Ágætis Byrjun

Might have been more appreciated if I was able to listen with headphones.

Kind of nice to listen to while working.

3 This album sounds like what I imagine it feels like to be floating in a sensory deprivation chamber, in a really good way

Very calming, pleasant to listen to. 3.25 Stars Favourite songs: - Starálfur - Ágætis Byrjun

Never listened to any ambient stuff like this before but I thought it was pretty good. I didn't like the vocals in some of the songs, especially earlier on in the album, though. I'd give it a 3.5 if I could.

ok as background noise I guess

Interesting album, kind of ambient music, some tracks reminded me of Radiohead. Overall not bad

Ethereal rock isn't my fav, but this was quite well done. That said, I'll be happy to not listen to it again.

Interesting

Very nice ambient music that I will probably return to.

Listened to this twice to see if I was missing something. Liked it less the second time. It’s fine background music I guess

Samey vibes and long tracks but pretty good music to chill to. Wouldn't listen on a casual day but definitely something to put on when studying/playing a game and want some nice chill background vibes

ihan sillee mukava ja rrrrakastan islanninkielellä laulettuu musiikki mut kävi kyl vähä pitkäks vaikkaki oli sillee sellasta mitä vähä halusinki tältä levyjen kuuntelu hommalta mut ei jääny kyl sillee hirveen posi vibat vaikkaki näin kyl kui innovatiivinen oliki

Interesting album! I’ve not heard anything like this before!

Sigur Rós delivering exactly what you expect them to. A particular and ethereal sound with a very demanding listening experience, you really need to be in the mood.

Heel erg goed begin, daarna werd het helaas erg vaag. Op basis van de eerste paar nummers een 4, maar zwakte dus af. Een magere 3

Not my cup of tea

Given I bought this when it came out it’s amazing how little of this I know. The start is majestic particularly when that awe inspiring guitar whails in the 2nd track Sfevn-G-Englar (possibly written about Sven Goran Erickson managing the England football team) but the tracks are too long to hold the attention of a young persons mind, i now have more time, more patience. This is cinematic music. Im not a fan of the vocals, they’re a bit middle of the road for me and the music is so strong & powerful there’s no need for words or vocals, just left your self get carried along in the wind, from still to breezy to howling. It’s timeless music it’s aged very well, I just picture wild vast Icelandic landscapes but that’s much down to their film Heima which is a must see and 1 of my favourite music documentaries of all time. It’s classical music really which harks back to an olden age of a simpler pastoral time, it’s classical country music. It’s epic and dramatic but here’s the thing with most tracks on the LP over 7 minutes and 2 over 10 it can’t maintain that, I think it should have had shorter tracks in there to break it down change the pace & mood before building back up. The vocals are too twee for me but that guitar howl is quite something, could do with more of that shoegaze sound. Although dreamy and ethereal it’s also very well arranged and tidy.

2.5

Kind of moody and atmospheric. Not bad

Ambiance très onirique dans plusieurs titres, qui aurait bien matché à la série Sandman J'ai apprécié mais je ne me suis pas enjaillée non plus 🤔 La pochette est un peu dérangeante

Je pourrais écouter ces musiques en musique de fond en travaillant, ou en lisant un livre fantasy. Vraiment bien aimé l'intro, Bien aimé Ný batterí / Olsen olsen / Avalon

Very solid background music, but it doesn't feel more. In fact, don't some of you find this to be a tad cheesy? Some of the payoffs in songs sound like the soundtrack to a movie where the characters are celebrating, and it starts to wear a little tiring by the end. Certainly a decent little project, but probably won't stick out too much to me in just a few days.

OK, calming music and well written musically. Good for ambience.

Gotta be in the right mood.

Interesting but ultimately not something I would seek out to listen to in the future.

Pretty album but not something I'd seek out it put in rotation.

Better than I would have expected. Very chill and a bid dreary

Like a full album of the most ethereal Radiohead tracks. I’m into it

This just sounds like the ending of a Radiohead song that went on for too long.I don’t really have any feelings on it besides that.

