embarked on a solo adventure with his first solo album "Go" (released in 2010). 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 film-making 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 ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-p ...
's Osheaga 2012 lineup, and the 2012 Lollapalooza 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 American epic crime thriller film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by William Monahan. It is both a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film '' Infernal Affairs'' and also loosely based on the real-life Boston Win ...
", the season 3 finale of ''
The Vampire Diaries ''The Vampire Diaries'' is an American supernatural teen drama television series developed by Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, based on the book series of the same name written by L. J. Smith. The series premiered on The CW on September 10, ...
''. 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 Reykjavik 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
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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 itself was finally 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 The Apple Music Festival (formerly known as the iTunes Festival) was a concert series held by Apple, Inc. and inaugurated in 2007. Free tickets were given to Apple Music, iTunes and DICE users who lived in the United Kingdom, through localized p ...
, 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 ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, a ...
'' episode "
The Saga of Carl "The Saga of Carl" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the twenty-fourth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons'', and the 529th episode overall. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on ...
", which aired on 19 May 2013. The band appeared in the HBO TV series ''Game of Thrones'' episode "The Lion and the Rose" on 13 April 2014. They also covered the song "The Rains of Castamere (song), The Rains of Castamere", which was originally recorded by The National (band), The National for the earlier episode "Blackwater (Game of Thrones), Blackwater". Georg and Orri worked with Georg's brother Kjartan Dagur "KD" Hólm and the composer Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson on the soundtrack 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 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, accused of having submitted incorrect tax returns from 2011 to 2014, evading 151m 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 will proceed.


2020–present: Kjartan rejoins and eighth studio album

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.


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 or
English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...
. 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 languages used for human communication. It consists of strings of meaningless syllables containing Non-lexical vocables in music, non-lexical vocables and phonemes. 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 and puirt à beul in traditional Irish folk music and Scottish folk music, Scottish. The band's website describes it as "a form of gibberish vocals that fits to the music".


Awards and nominations

{, class=wikitable , - ! Year !! Awards !! Work !! Category !! Result , - , 2000 , Edda Awards , ''Angels of the Universe'' , Professional Music , , - , 2001 , Shortlist Music Prize , '' Ágætis byrjun'' , Album of the Year , , - , 2002 , Icelandic Music Awards , "Viðrar vel til loftárása" , Video of the Year , , - , rowspan=5, 2003 , Shortlist Music Prize , rowspan=2, '' ( )'' , Album of the Year , , - , rowspan=2, :da:GAFFA-Prisen, GAFFA-Prisen Awards , Best Foreign Album , , - , Themselves , Best Foreign Band , , - , Edda Awards , ''Hlemmur (soundtrack), Hlemmur'' , Professional Sound/Vision , , - , 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards, MTV EMA , rowspan="2" , "Vaka (song), Untitled" , rowspan="2" , Best Video , , - , rowspan=2, 2004 , 2004 Juno Awards, Juno Awards , , - , 2004 Grammy Awards, Grammy Awards , '' ( )'' , Best Alternative Music Album , , - , rowspan=3, 2005 , XM Satellite Radio, XM Nation Music Awards , rowspan="4", Themselves , "Under the Radar" – Artist Most Overlooked by FM Radio , , - , :da:GAFFA-Prisen, 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 , , - , Design and Art Direction, D&AD Awards , style="background:#BF8040", Wood Pencil , - , 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 , "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" , Innovationhttps://www.musicvideofestival.com.br/en/awards/2019/ ,


Members

;Current members * Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson – lead vocals, guitars, bowed guitar, keyboards, harmonica, banjo, bass guitar (1994–present) * Georg Hólm, Georg "Goggi" Hólm – bass guitar, glockenspiel, toy piano, keyboards, backing vocals (1994–present) * Kjartan Sveinsson, Kjartan "Kjarri" Sveinsson – synthesizers, keyboards, piano, organ, programming, guitars, flute, tin whistle, oboe, banjo, backing vocals (1998–2013, 2022–present) ;Current touring members * 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 Orri Páll Dýrason (; born on 4 July 1977) is an Icelandic musician. He was previously the drummer for Sigur Rós. He joined the band in 1999, shortly after the recording of the studio album '' Ágætis byrjun'', when the previous drummer, Ág ...
– drums, percussion, samples, keyboards (1999–2018) ;Former touring musicians * For a Minor Reflection, Kjartan Dagur "KD" Holm – 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 The term ''von'' () is used in German language surnames either as a nobiliary particle indicating a noble patrilineality, or as a simple preposition used by commoners that means ''of'' or ''from''. Nobility directories like the ''Almanach de ...
'' (1997) * '' Ágætis byrjun'' (1999) * '' ( )'' (2002) * '' Takk...'' (2005) * ''Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust'' (2008) * '' Valtari'' (2012) * '' Kveikur'' (2013) *


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sigur Ros Sigur Rós, 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 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