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Ágætis Byrjun
Sigur Rós
1999
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!Ágætis Byrjun is a triumph of engineering and arrangement, but most of all, it's a triumph of imagination. For sure, you can trace Sigur Ros' antecedents in My Bloody Valentine, Mogwai, and other similar post-rock bands, as well as ambient and industrial music, but the widescreen cinematic dreamscapes of Sigur Ros are unique to them. How do they pull it off? It sure isn't the melodies and the harmonies, which are standard issue. It's more the ever so patient accrual of layers of bowed guitar, keyboards, strings and horns, all played legato, and how all of it is recorded through echo and reverb and other production tricks. The breakout track is the title cut Svefn-g-englar, which steadily builds to an epic conclusion slowly dying away. At over ten minutes, it's long for a pop tune, but the running time goes by in a flash because the music lulls you into a trance state. Not all the tunes on Ágætis Byrjun are as timeless and wonderful, but there's plenty to enjoy here. Ágætis Byrjun is an amazing breakthrough which has inspired dozens of bands--the reverberations are still being felt today. 4.5/5
oh wooooaaaaaaw this is the kind of thing I was hoping to find on this excursion. An unusual and exotic band, something I have never heard before and instantly have a connection with. I really enjoyed this, and can't understand a word he is singing... but somehow I get it. Isn't music just amazing. gibberish out of 5
The sound of midnight in the wintertime, being alone without being lonely, a calm darkness with nothing insidious hiding in it. Absolutely marvelous.
Vous qui fréquentez ce site connaissez très bien mes goûts et ma personnalité. Et je pense qu'aucun d'entre vous n'aurait parié sur le fait que je puisse adorer cet album. C'est pourtant ce qui s'est passé. J'ai néanmoins été déçu d'apprendre que les paroles qu'ils baragouinaient n'étaient en rien de l'Islandais mais bien une langue inventée de toute pièce, ce qui ne m'a pas empêché de relever quelques fautes de grammaire.
Highlights: Starálfur, Flugufrelsarinn, Viðrar vel til loftárása I have no idea what they're saying, or what language (It's Icelandic, in case you were wondering) but it doesn't make any difference because Sigur Rós' moody, atmospheric downtempo transcends language, invoking a sense of wonder and serenity. I can't help but to try and connect with the music...My own interpretation is that Starálfur ("Staring Elf") transports the listener to a celebratory fireworks display so lifelike, you can almost smell the sulfur and feel the night breeze on your cheeks. Flugufrelsarinn ("The Fly's Savior") continues later in the same night, deeper in the dark, at the water's edge. My interpretations don't really matter, though... This is right at home with the likes of Halou, Flunk, Zero 7, and Theivery Corporation, and will be including more in my downtempo playlists.
Ethereal Millenial Soundscape. Very cool all around, a little hard to listen to all the time. Very, Very good though.
Coincidentally been listening to this (for the first time) recently. Very chilled and cohesive. Definitely added to my favourites.
https://www.stereogum.com/2047135/sigur-ros-agaetis-byrjun-turns-20/reviews/the-anniversary/
Ágætis byrjun by Sigur Rós (1999) It’s a rare album that can induce tears on a first listen, but this is it. A first person narrative beginning in the womb, a boy anticipates nativity with an awareness of transience, reticence, impatience, and the explosive violence of birth, followed by experiences of the comforting softness in his early sensations. Then, as a toddler, an awakening in his nursery room is marked by the image of an elf running toward him, strangely without getting closer. And in his reflexive effort to check his surroundings, he notices that something is missing—the walls. And we’re only four minutes into the third track. I strongly recommend listening to this album while following an English translation of the lyrics (unless, of course, you know Icelandic!). The dramatic development of the narrative is set to a composition that makes just enough contact with Western traditional music to keep it accessible, with string octet, bowed guitar, and brass ensemble providing the dominant settings. Not without horror, disappointment, and reverie, Sigur Rós walks us toward a celebratory contentment with what God provides. I won’t spoil any more of the experience of a first listen, other than to say that this slow tempo sonic masterpiece will take considerable time to absorb. En það verður ei gott að fórna sér Dagarnir eru langir (But someone has to sacrifice himself The days are long) 5/5
Familiar with a couple of Sigur Rios songs but first time listening to this album, wow, so atmospheric absolutely a masterpiece. Can see me listening to this a lot this year.
Ooh, this was honestly the definition of atmospheric. Made me feel at peace. Singer is brilliant. 4.
This album starts off like a tornado and smacks you in the chops. It’s loud and brash and in your face. It’s thrashy and punky and a little bit screamy. Normally this combination would induce an excited curiosity from myself and these tracks did just that...but that was all. I just can’t find anything worthwhile or standoutish. The songs speed along happily enough, but leave you feeling unsatisfied and with an empty void. 2 Stars!
Agaetis Byjurn and Godspeed You! Black Emperor are 2 of the most well received records that do absolutely nothing for me. I know the orchestration sounds terrific, and the strings, pianos, flutes create beautiful harmonies, but it's just incredibly boring to me. I will not listen to 9 minutes of pretentious ambient noises to wait for a climax that won't come, in a language that I don't understand again, to see why people love this so much. 2/5.
