Many a critical evaluation of Icelandic quartet Sigur Ros has resorted to stock imagery of molten magma, omnipotent ice fields and burbling hot springs--and reasonably so. There's no disavowing the geophysical heartbeat which invigorates the very soul of this most supernatural of bands. Takk may well be Sigur Ros's most stimulating interpretation of their habitat yet--verdant serenity to pregnant anticipation to brutal paroxysms of volcanic thunder via icicle-like celestes, howling electrical winds of curving guitar feedback and hymns seemingly sung by castrato pixies.

Strange and overwhelmingly beautiful. Some may think of Sigur Ros as a permafrosted Pink Floyd (circa Zabriskie Point) and while it's facile to say as much it's an honour certainly worthy of them. There's a seamless, symphonic poetry to Takk where the exultant "Gong", the euphoric choristry of "Hoppipolla" (like the Beach boys turned into snowmen) and the National Geographic panoramas of "Glososli" blend with intuitive homogeneity. You'll wish you were here. --Kevin Maidment

Hate, Love, Heartbreak, 14 Nov 2008
My partner hates this album with a passion...He said it was like having sandpaper rubbed all over his face. I love it. Exquisite, strong, heartbreaking. J'adore Takk.

Very impressive, 30 Oct 2008
Sigur Ros are a band that I have admired in passing for a number of years. I liked everything I'd heard by them but didn't imagine for a minute I'd want a whole album of their stuff. But then I saw this in the sale and picked it up. Wow. What a great album. I particularly liked Hoppipola and Glosoli as they had that familiar sound to them that suggests I've heard them both on TV a number of times in things like the Olympics and such.
The fact that the lyrics are indiscipherable to me because they're in Icelandic should be annoying but it actually adds to the overall enjoyment of the music.
I'm most definitely a fan. This band can do no wrong in my eyes.

A must album, 30 Sep 2008
How can you discribe the music of Sigur Ros - pure magic. Music where the emotion is in the song, not necessarily the lyrics. An album you cannot descibe but simply have to listen to it to realise its beauty. I already heard the songs hoppipolla and saeglópur before I have recently brought the album takk, and I was amazed at the quality of the album, not just those two tracks.

Hauntingly beautiful Icelandic music, 08 Sep 2008
It was not my original intention to buy this album as I was searching the internet to find out where I could buy a copy of that wonderful piece of music used on the Planet Earth series on BBC One.

Having discovered that the theme is called Hoppipolla by an Icelandic male group called Sigur Ros, I looked them up on Amazon and found their album Takk after reading much of the positive feedback I purchased a copy.

Well I'm absolutely amazed at the original sound from this group, the music is very different and I find it easier to listen with headphones and you then get the full beauty of the sound. Obviously you get the full version of Hoppipolla which never fails to move me to tears. But the rest of the album is outstanding and definitely makes you think of icelandic volcanoes and amazing frozen scenery. A simply wonderful album.

A word of warning, 25 Jun 2008
I bought this on the strength of customer reviews which made it sound like the kind of music I might like.
Wrong. I find the music turgid and monotonous. It is difficult to determine where one track finshes and the next one begins. The strangled warble which passes for vocals is very irritating.
It may work as backing music on TV but is does not stand up on its own.
Don't be taken in by the Sigor Ros appreciation society (whose entire membership seem to have offered a review here),try before you buy!

Anyone expecting Sigur Ros to have abandoned their emotional and majestic approach will think again after hearing the opening bars of their new album, ( ). When Sigur Ros released their second long player Agaetis Byrjun back in 1999, they caught everyone on the hop. Though it was pretty much the first anyone outside of their native Iceland had heard of them, the quartet had been studiously honing their sound for the last five years, developing a spellbinding mix of rock guitars scraped with violin bows, angelic falsetto vocals and dramatic builds of percussion fuelled tension that offered all the ineffable quietude of religious music.

( ) is a slightly rawer, undoubtedly heavier experience than its predecessor, but it still manages to shine a torch into the darkest corner of our souls, describing accurately the aching beauty and the hopeless anguish that makes up the contradictory essence of human existence. Experimental flourishes hark back to their eldritch debut album Von, and Jonsi's vocals--which have devolved over two albums from Icelandic to his own "Hopelandic" half-language--finally melt into lyric-less harmonic textures that still float across the band's earthy tapestries as naturally as clouds cross the night sky. Rest assured though that any changes are slight; the melancholy brilliance that made Agaetis Bryjun such a life-changing event is still very much the driving force behind Sigur Ros's music, making this new album every bit as essential as the last. --Paul Sullivan

Hate, Love, Heartbreak, 14 Nov 2008
My partner hates this album with a passion...He said it was like having sandpaper rubbed all over his face. I love it. Exquisite, strong, heartbreaking. J'adore Takk.

Very impressive, 30 Oct 2008
Sigur Ros are a band that I have admired in passing for a number of years. I liked everything I'd heard by them but didn't imagine for a minute I'd want a whole album of their stuff. But then I saw this in the sale and picked it up. Wow. What a great album. I particularly liked Hoppipola and Glosoli as they had that familiar sound to them that suggests I've heard them both on TV a number of times in things like the Olympics and such.
The fact that the lyrics are indiscipherable to me because they're in Icelandic should be annoying but it actually adds to the overall enjoyment of the music.
I'm most definitely a fan. This band can do no wrong in my eyes.

A must album, 30 Sep 2008
How can you discribe the music of Sigur Ros - pure magic. Music where the emotion is in the song, not necessarily the lyrics. An album you cannot descibe but simply have to listen to it to realise its beauty. I already heard the songs hoppipolla and saeglópur before I have recently brought the album takk, and I was amazed at the quality of the album, not just those two tracks.

Hauntingly beautiful Icelandic music, 08 Sep 2008
It was not my original intention to buy this album as I was searching the internet to find out where I could buy a copy of that wonderful piece of music used on the Planet Earth series on BBC One.

Having discovered that the theme is called Hoppipolla by an Icelandic male group called Sigur Ros, I looked them up on Amazon and found their album Takk after reading much of the positive feedback I purchased a copy.

Well I'm absolutely amazed at the original sound from this group, the music is very different and I find it easier to listen with headphones and you then get the full beauty of the sound. Obviously you get the full version of Hoppipolla which never fails to move me to tears. But the rest of the album is outstanding and definitely makes you think of icelandic volcanoes and amazing frozen scenery. A simply wonderful album.

A word of warning, 25 Jun 2008
I bought this on the strength of customer reviews which made it sound like the kind of music I might like.
Wrong. I find the music turgid and monotonous. It is difficult to determine where one track finshes and the next one begins. The strangled warble which passes for vocals is very irritating.
It may work as backing music on TV but is does not stand up on its own.
Don't be taken in by the Sigor Ros appreciation society (whose entire membership seem to have offered a review here),try before you buy!

Like a beautiful trance, 18 Jul 2008
It's hard to really put the experience of listening to this album into words. It is just a relentlessly gorgeous soundscape, even by Sigur Ros' own high standards.

Of all their albums, this is the most seamless. As many listeners have commented, the songs seem to blend into each other, as if they are different movements of one work, and the album as a whole simply encapsulates me.

That is not to say that the mood is a constant throughout. Rather, the melancholy of Track 1 gives way to the gentle and beautiful optimism of Track 3, whilst the mood of Track 4 drifts between the two, in a wonderfully passive, relaxed way. The second half of the album, in contrast, is considerably darker, whilst maintaining the beauty of the first half. It is the darker songs which mark ( ) from Agaetis Byrjun and Takk. Due to this, the album comes across (at least to this listener) as the purest, most emotional, most revealing album by Sigur Ros, and possibly of any band I have heard.

