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Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: Sep. 14 2005, 15:44 Here's some Icelandic Post-Rock for ya: they released this album last Monday, September 12th, though it had leaked into the Internet weeks before. What do you know? I probably like this one more than the already outstanding Ágætis Byrjun. To me, ( ) is still their masterpiece, but Takk... is one of their very best. Just beautiful. Those who think Mike Oldfield has the best climaxes ever should give a listen to Glósóli and find enlightment while it's still time. Any thoughts? -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

Baggiesfaninessex Group: Members Posts: 682 Joined: Mar. 2002 Posted: Sep. 17 2005, 13:58 I didn't realise Sigor Rós had released a 3rd album. I enjoyed Ágætis Byrjun and the starker ( ) immensely. I guess that's another £13 I need to part with then!   -------------- “A dog is not intelligent. Never trust an animal that's surprised by its own farts.” - Frank Skinner Back to top

TubularBelle Group: Members Posts: 1487 Joined: April 2004 Posted: Sep. 20 2005, 21:10 It's funny, I had never heard of this artist until a few days ago when I saw that it is included on the recommendations list in Amazon for anyone ordering Mikes new cd. -------------- I hate getting up early. I didn't even realise there were two 6 o'clocks in one day! Back to top

Bubular Tells Group: Members Posts: 48 Joined: June 2002 Posted: Sep. 21 2005, 11:57 When I listened in the past to some Sigur Rós numbers, they never really grabbed me but this new album is different. I've now listened twice to it and I like it alot. It's very beautiful music that makes you feel good. Recommended! Back to top

TubularBelle Group: Members Posts: 1487 Joined: April 2004 Posted: Sep. 21 2005, 20:15 I should have ordered it at the same time as L&S but I am living off my boyfriend at the moment and can't keep spending his money. Wait until I tell him that if Mike ever tours in England I'll be mortgaging the house. I'll have to enquire whether it could be even cheaper to go to Europe if I need to, (but I want to go to UK). Sept 27th. While scouring through the music magazines and newspapers looking for a Mike Oldfiled album review I found quite a large advert for this album. All I want to know is, is it mellow or energetic? -------------- I hate getting up early. I didn't even realise there were two 6 o'clocks in one day! Back to top

TubularBelle Group: Members Posts: 1487 Joined: April 2004 Posted: Oct. 06 2005, 02:22 Just found a review of this album in the Australian WHO magazine, including a photo of four young lads, well, the backs of their heads anyway. "There are bands so far outside the realms of what's considered "normal" in popular music that some universally lionise them while others just scratch their heads and go, "What the....?" Sigur Ros are such a band-an Icelandic quartet that make glacial, symphonic music and have a front-man who plays an electric guitar with a violin bow and sings as if he's Bjorks Venusian cousin. They're yet to equal their stunning debut from six years ago, but Takk is a marked improvement on 2002's shapeless and meandering ( ). Once again they build up hypnotic pieces with piano arpeggios, plinking glockenspiel, shimmery string quartets and - when you least expect it - thundering drums. "Milano" is a tense and tricky 10 minutes; "Se Lest" is a Disney-esque mix of music boxy instrumentation, oompah horns and what sounds like seals. "Gong," with its sawing strings and rattling rhythm, is the most "song-like" song here. B+" Well I am now convinced and am off to buy a copy, the only question left for me is whether to get their debut album or this new one. What is the name of the debut album? Altho I note this reviewer is not fond of the weirdly titled '( )'. @Musty, what do you think? Also I note that this album was released two weeks before Mikes album, on Sept 12th so WHO and other Australian magazines might still be working their way up to reviewing Light and Shade. Tracy. -------------- I hate getting up early. I didn't even realise there were two 6 o'clocks in one day! Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: Oct. 06 2005, 13:45 Well, whether they're mellow or energetic... Both, actually. In terms of dynamics and contrast between "harsh" and "soothing", they're not too different from Mike. Not that you should expect one Amarok or one Ommadawn from them, of course. Critics tend to have a bit of a difficulty when handling Sigur Rós. Their music demands attention and care. You can't just listen and try to make up your mind - you have to give yourself a bit. Once you're used to the slow, icy-sounding, sometimes wordless music, it's bound to grab you. It's just very different music, sometimes associated with "Post Rock" bands like Mogwai or more electronic rock bands like Radiohead, but they're still different. Ok, their albums... Their debut is actually "Von", from 1997, but it's too difficult (near impossible) to find outside Iceland, let alone outside Europe. So their "unofficial" debut, the one the review talked about, is "Ágætis Byrjun", from 1999 (a member of this forum uses the cover of this album as his avatar). It's, indeed, a brilliant album. "Takk..." is not too different, but is much bright, joyous and vibrant. In terms of music, both of them are stunning. "( )" isn't really a bad album (in fact, it's my favourite). It's just hard to get into. The songs are long, repetitive, take a long time to develop, and the singing completely wordless. Imagine "Incantations" waking up in a rainy Saturday morning. Overall, I highly recommend them if you want highly emotional music that asks for a bit of attention. Whether you'll get "Ágætis Byrjun" or "Takk..." first, think of them as respectively "Shade" and "Light". And both of them have fantastic songs, anyway: "Viðrar Vel Til Loftárása" and "Olsen Olsen" in the former, "Glósóli" and "Mílanó" on the latter. It's all up to you. Hope I been of any help! -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

