Englabörn

My album submission. I had a hard time picking an album of his but this was the first one I heard so I went with that. Mainly I was trying to think of more types of music that weren't on the list. Very little modern classical along the likes of Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, etc. You may have heard Johann's music without even knowing it: he did the soundtracks on Arrival, The Theory of Everything, and Mandy (among others). He does have some non-film works that are typically soundtracks or conceptual albums, I believe this was his first solo work. He's of that neo-minimalist school of classical music that includes electronic elements and when I heard it, it was definitely a new combination that I had not really been exposed to. I do appreciate the sense of longing in every track he basically makes. It's not a 5* even for me though, there are some tracks that are sort of meh. But I love what he's going for in general.

Don't know what it is with me and Icelandic music. But Björk, Sigur Rós, Dadi Freyr, Of Monster and Men,... All of them seem to fall in my favor. And this one is no exception! It sounds magical, atmospheric, intimid and grotesque all at once! Loved it!

Really striking, solemn music. Beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

I liked this a lot, neo-classical electronic in the vein of Meredith Monk.

This is a very low key entry and its understandable why its under the radar of most listeners. A lovely blend of modern classical, ambient and electronic music. I listened to it 3 times and it got better every time. This one is a grower folks.

I would not have thought that 90 minutes of ambient music is what I needed after the election, but here we are.

This is a valuable listen, more about Jóhannsson than anything general, because it shows a genius working with a problem he can't quite solve. That problem is the narrative of his own material. Englabörn starts plaintive, with a question mark, raw material for an infinite garden of music. That space is explored in all these beautiful vignettes, but it's not until Karen býr til engil that there is any sense of leaving the treadmill. So it's hard to circle anything in one's mind as work or works. That might be the point; Recording may just not have served the project in my mind as well as it could have. Certainly worth spinning as it's not in any was disappointing.

So you're telling me that the robot voice from Radiohead's "Fitter Happier" was actually a prototype A.I. which was given the nickname Johann Johannsson, and not only did it provide the famous interlude for "OK Computer," but it also composed "Exit Music (for a Film)," and was considered a 6th member of the band, who continued to provide guidance and input up through "Amnesiac," before suddenly disappearing, only to return in 2002 with a fully formed modern classical album entitled "Englaborn"? Unbelievable.

Ooh, a very interesting addition. I think there is definitely an argument for inclusion with this, and I think I'll be spinning it a lot in the future.

This was beautiful and something well worth listening to. I would have been happy to give up a couple of Neil Young albums to hear more contemporary classical music in the project. This really caused me to feel some emotions while listening (although I couldn't exactly tell you what they were).

That was beautiful!

This is what happens when you let the balds make music. Absolutely gorgeous arrangements, this is an album to wash away the bad and make your soul lighter. My mouth and asshole were agape once I saw what movie soundtracks this guy has actually composed, very prolific musicians from Iceland once again.

7/10. Pleasant and instrumental, a good listen to be certain but nothing life-changing.

Ambitious. Good

Enjoyed a modern take on classical that felt like it was a bit of a mood journey and travel experience. Nice discovery and definitely under-represented in the original list.

An interesting one. Very film score (hey, this guy did "Mandy", neat), little doom-ish. Frigid. It's pretty but it does get pulled to the background a little bit. I love the electronic flourishes. Feels very Mike Oldfield or Philip Glass. Solid. Call it a 3.5. Favorite tracks: "Sálfræðingur", ""Ég Heyrði Allt Án Þess Að Hlusta""

A nice album mixing classical and modern sounds. I can tell this was originally conceived of as a soundtrack to something.

Nice calm music

This was just the perfect companion to my lazy Saterday morning start-up. Minimalistic yet soothing and with subtle electronics woven into it. Not something that otherwise would have crossed my path, so thanks!

Sometimes you need a good moment to enjoy music like this. And this was a good one inderdaad.

It's modern and interpretative. Moody, windy, keying on emotions. I can feel the fibers of the music playing back into the room.

Nice. Good listening

A perfect ambient classical evocation of the Icelandic landscape. Rating: 3.5 Playlist track: Ég Heyrði Allt Án Þess Að Hlusta Date listened: 16/10/24

Music to vibe with

Música clásica y algo de electrónica. Curioso aunque demasiado lento. Ni fu ni fa.

Enjoyed this, but just a bit long and repetitive for me to add to my frequent rotation.

Hmm okay

Well, that one was unexpected. Not my cup of tea, but it gives some variety to the list and certain air of cultural sophistication

Whenever I see Icelandic writing, I'm worried it'll be Sigur Ros. This wasn't them, but it was still weird shit. I think I get the movie soundtrack vibe, but eh. 2/5.

