|
|
|
| Artist | Sigur Rós |
| Title | Von |
| Type | Album |
| Released | 14.06.1997 |
| Genre | Ambient, Drone, Post-rock, Experimental |
| Style | Dark Ambient, Avant-garde |
| My rating | (7/10) |
|
Tracklist:
|
Credits:
|
Sigur Rós is a band that you are bound to discover via their 1999 effort "Ágætis Byrjun". Then, naturally enchanted by the etheral sound of this record, do begin to explore more of their catalogue... And then you encounter this oddity. And album compiled of noise, drone and monotonous shogaze music - very interesting and surprising turn of events.
As I mentioned before this record does not remind it's succerssor in any shape or form! Sure, it too dips its toes in ambient/drone music, but "Von" doubles down in the intensity of these influences. The soundscapes here are sparse, dark and cold - they sound like a winter on an alien planet. The first two tracks, "Sigur Rós"(!) and "Dögun" both fit this description extensively. They sound so extraterrestrial and creepy... The cover that the band chose for this release (depicting Jónsi's sister as a newborn) only adds to the mysterious atmosphere and helps to elevate the unease that an unprepared, Agaetis-accustomed listener can feel while listening to this for the first time.
The first "true song" here is "Hún Jörð", the angry, heavy, shoegaze pounder (very un-Ágætis! The only thing remotely simmilar to this is the loud drums section of "Ný Batteri"). This very intense and mighty song features the first ever instance of Jónsi's ethereal angelic voice, that echoes throughout it's entirety. The track itself ends very abruptly, in a very uncanny way - the tape rewinds, then stops and starts again, only to glitch itself into the oblivion. How is this the same band that made "()" a couple of years later?!
After "Leit að lífi " (meaning "A Search for Life", appropiately adding to the whole desolate, alien vibe of the album) which is another take at dark ambient soundscapes, we have "Myrkur", which just sounds like a My Bloody Valentine song. I like it, tho it's very repetetive, but this is the case with almost every song in there...
After "18 sekúndur" which in itself is just 18 seconds of silence, there comes "Hafssól". For the life of me, I can't remember what happens in this track, despite it being the longest one here. It's just very unmemorable and drawn-out and it's ambience doesn't really offer much that hasn't been said already by the earlier soundscape songs on this record. "Mistur" and "Veröld" on the other hand, despite being unpleasant collages of ringing/pounding sounds, at least offers another oddity to the growing pile of weirdness that is this album.
"Syndir Guðs" is probably my favourite one here, and by definition also the one that I come back to the most. It features this very cool bass arpeggio/bassline that is a very signature Sigur Rós-sounding thingy. This song along with the title track is the closest this LP gets in terms of sound to the classic Sigur Rós.
About "Rukrym"... I HATE! when artists do the whole "music played backwards" gimmick... It's so cheap, uninteresting and uncreative! Tell me how the hell am I supposed to actively listen to this song and enjoy it... Such songs just unlistenable and have almost 0 replay value. I hated it in Car Seat Headrest debut records and I hate it here. Not cool. :(
But the album really is great! It's an interesting musical oddity that is both captivating and abbrasive at times. There are few actual songs, so if you're not into cosmic ambient/drone pieces, weird noisy and screechy experimentation, then I have bad news for you. This is completely different side of Sigur Rós. The darker, looser and louder side. The shoegaze influences are also prominent, so that's very surprising too! What a weird album...