When this was released I thought it was deep and emotional but upon relistening it appears fucking insufferable. Nice music, but those vocals? Drunken elves.
Unremarkable orchestral stuff with dreary guitar stuff and whiny vocals. I saw these guys live when I was going through a brief post-rock phase. They put on a big visual spectacle show, but I honestly can't remember what I ever enjoyed about the music. I guess it felt like serious, artistic music to me at the time, and I was a try-hard. But it's really the most insipid elements of ambient, classical and rock brewed together into a weak and unsatisfying infusion. Couple of interesting brass moments, and one or two tracks were the vocals actually sound alright - but these are dribbles of interest in an overlength ocean of tedium.
relisten. very pretty album! tracks 2-4 are basically perfect (9/10 but its a lame five point scale)
One problem that a lot of atmospheric albums have is a lack of discernible melody, which is not a problem here. They've successfully created soaring music that still qualifies as music, which is nice. I feel like I need more than one day to properly digest all of it, which is usually a very good sign. Here's a fun game to play if you only speak English, like I do: Try to figure out (without cheating) which songs are sung in Icelandic and which are sung in their made-up gibberish language. Best track: Olsen Olsen
Wie in einer behaglichen Kapsel echolotet man umwabert von Oxytocin Schwaden durch die Kathedralen von Drone, atmet tief und weit und tränenverhangen. Auf die Frage, welches Instrument man hiernach lernen möchte gibt es nur eine Antwort: Wal. 5.0
really liked this! Maybe 4.5 stars 1. cool intro music 2. I kept thinking this one was in English but the end that sounded like heartbeats getting faster was super cool 3. more heartbeat sounds and awesome strings, this is my favorite so far 4. I'm liking the wind sounds and how somber this one is. The vocals are really cool, this was my favorite of the album 5. started off so gentle, I liked that better than the heavy drums. Nice horns though 6. funky beat, I like it. the static at the end didn't feel particularly good 7. the beginning felt almost like when the sun comes out after a big storm?? I also liked the dissonant strings at the end 8. nice and chill 9. "Ágætis Byrjun" apparently means "good start" which I just think is sweet 10. the outro to this was super interesting
Ben ik bevooroordeeld omdat ik al in IJsland ben geweest en ik mij spontaan de landschappen terug voor de geest haal bij het horen van deze muziek? Misschien...
Very spacey? cool! genuinely so good. ny batteri was my favorite but the later songs in the album were super good too its all good
Very nice! Haven't listened to this album yet, but quite a big fan. Definitely can tell that Bon Iver has been influenced by this.
I love this album and play it regularly for relaxing, yet touching and inspiring background music.
Ive loved this album since the first time I listen to it. Someone once described it as "the sound of melting gold cascading down an iceberg" or something like that.
This was such a gateway album for me… I still remember the room I was sat in when I first heard it 20 years ago. Just perfection!
You either love this dream pop Icelandic faerie stuff or you hate it. You can guess where I fall. (Re-listening to this album after over a decade brings back so much emotion… I almost cried for my lost youth during starálfur.)
I remember the first time I heard this. When his voice comes in on the first song I'd not heard anything like it. Excellent
Listening to this makes me realize why I bought the head sets that I did and the speakers that I did. It evokes a sense of curiosity and fills me with cathartic energy... my own personal musings about leaving the work that i am tied to and exploring the world greater.
Transcending, otherworldly, it was something i have never heard before, i have loved every single minute of it
Five stars. An all-time classic, and a personal favorite of mine. As is usually the case with those classic albums, I won't write a full-blown review here given that others have already written wonderful stuff about them and there's not much I can add that I feel could be relevant and interesting. Àgaetis Byrjun is just a timeless gem aimed at anyone who's into Sigur Rós or even post rock at large. Go and listen to this record a.s.a.p. Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 955 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 21 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 8 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important to me): 14 Albums I might not be the best person to judge, but that I *might* include in my final list: 3.
The first time I checked this album out was upon watching the Pixies documentary loudQUIETloud, in which the Pixies were followed in Iceland going to meet Sigur Ros in their studio almost in a pilgrimage way. I don't remember seeing the Sigur Ros bandmembers on screen but I remember going WTF after hearing this. I also remember my friend saying exactly the same. I sure wasn't expecting an ambient album, and never played it again. Last year, someone suggested me () and my opinion about the band changed, but it wasn't until I received this vinyl copy that I really came back to Ágætis Byrjun (I just copypasted the title, it seems impossible to retype!). It really is an album that deserves to be listened on vinyl, and I was wrong: it is not an ambient album, there is so much more about it. I don't know if it's Iceland that do this to musicians, but the first impression I got is that it's heavenly, cold and warm at the same time, as if it were reflecting the sun at midnight. It's just majestic. There is a dream-like quality to this music. No surprise that they cite Spiritualized as one of their influences, but still, sonically, there is almost nothing on this album that could ressemble that band. I was about to go through every single track and try to describe them only to discover that it would have been a useless exercise: here, the music speaks by itself. I cite from the record booklet: "... we had our own idea of what a song was about... because of how it made us feel. Like, underwater, or a womb-like floating feeling". And I couldn't agree more. I still struggle with long albums, but this one went down much better, and that's surely positive.