It’s ambient atmospheric electronic… not what I ever want to listen to. Can appreciate and respect the work, but even the person who chose it says it’s not a 5 star record. This just seems a wasted entry.

This was very nice. Distinct from the others. I'll admit that I didn't pay much attention after the first 45 minutes or so but I certainly enjoyed it.

I'd say this is absolutely, 100% unique in the list - it's the only real dance (using the term lightly) with classical I've come across so far and although I've still got 150 or so user-submitted albums to go, I get the feeling I won't be hearing another like this. Definitely worth including, and I thank the person who suggested it for thinking a bit different when it comes to the type of music expected of the list.

Not the usual fare in the 1001 but I do love Avant Garde and Minimalist so i'll listen to this all day every day. There's a lot of orchestral/choral in this too. Loved it.

Is Iceland just the land of haunting beautiful music? It's so weird that so much great stuff came out of that island in the 90s and 00s. This album is stunning, just powerful and ethereal the whole way through. Definitely one that I want to hear again, perhaps while strolling through one of Iceland's many haunted forests with my gnome friend that I met while removing the curse from a pair of socks in an enchanted steam 5/5

Perfect studying music, happy to be in the background with with plenty of depth for proper listening. Icelandic as hell, which is a good thing! Takes the best parts of classical, electronic and acoustic influences, to create a magical blend of sounds and styles. For a tiny country, Iceland really do produce an outsize number of absolute classics, and probably have the best "per capita" representation of any country on this list - and it's not all Björk!

I didn’t realize I needed this in my life, but I loved it and my blood pressure was lower.

What an unfortunate name to have

Very good soundtrack music; ethereal and evocative.

Rating: 7/10

Very nice. Kind of blends into the background, but nice to have on while focusing. 4 stars.

I really enjoyed this. I would have enjoyed more electronic elements like the first track had, but it was still a great album. The original list should have had some Phillip Glass or Steve Reich to add some contemporary classical.

Bootiful, as they say in South South East Iceland

Absolutely gorgeous, full album of this a bit much but hugely enjoyed

Nice and very different fare from the rest of the albums on this list. One should hear modern classical music before one dies, although I have little experience here so cannot say whether this is THE album or not. Regardless, I enjoyed the mood.

A nice and unique addition to the project.

Nice choice! The list proper seriously lacked classical music, and obviously this is more modern, but still. Really inspired production choices, great melodies combined with unorthodox sounds and ways of getting there. Some tracks on here sounded familiar - have they been used in movies or anything? I'll have to do some digging. Johann became quite a titan in the contemporary field, and it was truly deserved. I either didn't realize or somehow forgot that he passed away in 2018 - what an unbelievable loss that is, of a relatively new and incredible voice in his space. Think I may have had him confused with Ludwig Goransson, but what makes Johann memorable to me is "Forces of Attraction," a song on the Theory of Everything score. Unforgettable. Anyway, great choice here, and if I could add some classical picks as well, I'd throw in Peer Gynt and Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. Favorite tracks: Odi Et Amo, Englaborn, Salfraedinger Deyr, Bad (I know these aren't d's but I have to make do), Eg Heyrdi Allt An, Eg Atti Graa Aesku. Album art: Blue. That's it. I mean, it's an ocean, but it's not sharp enough to see details. The little seal in the bottom corner is a good classical touch. 4/5

Felt very good in the mood I was in

Interesting take on modern classical music. Very nice background music but beyond that, rather run of the mill. My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 4/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.

This was a beautiful and chill ambient album

A little more than a week into the user generated list and I think I am enjoying this as much as the main list. I loved the sound on this. I listened on my phone speakers based on when I was able to get time to listen to it. I need to come back to this with my main system one day.

Beautiful modern classical with some ambient touches. Short pieces that I feel should be developed into longer tracks. You can see how soundtracks was his future.