Easy, sleepy

Nice and peaceful, good background music

C+ Intro 2 Svefn-g-englar 3 Starálfur 3 Flugufrelsarinn 3 Ný batterí 3 Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm) 3 Viðrar vel til loftárása 3 Olsen Olsen 3 Ágætis byrjun 3 Avalon 2 This was actually quite good, but I couldn't get totally into it because it was a style that was so foreign and I didn't understand their language at all.

- it's like spiritual, cinematic music, but the high moments on it aren't cool enough for me to sit through 10min songs for it - some of the moments are beautiful though - lord of the rings mountain vibes - fetus music!!! - yeah only a couple songs that have really cool moments

It's pretty, but it does drag on. I would play this in the background while I do things, but I'm not gonna put this on when I wanna listen to music.

Good album, need to listen to this one on some proper headphones next time and not my earbuds. But overall quite interesting.

I enjoyed this album a lot while I was in my car driving at night. I think it really shined in that context, but I wasn't super enjoying it when I was just listening to it at work.

Favourite songs: Svefn-g-englar, Staralfur Agaetis Byrjun

Ofta atmosfäriskt och lite ambient, som i 'Svefn-g-englar', men gillar när det blir mer "konkret", som i 'Flugufrelsarinn', eller det tyngre beatet i 'Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm)'. Gillar också 'Ný batterí' och 'Viðrar vel til loftárása'. Hela albumet, med omslaget inräknat, har en härlig, sammanhängande kosmisk vibe. Spännande att få en introduktion till ett band som jag hört så mycket bra om. Det var ungefär som jag tänkt mig. Dock vet jag inte om det är helt spikrakt in i vebon för mig. De gör sin grej, och de gör det skitbra. Personligen behöver jag nog lite mer action, att något mer händer i en tiominuterslåt än att samma utdragna toner repeteras. Bästa låt: Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm).

It's very good, and the production in particular is amazing. I liked listening to it. But...it's boring? Sigur Ros are boring. I know that's the kind of thing that you get thrown in jail for saying, these days, but there you have it.

Enjoyed it

To wavy for me

really good and new interesting sounds for me.

It was otherworldly. Something I might hear while sitting in a waiting room somewhere.

A bit weird, not bad but nothing special

This was great background music for working. I would put this on again the next time I need background music.

This record is perfect for an overcast or rainy Monday morning. Very mellow, but enjoyable.

Nice. Mellow and heavy orchestral sound.

This works fairly well as background music, but I probably won't come back to this. I appreciate the composition, though; it's like if Rush or some other prog rock band decided to do a super chill album. In Icelandic.

Not bad for an atmospheric play.

This was a nice listen but I don't think I will listen to it again

I like the cover of the album. Fist i thought it was German, then i thought it was Korean, then Slovak and after looking at a song title I now think it might be Icelandic. However I don't know what Icelandic sounds like. Now looking at the description of the album, I can inform you that in the end I was right, it is Icelandic that they are singing ;) A high 3 or a low 4.

Sehr psychedelisch langsame Musik. Ein bisschen wie Weltraumklänge. Meist ohne Vokals, die als solche erkennbar sind, Ausnahme Agaetis Byrjun.

Not for me, but it sounds very cool and cinematic.

Do not listen to if feeling a bit low... Will not help 😭 Interesting stuff ....soundscape , sad .

Kinda weird, apparently I need to either follow along with English translation or learn Icelandic and neither of those is happening. Interesting music that could be more fully appreciated on later listening

It’s a good album but you have to be in the mood for it.

C’est tellement plannant que tu dois écouter ça comme le fétus sur le cover mais sans que tu t’endorme, faque c’est pas mal de setup. Mais genre si t’as une heure avant de dodo c’est parfait

The Radiohead influence is big in this one. I think I need to listen to this again in a different setting than a commute. For now it’s a high 3 but could be a 4.

I think it's a bit long, as I did end up getting a bit bored by the end. At some point it just turned into droning noise to me. I would be interested to follow with an English translation though. The vocals were usually soothing, even if I couldn't understand them. I think this needs a relisten in the future, but as it stands now, I'll give it a three. I think my favourite songs were Intro and Hjartao hamast (bamm bamm bamm), but it got hard to keep track of the songs.