Holy shit. 10/10 I know an album is good when my first impressions of it are "Wait.. this could be the best album I've ever heard in my life"
Jebena najveća petica na cijelome svijetu i svemiru. Spoznala sam značenje života kad sam poslušala ovaj album prije 7 godina. Vidjela sam boje koje nisam znala da postoje. Upoznala sam vraga i rekao mi je da su Sigur ros njegovi anđeli koji su otišli jer su imali ambicije u glazbi. On je bio okej s tim jer su toliko dobri. Kad Jonsi krene sa svojim falsetom dođe mi da se rasplačem ko beba. Ne znam koji kurac se događa tam na Islandu al oni očito znaju neš što mi ne znamo.
minne meg om videregåande såg dei på bergenfest for nåken år siden, var bra såg kygo utenfor strippeklubben på vei heim
Elemental, beautiful, atmospheric, idiosyncratic. It is what I imagine the ambient sound in Iceland to be!
Этот альбом продолжает неделю не моей чашки чая. Запись длится больше часа, что по нынешним музыкальным меркам ну очень долго, при этом под конец приходилось себя даже заставлять дослушать. Что касается самой музыки, мне понравилась атмосфера, которую она создаёт, и то, как Sigur Rós используют голос в качестве ещё одного инструмента.
Brings me back. I can see where I stole some of my long drawn out bendy distorted sounds from. Very rich, a bit moreish. Not something I’d listen to everyday but a nice experience to revisit
This album has a bit of a New Age sound to my ears, though Wikipedia tells me it is an Icelandic rock band. I remember hearing about them before, but I can’t remember exactly why. I like the album pretty well.
This was way more exciting than expected. It's interesting that even though you can't understand a word, the epic and ethereal nature of the music is really enjoyable.
Very different. Kinda trippy. This is apparently what everyone on r/guitarpedals wants to play haha The title means "a good start." The art on the cover was drawn by someone with a bic blue pen. This is the groups breakthrough album. I think their third. The group is Icelandic. Makes sense. This sounds like I would expect Icelandic music to sound. Like they wrote it while out on a boat surrounded by glaciers.
I discovered Sigur Ros as quite a young teen as was my introduction to more experimental music. Love this. Nostalgia hit.
Since it was all in Icelandic it was all about the music and not the lyrics. Interesting, felt a bit like Radiohead.
This is very different to common music, I really loved the atmospheric vibes of the music and the instrumentation is pretty good
El disc amb el que tothom va descobrir Sigur Rós. Conté el seu clàssic immortal "Svefn-g-englar" i uns quants temazos més. Recordo que quan vivíem junts al Jordi li agradava molt, tot i que no sé si mai l'havia escoltat sencer atentament. Recuperar-lo al 2021 m'ha fet sentir-lo més comercial i accessible del que recordava, potser perquè el grup ha continuat experimentant i amb el temps s'ha tornat una mica hermètic. L'àlbum és una mica llarg i excessiu, però en tot cas el retrobament ha estat força satisfactori, i m'ha agradat més del que esperava.
Whenever I listen to an album intro it just makes me wish I was listening to Mylo Xyloto. ABSOLUTELY LOVE SVEFN-G-ENGLAR Middle was a blur, great for homework Olsen Olsen and Agaetis Byrjun are a great wind down
Leider war ich gestern überhaupt nicht in der richtigen Laune für die Platte: gestresst, gehetzt, genervt und insgesamt unausgeglichen. Dass sie dabei trotzdem noch so gezündet hat (in wesentlichen Teilen angehört im Stau auf dem Weg zum/vom Baumarkt, wo ich mir Ersatzteile für die korrodierte Abflussleitung vom infolgedessen undicht gewordenen Waschtisch im Drive-In abgeholt habe): Top-Qualität. Ich wünsche mir mehr ruhige Momente mit oder ohne leicht einen sitzen und dann! diesen Monolithen. Find ich wirklich supergut, und ich bin kein Fan von Falsettgesang. 4,4
Sounds like the soundtrack to a film of an epic journey - longing, triumphant, poignant, hopeful, sometimes plodding, earnest. Love the subtle incorporation of guitar feedback, so often overdone. Orchestral arrangements are supple and gorgeous. A wonderfully immersive album. My one criticism is that the emotional tone rarely deviates, and for a relatively lengthy album (71 mins), it's a little heavy for a single session of close-ish listening, some moments of levity would help.
A pretty cool album, but definitely not something I'd listen to regularly. Has it's place though
No puedo citar nada porque ni idea de lo que dicen, pero me gusta mucho este disco. La verdad es que respeto un montón el trabajo de esta gente y la decisión de hacerlo en su idioma, ojalá más gente se animase (o tuviese la oportunidad de llegar a los canales comerciales, más bien)
I really enjoyed listening to this! Insane atmosphere even though the vocals sometimes sounded a little whiny. I’m a sucker for the string ensemble/drum machine combo on Staralfur. I feel like this is the kind of music that the lyrics would make or break, but I guess it gets a free pass by being in Icelandic. Every time I think “man this could use a little more energy” there’s a big crescendo or the drums hit or something. I really appreciate the horns as well. There were only a few songs I felt were too long, I think the length worked in most places. Title track is really cool. It’s not every day stuff for me but definitely a cool and interesting listen
Love this album. Great for a lazy Sunday morning. So calming, it reminds me of long bus rides, travelling.
