Amiina (formerly Amína, stylized in

lowercase Letter case is the distinction between the letters that are in larger uppercase or capitals (more formally ''majuscule'') and smaller lowercase (more formally '' minuscule'') in the written representation of certain languages. The writing system ...

) is an

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

ic band composed of members Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir, and Sólrún Sumarliðadóttir, Magnús Trygvason Eliassen and Guðmundur Vignir Karlsson. In the past they have frequently performed live and in the studio with

Sigur Rós Sigur Rós () is an Icelandic post-rock band that formed in 1994 in Reykjavík. It comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Jónsi, Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassist Georg Hólm, and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal soun ...

. Their music is made with a great number of instruments. It contains elements of minimalistic style,

contemporary Contemporary history, in English-language historiography, is a subset of modern history that describes the historical period from about 1945 to the present. In the social sciences, contemporary history is also continuous with, and related t ...

classical,

ambient Ambient or ambiance or ambience may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Ambiancé'', an unreleased experimental film * ''Ambient'' (novel), a novel by Jack Womack Music and sound * Ambience (sound recording), also known as atmospheres or backgr ...

, and

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...

loops. In their performances each member will play many instruments, sometimes moving across the stage, going from one instrument to another mid-song.

History

The founding members Maria Huld Markan Sigfúsdóttir (born September 29, 1980), Sólrún Sumarliðadóttir (born August 10, 1977), Hildur Ársælsdóttir (born January 31, 1980) and Edda Rún Ólafsdóttir (born February 3, 1978) performed as a quartet playing classical music when they were studying string instruments at the Reykjavík College of Music in the late 1990s. María and Hildur as violinists, Edda as violist, and Sólrún as cellist. Later on they adopted the name amiina and increasingly moved on to play all sorts of music with various bands in Reykjavík. In 1999 the quartet joined Icelandic band

on-stage. The collaboration has continued ever since, with amiina contributing strings to Sigur Rós' music on tour and in the recording studio notably on the award-winning album '' ( )'' as well as its follow-up, '' Takk...''., and ''

Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust ''Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust'' (, ''With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly'') is the fifth full-length studio album by the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós, released on 23 June 2008. All the lyrics for the album were original ...

''. amiina recorded strings for the Sigur Rós album ''

Valtari ''Valtari'' (, ) is the sixth studio album by Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. It was released on 23 May 2012 by Parlophone. The album reached number eight on the UK Albums Chart and seven on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album was met with po ...

'' but no longer accompany Sigur Rós on tour. Their first commercially available recording was the four- track EP '' animamina''. This was followed by their first single, ''

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

''. Their first full-length

album An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...

, ''

Kurr ''Kurr'' ( Icelandic for "Coo") is the debut album by the Icelandic quartet amiina. It was released on March 21, 2007, by their own label, Bláskjár Records, after being preceded by the single "Seoul" in late 2006. The album was partly recorded ...

'', was released March 21, 2007, through the band's own label, Bláskjár. It was re-released by Ever Records in June 2007. amiina's first solo tours of Europe and America were in October and November 2006. Following the release of ''

'' in 2007 they toured North America in March and April and Europe in May. The song " Hilli" was released on December 10, 2007, as the second single from the album ''Kurr''. It is a collaboration between amiina and

Lee Hazlewood Barton Lee Hazlewood (July 9, 1929 – August 4, 2007) was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late 1950s and singer Nancy Sinatra in the 1960s ...

whose vocals (the last recording before his death) were mixed with a reworked version of the original song. amiina appeared in the 2008 Icelandic movie '' Brúðguminn'' (''White Night Wedding''). In the autumn of 2007, drummer Magnús Trygvason Eliassen (born November 18, 1985) joined amiina on tour, adding percussion to the band's textures. A few months later, collaboration between amiina and the electronic artist Guðmundur Vignir Karlsson (born November 10, 1978) under the moniker Kippi Kaninus was initiated while preparing a show for the

Reykjavík Arts Festival The Reykjavík Arts Festival is an art festival that takes place in Reykjavík every other year. It was founded in 1970 and was biennial from the beginning, but in the years 2005–2016 it was held annually. Since 2016, the festival has again beco ...

. The merging of Kippi Kaninus' electronics and rhythms with amiina's sounds and Magnús' percussion became the starting point for more established collaboration between the six musicians. During 2009 Magnús and Guðmundur joined the group on a permanent basis. The recording of amiina's second studio album ''

Puzzle A puzzle is a game, problem, or toy that tests a person's ingenuity or knowledge. In a puzzle, the solver is expected to put pieces together ( or take them apart) in a logical way, in order to find the solution of the puzzle. There are differe ...