This was a pleasant listen, and a very relaxing one given the post rock and dream pop elements. Mostly I would consider it very nice background music with some interesting lyrics going off the translations I read. I did enjoy the second song very much given the lyrics about the process of birth which was done really well, and the instrumentation reminded me of Mazzy Star

It sounded like a space epic at times which I liked.

Soundtrack to a fever dream. Didn't hate it but its a one and done for me.

Interesting. Very ambient. It's mood music so I have to be in the right mood to listen to it. I'll explore when I'm feeling it. There's potential for me to really like it but for now, it's just OK.

Didn't listen to this much when it exploded. It's very nice in places, but I think I prefer more edges to my post rock. I wasn't gripped really at any point after the initial iconic sting of the opener. Some of it sounded like a slow late-period U2 album track. Also, I think Jon Hopkins came along later and perfected it. Ok edit, I'll take the second half of viorar etc, that's pretty special. Again, this is in here but Mogwai and Godspeed Y!BE aren't? There are far more egregious examples but still.

Similarly to Bryce, I’m a frequent gazer of shoes, but I’ve never much been into the slower and more ambient side of the genre. I will say that this is one of the better of these types of albums that I’ve heard, so I hope this has opened me up a bit to the style. Very relaxing album.

I love Shoegaze, but this was a little bit too slow and somber for my taste. I’m sure the lyrics were good but having them be not in English made it tricky because they weren’t that interesting rhythmically. Will probably listen again, definitely a talented band.

Good musicians. Creative.

Vibes

I have a decent level of music theory. I’ve listened too and enjoyed Holdsworth , Coltrane, Zappa, later Joni Mitchell, Shostakovich, stockhausen, Jaco…. I’m still wondering if this is garbage or genius. One wonders if they weren’t from Iceland would they have received any attention? The stars reflect an acknowledgment I might be too hard. Or. Might not.

This is a gorgeous album. I have the 2 albums they did directly after this, but I’d never heard this before. I don’t know what I can compare it to. I’m sure it reminds me of something, but can’t quite nail it. It’s a great listen.

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 more clearly; the sound is cinematic and huge with large emotions, even if rendered 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.

Immaculate vibes. Really one of its kind. But nothing I'd listen to regularly. Yet I still connect Sigur Rós songs with highly emotional situations I keep thinking about after years. Olsen Olsen sounds like the music that would play while Eurovision contestants get introduced in those little videos. The voice is just wow. Fragile. It's music for... Death Stranding. Mysterious Skin. Otherworldly experiences. The ending sounds interesting.

The talent and vision here are pretty obvious. Big sweeping soundscapes, pretty string arrangements. Honestly, I can’t love this because it makes me feel uneasy. There’s a piercing quality to the vocals and the droning empty spaces that get under my skin ever so slightly. It’s a unique and artful album that deserves props, but as of now I don’t see myself listening again. Best song: Olsen Olsen?

It's similar to Radiohead but slightly worse. Radiohead is great so this will get a 3.

I really like the more ambient/shoe-gaze songs a lot. Liked this a lot more than I expected.

Last time I listened to Sigur Rós I didn’t like it. But I rather enjoyed most of this record. Maybe it has to be mood matched. Lyrics clearly aren’t a factor, so relying only on the music and vocals I liked it and would listen again. Atmospheric.

Took a while for me to get into this record. I don't know if I would have liked it more in English.

This is a very good album, but not one I can listen to often. If I'm in the perfect mood, it's good to put on, but I just can't rate something very high if it's not something that I'm happy whenever it comes on.

It’s a cool vibe and they were fun to see live.

Hjartað Hamast (bamm bamm bamm) sounds exactly like you'd expect a song titled "Hjartað Hamast (bamm bamm bamm)" to sound like

Pleasant

bonito pero aburrido

Sigur Rós is one of those bands where I need to take a deep breath and sigh before explaining my feelings. I tried to get into them a long time ago, but as that was pre-streaming, and I was a poor student, I only ever bought one album. I don't know man. They're not really a band you can just have in a playlist with the other normal bands. They're a sit down, shut up, and listen band. They're a purebred show dog watching the shelter mutts from the shade. (I get that dogs are dogs, I just couldn't think of anything else) This album was 30 minutes of me wondering how to say \"God, I'm depressed\" in Icelandic, and 30 minutes of me thinking maybe the world is beautiful after all, and knowing better than to look up the translations (having learned my lesson from the first few I looked up). The music is very beautiful, the vocals are high and breathy, which is off-putting to me. Some songs felt like a dude who was talking too close to my face. I told my listening buddy that I almost feel bad for not liking non-English music, but at the same time, English might ruin this. My favorite song from the album, Starálfur, is about an elf. I can't take that seriously. I really don't know if I'm going to listen more. I might owe it to whomever originally suggested them to 19 year old me to try again. Maybe they were right.