This is a quite exceptional album.



the sound of snowblind angels flying into the sun..., 20 Nov 2007
to appreciate this album, you must listen to it from start to finish, it is utterly sublime.

( ... ), 26 Oct 2007
First of all, don't be scared that it will be depressing. It's dark, emotional and immensely powerful, is what it is. This isn't an album to share headphones for at the bus stop, or put on shuffle on your MP3 player with any other tracks. Possibly the only way to do it is listen to the whole thing, in order, in bed in the middle of the night when no one else can hear you. Or maybe on a plane. Or sitting up a tree in a forest after a long bike ride, where birdsong can add to it. They say you're meant to write your own lyrics on the ethereal pages of the booklet (be careful taking this out - it's fragile), and maybe I will one day, but at the moment I'd rather just do so in my head. Everyone on Earth should listen to this album at least once, and then they might just relax even for an hour and a bit. Track 8 is possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. The only problem I can find is that of how to recommend it to your friends - I mean, how do you say it?

strange beauty, 28 Sep 2007
Writing reviews is not something I normally do, but since this album is in my opinion a masterpiece in very many ways, I feel compelled. It is one of few in my collection of thousands that really stands out above the rest.

If like me, you think music has the power to evoke places, mood and atmosphere, then you simply must buy this.

I have never come across any music from any other genre that can make you both depressed and elated - at the same time. Its power is awesome. It is utterly hypnotic. These guys from Iceland take you to strange, compelling places you've never been to before - but like flames to moths, you will surely be drawn to those bright, yet dangerously beautiful places again and again.

Be warned though - flying too close can be hazardous...

Powerful and Evocative..., 02 Mar 2007
...is two adjectives that come mind for this record. This was my first exposition to Sigur Rós. And on first listen, I was rather bemused. No really I was, the first time I listened, I am not sure I knew what to think, It didn't really make any sense, to the point where it stayed in dark deep bottoms of my CD cupboard until a few months later. Indeed I thought I had made terrible mistake, buying it, after all what attracted me that strange afternoon in HMV, was the beautiful packaging. And Indeed it is beautifully packaged, a crystal white slip case, with paranthesis cut out, covers the jewel case, which itself has just contains blank book of black and white artwork on what I can only describe is soft parchment. You could say it is represenation of what is to come, once you slip it into your cd player. The sparse emptiness of the packaging is certainly a visual metaphor, for the dark empy heavy drones that precede on the album.

Having put the CD on few months later, I finally began to appreciate these were more than ramdom drones, but evocative emotions that transcended language barriers. The album is divided into two parts seperated by a 30 second silence after track 4. It begins with "untitled 1" or "vaka" as known as its known by its working title, which starts off with a desolate piano intro. A feeling of disconnection and emptiness is what drives the both halves of the album, sparse drum beats float, while Birgissons "hopelandic" falsetto coo's lonely in a gaseous depth strings and other instruements. The second half is rather more aggressive, and definetley more heavy, with the guitars coming through more clearly particularly as the band descend into "untitled 8" (Popplagið"), which has the most unhinged and what I can only describe as the most narcotic drumming climax I have ever heard. Overall this album is definately a slow burner, and is not for the unadventurous, its not an easy album to like and probablly won't win over many new Sigur Rós fans, but it is in my view the most powerful and evocative of those in Sigur Rós' discography so far.

Highlights...
Its hard to really point out highlights in this album, as it is really concise and so well balanced, "untitled 4" and "untitled 8", definitely stand out, but otherwise this album is made to be, and is best heard so, all the way through.

Hate, Love, Heartbreak, 14 Nov 2008
My partner hates this album with a passion...He said it was like having sandpaper rubbed all over his face. I love it. Exquisite, strong, heartbreaking. J'adore Takk.

Very impressive, 30 Oct 2008
Sigur Ros are a band that I have admired in passing for a number of years. I liked everything I'd heard by them but didn't imagine for a minute I'd want a whole album of their stuff. But then I saw this in the sale and picked it up. Wow. What a great album. I particularly liked Hoppipola and Glosoli as they had that familiar sound to them that suggests I've heard them both on TV a number of times in things like the Olympics and such.
The fact that the lyrics are indiscipherable to me because they're in Icelandic should be annoying but it actually adds to the overall enjoyment of the music.
I'm most definitely a fan. This band can do no wrong in my eyes.

A must album, 30 Sep 2008
How can you discribe the music of Sigur Ros - pure magic. Music where the emotion is in the song, not necessarily the lyrics. An album you cannot descibe but simply have to listen to it to realise its beauty. I already heard the songs hoppipolla and saeglópur before I have recently brought the album takk, and I was amazed at the quality of the album, not just those two tracks.

Hauntingly beautiful Icelandic music, 08 Sep 2008
It was not my original intention to buy this album as I was searching the internet to find out where I could buy a copy of that wonderful piece of music used on the Planet Earth series on BBC One.

Having discovered that the theme is called Hoppipolla by an Icelandic male group called Sigur Ros, I looked them up on Amazon and found their album Takk after reading much of the positive feedback I purchased a copy.

Well I'm absolutely amazed at the original sound from this group, the music is very different and I find it easier to listen with headphones and you then get the full beauty of the sound. Obviously you get the full version of Hoppipolla which never fails to move me to tears. But the rest of the album is outstanding and definitely makes you think of icelandic volcanoes and amazing frozen scenery. A simply wonderful album.

A word of warning, 25 Jun 2008
I bought this on the strength of customer reviews which made it sound like the kind of music I might like.
Wrong. I find the music turgid and monotonous. It is difficult to determine where one track finshes and the next one begins. The strangled warble which passes for vocals is very irritating.
It may work as backing music on TV but is does not stand up on its own.
Don't be taken in by the Sigor Ros appreciation society (whose entire membership seem to have offered a review here),try before you buy!

Like a beautiful trance, 18 Jul 2008
It's hard to really put the experience of listening to this album into words. It is just a relentlessly gorgeous soundscape, even by Sigur Ros' own high standards.

Of all their albums, this is the most seamless. As many listeners have commented, the songs seem to blend into each other, as if they are different movements of one work, and the album as a whole simply encapsulates me.

That is not to say that the mood is a constant throughout. Rather, the melancholy of Track 1 gives way to the gentle and beautiful optimism of Track 3, whilst the mood of Track 4 drifts between the two, in a wonderfully passive, relaxed way. The second half of the album, in contrast, is considerably darker, whilst maintaining the beauty of the first half. It is the darker songs which mark ( ) from Agaetis Byrjun and Takk. Due to this, the album comes across (at least to this listener) as the purest, most emotional, most revealing album by Sigur Ros, and possibly of any band I have heard.

This is a quite exceptional album.



the sound of snowblind angels flying into the sun..., 20 Nov 2007
to appreciate this album, you must listen to it from start to finish, it is utterly sublime.