TubularBelle Group: Members Posts: 1487 Joined: April 2004 Posted: Oct. 09 2005, 06:09 Well I prefer the Shade cd to the Light cd so I will attempt to buy Sigur Ros debut album and if I have trouble finding it I will get Takk. Thanks Musty. Don't tell anyone but I think I am more excited about getting hold of this and Rush than I was about hearing Mikes new album which finally arrived yesterday. -------------- I hate getting up early. I didn't even realise there were two 6 o'clocks in one day! Back to top

kuraaka Group: Members Posts: 15 Joined: May 2005 Posted: Oct. 31 2005, 07:23 It was about four years ago when a friend of mine lent me a record and said 'you must listen to this. there is no way you cannot like this'. It was 'ágætis byrjun' which was then just released and he was definitely right about it. All three records (ágætis byrjun, ( ), takk) are more than excellent and at least as good as mike's best work - or even better, as it seems to me lately, well, maybe except for Amarok. My personal favourite is ( ). I'm just back from their concert in Helsinki and that was one of the best concerts I've ever attended. It was powerful, inspired and emotional on an epical scale, as simple as that. I knew they were going to finish with 'popplagið' (track 8 from () ), so it was kinda expected, but the pure, raw energy, emotion and power in that performance left me still speechless. So anybody. Give it a try. Visit their concerts if you can. Don't miss it. There are quite a many mp3s available for download, including abovementioned 'popplagið' on their website http://www.sigur-ros.co.uk/ Back to top

Tubularman Group: Awaiting Authorisation Posts: 2304 Joined: June 2004 Posted: Oct. 31 2005, 15:05 This music is really my taste of sleep music. I must have music in the background when i sleep and Glòsòli makes my dream begin perfect! Have anybody seen the video? -------------- Mike Oldfield M i x e s https://soundcloud.com/tubularman Back to top

captain cavern Group: Members Posts: 267 Joined: Oct. 2003 Posted: Oct. 31 2005, 17:03 Great band... Ágætis Byrjun is great... Starálfur and Olsen Olsen are masterpieces... Back to top

The Big BellEnd Group: Members Posts: 971 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Oct. 31 2005, 17:05 Iceland is cool -------------- I, ON THE OTHER HAND. AM A VICTIM OF YOUR CARNIVOUROUS LUNAR ACTIVITY. Back to top

TubularBelle Group: Members Posts: 1487 Joined: April 2004 Posted: Jan. 03 2006, 19:17 Well finally my copy of Agaetis Byrjun that I ordered several weeks ago, has arrived. I have listened to it three times and like it more with each listen. My first impression was 'too mellow' but as you delve deeper into the music you obviously have a greater experience of it. It's very beautiufl music and a unique and interesting style. I have realised that you can never trust anyone elses review to make a decision for you because we all like different things, as Musty feels that () might be his favourite album, other reviewers have dismissed it as being meandering and without direction. Obviously what makes an album 'less commercial' is often what other listeners find the most appealing about it. As 'Takk' is currently so easilly assesible I think I might buy it in a week or two after I have gotten to know and like this album a little more, but I don't know yet whether I will be inspired to try and track down (). Definitely a unique and talented band, and it doesn't even bother me that the words are not in English, makes them sound more like music than words anyway which I prefer. Very pretty. -------------- I hate getting up early. I didn't even realise there were two 6 o'clocks in one day! Back to top

Ugo Group: Members Posts: 5495 Joined: April 2000 Posted: Jan. 04 2006, 19:44 Tracy, very nice comment from u above here about Sigur Rós's words sounding like music... that's exactly what I think about them as well, and the reason I love them as well. I like Sigur Rós a lot. I discovered 'em from the 'double parenthesis' album & then I bought everything they did. I think they made yet another step up with the Takk... album: great orchestrations as always, great instrumental capabilities... plus, they really got to the point of making what can be really considered a proper pop song (Hoppípolla) without losing anything of their personality or their sound. Well done. P.S. - @ Tracy: if you liked Takk... you should definitely get 'Double parenthesis'. Its strenght is in the very fact that more than half of it is commercial/accessible, but at least two songs are really not. -------------- Ugo C. - a devoted Amarokian Back to top