dark and haunting, yet beautiful and cathartic. a little long, though.

not for me

I mean it was pleasant but not really my thing. All in Icelandic, which also doesn't help. 5/10.

Chill, OK

Veryyy cool and trippy, but a bit mundane and lacks intensity for me, 3/5

Whale song for humans, but now as good in the bath as I'd hoped for.

I'm a big fan of theirs. I felt this was a pretty good album not my favorite one but it was very good. I heard one song that they played when I saw them.

This is too minimalistic for me. It is quite pleasant but I'm just not big fan of ambient music. I just feel that this album is not dense enough. Things are happening but it is more background music in my opinion than 1h and 11min worth of focused listening.

Ikkje heilt for meg

Super slow, moody, almost crooning rock. Super not my jam, but I didn't dislike it. I just don't think I'll ever be in the mood for it.

Ethereal 3.8/5

Música conceptual y relajada de escuchar. Melodías hipnóticas y con un ritmo relajante y suave

A band still evolving, some moments of greatness, but also some very lengthy passages when not much happens. Around the corner....

Great craft, however totally not my kind of music...

3.75

Soothing and elegant. Fave Songs: Olsen Olsen, Svefn-g-englar, Starálfur, Viðrar vel til loftárása, Ný batterí

Chill

Classic Sigurd ros

3

this is the music playing when you are romanticizing your life

nice but completely forgettable. 3

Ágætis byrjun (Icelandic for: A good beginning) is the second album by Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. This dreamy ambient pop / shoegaze (indie alt rock) album is an evolution from their ambient soundscapes on their first album, since they added a guitar and some orchestration. It became their commercial and critical breakthrough album, being certified gold in the UK and selling enough to be considered gold in the US (not certified). Released to little media attention, this album quickly climbed the charts in Iceland which gained the album international recognition. It is a relaxing and moody album with beautiful ambient music that soothes a listener's ears. The lyrics are in Icelandic - so I have no idea what is said - but they sound great too. This was a cool album to hear and it must have been surprising for the band to see it succeed so well.

Really nice

4 Es un buen álbum, aunque si duran bastante tiempo sus canciones lo interesante es que no las sentí así, sabía que iban a durar mucho pero cuando las volvía a revisar ya estaba a punto de terminarse. Los instrumentos suenan bastante y uno podría olvidar de que hay alguien cantando .

Not sure I would return to it, but this was nice to listen to.

A bit beige

Atmospheric, to be sure. It sounds nice, but I constantly found myself singing other improvised melodies over the undulating sequence of chords and moans. It's not Jonsi's fault that my melodies were uninspiring, of course.

Cool sound, more in the area of ambience, but nothing exceptional.

Not bad but just very very uneventful, boring and way too long

Tranquil

I've often enjoyed songs that I don't understand the lyrics of (anime related song and the like), so I did enjoy this album. It has some great songs.

Never heard of this band before and was pleasantly surprised. Sounds like an epic background soundtrack for a drama movie; you can feel the emotion in every chord even though you can’t understand a word of it. That being said, a lot of this project does drag on and feels pretentious at times. Really cool for what it is but what it is is just background music. All being said, worth a listen, especially while working

Not my vibe but nothing bad to say about the album, can put it on for background instrumental while working.

couldnt get into it

Boring first half, but got better. Definitely not gym music.

Sigur Rós is from Iceland. This is their 2nd album. Genre: Post-rock, dream pop, ambient, art rock, shoegazing 'Post-rock is a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs' (wikipedia) Singles: Svefn-g-englar, Ný batterí The first song, "Svefn-g-englar" is amazing. The rest of the album is very nice to listen to. Standouts: Svefn-g-englar Others: Ny batteri, Agaetis byrijun This will go onto my mood music playlist for sure. 3/5

There are moments when this is sublime, and moments when it's almost unlistenable. I love Sigur Ros but this is not my favourite album of theirs.