( ... ), 26 Oct 2007
First of all, don't be scared that it will be depressing. It's dark, emotional and immensely powerful, is what it is. This isn't an album to share headphones for at the bus stop, or put on shuffle on your MP3 player with any other tracks. Possibly the only way to do it is listen to the whole thing, in order, in bed in the middle of the night when no one else can hear you. Or maybe on a plane. Or sitting up a tree in a forest after a long bike ride, where birdsong can add to it. They say you're meant to write your own lyrics on the ethereal pages of the booklet (be careful taking this out - it's fragile), and maybe I will one day, but at the moment I'd rather just do so in my head. Everyone on Earth should listen to this album at least once, and then they might just relax even for an hour and a bit. Track 8 is possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. The only problem I can find is that of how to recommend it to your friends - I mean, how do you say it?

strange beauty, 28 Sep 2007
Writing reviews is not something I normally do, but since this album is in my opinion a masterpiece in very many ways, I feel compelled. It is one of few in my collection of thousands that really stands out above the rest.

If like me, you think music has the power to evoke places, mood and atmosphere, then you simply must buy this.

I have never come across any music from any other genre that can make you both depressed and elated - at the same time. Its power is awesome. It is utterly hypnotic. These guys from Iceland take you to strange, compelling places you've never been to before - but like flames to moths, you will surely be drawn to those bright, yet dangerously beautiful places again and again.

Be warned though - flying too close can be hazardous...

Powerful and Evocative..., 02 Mar 2007
...is two adjectives that come mind for this record. This was my first exposition to Sigur Rós. And on first listen, I was rather bemused. No really I was, the first time I listened, I am not sure I knew what to think, It didn't really make any sense, to the point where it stayed in dark deep bottoms of my CD cupboard until a few months later. Indeed I thought I had made terrible mistake, buying it, after all what attracted me that strange afternoon in HMV, was the beautiful packaging. And Indeed it is beautifully packaged, a crystal white slip case, with paranthesis cut out, covers the jewel case, which itself has just contains blank book of black and white artwork on what I can only describe is soft parchment. You could say it is represenation of what is to come, once you slip it into your cd player. The sparse emptiness of the packaging is certainly a visual metaphor, for the dark empy heavy drones that precede on the album.

Having put the CD on few months later, I finally began to appreciate these were more than ramdom drones, but evocative emotions that transcended language barriers. The album is divided into two parts seperated by a 30 second silence after track 4. It begins with "untitled 1" or "vaka" as known as its known by its working title, which starts off with a desolate piano intro. A feeling of disconnection and emptiness is what drives the both halves of the album, sparse drum beats float, while Birgissons "hopelandic" falsetto coo's lonely in a gaseous depth strings and other instruements. The second half is rather more aggressive, and definetley more heavy, with the guitars coming through more clearly particularly as the band descend into "untitled 8" (Popplagið"), which has the most unhinged and what I can only describe as the most narcotic drumming climax I have ever heard. Overall this album is definately a slow burner, and is not for the unadventurous, its not an easy album to like and probablly won't win over many new Sigur Rós fans, but it is in my view the most powerful and evocative of those in Sigur Rós' discography so far.

Highlights...
Its hard to really point out highlights in this album, as it is really concise and so well balanced, "untitled 4" and "untitled 8", definitely stand out, but otherwise this album is made to be, and is best heard so, all the way through.

Magnificent, 11 Nov 2008
This is the second in Johann's planned trilogy based on technology and picks up where the truly stunning IBM 1401, A User's Manual (released in 2006) left off. A modern classical masterpiece - I find it inconceivable that anyone would give this less than five stars! Sweeping strings, delightful electronic bursts, soaring harmonies that can't but help yank one's emotions all over the place. Anyone lucky enough to see Joahnn's live gig at the Union Chapel in the summer 2008 will know what a building-shaking, emotion-shattering talent this guy is.

Reykjavík-based noise quartet Sigur Ros are the biggest band in their native Iceland, which should say much, much more about the collective insanity of that earthquake-ridden, blizzard-beaten crag of an island than anything to do with Sigur Ros' sound. But in their music, Sigur Ros reflect all the breathtaking glory of the Icelandic wastes--a fairy-tale explosion of unhinged elemental majesty that's finally crystalised here, their debut European release. Poised somewhere between the haunting soundscapes of Labradford and the lilting Celtic falsetto of Enya, Agaetis Byrjun is a truly breathtaking listen. Frontman Jon Por Birgisson sings in a language that Sigur Ros dub Hopelandic--an otherworldly mutation of Icelandic, sung in the falsetto cadence of angels; similarly, he plays his guitar with a violin bow, opening the floodgates for brilliant waves of feedback. And while it's the opening "Svefn-G-Englar" that's Sigur Ros' defining moment to date, there's far more that Agaetis Byrjun has to offer; the pomp and flourish of a full orchestra on "Flugufrelsarinn", or the awe-inspiring near-religious mantra of "Ny Batteri". --Louis Pattison

Hate, Love, Heartbreak, 14 Nov 2008
My partner hates this album with a passion...He said it was like having sandpaper rubbed all over his face. I love it. Exquisite, strong, heartbreaking. J'adore Takk.

Very impressive, 30 Oct 2008
Sigur Ros are a band that I have admired in passing for a number of years. I liked everything I'd heard by them but didn't imagine for a minute I'd want a whole album of their stuff. But then I saw this in the sale and picked it up. Wow. What a great album. I particularly liked Hoppipola and Glosoli as they had that familiar sound to them that suggests I've heard them both on TV a number of times in things like the Olympics and such.
The fact that the lyrics are indiscipherable to me because they're in Icelandic should be annoying but it actually adds to the overall enjoyment of the music.
I'm most definitely a fan. This band can do no wrong in my eyes.

A must album, 30 Sep 2008
How can you discribe the music of Sigur Ros - pure magic. Music where the emotion is in the song, not necessarily the lyrics. An album you cannot descibe but simply have to listen to it to realise its beauty. I already heard the songs hoppipolla and saeglópur before I have recently brought the album takk, and I was amazed at the quality of the album, not just those two tracks.

Hauntingly beautiful Icelandic music, 08 Sep 2008
It was not my original intention to buy this album as I was searching the internet to find out where I could buy a copy of that wonderful piece of music used on the Planet Earth series on BBC One.

Having discovered that the theme is called Hoppipolla by an Icelandic male group called Sigur Ros, I looked them up on Amazon and found their album Takk after reading much of the positive feedback I purchased a copy.

Well I'm absolutely amazed at the original sound from this group, the music is very different and I find it easier to listen with headphones and you then get the full beauty of the sound. Obviously you get the full version of Hoppipolla which never fails to move me to tears. But the rest of the album is outstanding and definitely makes you think of icelandic volcanoes and amazing frozen scenery. A simply wonderful album.

A word of warning, 25 Jun 2008
I bought this on the strength of customer reviews which made it sound like the kind of music I might like.
Wrong. I find the music turgid and monotonous. It is difficult to determine where one track finshes and the next one begins. The strangled warble which passes for vocals is very irritating.
It may work as backing music on TV but is does not stand up on its own.
Don't be taken in by the Sigor Ros appreciation society (whose entire membership seem to have offered a review here),try before you buy!

Like a beautiful trance, 18 Jul 2008
It's hard to really put the experience of listening to this album into words. It is just a relentlessly gorgeous soundscape, even by Sigur Ros' own high standards.

Of all their albums, this is the most seamless. As many listeners have commented, the songs seem to blend into each other, as if they are different movements of one work, and the album as a whole simply encapsulates me.