Not sure why I've never explored Sigur Ros further than Takk as I really love that album. This one was really cool, but I think it needs a few more listens to properly get my head around it. 7.5/10
Kende het alleen van naam en dat ene liedje. Vind het nog wel oké zweverige muziek. Twijfel tussen 3 (ok) of 4 (zou ik dit bewust eens opzetten?), dus voordeel van de twijfel, en dus - four points from the jury -
Hipnótico, synthpop etéreo, ambient cantado por valquirias islandesas. Totalmente relax.
A vast and gorgeous record. Incredible arrangements and soundscapes. Some album can take your somewhere and bring you back. Others can transport you somewhere and just leave to there for a while. This is the latter. Lovely.
This was a really cool, unique album. I love the sound and the vibe of it and will check out some of their other stuff!
D'excellente qualité, je m'attendais a écouter un album du petit con de Petit Biscuit suite aux allegations de ressemblances colportees par mon compagnon d'ecoute le tres irritable robcouleuvre, mais il n'en etait rien. Une nouvelle opinion desastreuse pour Rob, un nouvel album a reecouter pour moi.
This was a great album to listen to first thing on a Sunday morning while I’m waking up and relaxing and eating breakfast. Beautiful soundscapes and it makes me wanna visit Iceland more than I did before.
OK just based on the album and artist name I'm not expecting this to be in English, so I'm preparing to keep that in mind while listening. I'm gonna keep notes a bit more succinct this time. I was right, it's not in English. I found out it's Icelandic. It's very artsy. A bit slow moving. It's not necessarily what I'm in the mood for but I definitely see the merit in it. By song four it almost sounds like a ballad of some sort. Am I crazy, or does this remind me of Switchfoot's less traditional rock songs? I very much enjoyed song eight. Song nine sounds like something I've heard before. IDK what exactly but it's bringing back something. Maybe it reminds me of Coldplay? Like, older Coldplay. Beginning of song ten made me think of Darude and Switchfoot in like .2 seconds of each other, in that order. This was a well crafted album. Not my typical style but I appreciate it for the art that it is.
What a lovely chill albums. Who knows what they are singing about but it puts my hairs on end! Love it.
The instrumentation is very cool, but I really like understanding lyrics and I dont speak icelandic :( still gr8 tho
Ahh. Was nice to listen to this again after a very long time. It’s hard to imagine ever being at a point in my life where “Staralfur” won’t kind of just stop me in my tracks. I kind of wish that this album was just one amazing song from the next instead of those more ambient moments that are there purely just for mood, but damn… what a unique mood it is. Fuck it, I’m moving to Iceland.
I was so excited when this popped up. An artist I only really know one track of, but always felt one day I would invest time to listen to and knew I'd love. Three tracks in and I'm hearing wall to wall beauty. I really enjoyed the whole album. It sounds like there is so much space in the sound, like endless skies, towering mountains. Everything I had expected to hear from this artist.
This style of music isn't typically my thing, but I really enjoyed this album. The melodies were really interesting and the instrumentation was cool. I'm not sure if it was spoiled or enhanced by the fact that I can't understand what they were saying. I was initially annoyed seeing so many songs that were 7-10 minutes long, but they really held my attention - which is odd. I actually enjoyed some of the longer songs more than the 3-4 minute ones. In any case, I was leaning towards a "3" through most of this, but I'm giving it a "4" in the context of this list. It really is an album that I think people should listen to, and one that they probably haven't already heard. I'd recommend it.
I was an early adopter (pre-Vanilla Sky) of Sigur Ros. A real insider, by virtue of the "staff picks" section at Wherehouse Records in Mt. Pleasant. I loved their first couple records and then lost touch. For me, this record was timed perfectly. As Radiohead abandoned their guitars for synths (which I was good with), I did find myself wanting a band that still captured those spacey and cinematic sounds with traditional instruments. Enter: Sigur Ros. A made-up language? Even better. I saw these guys on the tour for their next record ( ) and it was spectacular. There was a rumor floating around in my musical group of friends (before instant-internet vetting was possible) that Sigur Ros and Radiohead were going to score a musical together and perform it in London. I was as good as on the plane. Didn't happen.
I actually listened to this album once a year ago and was intrigued when this popped up. To me this is what an album should be, a collection of songs that blend together musically well. The only reason why its 4 stars is because unless it appeared in a study playlist, I wouldn't listen to any of these songs individually. When in the right mood and the right time its a 5 but elsewhere it would be a bit annoying and almost impossible to listen for 70 straight minutes without changing to something else. Great album though
Very interesting and atmospheric album. Giving it a 4 for now, but that might change later on.
hmmm, we'll see... Was great for background when I was gaming. Daughter hated it in the car. Thumbs Up.