Very Interesting. Never heard of them before. My second time through the album and I think it has some great sounds and it kind of transport you into another realm, like you are in a trance, only broken when the last song is over. I think I could grow to really enjoy this. 3/5 for now.

I found it to generally be an ok album. I would listen to it again but probably wouldn’t seek it out. It’s definitely very experimental. Sometimes it’s smooth, sometimes jarring.

Idk har försökt flera gånger men dethär albumet har aldrig clickat för mig. Ny Batteri går dock hårt

Enjoyable if I’m in the right mood. Found the gibberish lyrics kinda grating.

Okay

крутой альбом для релакса и абстрагирования от всего чего угодно, кроме определения страны происхождения товара . названия слишком издевательские, поэтому мне понравился второй и третий трек, но альбом довольно затянутый и специфичный, как одноразовый экспириенс - это прикольно, но на долгое сотрудничество я просто сдохну, возможно если бы я слушал это каждый день перед сном я бы любил это безумно, но я слушал альбом первый раз, привет исландии!

I was really surprised to see Sigur Ros on this list! I used to listen to them a lot and really enjoyed their sound. This isn't my favorite recording and is a little straightforward and less dynamic than some of their other records. Regardless, I do appreciate it for what it is. I hope they appear on the list again.

weird.

That first track past the intro is an absolute stunner. But it sets the bar so high the rest of the album has a hard time staying up at that level. I'm intrigued by the spacey, atmospheric sound, but the vocals usually break me out of the hypnotic spell, with the exception of that first track, where the vocals are handled differently than on the rest of the album. Definitely one of the better albums that came in the wake of "OK Computer." I'd give "Svefn-g-englar" 5 stars but as an album it's just a 3 for me.

Very Radio Head like...good for background work music.

I didn’t listen to the whole thing, not really in the mood, but I still liked what I heard, mostly.

Weird, ethereal, otherworldly, and very mellow.

Banda i disc sobrevalorats per la seva magnificiència, que hom sembla haver deificat. És un bon disc, valent i original, però també repetitiu i a estones avorrit. Continua sent el millor disc de Sigur Ros, on van excel.lir amb la seva proposta, però per res una fita del rock alternatiu

Yeah alright, can't get that excited

This seemed to pass me by when it came out, did the same this time round too

Quite unusual. I'd expect in the right setting this would be quite cool. Just felt a bit odd listening in my office on a Monday morning.

listen

Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Definitely! The most interesting record up to now, it’s got this lovely atmospheric tenderness to it and I could fully imagine this as the background of a silent movie (if that would work) delicate and provocative in the best way, even for a long run of an album Favourite song: Track 6 - Hjartaõ hamast (bamm bamm bamm)

3 220922

Music almost as strange as the album art. Good for work on TTT.... :P

Pretty good Icelandic Ambient music.

Very soothing. Probably gonna dig more into the artist. First Listen?: Y Fav. Tracks: Staràlfur Rating: 3/5

It could be the soundtrack for a sci-fi movie.

It has an original vibe and really good points. It is a very well made album. But still it feels more like a background sound most of the time an it can be overwhelming. Good for listening while studying

Favourite song: Hjartaõ Hamast (Bamm Bamm Bamm) One for the karaoke: Staràflur One for the car: Olsen Olsen Didn’t understand a word that was said. Lovely stuff

Very relaxing; satisfying motives and song progression

Smooth. Didn’t finish

I've heard of this band before but I've never had the chance to listen to any of their music so I was excited for the experience. The music itself was pleasant. The language barrier did make it a little tough to connect with the singer initially but with subsequent listens I think I could dig the sound. One of my favorite bands is rammstein and I only know a few words in German so that doesn't prevent me from enjoying music I don't understand.

The sound of each song is very good. I am almost getting entranced the first portions of each song, however it quickly becomes a repetitive mess and wears me down forcing to fast forward to skip the rest of the song entirely. There are a few unique moments to a couple songs where they change the sound or add other instruments. Overall repetitive, and not something i can truly sit down and enjoy.

