eighteen seconds before sunrise - sigur rós news

jónsi ‘go’ limited edition now on sale

2010-03-13T12:20:54Z

the limited edition of ‘go’ is now available to preorder over on jonsi.com. the limited edition includes, among other things, a new film called ‘go quiet’, featuring jónsi performing all the songs on the album acoustically at home in reykjavík. the limited edition is available to buy in physical or digital format.

jónsi tour pre-sale and video

2010-02-09T23:54:09Z

a fan-only pre-sale of tickets to jónsi’s north america concerts began today at 10am (local time) tuesday the 9th of february. using the password “go”, you can find links to purchase tickets on jonsi.com/concerts

to coincide with the presale, we launched a more extensive jonsi.com, where you will also find some new media updates including jónsi’s new video “go do”.

still from jónsi’s video “go do”

sigur rós and babymaking

2010-01-29T22:39:58Z

congratulations to orri and his wife lukka on their newborn son! the little dude born last thursday is the latest in a string of sigur rós births (kjartan and georg both had babies last year, and jónsi’s baby go is due in record stores april). since the band members are all currently tending their offspring, georg told fréttablaðið today that sigur rós probably won’t be releasing any records this year.

“we’re all pretty busy at the moment so sigur rós is just taking it easy. when we have time we meet up and write new stuff at our own pace. we have some ideas and foundations but nothing final, since we’re not really in a rush. jónsi’s pretty preoccupied with his own projects these days and we’re gonna let him do his thing.”

when asked about what he thinks of jónsi’s solo album:

actually, i’ve only heard that new song on the radio [boy lilikoi]. jónsi still hasn’t let me hear the album, i don’t know if he’s too bashful to let us hear. but the new song is really great, and very jónsi-like.

jónsi has also been talking about sigur rós in new interviews about his upcoming solo record. sigur rós had recorded some new material last year, which at the time was described as ambient and atmospheric, but according to jónsi they will probably start all over again.

we started working on something a few months ago, then we scrapped everything and sold our studio and rehearsal space. now we are back in the drummer’s garage, rocking out like we did when we were 14. i think it’s gonna be good.”

best of the decade lists

2010-01-29T13:49:28Z

we’ve been compiling mentions of sigur rós in the many “best of decade” lists that have been published over the last month or two.

there were mentions for “ágætis byrjun“, “( )“, “takk” and “með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust” as well as the video for “untitled 1 / vaka”. below is a selection of mentions from the various lists:

ágætis byrjun: rolling stone
sigur rós conjured magic with drones, using strings, brass, electronics and guitars that took jimmy page’s bowing technique to new heights. but the showstopper was jónsi birgisson’s otherworldly voice, swooping between tenor confessions and falsetto ballet.

( ): npr
great records often come from unexpected places and sources: 2002’s () is the unforgettable work of sigur ros, an icelandic band playing slow instrumental music when it’s not singing in a made-up language, performing songs and an album with no pronounceable titles. cinematic and beautiful, every song captures a spirit of hope and sorrow, inexorably intertwined.

ágætis byrjun: pitchfork
discovering the music of sigur rós was an active process, because a series of questions inevitably followed: how do you pronounce their name? what does it mean? is that a man or a woman singing? did i hear right, that the words aren’t actually in any language? indeed, since ágætis byrjun was one of those records that filled a deep-seated need listeners didn’t even know they had, experiencing it was at first a little confusing. punk had taught us to be skeptical of pure, unapologetic prettiness, so as underground music fans, we’d been conditioned to reject this sort of thing. we were used to it being cut with noise, irony, or emotional distance, which left us unprepared for exquisitely crafted music that asked to be appreciated in the same way as a bright orange sunset or the first snowfall of the season. but we got over it, and once that happened, after we’d given the record a couple of spins, one final question came to mind: is there any other music like this?

með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust: pastemagazine
sigur rós’ fifth full-length balances majestic ethereality and primal, drum-pounding terrestrial fervor. on earlier records, jónsi birgisson’s crystalline falsetto arrived like wind sifting through branches, brushing gently past and raising gooseflesh. that singular voice has matured into a confident and unmistakably human instrument, to say nothing of the evocative sonic bedrock from which it flutters ever upward.