Jóhann Jóhannsson, forward-thinking in his compositions, is perhaps best known for his film scores. While he had scored for impressive Hollywood films prior to 2016, he made the biggest splash with the monumental soundtrack to Denis Villeneuve's Arrival. But before all that, he was getting his footing composing for local Icelandic plays. Enter Englabörn: a soft, tender expression of melancholy that effectively utilizes space to emphasize atmosphere. This is Holy Minimalism. While Minimalism would find its spot amongst contemporary classical music in its incredible innovation amongst strict limitations, Holy Minimalism would find favor in Europe in order to make simpler and slower approaches that fostered a reflective quality. Jóhannsson goes a step further on Englabörn by occasionally experimenting with some electronic elements, giving the album a haunted feel like there's a ghost in the machine. An unreal experience that also serves as a nice gateway into more modern classical if one is so inclined (might I suggest Ryuichi Sakamoto 1996?), which is a nice way to also expand the ol' horizons. CONTENDER FOR THE LIST: The original 1001 selectively omitted any classical music because it's sort of a separate beast altogether, although modern classical albums such as this sort of bridge the gap. For now I would say it's not really a good fit, but if the scope of the list ever changes then maybe.

If I ever want to let someone hear how to NOT play a note and let silence between the notes do heavy emotional lifting, then this is the album I'd put on. It's music that warrants your attention.

This guy went on to compose film soundtracks, but what this really reminds me of is a video game soundtrack. Not only does it sound like one, it even has the structure of an OST. During every song I was saying something like: "This sounds like a dungeon theme", "This sounds like a song they'd play during an emotional cutscene", "This is the overworld theme". And it opens with that one robotic voice they used for that one fucking terrifying video of the android woman singing "I Feel Fantastic". 4/5.

Slow Orchestral's a very nice change of pace from most of the rest of the list.

Pretty good neo-classical album. Yet to be honest, I find the fact that the user who submitted it won't even give a 5/5 grade to it a little weird. Besides, when you quote Steve Reich or Philip Glass in your review (if I remember correctly), the least you can do is to give a slot to their iconic albums ignored in Dimery's book. 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums, rounded up to 4. 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 + 3.5) ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 26 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 38 Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 70 (including this one) --- Émile, j'ai mis ma dernière réponse sous l'album de The 1975 au dessus...

It took me a bit, but I got into it. Would be great for hiking through a dark forest in winter.

I need to give it some credit

It's nice to get a sound completely absent from the main 1001 list, it really shows the benefits to user submission. Album was very pretty, and I loved the overall theme, it was always satisfying to come back to.

I didn’t quite expect to enjoy this as much as I did. When it opened on Apple Music and I saw the classical symbol, I knew it would be a roll of the dice for me, either being something great or something forgettable. Thankfully, this created such a nice soundtrack while I was working. It is quite sedate and minimalistic, reminding me, surprisingly, of bands like Boards Of Canada. But instead of chill beats, it is chill strings. Quite nice, all in all.

Very interesting inclusion but I dig it. I like the incorporation of electronic instruments into the orchestral arrangement. The vocaloid vocals in particular are super fascinating.

Nice background music

Hauntingly beautiful in a minimalistisch setting. Nice discovery!

Thoroughly enjoyed this, and I agree with the submitting user that this type of music is underrepresented (actually, it’s really not represented at all) on the main list. However, I also find it somewhat odd to choose an album that you’re not convinced is a 5 star record. If you think minimalism/modern classical is not represented well on the list, why not choose an album that is a cornerstone of the genre, like Steve Reich’s “Music for 18 Musicians”? Opinions of the user base be damned - the influence of that piece on modern music, whether on the likes of David Bowie and Brian Eno, Tortoise and Stereolab, or Bjork and a host of electronic music, is pretty profound. I highly recommend it, though it is quite different from the music here on Englabörn. Apologies to the submitting user, I don’t mean to question your motives too much - this was a very good, but somewhat puzzling, choice for the list.

Lovely and contemplative, this is right up one's alley, though of course it could be read as derivative or Part, Glass, Kernis, etc (though ot course those are right artists to be derivative of). The last piece just as luminous-shimmering as music can be. Belongs maybe to another essential listening project (otherwise why not add Kronos or Danish String Quartet or Max Richter?). But sure flip it out for one of Bjork's lesser offerings (or any heavy metal record of course).

I had the Bladerunner soundtrack yesterday. This feels so much colder, not unlike the cover art. I appreciate the length of the songs. I could have done without the voice, the first track nearly put me off entirely. Glad I made it into the cool cello-y tracks.

Very nice

This isn’t electronica, thankfully. When I got this I was curious. Never heard of him, checked the review page, saw electronica and got bummed. Theres too much on here as it is. Saw he’s Icelandic. Hopes went up some, maybe it will be like Bjork, Sigur Ros, etc. looked at the length, hopes went down, why so long? Short story longer, this was an exceptional entry. Iceland knows what’s up. Definitely not electronic though, maybe some influences. Great submission

It's great music, no doubt. However, 90 minutes of it without the play it was composed for, oomph.

