Post-rock legends Sigur Rós have been nothing short of busy the last few years, with reissues, official releases and world tours under their belts. As well as this, the confirmation of a brand-new album coming in 2023.
This time around, Sigur Rós have announced a remaster of seminal project ‘()’, twenty years after its original release. Remastered by engineer Ted Jenson (Green Day, Wolf Alice, Mitski, among countless others), the remaster and reissue of the record will feature brand-new never before heard bonus material and b-sides, taken from the legendary swimming-pool recording sessions in Álafoss.
‘()’ is considered by many to not only be the quintessential Sigur Rós LP, but also their magnum opus, a sprawling epic of dynamic range, emotive soundscapes and cinematic undertones. Written in Volenska, also known as Hopelandic, the band said how they wanted the listeners to determine their own meaning from the words, creating an incredibly melancholic experience. Volenska is a term coined by the band which refers to the vocalisations on their music which is lieu of lyrics in English or Icelandic; it is essentially meaningless, described by the band themselves as ‘gibberish vocals that fits to the music’.
The remaster of ‘()’ is led by single ‘Untitled #7 (Dauðalagið)’ (The Death Song), which is out now.
Tracklist
1. “Untitled #1” — “Vaka” (The name of Orri’s daughter)
2. “Untitled #2” — “Fyrsta” (The first song)
3. “Untitled #3” — “Samskeyti” (Attachment)
4. “Untitled #4” — “Njósnavélin’ (The Spy Machine)
5. “Untitled #5” — “Alafoss” (The location of the band’s studio)
6. “Untitled #6” — “E-bow” [Georg uses an E-bow on this song]
7. “Untitled #7” — “Dauðalagið” (The Death Song)
8. “Untitled #8” — “Popplagið” (The Pop Song)
9. “Untitled #7” (Jacobs Studio Sessions)*
10. “Untitled #6” (Jacobs Studio Sessions)*
11. “Untitled #8” (Jacobs Studio Sessions)*
12. “Untitled #9 — “Smáskífa” 1 (Small Disc 1)*
13. “Untitled #9 — “Smáskífa” 2 (Small Disc 2) *
14. “Untitled #9 — “Smáskífa” 3 (Small Disc 3) *
*BONUS MATERIAL
Words: James Mellen
Photo Credit: Hörður Óttarson