( ): state.ie
tracing a path from heaven to hell through the barren icelandic lava fields it is handel’s messiah for the electric generation and its own ‘hallejluia’ chorus, the 12 minute closing track, descends from acoustic beginnings to a bosch-like rapture and if you are luck enough to witness it live, the most intense moment you will spend in front of a band.

takk: betterpropaganda.com
from the first track, “glosoli,” you can tell that there was a call to arms. the bass line drove in like a tank and the percussion depicted sigur rós marching in, melting the snow beneath their feet. from there, we were taken on the same whimsical journey that sigur rós had always led, but one that sparked more wonder and dug much deeper. takk… was an album that was blatantly sigur rós, but, at the same time, completely different from the sigur rós we knew. it was stronger and more emotional. it still fluttered like white dove wings, but swooped in like eagle talons. and, once again, we were left looking to the heavens, gazing at the stars and clouds, trying to catch a glimpse of these enchanting beings.

a particular highlight was the listing on metacritic. sigur rós was listed as number 2 in the “artists of the decade” list (following spoon and just ahead of super furry animals).

our full list of mentions is here, if you saw any other mentions of sigur rós in any lists anywhere in the world, in any language, please let us know.

the making of “go”

2009-12-16T11:35:28Z

jónsi’s official site jonsi.com has been updated with the weekly batch of “making of” photos, a video clip from the album’s mixing, and a quick peek into the upcoming tour’s visual inspiration. you can also follow the latest updates on jónsi’s twitter (most recently tweeting about album artwork & his grandmother).

here is what longtime friend and manager john best had to say about jónsi’s solo album and how it came to be:

for years – i mean literally since i’ve known him (10 years now) – jonsi has been beavering away in his kitchen, bedroom or living room making music extra-curricular to sigur ros. to be honest we’d kind of gotten used to these being drawing board propositions only – the ambient album, the electronic album, the pop album, the acoustic album, etc. it’s not that we didn’t doubt his work ethic; these things certainly existed, it’s just that they seemed more conceptual than real; creation to sate jonsi’s enormous energy rather than anything we’d ever have to put on a release schedule. but then last year he went and finished ‘riceboy sleeps’, an album that had existed as a soundtrack to his and alex somer’s artwork far in advance of being an actual record. and then he started on about the *acoustic* album and bounced straight off the back of ‘med sud i eyrum…’ into the studio (alright, apartment) with icelander-by-proxy nico muhly.

it seemed apparent to us that it would be missing a trick to limit a bona fide jonsi solo album to being a small scale acoustic project, so some subtle cajoling and encouragement to reach beyond his comfort zone was the order of the day. we shot the breeze about producers and peter katis’s name came up off the back of his work with fanfarlo and the national. jonsi weighed in with drummer samuli from mum, who he’d heard playing with alex in nordic art supergroup kira kira. suddenly the *acoustic* record wasn’t looking so acoustic after all. from then on it’s been a slow and ineluctable slide towards the full-on, barely contained, glorious mayhem soon to be available on ‘go’.

everything about this record has a seat of the pants feel about it, its wildly shifted focus, the way nothing (including the album itself) had a title til about an hour before the news hit the blogs; the fact that as i type i still have no idea what is going to be on the cover; or that, even though jonsi is currently on a plane to new york to master the record we’ve no clear idea of what order the songs are going to appear in, or even, in some cases, which versions of songs are going to be used. it’s edge of the seat, it’s exciting, it’s infectious. i think we are beginning to sense that maybe jonsi has created something super special here. more than that in fact, i think he has created something really special here. i’m not sure i’ve felt this excited about a project since the time i first heard agaetis byrjun, right back in 1999. holy fuck. are you ready?

- john best, manager, 7 december 2009.

christmas suggestions

2009-12-15T18:38:08Z

its the middle of december – so many of you are currently out there looking for ideal presents for friends and family next week. here is a list of a few places where you can find some sigur rós related items you can get and wrap nicely!

sandbag store: sigur rós tshirts, hoodies, posters, etc.
amazon.com sigur rós store: albums, singles, downloads, films, etc.
amazon.co.uk sigur rós store: albums, singles, downloads, films, etc.
itunes: (us) / (uk) / (world)
other stores: play / hmv / bleep / fatcat / emusic

also don’t forget that your local record shop / local online retailer should have a lot of sigur rós items available too. enjoy!

jónsi solo album details

2010-03-11T10:38:18Z

press photo by lilja birgisdóttir

jónsi’s debut solo album “go” will be released april 5th europe, april 6th in usa. the album contains nine songs, most of which are sung in english, and was co-produced by jónsi, alex somers and peter katis (the national, interpol). jónsi will be embarking on an extensive world tour throughout 2010, of which more information will be annonced later.