4 3 Kind of a drag

Nice to hear some classical on the list, though I wish there had been a stronger melodic throughline or some more leitmotifs to glue the whole thing together. The modern production techniques added some new layers to the classical repertoire, but without an iconic melody or unifying theme, this felt more like a collection of tracks rather than the grand journey the best symphonies represent.

Really beautiful. Rich, yet minimalist sound. Thanks so much for sharing. Fave Songs: Sálfræðingur, Ég Sleppi Þér Aldrei, Jói & Karen, Englabörn, Odi Et Amo

I appreciate the explanation of why the user chose this album because it made me rethink what I was expecting from the user albums. I've been getting mad at these boring bruce springsteen live albums and 80s shitposts but my personal enjoyment of my user pick heavily influenced my choice. I was kinda thinking about danny elfman being left off the list but there's no shortage of new wave and I just really liked it. After listening to 1089 albums I think we've earned the right to pick whatever we want to add to the list and if foetal wheel or whatever is their pick then so be it and it's just something I'll have to endure until i get to something like the decemberists again. Either way, I agree that modern classical is underrepresented on the list and this is definitely a good example of that even if I found it somewhat boring. His scores are better but I appreciate someone trying to fill a gap in the list with something even they aren't a massive fan of.

RIP to a legend. Glad he got a place on this list.

yeah this guy writes film soundtracks alright

I can see how this guy went on to do movie soundtracks. Decent

It's nice, but I feel like this sparse, eerie music works better in his film work. Arrival is beautiful

This debut album of Jóhann Jóhannsson contains modern classical music mixed with electronic elements. He has also a history of creating soundtracks for films. I get why that works as his music is slow and inoffensive. It's taking a step back, creating an atmosphere and does not demand attention. That is a quality, but also a weak spot.

In the right mood and the right setting Englabörn & Variations is a delightful listen, I'm sure. Even working along to it right now is nice and comforting, it's just a bit minimalist and there's not much of substance for me to really value greatly. A solid 3/5 because it's really beautifully composed in places, fine in others, but not really very lasting overall.

This was pretty cool and it was nice to hear something very different. Contemporary classical with an electronic twist, combining sparse and somber strings and piano motifs often with some subtle delay or other manipulation (though the opening track is less sparing and just vocoders itself to hell - in an effective way). There were quite a lot of short pieces that seemed a bit too similar to each other and didn’t really develop enough for any one in particular to stand out (besides the very distinct opener as already mentioned). Pretty enjoyable on the whole though. Also the guy scored three Denis Villeneuve films so mad respect

Interesting in a lo-fi way

Some of the songs here could qualify for a Zelda game. Calming and melancholy, but very repetitive.

I did my morning yoga to this 👍

Electronic, classical music. Demasiado lento, pero me ha parecido curioso.

Música clásica y algo de electrónica. Curioso aunque demasiado lento. Ni fu ni fa.

Chilled. Pleasant. Cinematic. Nothing I’ll ever revisit though.

Apple Music is trying to tell me this album came out in 2018 for some reason, which is ridiculous, this sounds like something 50 years older. Oh, it's only 15 years older, that's a shame. This was a fun listen for the first song, but quickly got boring. I get. I appreciate the contribution because it is certainly unlike anything I've ever heard and definitely unlike anything else on this list, but it just ain't that good in my opinion. Songs seem unrealized and unfinished. The instrumentation is mostly fine, but occasionally sloppy. Seems like the inspiration that had for making the album was really all they had going for them. 3/5

This was nice background music.

Pleasant jangly background music.

Love his soundtrack work, and this was great to start with, but it did get a bit samey after a while.

Super mellow and relaxing. Didn't even realize it was over for close to five minutes.

There is a lot of wasted time on this. It's movements, when actually moving, are interesting and match my mood. But there is too much wasted time between them. I think this would be a 5 for me had it been edited.

Have always enjoys Johannsson...one of the better contemporary classical composers out there. Really enjoyed his recent Reqieum recording. This was solid, but not spectacular. 3.5/5

Neo classical soundtrack music. Good strings.

This is more of a movie soundtrack than an album but then again the artist literally makes movie scores so that makes sense. Guess everyone has their own flavor but this one is not one I seek out. Not saying it’s bad, it’s just not for me. 4.5/10

Is this what Icelandic people are listening to? How depressing...

Blips and bloops

I noped out. The point of this album most have whizzed over my head.

So ambient it barely registered. Like a soundtrack to a film that I fell asleep to - comfortable and not unpleasant but a bit annoying that I missed what was going on

Pretty at times but not memorable