A little too chill for my tastes. Loved the third song and it was an extremely consistent album, but I want a bit more upbeat.

Très sympa pour ambiance calme mais trop calme à mon goût.

Although not what i usually listen to i did enjoy listening to this album. It was very ethereal and otherworldly. There were some rock elements which i enjoyed with the occasional elec guitar and drums. Not my vibe but definitely worth the listen

More ambient music. Did not have any strong feelings about this.

Listening to this it's like an ambient soundscape production, with the themes of birth, childlike wonder, and love. At times it is slightly strange sounding, but also sounds like the late 90s - almost like a "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve vibe. Couldn't understand a word of what was being sung, but it was ethereal nonetheless. Best: Svefn-g-englar Worst: Viðrar vel til loftárása

Staralfur incorporates timeless methods. reminds me of mae's album with mixed instrument and vocal use Interesting one time listen

Dreamy but not dream-pop. Orchestral but it doesn't sound like an orchestra. Ágætis Byrjun is easier to describe in terms of what it isn't than to describe what it is. I can say that it is a wonderful piece of art but as an album -- a listenable collection of tunes that you want to hear on repeat -- I'm left looking for something to grab onto. Perhaps this is better consumed as a score than a pop music album.

Meh. Kinda dreamy. Kinda dull. Pass.

Beautiful work. Nicely orchestrated and even though I don't understand a word of Icelandic, the language sounds so wonderful, including in this context. I enjoyed the whole album very much. (Side Note: if you like Snowy White's 'Midnight Blue', give Flugufrelsarinn a listen. Just the opening slow organ chord progression. So cool!)

Sigur Ros question for Sigur Ros fans - How do you identify the songs? Is there some kind of phonetic spelling out there or are ya’ll just saying “The second track sounded like outer space”. I guess it makes the most sense to think about Sigur Ros’s music in terms of albums rather than individual songs anyways, and thats the approach I took. After listening to Ágætis Byrjun on loop a few times there were identifiable moments but I couldn't distinguish between tracks. I like the album, Im a sucker for grand post rock with big spacey atmospheric tones. Theres a lil Smashing Pumpkins and Spiritualized in there but Sigur Ros’s instrumental experimentation with the bow/guitar and make-believe vocals created a sound that's uniquely their own. About those vocals though . . . I appreciate that each listener is supposed to draw out their own shapes from this record - and Hopelandic is a way to remove language as a bias - but I cant help but feel like this is some serious nerd bait. Is there semantic meaning to the words coming out of this dude's mouth or not? I dunno Good album. Wouldn't put it on, but wouldn't turn it off if I heard it either Standout Tunes: Couldn't pick one out. Do us a solid and start cranking out ambient music.

Eh, its okay, got bored after a while

I enjoyed the ethereal vibes, but found myself yearning for a beat or hint of a melody most of the time.

Good sounds but boring. Ambient music is not for me

Tjú tjú

😫

Algjör bakgrunnstónlist og ágæt sem slík. Sækist ekki í Sigur Rós.

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.

Ganske digg album å jobbe til.

Something different, but pretty cool.

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.

Creative and great for working, but not something to which I can actively listen.

Beautiful, almost formless, but somehow less than the sum of its parts

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

Good background

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.

3 stars. Some great melodies. Needs a big surround speaker situation to fully immerse in the Scandinavian greatness.

Ihan kaunista kyllä, mutta on näillä parempaakin

Stile inconfondibile. Non per tutti.

Cool

Hjartað hamast is a five star song.

not really a fan of the vocals but I like the rest alright

rimelig dope

Nice soundscapes - no idea what they're singing about and unlikely to listen again, but not inoffensive

Good music to work to.

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.

Mostly nice to listen to

speciaal en rustig

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.

Best thing to come out of Iceland since the Sugarcubes I suppose. About one 10-min song is enough for me.

Ow-gettis Beer-yoon

Música ambiental. Agradable. Parece como música de despedida.

This album is truly an experience, one that flows from sentimental ballads to sweeping orchestral movements. It is hard not to get emotionally moved as these songs are both melancholic and beautiful - it also doesn't hurt that they've been used in many films and shows. That being said, the album can be a little meandering and some brevity could improve its digestibility.

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.