That is not to say that the mood is a constant throughout. Rather, the melancholy of Track 1 gives way to the gentle and beautiful optimism of Track 3, whilst the mood of Track 4 drifts between the two, in a wonderfully passive, relaxed way. The second half of the album, in contrast, is considerably darker, whilst maintaining the beauty of the first half. It is the darker songs which mark ( ) from Agaetis Byrjun and Takk. Due to this, the album comes across (at least to this listener) as the purest, most emotional, most revealing album by Sigur Ros, and possibly of any band I have heard.

This is a quite exceptional album.



the sound of snowblind angels flying into the sun..., 20 Nov 2007
to appreciate this album, you must listen to it from start to finish, it is utterly sublime.

( ... ), 26 Oct 2007
First of all, don't be scared that it will be depressing. It's dark, emotional and immensely powerful, is what it is. This isn't an album to share headphones for at the bus stop, or put on shuffle on your MP3 player with any other tracks. Possibly the only way to do it is listen to the whole thing, in order, in bed in the middle of the night when no one else can hear you. Or maybe on a plane. Or sitting up a tree in a forest after a long bike ride, where birdsong can add to it. They say you're meant to write your own lyrics on the ethereal pages of the booklet (be careful taking this out - it's fragile), and maybe I will one day, but at the moment I'd rather just do so in my head. Everyone on Earth should listen to this album at least once, and then they might just relax even for an hour and a bit. Track 8 is possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. The only problem I can find is that of how to recommend it to your friends - I mean, how do you say it?

strange beauty, 28 Sep 2007
Writing reviews is not something I normally do, but since this album is in my opinion a masterpiece in very many ways, I feel compelled. It is one of few in my collection of thousands that really stands out above the rest.

If like me, you think music has the power to evoke places, mood and atmosphere, then you simply must buy this.

I have never come across any music from any other genre that can make you both depressed and elated - at the same time. Its power is awesome. It is utterly hypnotic. These guys from Iceland take you to strange, compelling places you've never been to before - but like flames to moths, you will surely be drawn to those bright, yet dangerously beautiful places again and again.

Be warned though - flying too close can be hazardous...

Powerful and Evocative..., 02 Mar 2007
...is two adjectives that come mind for this record. This was my first exposition to Sigur Rós. And on first listen, I was rather bemused. No really I was, the first time I listened, I am not sure I knew what to think, It didn't really make any sense, to the point where it stayed in dark deep bottoms of my CD cupboard until a few months later. Indeed I thought I had made terrible mistake, buying it, after all what attracted me that strange afternoon in HMV, was the beautiful packaging. And Indeed it is beautifully packaged, a crystal white slip case, with paranthesis cut out, covers the jewel case, which itself has just contains blank book of black and white artwork on what I can only describe is soft parchment. You could say it is represenation of what is to come, once you slip it into your cd player. The sparse emptiness of the packaging is certainly a visual metaphor, for the dark empy heavy drones that precede on the album.

Having put the CD on few months later, I finally began to appreciate these were more than ramdom drones, but evocative emotions that transcended language barriers. The album is divided into two parts seperated by a 30 second silence after track 4. It begins with "untitled 1" or "vaka" as known as its known by its working title, which starts off with a desolate piano intro. A feeling of disconnection and emptiness is what drives the both halves of the album, sparse drum beats float, while Birgissons "hopelandic" falsetto coo's lonely in a gaseous depth strings and other instruements. The second half is rather more aggressive, and definetley more heavy, with the guitars coming through more clearly particularly as the band descend into "untitled 8" (Popplagið"), which has the most unhinged and what I can only describe as the most narcotic drumming climax I have ever heard. Overall this album is definately a slow burner, and is not for the unadventurous, its not an easy album to like and probablly won't win over many new Sigur Rós fans, but it is in my view the most powerful and evocative of those in Sigur Rós' discography so far.

Highlights...
Its hard to really point out highlights in this album, as it is really concise and so well balanced, "untitled 4" and "untitled 8", definitely stand out, but otherwise this album is made to be, and is best heard so, all the way through.

Magnificent, 11 Nov 2008
This is the second in Johann's planned trilogy based on technology and picks up where the truly stunning IBM 1401, A User's Manual (released in 2006) left off. A modern classical masterpiece - I find it inconceivable that anyone would give this less than five stars! Sweeping strings, delightful electronic bursts, soaring harmonies that can't but help yank one's emotions all over the place. Anyone lucky enough to see Joahnn's live gig at the Union Chapel in the summer 2008 will know what a building-shaking, emotion-shattering talent this guy is.

Not sure if I completely get this music?!, 25 Aug 2008
I must admit that I don't know if I completely understand this music (yet?). It's kind of like new age Pink Floyd with an Icelandic twist. The reason I say that is because it has such a broad expanse of sound which I do like. I must admit the middle of the album is really worth buying it for - there is such a lot going on it's awesome. However on the down side I feel that some of the tracks are a bit long and seem to have these very strange endings where a load of odd unrelated sounds seem to be tagged on as an after thought. Apart from that it has really grown on me and I think if you like something a bit out of the norm then this may well be for you.

Genius, 15 Jul 2008
Id never heard of this 4 piece band until recently and have since purchased 3 of there albums its so unique

Human music beamed in from a distant galaxy, 04 Jun 2008
Hearing Sigur Ros for the first time , as most of us did when hearing Agaetis byrjun, is akin, i imagine , to not just hearing music beamed down from another planet but hearing music beamed across from the far side of a far distant galaxy. The sort of thing Star Trek "Voyager" might have heard on their sojourn through the delta quadrant.( the cover , featuring a ballpoint pen drawing by a friend of the band further ratifies the music's alien ambience) The nearest comparison, and i realise that i am being far from being original here, are The Cocteau Twins , though even their celestial otherworldliness does,nt really compare to the Icelandic quartet.
Agaetis byrjun (Icelandic for An alright start) was originally released in June 1999 and is actually the bands second album , though i was under the misconception for some considerable time that it was their debut. With reference to the Cocteau Twins comparison their actual debut "Von Brigoi" is actually more like them mixed in with ambient drifts not unlike certain Eno or Seefeel. This album though is virtually unique. The astonishing falsetto vocals of Jon Birgisson soar over his cello bowed guitars and the diffuse keyboards of Kjsrtan Sveinsson . Abyss plunging bass lines keep the whole anchored somewhere adjacent to terra firma.
Further enhancing the music's obtuse quality's are degrees of self-reference. The first track "Intro" is,nt listed on the packaging and while most of the songs are sung in Icelandic ( though , even in English they would be indecipherable i feel) "Olsen Olsen" is sung in the gibberish language Vonlenska- which the band used for the entire follow up album ( ). The band also pull off sly technical tricks like making the strings in "Staralfur" palindromic or the fact that "Avalon" is in fact the aforementioned tracked played at a quarter of it,s speed.
Putting all this clever muso mumbo jumbo to one side though the real glory of Sigur Ros is the breathtaking emotional clout of the songs. "Svefn-g- englar" ( It translates as sleepwalkers) is consummately spine tingling -the sort of track i never ever tire of hearing . "Staraflur" has lump in the throat panoramic strings while on "Flugufrelsarinn" ( The Fly Freer) they are more sombre and elegiac like a Morricone soundtrack.
Agaetis byrjun remains Sigur Ros,s finest achievement, certainly better than the sombre ( ) and while "Takk" was a return to form it never matches the grace and insidious alien textures of this album. Whatever planet, galaxy , cosmos Agaetis byrnum is beamed from it remains a vital thrilling human experience.



ethereal and dreamy... , 07 May 2008
After debut album Von appeared domestically, this one was expected to be Sigur Ros' global take over and yes... it was; definitely a perfectly crafted piece, it placed the boys as best current artsy band. Close your eyes and loose yourself over it... pictures of Iceland will come to your head, sometimes as sweet as a lullaby (Svefn-g-englar), sometimes playfully explosive (Olsen-Olsen); a soundtrack for heaven?... I hope so, it would be great to ascend heavens with a score like this... If you are to start with Sigur Ros, get this one first and share it with as much people as possible, you will never regret and you will put some light into the darkness.