Very cohesive and blends together nicely, but each song still manages to stand out in its own way. The album in its entirety makes me nostalgic for something I can no longer remember and it's almost painful to think about that. I enjoyed this listen very much and will check out the artist.
I didn't know what to expect with this band and boy was I impressed. Nice ambient sounds that remind me of some mellower Radiohead.
Good album, was everywhere for a while, but the songs stil hold up. Very relaxing, very chilled, very enjoyable in a low key way. Svefn-g-englar probably my favourite, along with the title track
I'm doing ok at this game. Listened this album to death back in the day too. It's still dreamy, it's still good, but sounds a little bit old to me.
Icelandic Radiohoead. I don't mean that as an insult, I think I like this more than the Radiohead albums we've had so far, but the spirit is similar to me. Some amazing, expansive tracks on here, especially the first few. I recognized a couple, including Starálfur, which was used in Wes Anderson's Life Aquatic, but before I looked that up I honestly thought Radiohead covered that song. The initial strength wore off a little bit, but it was a very comforting album, an extremely pleasant journey. I really dig this kind of music, give us more post-rock ambient stuff like this, Mr. List. Favorite tracks: Starálfur, Svefn-g-englar, Flugufrelsarinn, Ný batterí. Album art: Simple and effective. Some little creature praying in the womb, presumably in a language I don't understand. That's how the music hits me too, and I love it. 4.5/5
This is definitely an album that I would have never heard had I not decided to join this website, which makes me glad I ultimately decided to. Really cool stuff going on overall throughout the album. The only thing I would say is that I think some tracks are too long. Favorite Tracks: Agaetis byrjun, Viorar vel til loftarasa, Hjartao hamast, Flugufrelsarinn
Icelandic post-rock weirdness. As the cover art would suggest (and the translated title, "A good beginning"), this album is a lot like floating around in the womb. It's dreamy, mellow, nice. Instrumentation helps achieve this goal with a lot of reverb, some strings, and dainty keys. While the arrangements are something to behold, this is largely held back, I feel, by the vocals. I can look past unconventional vocal stylings most times, though when it detracts from the music I can't help but notice. Additionally, I feel that "Olsen Olsen" was a perfectly good closer, and the two tracks that come after it are superfluous. Otherwise, it's a very nice listen.
Beautiful music. Wish I knew what the lyrics meant. My only criticism is that after about 45 minutes in, it gets kind of same-y. However it is beautiful and relaxing. Great for working.
Kyllä se vaan toimii. Jotenkin ilman ymmärrettävää kieltä Sigur Ros osaa kuitenkin rimputella sydänjuuriani.
Moving album. It fills my head like a film soundtrack, which is what the more know songs on the album have been used as. Sigur Rós flew under my radar for the most part until ( ), and I have never really explored their early work. The beautiful, etheral vocals firm Jonsi put this apart for me. His voice is its own instrument.
Very weird. Not my usual cup of tea but I'm glad I listened to it. It's definitely out there.
First Listen: A majestic post/prog rock re it’s seemingly based on missing the beauty of childhood (lyrics aren’t in English so I’m guessing). It feels like a journey through the heavens and into space.
I'm a fan of Sigur Rós, and Jónsi. I think I've listened to this album before. I know I have listened to lots of individual tracks and live performances from the band. The first two full tracks ("Svefn-g-englar" & "Starálfur") were the tracks that I recognized as having heard them before. "Starálfur" was my favorite track, but "Ágætis byrjun" and "Svefn-g-englar" were close behind. The album was consistent and each track was 'good' or better.
Sigur Ros are a genre leader for this brand of trance folk and this album is one of their best
This one is an anomaly for me. I love the music, the feel, the overall aura of this album. But, I’m huge on lyrics and meaning behind songs, so something not in my native language is often hard for me to digest. Audibly though, it’s a masterpiece.
Overall, I consider this band to be a little to ethereal for their own good, but I've always liked this album and would rank it with the best of post-rock.
Really nice, athmospheric and full of emotions but I feel that it is easier for me to use it as background music than actively listening to it.
Main character music. This is for when you're starring in your own movie, experiencing all the waves of deep joy and sorrow, staring out a bus window while you reflect on all the big moments of your life.
Fancy listening to a man sing in a made up language? Then this is the album for you. Typical adjectives for this album seem to be "ethereal" and "deep". The instrumentals are great but unfortunately the yelping of the singer can get a bit grating. Best Tracks: Svefn-g-englar; Staralfur;
Really enjoyed this. Heard various tracks before and clearly just wasn’t in the right mood. Love the feel of it as a while album and the interplay between the music and the other sound textures. One to play again.
U početku mu bilo “huh, ovo su 5 i 4 ocjene?!??” Al kak je album išo dalje, kužim i SLAŽEM SE
Ovo je album koji si znam pustiti da me uspava fino, veoma je lijep na takav način. Kvalitetan, iako ništa ne razumijem, ali je meni dovoljna boja glasa uz divne instrumentale.
I really enjoyed this for about 40 minutes. Felt slightly too long, but I could see how it'd fit better when listening in a more relaxing situation. I guess I like post-rock much more than post-punk lol.