The song’s are very long so not for me

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.

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.

Hyvä esimerkki vanhasta suosikista, joka tuntuu nykyään vähän "ylimelodiselta". Nautin jälkimmäisestä puoliskosta nyt enemmän.

Very ethereal, good to put on and not think about

Not something I’m likely to go out of my way to listen to again, but it was interesting.

Very experimental. Not exactly my thing stylistically but some very lovely melodies that make it worth a listen. Fave track: Staralfur

The cynic is me says this album, that so many folks grovelled over, is more than a bit too eccentric for me

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

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

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.

Prachtig, maar meer filmmuziek eigenlijk dan dat je hier eens echt aandachtig naar gaat zitten luisteren. Komt ook doordat die zang voor mij gereduceerd wordt tot een melodie zonder inhoud.

Heel sfeervol, maar wel echt voor het juiste moment.

Aantal prachtige sferische soundscapes. Maar meer dan een uur is iets teveel voor mij.

Not my vibe, but I do appreciate the tones and sounds.

3. decent atmospheric music though it went on longer than I would have liked.

Easy to listen to but a bit bland for me

good for studying and reading

Not my jam

Like a meditation album. Not unpleasant, in fact quite soothing but not outstanding either. 3*

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.

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 🌟

3/5

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.

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!

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

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!

Trippy ambient chill. Real cool sound. Wish it was in English.

Nice background music. Thought I'd listened to it before but clearly hadn't.

Starts off trippy as heck. Some good relaxing songs to chill to.

Pleasant, spacey, atmospheric A good listen :) Flugufrelsarinn was good (I think)

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.

Somewhere between classical music and another genre The tempo is slow but relaxing 3/5

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.

I'd have to be in a specific mood for this

enjoyed a different type of music

Для меня слишком хаотично.

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?

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

Good but I found it a bit dull in places, plus way too long

heavenly melancholic indie movie music

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.

Nice vibe

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.

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.

Good background music. I enjoyed it.

pretty chill

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.

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.

Not bad. Reminds Magnet

Some nice tunes. It's mostly instrumental, so nice for listening when trying to concentrate and avoid distraction because of lyrics

Serene, calm

Experimental, interesting, but I couldn't get into it. It being a foreign language did not help me.

Muy insistente de repente. me gusta pero me asusta

Pas fan, mais bonne musique de fond posée.

Un poco plano pero buen disco en general.

liked 4 of the 10 songs, nice vibe tho

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?

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.

Relaxing, chill

Fun! A little like Zero 7.

Good but, make me feel sleepy

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.

Just a bit odd, didn't mind it being foreign language though.

I felt as if I was transported back to ancient times.

The next time I'm getting stoned in a planetarium, I'll fire this one up. Until then, I'll pass.

5/10

SR has some tracks I genuinely love, but taking in a whole album can be a lot. I recall using them a lot studying in my uni days. Impressed by: The ethereal magical sounds. I remember loving it in Vanilla Sky. Not so much: There’s only so much other worldliness I can handle.

Sorry island men det här var ett piller, av den sömniga sorten!

Kanske om jag låg i en varm isländsk källa

Who dis?

I appreciate this for what it was, but I didn't enjoy the listening part. 4/10

I could have died without listening to this.

Just a collection of Scandinavian screeching. Some quite nice vocals but it comes together quite weirdly

Tää oli hivenen liian ambienttiä ja erikoista mun makuuni.

Interesting but ultimately not my style.

*I really want to like Icelandic music because I pretty much love everything else about Icelandic culture...BUT....I just can't get into this. *It's beautiful at times, but I just can't see myself wanting to listen to this or music like it more than once.

L'ambient così è solo lento e noioso.

Intro - 2 Svefn-g-englar - 2 Staralfur - 2 Flugufrelsarinn - 3 Ny batteri - 2 Hjartao hamast (bamm bamm bamm) - 2 Viorar vel til loftarasa - 2 Olsen olsen - 2 Agaetis byrjun - 3 Avalon - 3

Songs too long Some nice orchestrations Can't judge the lyrics because they're Icelandic Ny Batterí is a highlight

I wasn’t in a great mood for this one, and with an album this slow that was never going to be a great context. If this album was any slower it would play backwards, with this a typically ornate ‘post-rock’ album of this period. I’m sure they all thought they were really clever with their ten minute songs and range of instruments, perhaps they headed off to a nice Icelandic hot springs or ice cave to congratulate themselves. But to me, this kind of music is just so pretentious and dull.