Best place to start, 14 Jan 2008
I cannot add any further to what the previous 70 odd reviewers have already said, but being a big fan of Sigur Ros for some years I can advise anyone wishing to purchase this bands music for the first time that this album is the finest place to start. Previous and Subsequent albums are still full of their high quality individual material, but just lack in the variety of content of Agaetis Byrjun.

Hate, Love, Heartbreak, 14 Nov 2008
My partner hates this album with a passion...He said it was like having sandpaper rubbed all over his face. I love it. Exquisite, strong, heartbreaking. J'adore Takk.

Very impressive, 30 Oct 2008
Sigur Ros are a band that I have admired in passing for a number of years. I liked everything I'd heard by them but didn't imagine for a minute I'd want a whole album of their stuff. But then I saw this in the sale and picked it up. Wow. What a great album. I particularly liked Hoppipola and Glosoli as they had that familiar sound to them that suggests I've heard them both on TV a number of times in things like the Olympics and such.
The fact that the lyrics are indiscipherable to me because they're in Icelandic should be annoying but it actually adds to the overall enjoyment of the music.
I'm most definitely a fan. This band can do no wrong in my eyes.

A must album, 30 Sep 2008
How can you discribe the music of Sigur Ros - pure magic. Music where the emotion is in the song, not necessarily the lyrics. An album you cannot descibe but simply have to listen to it to realise its beauty. I already heard the songs hoppipolla and saeglópur before I have recently brought the album takk, and I was amazed at the quality of the album, not just those two tracks.

Hauntingly beautiful Icelandic music, 08 Sep 2008
It was not my original intention to buy this album as I was searching the internet to find out where I could buy a copy of that wonderful piece of music used on the Planet Earth series on BBC One.

Having discovered that the theme is called Hoppipolla by an Icelandic male group called Sigur Ros, I looked them up on Amazon and found their album Takk after reading much of the positive feedback I purchased a copy.

Well I'm absolutely amazed at the original sound from this group, the music is very different and I find it easier to listen with headphones and you then get the full beauty of the sound. Obviously you get the full version of Hoppipolla which never fails to move me to tears. But the rest of the album is outstanding and definitely makes you think of icelandic volcanoes and amazing frozen scenery. A simply wonderful album.

A word of warning, 25 Jun 2008
I bought this on the strength of customer reviews which made it sound like the kind of music I might like.
Wrong. I find the music turgid and monotonous. It is difficult to determine where one track finshes and the next one begins. The strangled warble which passes for vocals is very irritating.
It may work as backing music on TV but is does not stand up on its own.
Don't be taken in by the Sigor Ros appreciation society (whose entire membership seem to have offered a review here),try before you buy!

Like a beautiful trance, 18 Jul 2008
It's hard to really put the experience of listening to this album into words. It is just a relentlessly gorgeous soundscape, even by Sigur Ros' own high standards.

Of all their albums, this is the most seamless. As many listeners have commented, the songs seem to blend into each other, as if they are different movements of one work, and the album as a whole simply encapsulates me.

That is not to say that the mood is a constant throughout. Rather, the melancholy of Track 1 gives way to the gentle and beautiful optimism of Track 3, whilst the mood of Track 4 drifts between the two, in a wonderfully passive, relaxed way. The second half of the album, in contrast, is considerably darker, whilst maintaining the beauty of the first half. It is the darker songs which mark ( ) from Agaetis Byrjun and Takk. Due to this, the album comes across (at least to this listener) as the purest, most emotional, most revealing album by Sigur Ros, and possibly of any band I have heard.

This is a quite exceptional album.



the sound of snowblind angels flying into the sun..., 20 Nov 2007
to appreciate this album, you must listen to it from start to finish, it is utterly sublime.

( ... ), 26 Oct 2007
First of all, don't be scared that it will be depressing. It's dark, emotional and immensely powerful, is what it is. This isn't an album to share headphones for at the bus stop, or put on shuffle on your MP3 player with any other tracks. Possibly the only way to do it is listen to the whole thing, in order, in bed in the middle of the night when no one else can hear you. Or maybe on a plane. Or sitting up a tree in a forest after a long bike ride, where birdsong can add to it. They say you're meant to write your own lyrics on the ethereal pages of the booklet (be careful taking this out - it's fragile), and maybe I will one day, but at the moment I'd rather just do so in my head. Everyone on Earth should listen to this album at least once, and then they might just relax even for an hour and a bit. Track 8 is possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. The only problem I can find is that of how to recommend it to your friends - I mean, how do you say it?

strange beauty, 28 Sep 2007
Writing reviews is not something I normally do, but since this album is in my opinion a masterpiece in very many ways, I feel compelled. It is one of few in my collection of thousands that really stands out above the rest.

If like me, you think music has the power to evoke places, mood and atmosphere, then you simply must buy this.

I have never come across any music from any other genre that can make you both depressed and elated - at the same time. Its power is awesome. It is utterly hypnotic. These guys from Iceland take you to strange, compelling places you've never been to before - but like flames to moths, you will surely be drawn to those bright, yet dangerously beautiful places again and again.

Be warned though - flying too close can be hazardous...

Powerful and Evocative..., 02 Mar 2007
...is two adjectives that come mind for this record. This was my first exposition to Sigur Rós. And on first listen, I was rather bemused. No really I was, the first time I listened, I am not sure I knew what to think, It didn't really make any sense, to the point where it stayed in dark deep bottoms of my CD cupboard until a few months later. Indeed I thought I had made terrible mistake, buying it, after all what attracted me that strange afternoon in HMV, was the beautiful packaging. And Indeed it is beautifully packaged, a crystal white slip case, with paranthesis cut out, covers the jewel case, which itself has just contains blank book of black and white artwork on what I can only describe is soft parchment. You could say it is represenation of what is to come, once you slip it into your cd player. The sparse emptiness of the packaging is certainly a visual metaphor, for the dark empy heavy drones that precede on the album.

Having put the CD on few months later, I finally began to appreciate these were more than ramdom drones, but evocative emotions that transcended language barriers. The album is divided into two parts seperated by a 30 second silence after track 4. It begins with "untitled 1" or "vaka" as known as its known by its working title, which starts off with a desolate piano intro. A feeling of disconnection and emptiness is what drives the both halves of the album, sparse drum beats float, while Birgissons "hopelandic" falsetto coo's lonely in a gaseous depth strings and other instruements. The second half is rather more aggressive, and definetley more heavy, with the guitars coming through more clearly particularly as the band descend into "untitled 8" (Popplagið"), which has the most unhinged and what I can only describe as the most narcotic drumming climax I have ever heard. Overall this album is definately a slow burner, and is not for the unadventurous, its not an easy album to like and probablly won't win over many new Sigur Rós fans, but it is in my view the most powerful and evocative of those in Sigur Rós' discography so far.

Highlights...
Its hard to really point out highlights in this album, as it is really concise and so well balanced, "untitled 4" and "untitled 8", definitely stand out, but otherwise this album is made to be, and is best heard so, all the way through.