Symphonic post-rock at its finest, an enveloping hour and ten minutes of warm, gazey guitar and ethereal vocals that consumes the entirety of the soundstage. Not easy listening by any means - this is an LP that requires full playback for the best experience, but rewards those willing to listen.
20th May 2022 (actually the 20th) Started on the Friday but finished on Monday morning cos we had book club Friday, Adna Joe Meg Em Anna Lewis Nathan round Saturday and recovery Sunday. Ethereal, euphoric and unique.
What I like with Sigur Rós is that the voice sounds like an extra instrument as I have no idea what he's saying. This is also a problem as I can't connect with the lyrics.
Sight Ros is another one of these things I feel like I'm supposed to really like but just find OK. I certainly didn't have this but it didn't really go to a deep place with me that it seems to with many people.
best part is the album cover. I problem is that there are too many songs for too long. coulda done with half the amount. a good though. 3.5?
Experimental, interesting, but I couldn't get into it. It being a foreign language did not help me.
Some nice tunes. It's mostly instrumental, so nice for listening when trying to concentrate and avoid distraction because of lyrics
What a disturbing album cover. Production is very good but it's hard to listen to mostly ambient orchestral type music for over an hour. Also I don't really like how Icelandic sounds vocally compared to other languages that I'm more used to. It’s alright but I probably won’t revisit this album often.
Durante años había evitado escuchar a Sigur Ros. Me parecía un producto pretencioso que encandilaba a los hipsters de finales de siglo por lo exterior y lo por lo intrínseco. Después de escuchar el disco me doy cuenta de dos cosas: tenía razón y el disco está bastante bien.
Such a unique sound which now seems part of the fabric of pop culture with a lot of their tunes being used in adverts and documentaries. But I remember at the time finding their sound so different to anything else out there.
The only song I knew before this was that really uplifting one that always used in movies and adverts and tbh that still the only song I’ll give any of my time to. This album was fine but it’s not gonna be used to advertise planet earth 2 or have you reaching for your wallet to donated to the Red Cross in between back to back episodes of friends.
Not sure what to make of this. It's well done, but there's nothing there to latch on to - it's like a backing track. I don't find myself yearning to listen to any one particular track or section.
Isländsk ailien-musik. Det är inte helt hemskt men ganska så konstigt... Lite lite kent-vibes speciellt Starálfur. Hans röst är exakt likadan som Jocke bergs!! Låtarna är för långa!! Tror det blir 3/5
I thought this album was beautiful. Sigur Ros will always remind me of Chole giving me a massage whilst we watched them live -remember that Chole? If not I am personally offended because it was a VERY SPECIAL moment and for me it really encapsulates the spirit of, like, who we are as friends, so if you don't remember I think it might make me doubt my whole understanding of our friendship, you know? Like what if I've got us all wrong? I mean, what about MY needs Chole?
It sounds pretty nice, but I don't care for it too much. The keys are really nice. It's good relaxing background music. Highlights: 2, 3, and 8.
Somewhere between classical music and another genre The tempo is slow but relaxing 3/5
Amazing production, strong Radiohead vibes which is a big plus. To be very honest I drifted off a bit as the album went on, but am intrigued to go back to it.
Got a lil' post-diner nap on to this one. Enjoyed Svefng-englar and Starálfur but I likely won't revisit it. Sweet cover art tho! þrír (3) stars!
Strange. Some songs are too long and drone along at the same tempo for way too much time. Length is an issue overall. I have no problem with long songs, I just don’t need to listen to 10 of them in a row. This was ok, but I’ll never go back to it.
Not entirely sure what to make of this. One lengthy track can be a soothing balm; one whole album can slide into the soporific. There are both cosmic and subterranean aspects to the soundscapes conjured up here, though at times I feel like it's all a little too safe and mannerly, like something composed to be played in a planetarium exhibition. I've been to Iceland, one of the more magic places in the world
Never listened to Sigur Ros but always wanted to check them out, guess this is a good excuse! UPDATE: This shit's long as fuck. Good, though!
Gets credit for having a song in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The algorithm must believe I've been handing out too many positive reviews because they've thrown some stinkers at me recently. This would be a decent album to put on to fall asleep to, since a lot of it resembles white noise. That said, I didn't loathe it, and it started to grow on me considerably as the album moved along. Spotify tells me I liked one Sugar Rós song before this exercise ("Hoppípola, from one of their later albums). It's sleep music, and there's a place for that. I have a sneaky suspicion I'd bump this score up if I listened while indulging in an edible or two. Actual rating is closer to a 2.5 than a 3 (which is a minor achievement considering I had this earmarked as a 1 early on), but I think Steve Zissou would appreciate marking it in the records as a whole number.
I like it. More appreciation this time around then when I first heard it several years ago. Relaxing, meliw yet edgy and interesting 3.5 🌟
Pues tiene canciones bonitas que he guardado entre mis favoritas y otras que como música de fondo no están mal. A día de hoy creo que es prescindible aunque interesante para conocer a su líder, Jonsi, que ahora escucho más en bandas sonoras que como músico alternativo.
Like a meditation album. Not unpleasant, in fact quite soothing but not outstanding either. 3*
Aantal prachtige sferische soundscapes. Maar meer dan een uur is iets teveel voor mij.