'' started during spring or summer of 2010, released by the band on September 27, 2010, getting worldwide distribution the following year. The songs on ''Puzzle'' are more rhythmically rugged than previous work and feature heavier use of electronics. amiina's long-standing fondness for light melodies and open-minded instrumentation, however, continued. In 2009 amiina started to perform their original soundtracks to pioneering German filmmaker Lotte Reiniger's 1930s silhouette animations of the timeless fairy tales Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Aladdin. The so-called ''Animagica'' program, originally performed at the Branchage Film Festival in Jersey, has now been performed at Latitude, Sydney Festival, Mona Foma in Tasmania, St. Leonard's Church London, Perth International Art Festival, National Museum of Singapore and Reykjavik's Children Festival. When performing the ''Animagica'' program amiina plays usually as a trio or a quartet. In late 2012 amiina recorded ''The Lighthouse Project''. It was a work which the band started in 2009 and was released as an EP in June 2013, distributed by

Morr Music Morr Music is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany, founded in 1999 by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music, electronica and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's personal ta ...

. These songs were recorded in their original arrangements for a quartet. Because the group felt it important to convey the intimacy of the original performances it was recorded "live" in the studio by Ben Frost. In between work with amiina the band members have kept themselves busy, recording or touring with other artists such as: Sigur Rós,

Yann Tiersen Yann Pierre Tiersen (born 23 June 1970) is a French Breton musician and composer. His musical career is split between studio recordings, music collaborations, and film soundtracks songwriting. His music incorporates a large variety of classical ...

Spiritualized Spiritualized (stylised as Spiritualized®) are an English rock band formed in 1990 in Rugby, Warwickshire, by Jason Pierce (often known as J. Spaceman), formerly of Spacemen 3. After several line up-changes, in 1999, the band centred on Pie ...

Efterklang Efterklang () is a Denmark, Danish art pop, indie rock band from Copenhagen, formed in December 2000. Efterklang emerged in the front half of the 2000s with a blend of pop and orchestral rock elements. The band found an audience, especially in ...

Yukihiro Takahasi Yukihiro is a masculine Japanese name, Japanese given name. Written forms Yukihiro can be written using different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples: *幸弘, "happiness, vast" *幸宏, "happiness, wide" *幸浩, "happines ...

, Canon Blue, Pétur Ben, Ben Frost,

Tilbury Tilbury is a port town in the borough of Thurrock, Essex, England. The present town was established as separate settlement in the late 19th century, on land that was mainly part of Chadwell St Mary. It contains a Tilbury Fort, 16th century fort ...

, Borko,

múm Múm (stylized in lowercase) () is an Icelandic indietronica band whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments. History The band was formed in ...

, Jónsi & Alex, Kippi Kaninus,

ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple ...

, Moses Hightower, Sin Fang, and Zoon van snooK. During 2015 Hildur Ársælsdóttir and Edda Rún Ólafsdóttir left the band. On November 25, 2016, amiina returned as a four-member band releasing their album ''Fantômas''. Their upcoming album ''Pharology'' is planned for June 25, 2021 and is expected as a digital and vinyl release. On December 9, 2022, amiina released ''Yule'', an album consisting of instrumental interpretations of Christmas songs. The artwork of the album shows the original line up of the band, including Hildur and Edda.

Instruments

;

Electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductors * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic c ...

:*Compact

synthesizer A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis a ...

Digital piano A digital piano is a type of electronic keyboard instrument designed to serve primarily as an alternative to the traditional acoustic piano, both in how it feels to play and in the sound it produces. Digital pianos use either synthesized emula ...

Theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone, etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named aft ...

;

Guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

s :*

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

:*Solid-body

electric Electricity is the set of physical phenomena associated with the presence and motion of matter possessing an electric charge. Electricity is related to magnetism, both being part of the phenomenon of electromagnetism, as described by Maxwel ...

;

Harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

s :*

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

;

Reeds Reed or Reeds may refer to: Science, technology, biology, and medicine * Reed bird (disambiguation) * Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times * Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales * Re ...

Harmonium The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ (which employs a va ...

Melodica The melodica is a handheld free-reed instrument similar to a pump organ or harmonica. It features a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument. The keyboard usu ...

;Metallophones :*

Celesta The celesta () or celeste (), also called a bell-piano, is a struck idiophone operated by a keyboard. It looks similar to an upright piano (four- or five-octave), albeit with smaller keys and a much smaller cabinet, or a large wooden music ...