Magnificent, 11 Nov 2008
This is the second in Johann's planned trilogy based on technology and picks up where the truly stunning IBM 1401, A User's Manual (released in 2006) left off. A modern classical masterpiece - I find it inconceivable that anyone would give this less than five stars! Sweeping strings, delightful electronic bursts, soaring harmonies that can't but help yank one's emotions all over the place. Anyone lucky enough to see Joahnn's live gig at the Union Chapel in the summer 2008 will know what a building-shaking, emotion-shattering talent this guy is.

Not sure if I completely get this music?!, 25 Aug 2008
I must admit that I don't know if I completely understand this music (yet?). It's kind of like new age Pink Floyd with an Icelandic twist. The reason I say that is because it has such a broad expanse of sound which I do like. I must admit the middle of the album is really worth buying it for - there is such a lot going on it's awesome. However on the down side I feel that some of the tracks are a bit long and seem to have these very strange endings where a load of odd unrelated sounds seem to be tagged on as an after thought. Apart from that it has really grown on me and I think if you like something a bit out of the norm then this may well be for you.

Genius, 15 Jul 2008
Id never heard of this 4 piece band until recently and have since purchased 3 of there albums its so unique

Human music beamed in from a distant galaxy, 04 Jun 2008
Hearing Sigur Ros for the first time , as most of us did when hearing Agaetis byrjun, is akin, i imagine , to not just hearing music beamed down from another planet but hearing music beamed across from the far side of a far distant galaxy. The sort of thing Star Trek "Voyager" might have heard on their sojourn through the delta quadrant.( the cover , featuring a ballpoint pen drawing by a friend of the band further ratifies the music's alien ambience) The nearest comparison, and i realise that i am being far from being original here, are The Cocteau Twins , though even their celestial otherworldliness does,nt really compare to the Icelandic quartet.
Agaetis byrjun (Icelandic for An alright start) was originally released in June 1999 and is actually the bands second album , though i was under the misconception for some considerable time that it was their debut. With reference to the Cocteau Twins comparison their actual debut "Von Brigoi" is actually more like them mixed in with ambient drifts not unlike certain Eno or Seefeel. This album though is virtually unique. The astonishing falsetto vocals of Jon Birgisson soar over his cello bowed guitars and the diffuse keyboards of Kjsrtan Sveinsson . Abyss plunging bass lines keep the whole anchored somewhere adjacent to terra firma.
Further enhancing the music's obtuse quality's are degrees of self-reference. The first track "Intro" is,nt listed on the packaging and while most of the songs are sung in Icelandic ( though , even in English they would be indecipherable i feel) "Olsen Olsen" is sung in the gibberish language Vonlenska- which the band used for the entire follow up album ( ). The band also pull off sly technical tricks like making the strings in "Staralfur" palindromic or the fact that "Avalon" is in fact the aforementioned tracked played at a quarter of it,s speed.
Putting all this clever muso mumbo jumbo to one side though the real glory of Sigur Ros is the breathtaking emotional clout of the songs. "Svefn-g- englar" ( It translates as sleepwalkers) is consummately spine tingling -the sort of track i never ever tire of hearing . "Staraflur" has lump in the throat panoramic strings while on "Flugufrelsarinn" ( The Fly Freer) they are more sombre and elegiac like a Morricone soundtrack.
Agaetis byrjun remains Sigur Ros,s finest achievement, certainly better than the sombre ( ) and while "Takk" was a return to form it never matches the grace and insidious alien textures of this album. Whatever planet, galaxy , cosmos Agaetis byrnum is beamed from it remains a vital thrilling human experience.



ethereal and dreamy... , 07 May 2008
After debut album Von appeared domestically, this one was expected to be Sigur Ros' global take over and yes... it was; definitely a perfectly crafted piece, it placed the boys as best current artsy band. Close your eyes and loose yourself over it... pictures of Iceland will come to your head, sometimes as sweet as a lullaby (Svefn-g-englar), sometimes playfully explosive (Olsen-Olsen); a soundtrack for heaven?... I hope so, it would be great to ascend heavens with a score like this... If you are to start with Sigur Ros, get this one first and share it with as much people as possible, you will never regret and you will put some light into the darkness.

Best place to start, 14 Jan 2008
I cannot add any further to what the previous 70 odd reviewers have already said, but being a big fan of Sigur Ros for some years I can advise anyone wishing to purchase this bands music for the first time that this album is the finest place to start. Previous and Subsequent albums are still full of their high quality individual material, but just lack in the variety of content of Agaetis Byrjun.

A sublime experience...there's an x factor here that cant be missed., 30 Oct 2008
This album is groundbreaking on many levels. This is mainly down to the first "track", the heavenly music corporation, which is almost palimpsest-like, in that the reverse and slow speed incarnations are both here (there are explainations given as to why..chortle away at the history), and its the same piece of music...yet it sounds different enough to warrant inclusion.

Being a composer/producer, I noticed a sizeable difference in the audio quality of this master compared to the previous incarnation of the album. Everything is crisper, and more punchier, WITHOUT losing the ambient remit which this album perhaps inadvertantly ended up setting (eno's truer ambient works started later). Swastika girls is more raucous and simmery/ glittery depending on your auditory/ kinasthetic disposition, and quite a volte-face to the first "track". It still works well, but isnt so immediately accessible. There's more trickery here, and obvious overdubs, compared to the first, which was just the dual revox and pedalboard set-up.

24 bit mastering, coupled with lots of extra tracks, track markers/indents to make it easy to get to your faveourite parts, crisp repackaging...every boy needs this album. Especially if your an affecianado of electronica AND guitarwork.

Classless, if no longer peerless.

What the Fripp do Eno, 07 Oct 2008
I agree with much that has been said about the excellence of this album but surely Amazon have scored 1 star agian for lumping all the old reviews for the originalk CD version of this album into the page for this new version. I looked this up to try to get a handle on the "reversed" and "half speed" versions that are included in this 2 CD edition. Sadly there does not seem to be any.

To my ears the half speed version of Heavenly Music Corporation is very heavy and dense. You will not want to play this on anything that can not cope with very deep bass sounds. The reversed Swatsika Girls version sounds very similar to the forwards version. Great stuff

Groundbreaking ambient guitar soundscape record, 18 Jan 2007
Eno and Fripp developed a tape loop feedback system to apply to the guitar work of Robert Fripp. This recording shows the system off to its maximum potential and consists of two long tracks that explore a soundscape entirely invented by their unique musical talents. Swooping guitar sounds combine with synthesised textures in what can sometimes begin to feel very dense. There is a lot of detail in the treatments as well and these maintain the listeners interest. Despite the age of the record it does bear repeated listenings and my copy gets a regular airing at home. An essential Fripp & Eno recording and one of the better examples of Fripp's work.

fripp and eno: THE heavenly music co.!, 31 Jul 2004
1973's 'no pussyfooting' is a classic example of two artists at the top of their respective games collaborating to create something magnificent.

in this case it was king crimson guitarist robert fripp (inventor of the famous 'frippertronics' technique) and brian eno, legendary roxy music synthesizer twiddler.

it's a majestic minimalist experiment that has little or no concern with the typical elements of rock. no rhythm section and no vocals, just a black gibson les paul guitar and some machines. it's ice-cold, eerie, sophisticated cover photo gives clues to the music within.

the entire album consists of two side-length pieces, entitled 'the heavenly music corporation' and 'swastika girls'. 't.h.m.c' is a grand, sweeping piece that shows off the stark contrast between the two artists. it's like hot and cold: the icy, relentless pulsing of eno's revox tape reels and synths, and the dense, earthy rumble of fripp's extended solos. it's stunning.

at first, 'swastika girls' seems like a bit of a let down compared to the last twenty minutes, but it's not. again, the contrast is startling. eno's synths glitter and sparkle like the sun on water, twinkling until the last second. fripp's gibson enters quietly after around seven and a half minutes, building in intensity until it sounds like the turbo-charged turbine engine we heard on the first track.

admittedly, the thought of an album with only two tracks each lasting twenty minutes and being entirely instrumental puts a lot of people off. i know that my parents and my mates hate this album, and that a lot of people dismiss this kind of music as wallpaper music, but i was stunned by it straight away. i love 'no pussyfooting' and you need only listen to a few seconds of the middle section of track one (the part where fripp almost paraphrases hendrix at woodstock '69) to know that this is anything but background.