One of the more famous post-rock albums, featuring lots of strings and bowed guitar to create a dreamy, ambient sound. I could see this working well as background/reading music, but it made very little impact on me, and I can remember almost nothing about it less than a day after listening. To be fair, sections of some tracks were quite beautiful, but the whole thing was so slow I didn’t find it was really worth the patience to get to them. Hard to rate; it is a bit harsh but I can’t see myself listening again, hence 2 stars.

Slow and dreamy. The "childish" vocals at times were a bit off-putting.

3/10

Not for me

Feels very grand, a vibe, not my vibe tho

i don't hate the vocals but i like the instrumentals so much that i wish the vocals weren't there 3 songs left and i'm pretty ready for this to be over maybe if i was on a roadtrip and not stuck in the office this would be higher

Icelandic music must be an acquired taste, if you can call what I just listened to music. What is up with the dead baby fetus cover? A few of the tunes have interesting melody bass lines, which keeps it from being a 1 star, but barely.

I am sure that if I were a slightly different person, I would enjoy it because it has all the elements that I typically enjoy. But the way the band put it together simply grates me.

First of all, I love Icelandic music, literature, and the Icelandic language, so I was genuinely excited when this album appeared in my recommendations one morning. I went into it expecting to love it. The opening immediately caught my attention with its eerie, atmospheric soundscapes and unique sense of space. It felt mysterious and promising, and I was intrigued by where it was going. Unfortunately, that feeling didn't last. While the first part of the album drew me in, the second half gradually lost my interest. The songs began to blur together, and what initially felt immersive eventually became repetitive and emotionally static. I kept waiting for a moment that would re-engage me, but it never quite arrived. I can absolutely appreciate the craftsmanship, the haunting ambience, the beautiful use of Jónsi's falsetto, and the cinematic production. It's easy to understand why this album is so highly regarded and influential. However, despite respecting what it achieves artistically, it simply didn't connect with me on a personal level. I wanted to like it much more than I actually did.

ethereal, slow, calm, icelandic. like no mans sky

Takie 2. Niby fajne, ale nie na ten klimat.

Very difficult to enjoy this album very depressing soundscapes reminding me of barren desolate areas in the world which I'm sure Iceland has some of them.

Decent, atmospheric, weirdy background music, which never really goes anywhere. Kept expecting the Clangers or Moomins to start singing at any point!

Good background music for a science museum, but not for me.

This is just bizzarro

While I get why some might like this record, it requires more from me than what it could ever give. The album is not bad by any means and it definetely manages to give me a very dreamlike feeling, but personally, I wouldn't listen to this piece: to me it's like background noise (NOT in an inherently negative way!) The whole time I was listening to the album I just couldn't stop waiting for something to happen (something that never did). It was very challenging to try to listen to such long tracks with minimal progression while staying engaged. I can't think of a single other reason to why the songs have to be so long, with so little substance other than the album being meant to be used as sleep aid.

This one never really clicked for me, despite all the praise.

A bit too experimental for me. It's not bad, it's just a lot.

Kinda weird and very chill, very slow. It's like Tcho got slower and worse.

Very chill. Not really fitting the 80 degree summer Sunday morning walk vibe

These folks are really good at what they do but for my ears this sounds more like a sleepy time playlist.

Groundbreaking, another album of ambient noise

Ambieht guys (a lot of their music is blocked for me on yt music)

Como me costo este album, creo q el autor del libro tiene una definición de dreampop diferente a la mia 4/10

Shout out to Sigur Rós, every middle/high schoolers first introduction to music that's "deep" and "not shallow like mainstream pop or whatever". Classic. I think this is the first instance of me enjoying something when I was younger and not liking it as much as an adult. Still easy listening though. 2.75 rounded down to 2. Favorite track: Hjartað Hamast (Bamm Bamm Bamm)

Some of the sounds are quite cool. But it's not an album I would ever just put on. But I can appreciate some of what they were trying to do.