TubularBelle Group: Members Posts: 1487 Joined: April 2004 Posted: Jan. 04 2006, 22:56 Actually I haven't heard Takk yet, and strange, but I got the impression from a critics review that () was the least commercial of the albums, see what I mean about having to form your own opinion. Will enquire about it's availability when I buy Takk next week. I have a little bit of an issue with my local music store about having to pay full price or more for 'old' albums, just because they ordered it in for me. -------------- I hate getting up early. I didn't even realise there were two 6 o'clocks in one day! Back to top

Sir Mustapha Group: Musicians Posts: 2802 Joined: April 2003 Posted: Jan. 06 2006, 06:58 ( ), as a whole, isn't neither Sigur Rós's most commercial or most accessible album, in my opinion. Certain songs from it, though, are quite immediately striking and essential. More precisely, track 4, track 1 - which is one of the most gorgeously sad songs I ever heard - and track 8 - which might as well be the definitive Sigur Rós song, and makes the ending of Ommadawn part 1 sound like The Wheels On The Bus. It is a difficult album, and not very easily likeable. Some issues many people seem to have with it: - It's long and repetitive. Yeah, 70+ minutes is quite standard for Sigur Rós, but ( ) feels longer than the others because the songs are very slow and very samey. The beauty, though, is in the slow development of the melodies, and the things they can put "in between the lines", you see; - The album isn't even sung in Icelandic. The band made up a language they call Hopelandic, and the entire album is sung in that language. It's just the same fourteen syllabes sung through the whole thing, and many people think it's tiring. To me, it works, since it gives the sound of Jónsi's voice a lot more value. It also leaves the album even more open to interpretation. I'd say it's a bit dangerous to spend a lot of money in such a subjective album. If you find a way to listen to it before you buy it, better; just don't judge it in one listen. Sigur Rós work in mysterious ways, y'know... -------------- Check out http://ferniecanto.com.br for all my music, including my latest albums: Don't Stay in the City, Making Amends and Builders of Worlds. Also check my Bandcamp page: http://ferniecanto.bandcamp.com Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Jan. 06 2006, 10:16 Quote (The Big BellEnd @ Oct. 31 2005, 22:05) Iceland is cool Is this kind of chill-out music different from the other sort, TBBE? [I really fell for this one, didn't I? In two months, no one else was daft enough to slip in with this blindingly obvious bad joke!] Back to top

TubularBelle Group: Members Posts: 1487 Joined: April 2004 Posted: Jan. 06 2006, 20:03 Thanks Musty for that. I will certainly wait a little while before trying to track that one down, but will keep an eye out for it on the shelves of the more eclectic music stores that I visit, as I said, my local store overcharges me to order stuff in especially, buggers, and I am such a good customer too! I certainly like their debut album more and more with each listen, and I am VERY open to anything that is unique and different. I'm looking forward to hearing Takk and will take it from there. Did I mention that the debut album was listed in the book '1001 albums you must hear before you die', cool huh, I have 54 of them now. Only 946 to go! -------------- I hate getting up early. I didn't even realise there were two 6 o'clocks in one day! Back to top

bee Group: Members Posts: 1227 Joined: Jan. 2004 Posted: Jan. 16 2006, 05:30 Interesting to read your views on this album, here's mine. Playing it right now. I admit to first being attracted to the mysterious cover of this CD before even hearing anything of the music. Then I saw it mentioned it a few times here on Tubular net and in a moment of impulse I  ordered it and now on 5th listen I fully understand what Sir M has been saying about it here and in other threads. I really think it has something very special. I was aware of this the first time I played it because I could feel the music as well as hear it, as I have always done with most of Mike's work. There is so much to hear. It just hits a part of you - you understand it is deep and are compelled to listen. It has a sense of singularity quite like Tubular Bells. We may never hear the like again. It could not be copied, at least not with any impact or success, just like Tubular Bells. It's heartbreakingly beautiful at times. Quite feline too, not just with 'sounds like cats' but the whole feline thing of movement, fluidity, of being connected with magical stuff, watchfulness, nighttime etc. And it's also glasslike - pure, clear, definite whilst at the same time distorting and transparent. Strong yet fragile. After listening to it, I don't know if I want to cry. It gives me a feeling of being on the very edge of emotions. It's close to those poignant, tender feelings you can get, when looking at your children and they are unaware of you being there, and you see them so happy. There are no words for this, only feelings. Listening to Takk is a bit like finding another piece of the complicated jigsaw puzzle that we call ourselves, and it's a piece that fits perfectly. Will be collecting more from Sigur Ros, and thankyou for recommending them. PS. Off to play tennis now,that is if I can get my head back in the conscious world of now after having listened to that beautiful album!! -------------- ....second to the right and straight on till morning.... You heard me before Yet you hear me again Then I die Till I call me again Back to top

TubularBelle Group: Members Posts: 1487 Joined: April 2004 Posted: Jan. 16 2006, 23:24 Well thanks Bee, if Michael tells me off for spending more of his money, it's on your head!! -------------- I hate getting up early. I didn't even realise there were two 6 o'clocks in one day! Back to top

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