“go” initally began as a low-key acoustic record, but, according to jónsi, “somewhere along the line it just sort of exploded”. the result is a joyful and dramatic album, featuring ecstatic string, brass and woodwind arrangements by composer nico muhly (antony & the johnsons, grizzly bear), as well as warmer, more melancholic moments.

in the coming weeks, jónsi’s official site www.jonsi.com will be updated with exclusive behind-the-scenes photos and videos of jónsi and collaborators making the record. in addition you can download the track “boy lilikoi” for free, and listen to samples from the album by clicking the “jónsi” letters. artwork on the site was created by jónsi’s sister inga birgisdóttir (press images for the album were shot by jónsi’s other sister lilja birgisdóttir).

“go” tracklist

go do
animal arithmetic
tornado
boy lilikoi
sinking friendships
kolnidur
around us
grow till tall
hengilas

read full press release

free mp3 from jónsi

2009-12-04T18:56:38Z

on jonsi.com you can now download a new song by jónsi called “boy lilikoi”, taken from his upcoming solo album. enjoy!

more news to come soon…

merchandise site

2009-12-05T14:51:26Z

we have updated our order page to provide a link to the sandbag sigur rós merchandise website. items on the store include tshirts, hoodies, releases, posters and so on from the von / ágætis byrjun era up to the present day.

jonsi.com

2009-12-01T10:56:47Z

this morning saw the unveiling of jonsi.com. go explore and check back over the next few days and beyond as more information is revealed.

sigur rós score the boys are back

2009-11-23T20:20:12Z

seven sigur rós songs and one jónsi & alex song comprise most of the soundtrack to the new british film, the boys are back. the songs featured in the film are illgresi, festival, fljótavík, straumnes, ára bátur, inní mér syngur vitleysingur, samskeyti and indian summer. director scott hicks told icelandic movie blog iceland on screen:

“initially, i used their songs as a temporary score, but it was working so perfectly that i decided to approach the band directly to see if we could licence the music. i was forewarned that they were extremely picky about what they would allow their music to be used for, but i went to iceland to screen for them and they simply loved the film.”

sigur rós movie night in paris

2009-11-21T13:02:47Z

next saturday (november the 28th) in paris there will be a sigur rós movie night at the elysées biarritz cinema. in attendance will be orri, dean de blois (director of ‘heima‘) and john best (manager of sigur rós).

the viewing line up for the night includes; heima, hlemmur, síðasti bærinn (the last farm), the takk press video, the making of ára batur, all the bands videos and more.

information about the evening is available here, with tickets on sale here and here

heima on pitchfork

2009-11-06T20:24:45Z

for one week only pitchfork have made available a free stream of sigur rós’ documentary heima (which is currently rated #2 on imdb’s list of best documentaries of all time.) the movie is split into twelve chapters so you can skip directly to your favorite part of the movie if you wish.

watch heima on pitchfork

100,000 paper planes

2009-09-30T14:27:00Z

this sunday (september the 27th) in grand rapids, michigan, artist rob bliss will release 100,000 paper airplanes as part of “artprize” event.

twenty close family and friends will be stationed atop the seven- to 11-story high buildings to send the planes flying in a wave-like fashion while attendees sing, hum or play an instrument to the tune of sigur ros’ “olsen olsen.” (listen to the song in this video).

there will be five-minute intervals between each burst of color. the eight bars of “olsen olsen” will be played continuously in a loop-like fashion for 30 minutes.

“it can sort of just go on forever,” bliss said. “it’s very triumphant and celebratory and beautiful.”

more information is available on the facebook event page and the mlive.com article which we quoted from above.

update: here is a video of the event:

jónsi projects

2009-09-15T09:02:33Z

over on pitchfork there are two exclusives at the moment. the first one is the latest video from jónsi and alex for a song called “sometimes i get scared” – more information about the video and a link to the video are on the jonsiandalex.com news page. (update: this video is now available through jonsiandale.com too)

the second is the premiere of jónsis collaboration with the dj tiësto. you can listen to the song here.