'no pussyfooting' is apparently not the easiest cd in the world to get hold of, but it is well worth seeking it out, as is fripp & eno's second effort, 'evening star', which follows in the same formula but is a bit more concise.

five stars, without a doubt. *****

Soothing Stuff, 29 Apr 2004
Although I have to say I'm not a big fan of Robert Fripp's, Brian Eno's eclectic career as a producer, composer and arranger always throws up something different. 'No Pussyfooting' was his first real attempt at a pseudo-solo album. As can be seen from the photo on the cover, he was still a member of Roxy Music at the time, but obviously felt limited by their 'pop' image in terms of his music making. Ironically Eno was probably the most outrageous looking member of Roxy Music (which maybe one of the reasons Brian Ferry wanted him to leave). But since beginning his solo career his music has become the very epitome of the "non-image". Music that never speaks to the emotions or the intellect but simply floats in and around your environment or situation.
On the 'Heavenly Music Corporation' most of this ambience is created by Fripp, developing a technique that would later be described as 'Frippertronics'. Track after track is layered on top of each other as Fripp plays dense harmonies in tune with each other. In fact most of the background track is just a dense layer of protracted harmony, dispensing with any notion of melody altogether. But when Fripp starts to improvise his pseudo-stadium rock solos, the effect can be mildly soothing. At the end of the piece Fripp's dive-bombing effects are quite startling, endlessly looping a false ending. 'Swatika Girls' sounds mostly like the work of Eno but unfortunately is not as inventive as the first track. Too many instruments vie for attention and when Fripp's improvisations come in at the end, they sound like the cry of something uncontrollable trying to break free from a repetitive 'Groundhog Day' backing track.

Moon Safari, the first album proper by this pair of middle-class Frenchmen, easily survives unscathed from its billing as that most deadly of sub-genres: dinner party music. True, Moon Safari, with its blatant bliss-provoking easy listening chimes, sits well beside Everything But the Girl's Walking Wounded or Portishead's Dummy, but the album is steeped in too much musical verve and gallic humour to become as dull as Chardonnay. "Sexy Boy", the first single, is a rock-out slab of electronica about a toy monkey, for instance--hardly the thing to discuss in polite society. This album's highs come with their two marriages with the contributing vocals of American Beth Hirsch. "All I Need" and "You Make It Easy" are shockingly successful, with Hirsch bringing gravitas and sincerity, flagging the album with strong emotional pointers in the midst of their musical adventures. If you didn't know, you'd think her words were sampled from a lost jazz classic--that's how good this record sounds. --Charlie Porter

Hate, Love, Heartbreak, 14 Nov 2008
My partner hates this album with a passion...He said it was like having sandpaper rubbed all over his face. I love it. Exquisite, strong, heartbreaking. J'adore Takk.

Very impressive, 30 Oct 2008
Sigur Ros are a band that I have admired in passing for a number of years. I liked everything I'd heard by them but didn't imagine for a minute I'd want a whole album of their stuff. But then I saw this in the sale and picked it up. Wow. What a great album. I particularly liked Hoppipola and Glosoli as they had that familiar sound to them that suggests I've heard them both on TV a number of times in things like the Olympics and such.
The fact that the lyrics are indiscipherable to me because they're in Icelandic should be annoying but it actually adds to the overall enjoyment of the music.
I'm most definitely a fan. This band can do no wrong in my eyes.

A must album, 30 Sep 2008
How can you discribe the music of Sigur Ros - pure magic. Music where the emotion is in the song, not necessarily the lyrics. An album you cannot descibe but simply have to listen to it to realise its beauty. I already heard the songs hoppipolla and saeglópur before I have recently brought the album takk, and I was amazed at the quality of the album, not just those two tracks.

Hauntingly beautiful Icelandic music, 08 Sep 2008
It was not my original intention to buy this album as I was searching the internet to find out where I could buy a copy of that wonderful piece of music used on the Planet Earth series on BBC One.

Having discovered that the theme is called Hoppipolla by an Icelandic male group called Sigur Ros, I looked them up on Amazon and found their album Takk after reading much of the positive feedback I purchased a copy.

Well I'm absolutely amazed at the original sound from this group, the music is very different and I find it easier to listen with headphones and you then get the full beauty of the sound. Obviously you get the full version of Hoppipolla which never fails to move me to tears. But the rest of the album is outstanding and definitely makes you think of icelandic volcanoes and amazing frozen scenery. A simply wonderful album.

A word of warning, 25 Jun 2008
I bought this on the strength of customer reviews which made it sound like the kind of music I might like.
Wrong. I find the music turgid and monotonous. It is difficult to determine where one track finshes and the next one begins. The strangled warble which passes for vocals is very irritating.
It may work as backing music on TV but is does not stand up on its own.
Don't be taken in by the Sigor Ros appreciation society (whose entire membership seem to have offered a review here),try before you buy!

Like a beautiful trance, 18 Jul 2008
It's hard to really put the experience of listening to this album into words. It is just a relentlessly gorgeous soundscape, even by Sigur Ros' own high standards.

Of all their albums, this is the most seamless. As many listeners have commented, the songs seem to blend into each other, as if they are different movements of one work, and the album as a whole simply encapsulates me.

That is not to say that the mood is a constant throughout. Rather, the melancholy of Track 1 gives way to the gentle and beautiful optimism of Track 3, whilst the mood of Track 4 drifts between the two, in a wonderfully passive, relaxed way. The second half of the album, in contrast, is considerably darker, whilst maintaining the beauty of the first half. It is the darker songs which mark ( ) from Agaetis Byrjun and Takk. Due to this, the album comes across (at least to this listener) as the purest, most emotional, most revealing album by Sigur Ros, and possibly of any band I have heard.

This is a quite exceptional album.



the sound of snowblind angels flying into the sun..., 20 Nov 2007
to appreciate this album, you must listen to it from start to finish, it is utterly sublime.

( ... ), 26 Oct 2007
First of all, don't be scared that it will be depressing. It's dark, emotional and immensely powerful, is what it is. This isn't an album to share headphones for at the bus stop, or put on shuffle on your MP3 player with any other tracks. Possibly the only way to do it is listen to the whole thing, in order, in bed in the middle of the night when no one else can hear you. Or maybe on a plane. Or sitting up a tree in a forest after a long bike ride, where birdsong can add to it. They say you're meant to write your own lyrics on the ethereal pages of the booklet (be careful taking this out - it's fragile), and maybe I will one day, but at the moment I'd rather just do so in my head. Everyone on Earth should listen to this album at least once, and then they might just relax even for an hour and a bit. Track 8 is possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. The only problem I can find is that of how to recommend it to your friends - I mean, how do you say it?

strange beauty, 28 Sep 2007
Writing reviews is not something I normally do, but since this album is in my opinion a masterpiece in very many ways, I feel compelled. It is one of few in my collection of thousands that really stands out above the rest.