Glockenspiel The glockenspiel ( ; or , : bells and : play) or bells is a percussion instrument consisting of pitched aluminum or steel bars arranged in a Musical keyboard, keyboard layout. This makes the glockenspiel a type of metallophone, similar to the v ...

(which they sometimes bow) ;Viols :*Cello :*Viola :*Violin ;

Zither Zither (; , from the Greek ''cithara'') is a class of stringed instruments. The modern instrument has many strings stretched across a thin, flat body. Zithers are typically played by strumming or plucking the strings with the fingers or a ...

s :* Gideon harp
external description
also called a "table harp") ;Other :*

Call bell A call bell is a bell A bell /ˈbɛl/ () is a directly struck idiophone percussion instrument. Most bells have the shape of a hollow cup that when struck vibrates in a single strong strike tone, with its sides forming an efficient reso ...

s (also called "office" or "reception" bells) :*

Glass harp A glass harp (also called musical glasses, singing glasses, angelic organ, verrillon or ghost fiddle) is a musical instrument made of upright wine glasses. It is played by running moistened or chalked fingers around the rim of the glasses. Each ...

Kalimba Mbira ( ; ) are a family of musical instruments, traditional to the Shona people of Zimbabwe. They consist of a wooden board (often fitted with a resonator) with attached staggered metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and ...

Mandolin A mandolin (, ; literally "small mandola") is a Chordophone, stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally Plucked string instrument, plucked with a plectrum, pick. It most commonly has four Course (music), courses of doubled St ...

Musical saw A musical saw, also called a singing saw, is a hand saw used as a musical instrument. Capable of continuous glissando (portamento), the sound creates an ethereal tone, very similar to the theremin. The musical saw is classified as a plaque frict ...

Discography

Albums

*''

'' (March 21, 2007) *''

'' (September, 2010) *''

Fantômas Fantômas () is a fictional character created by French writers Marcel Allain (1885–1969) and Pierre Souvestre (1874–1914). One of the most popular characters in the history of French crime fiction, Fantômas was created in 1911 and appeared ...

'' (November 25, 2016) *''Yule'' (December 9, 2022)

EPs

*''

AnimaminA ''AnimaminA'' is the debut EP by Icelandic string quartet amiina. The EP was first published in early December 2004 by Smekkleysa in Iceland, and then in mid-2005 by The Workers Institute in the United States and Speak N Spell in Australia. Its t ...

'' (May 9, 2005) *''

Re Minore ''Re Minore'' is an EP from the Icelandic string quartet amiina that was released during their 2009 tour. The title is Italian language, Italian for D minor. Amiina have previously worked with Kippi Kaninus who also accompany the band on the EP t ...

'' (2009) *''

The Lighthouse Project The Lighthouse Project, officially named The Lighthouse at Long Island, was a proposed transformation of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum and the area surrounding it into a modern suburban area. The project was first introduced by New York ...

'' (June 7, 2013)

Singles

" (November 6, 2006) *"

Hilli (At The Top Of The World) ''Kurr'' ( Icelandic for "Coo") is the debut album by the Icelandic quartet amiina. It was released on March 21, 2007, by their own label, Bláskjár Records, after being preceded by the single "Seoul" in late 2006. The album was partly recorded ...

" (December 17, 2007) " limited edition*" Over & Again" (2010) imited to 500 copies*"What are we waiting for?" (September 2010) *"Attic Series 1" (2020) *"Beacon" (2021) *"Pharology" (2021)

Compilation inclusions

*''

Screaming Masterpiece ''Screaming Masterpiece'' (''Gargandi snilld'' in Icelandic) is a 2005 documentary film directed and written by Ari Alexander Ergis Magnússon about the music scene in Iceland. It attempts to explore the reasons why Iceland has such a rich var ...

'' (2005) *'' Kitchen Motors Family Album/Fjölskyldualbúm Tilraunaeldhússins'' (Spring 2006) *''

Nightmare Revisited ''Nightmare Revisited'' is a cover album of songs and score from the 1993 Disney animated film ''The Nightmare Before Christmas''. It was released on September 30, 2008 by Walt Disney Records to commemorate the film's 15th anniversary of its the ...

'' ("Doctor Finkelstein/In the Forest") (2008)

References

External links

*
Amiina at NPR Music

Amiina entry at The Indie Music Database

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amiina Sigur Rós Icelandic post-rock groups Icelandic all-female bands String quartets Musical groups from Reykjavík