Reykjavík, Iceland 30/09/2023
After a decade-long hiatus, Icelandic post-rock pioneers Sigur Rós released their studio album “Átta” in June of this year. The title, which translates to “eight” in Icelandic, signifies not only their eighth studio album but also a long-awaited return for fans since their 2013 release, “Kveikur.” This was also the return of keyboardist Kjartan “Kjarri” Sveinsson who rejoined the band in 2022, having last contributed to the 2012 album, “Valtari.”
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The album was recorded in the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London, along with their Sundlaugin studio in Iceland and various recording studios across the United States. Átta features the London Contemporary Orchestra, led by conductor Robert Ames.
“Átta” was released via BMG on streaming services on June 16, with physical formats released on September 1st. Vocalist/guitarist Jón “Jónsi” Birgisson described their creative process for this album, highlighting their desire for minimalism and beauty with sparse drums and floaty arrangements. Sveinsson added, “We wanted to allow ourselves to be a bit dramatic and explore the boundaries. The world needs that right now.”
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Icelandic Post Rock act celebrate rerelease of their 8th LP with sequential music video experiment!
In addition, Sigur Rós announced the “Átta Film Experiment“. This features music videos for all ten tracks from the album, with each video directed by a different director, free from artistic constraints.
The first video from the record for “Blóðberg” was directed by Icelandic artist Rúrí. An environmental and feminist activist, whose 1983 performance and installation Rainbow I serves as the cover art for Átta, Rúrí crafts a visually striking and thematically apt video. The final video for Klettur, directed by Frosti Jón Runólfsson, premiered on September 20. The videos feature a wide variety of styles where Fall (Katya Gimro) features audience reactions on the band’s tours while Skel features graphically generated visuals.
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Sigur Rós embarked on a tour from June to August 2023, backed by a 41-piece orchestra, debuting songs from the album.
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