If your looking for a meditation album …look no more. Very transcendental music. Even though I didn’t understand one word said😆. But did add this to my meditation play list. The album cover is strangely beautiful. A fetus that is an Angel praying 🙏🏻 .For what we can only guess.
I was excited to check it out. I enjoyed some of the chill aspects to it but also it went into the background and I didn't pay much attention. Keep em comin keep em comin
Uno de esos discos que no tenía idea de que encontrar. No me molestaría que alguien lo ponga de fondo en una reunión mientras conversamos pero no iría a un concierto del grupo
The cynic is me says this album, that so many folks grovelled over, is more than a bit too eccentric for me
Very experimental. Not exactly my thing stylistically but some very lovely melodies that make it worth a listen. Fave track: Staralfur
Not something I’m likely to go out of my way to listen to again, but it was interesting.
Hyvä esimerkki vanhasta suosikista, joka tuntuu nykyään vähän "ylimelodiselta". Nautin jälkimmäisestä puoliskosta nyt enemmän.
I found this to be an interesting listen. I like music in unfamiliar languages because instead of paying attention to the lyrics, you just kinda vibe with the melodies and whatnot. I could see myself revisiting this album/band, especially as some background music for work/reading or even meditation. The only thing I dislike about albums/music like this is that you can't really sneak it into most playlists (except for like a study/focus one) so it's hard to show/introduce other people to it. Anyways, hope we get more interesting albums like this, it was a nice change of pace.
First Listen. Really interesting sound. Falling in love with this band. This is the reason I started listening to the albums on this list - to find amazing bands like this. Standout: Svefn-g-englar.
Sounds very "of it's time". As a self absorbed, ponderous 19 year old I would have thought this rather cool in a smokey studio flat. Less so as a 41 year old that needs EDM to get up in the morning.
Best thing to come out of Iceland since the Sugarcubes I suppose. About one 10-min song is enough for me.
I like Sigur Ros, and I like putting on one of their albums while I'm going things around the house. However I'm not sure how they make the list of 1001 albums but I guess that could be said for how I feel about a lot of these albums.
very relaxing first two tracks, though with the average song being over 6 minutes, we are going to see if this album starts to wear out its welcome. Staralfur has the sappiest strings and is really effective right now, though the end leaves me cold. The rest of the album just sort of meanders aroud.
Nice soundscapes - no idea what they're singing about and unlikely to listen again, but not inoffensive
3 stars. Some great melodies. Needs a big surround speaker situation to fully immerse in the Scandinavian greatness.
Initial thoughts: - 👽 baby alien being sung to in the womb by its Icelandic earthly mother - u2 meets Bjork meets radiohead? - Good music to have on in the background to code to. - harmonica solo on hajartad hamast is too bluesy 🎵 🎸 Enjoyed having this album on in the background as I worked! This album felt like it should have been paired with a modern art installation, or was intended to be a concept album of some kind. Really enjoyed the blending of instrumentations and calm melodies and tempos. This was also a nice exposure to some non-english music, and knowing the lyrics could have given me better context on the album.
I used to like Sigur Rós when I was first getting into post-rock, but now I must admit that they sound kind of cheesy to me. I think the vocals turn me off, tbh. GY!BE holds up better by keeping their mouths shut in comparison, and they write more gorgeous harmonies. This is still good, but I seldom get into their work as much now. C
Very atmospheric and if I was listen while watching the aurora borealis gently drifting over scandinavian fjords this could easily be 5 stars. But as I’m listening while walking my dog around the streets of Yorkshire, I quickly lost interest.
Jayson Greene (Pitchfork) said of this album "If you are inclined to sniff suspiciously around grandiose music, examining it for kitsch, you probably reeled away staggering from Sigur Rós, who proudly stink of it. This was another part of their appeal and their strength: The music is texturally complex, for sure, but the emotional framework is deliberately simple and clear." Hard to state clearer; The sound if cinematic and huge with large emotions, even if somewhat cryptic through use of Icelandic and (made up) Hopelandic lyrics. Does this make them an ideal screen on which the listener can project their own emotions? Maybe. It doesn't connect for me, though I can hear the massive influence of the scope and sound, which you hear everywhere in TV, films and advertising. I can listen to this, but I don't trust it enough to be moved by it.
Sigur Ros is fucking boring. Typical hipster darling nonsense, all style no substance, drones on for twice as long as it should, goes nowhere but takes an eternity getting there. Imagine starting a band where your actual goal is to make an entire career out of radiohead's most annoying moments. fuckin' hell. 2/5.
God I hate this album. Not because it is bad, but definitely not to my taste or style.
Wonderfully arranged and produced soundtrack music. But the reason for the acclaim eludes me. There's plenty of ambient with more experimentation, and post-rock with more excitement and better tunes. The 2 instead of 3 is out of spite, as this is fairly in the exact middle of the road (probably a 2.65, but whatever).
I can appreciate the orchestral arrangements and uniqueness of this. Cool to see what they came up with inside what is portrayed as a bit of an “outside of any influence” inside their culture vacuum of a product. In the end though not my thing on the whole...elves wtf! Are they Christians as well 🤔
Das ist eine von den Bands, bei denen sich alle drauf einigen sollen müssen tun, dass man die doch bitteschön gut zu finden habe.
