Sigur Rós release first single in seven years, ‘Blóðberg’
Icelandic post-rockers Sigur Rós have returned with their first single in seven years, ‘Blóðberg’. A glacial, atmospheric piece, it contains the familiar, ample dose of melancholy often expected from the band.
An orchestra-heavy piece, frontman Jónsi’s falsetto adds an extra dimension as the music unfolds into seven minutes of pure musical introspection, where regardless of the song’s true meaning, you’re deeply lodged in a trail of thought encompassing the liminal space between the waking world and the subconscious.
Whilst the song is without the reverberating ending that so many post-rock pieces often have, the minimalism and restraint the Sigur Rós display here is yet another reminder of the tremendous scope of their artistic prowess. They don’t need to overdo it, letting the emotive orchestra, spacey textures and Jónsi’s vocals wash over you with more impact than if they’d crammed the mix. Space is critical here.
The new offering comes ahead of their sold-out European and North American tour, which kicks off this Friday, June 16th, at London’s Royal Festival Hall, as part of Christine and the Queen’s curated edition of Meltdown Festival.
The track arrives with a video by Johan Renck, director of the celebrated HBO miniseries Chernobyl, and music videos for Beyoncé, Madonna, and Robyn. As the camera slowly pans across the digitally rendered landscape, the human bodies gradually pile up in a clear nod to humanity’s ever-certain future.
Renck says: “I feel as nihilistic as one could regarding the future. We are powerless against our own stupidities. Some aspects of this came to merge with my impressions of the themes of ‘Blóðberg’. The music becoming a score to my own miserable thoughts, giving them beauty as only music can.”
Listen to ‘Blóðberg’ below.
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