Never really took to sigur ros, I can appreciate its been written well but it bored me more than entertained me. Could be mood driven though too 2*
Not much to say - an enjoyable listen through, amazing ethereal quality. I didn't mind listening to it but wouldn't be rushing back
I really really enjoyed the backing track. The keyboard was superb and the drums were fantastic. Sometimes the guitar was less than good, but other times it was great. This all relaxed me. However, the part that brings this album down for me was the weird effects as well as the singer's voice. It felt like it didn't fit what the album was going for. If I could just take out the voice I would, as that would make the album much better. Favorite track: Avalon
Find the music very calming and enjoyable, sort of like a Icelandic early Pink Floyd. Find the males vocals to be a little whiney which is a little annoying causing me to skip some tracks. Album is extremely long to it’s own detriment.
What's up with Icelandic music? It's so unique. I'm not a fan for sure, but it seems to have evolved in a vacuum. I don't see any direct western or eastern influence.
Can see myself listening to this and visualizing my own movie notes. A background soundtrack to a life I had before. A life going nowhere yet towards a place I couldn’t see. Days seemingly passing by. “One day like any other” too many. I see gray. I see rain but not in a melancholy way or in a sad way. Something much darker. Like a dream or a nightmare with no end. It’s not painfully or scary but uneasy, frustrating, and unending in its plainness. The “nothing” before the story begins. The fourth track reminds me of the beginning of the heroes journey. “The Start”. “The Beginning”. “The End of an Ordinary Life”. Evokes a feeling of destiny. The sixth track: “The Ending of the World”, “I Failed…”
Far to ambient for me, not enough oomph I'm afraid! I'll definitely not having this in my collection.
Very eerie. And with the album cover this just made for a very creepy album. How did anyone even discover this Icelandic group? I listened all the way through while doing some work and it felt just like a score of some 2001 type movie with this cover. Don't feel it belongs on this list.
Disco di atmosfere, tutti mattoni da almeno 7/8 minuti. All'inizio chill, poi sfuma in qualcosa di un po' disturbante. 2 stelle e non una perché forse qualche volta riascolterò la seconda traccia quando non riuscirò a prendere sonno
I remember seeing SR play a festival (Harvest) and finding them boring and too earnest while everyone was on the verge of tears. I want to like them... I think it's the vocals that puts me off. It's too choir boy. The made-up language stuff makes it all a bit D&D cosplay, which doesn't help either.
Definitely not great, but weirdly captivating. I found myself liking the sounds even though the overall impression was not something I'd listen to again. Very 'post-rock'
Sigur Rós passed me by 20 years ago. I was aware of them, but I was too busy buzzing off me nuts to sit down and listen to space cadet music. I've mellowed since. Now is the time to take it all in. This still sounds like a live band, despite the layers that build up. Maybe I should have rolled a fat one back in the day and gone with the ride. It did drone on a little, mind.
Rare. Respectable, but listening the whole album it's hard for people like me who likes conventional music...
Not good sign when you skip through the first track half way through. Very dull........
I fell asleep. Tedious stuff that goes nowhere. I get what they're trying to do, it is not for me.
Very long album with some beautiful music, but it's not easy to listen to without some context.
Not particularly interesting. But it's non-offensive to keep as background music only.
I get a slow build but having to wait 20 minutes for anything resembling tempo was just annoying. An exercise in patience and futility.
Sorry but no. Want to give 0 stars but I guess 1 will have to do. Found myself losing the will to live while listening but that probably says more about me than the album.
I’m a lyrics guy, so I struggle with records that are instrumental or in a language I don’t understand. This one is not for me.
p853, 1999. 1 star I like Sigur Rós , but this one... meh. Left me cold. Strays dangerously close into pretentious, over-long prog-rock wankage. Not sure why this one is on the list, as Valtari is a far better album.
Me fastidia la voz. Mucho. Empezando en Svefn-G-Englar (que supongo que significa "no quiero cantar en inglés, amigo Sven") Por cierto, no tengo un pedo con que sea en algo que no es inglés —de hecho creo que eso es algo que le falta más a esta lista— pero la cosa con Sigur Rós es lo hipsteroso que se vuelve el asunto de no estár en inglés. Starálfur, por ejemplo, podría gustarme si no tuviera la voz. Tiene bonita (aunque exagerada) instrumentación. Uta qué reto es acabar este disco.
Pensé que no encontraría nada en este disco y sí, para mí sorpresa encontré algunas canciones perdidas en un mar de aburrimiento. El resto oscila entre um ruido de fondo decente y un sonsonete ambiental soporífero. 1.5 estrellas que bajan a 1 porque aunque encontré un par de cosas buenas, es casi una hora de tortura. Songs: Ny batteri, Viorar Vel til Loftarasa, Olsen Olsen
Very good album and artist. Peaceful and helpful for concentration.
Spooky
This was more enjoyable than expected. Reminiscent of Radiohead’s KID A/In Rainbows albums. Not for me though.