If like me, you think music has the power to evoke places, mood and atmosphere, then you simply must buy this.

I have never come across any music from any other genre that can make you both depressed and elated - at the same time. Its power is awesome. It is utterly hypnotic. These guys from Iceland take you to strange, compelling places you've never been to before - but like flames to moths, you will surely be drawn to those bright, yet dangerously beautiful places again and again.

Be warned though - flying too close can be hazardous...

Powerful and Evocative..., 02 Mar 2007
...is two adjectives that come mind for this record. This was my first exposition to Sigur Rós. And on first listen, I was rather bemused. No really I was, the first time I listened, I am not sure I knew what to think, It didn't really make any sense, to the point where it stayed in dark deep bottoms of my CD cupboard until a few months later. Indeed I thought I had made terrible mistake, buying it, after all what attracted me that strange afternoon in HMV, was the beautiful packaging. And Indeed it is beautifully packaged, a crystal white slip case, with paranthesis cut out, covers the jewel case, which itself has just contains blank book of black and white artwork on what I can only describe is soft parchment. You could say it is represenation of what is to come, once you slip it into your cd player. The sparse emptiness of the packaging is certainly a visual metaphor, for the dark empy heavy drones that precede on the album.

Having put the CD on few months later, I finally began to appreciate these were more than ramdom drones, but evocative emotions that transcended language barriers. The album is divided into two parts seperated by a 30 second silence after track 4. It begins with "untitled 1" or "vaka" as known as its known by its working title, which starts off with a desolate piano intro. A feeling of disconnection and emptiness is what drives the both halves of the album, sparse drum beats float, while Birgissons "hopelandic" falsetto coo's lonely in a gaseous depth strings and other instruements. The second half is rather more aggressive, and definetley more heavy, with the guitars coming through more clearly particularly as the band descend into "untitled 8" (Popplagið"), which has the most unhinged and what I can only describe as the most narcotic drumming climax I have ever heard. Overall this album is definately a slow burner, and is not for the unadventurous, its not an easy album to like and probablly won't win over many new Sigur Rós fans, but it is in my view the most powerful and evocative of those in Sigur Rós' discography so far.

Highlights...
Its hard to really point out highlights in this album, as it is really concise and so well balanced, "untitled 4" and "untitled 8", definitely stand out, but otherwise this album is made to be, and is best heard so, all the way through.

Magnificent, 11 Nov 2008
This is the second in Johann's planned trilogy based on technology and picks up where the truly stunning IBM 1401, A User's Manual (released in 2006) left off. A modern classical masterpiece - I find it inconceivable that anyone would give this less than five stars! Sweeping strings, delightful electronic bursts, soaring harmonies that can't but help yank one's emotions all over the place. Anyone lucky enough to see Joahnn's live gig at the Union Chapel in the summer 2008 will know what a building-shaking, emotion-shattering talent this guy is.

Not sure if I completely get this music?!, 25 Aug 2008
I must admit that I don't know if I completely understand this music (yet?). It's kind of like new age Pink Floyd with an Icelandic twist. The reason I say that is because it has such a broad expanse of sound which I do like. I must admit the middle of the album is really worth buying it for - there is such a lot going on it's awesome. However on the down side I feel that some of the tracks are a bit long and seem to have these very strange endings where a load of odd unrelated sounds seem to be tagged on as an after thought. Apart from that it has really grown on me and I think if you like something a bit out of the norm then this may well be for you.

Genius, 15 Jul 2008
Id never heard of this 4 piece band until recently and have since purchased 3 of there albums its so unique

Human music beamed in from a distant galaxy, 04 Jun 2008
Hearing Sigur Ros for the first time , as most of us did when hearing Agaetis byrjun, is akin, i imagine , to not just hearing music beamed down from another planet but hearing music beamed across from the far side of a far distant galaxy. The sort of thing Star Trek "Voyager" might have heard on their sojourn through the delta quadrant.( the cover , featuring a ballpoint pen drawing by a friend of the band further ratifies the music's alien ambience) The nearest comparison, and i realise that i am being far from being original here, are The Cocteau Twins , though even their celestial otherworldliness does,nt really compare to the Icelandic quartet.
Agaetis byrjun (Icelandic for An alright start) was originally released in June 1999 and is actually the bands second album , though i was under the misconception for some considerable time that it was their debut. With reference to the Cocteau Twins comparison their actual debut "Von Brigoi" is actually more like them mixed in with ambient drifts not unlike certain Eno or Seefeel. This album though is virtually unique. The astonishing falsetto vocals of Jon Birgisson soar over his cello bowed guitars and the diffuse keyboards of Kjsrtan Sveinsson . Abyss plunging bass lines keep the whole anchored somewhere adjacent to terra firma.
Further enhancing the music's obtuse quality's are degrees of self-reference. The first track "Intro" is,nt listed on the packaging and while most of the songs are sung in Icelandic ( though , even in English they would be indecipherable i feel) "Olsen Olsen" is sung in the gibberish language Vonlenska- which the band used for the entire follow up album ( ). The band also pull off sly technical tricks like making the strings in "Staralfur" palindromic or the fact that "Avalon" is in fact the aforementioned tracked played at a quarter of it,s speed.
Putting all this clever muso mumbo jumbo to one side though the real glory of Sigur Ros is the breathtaking emotional clout of the songs. "Svefn-g- englar" ( It translates as sleepwalkers) is consummately spine tingling -the sort of track i never ever tire of hearing . "Staraflur" has lump in the throat panoramic strings while on "Flugufrelsarinn" ( The Fly Freer) they are more sombre and elegiac like a Morricone soundtrack.
Agaetis byrjun remains Sigur Ros,s finest achievement, certainly better than the sombre ( ) and while "Takk" was a return to form it never matches the grace and insidious alien textures of this album. Whatever planet, galaxy , cosmos Agaetis byrnum is beamed from it remains a vital thrilling human experience.



ethereal and dreamy... , 07 May 2008
After debut album Von appeared domestically, this one was expected to be Sigur Ros' global take over and yes... it was; definitely a perfectly crafted piece, it placed the boys as best current artsy band. Close your eyes and loose yourself over it... pictures of Iceland will come to your head, sometimes as sweet as a lullaby (Svefn-g-englar), sometimes playfully explosive (Olsen-Olsen); a soundtrack for heaven?... I hope so, it would be great to ascend heavens with a score like this... If you are to start with Sigur Ros, get this one first and share it with as much people as possible, you will never regret and you will put some light into the darkness.

Best place to start, 14 Jan 2008
I cannot add any further to what the previous 70 odd reviewers have already said, but being a big fan of Sigur Ros for some years I can advise anyone wishing to purchase this bands music for the first time that this album is the finest place to start. Previous and Subsequent albums are still full of their high quality individual material, but just lack in the variety of content of Agaetis Byrjun.

A sublime experience...there's an x factor here that cant be missed., 30 Oct 2008
This album is groundbreaking on many levels. This is mainly down to the first "track", the heavenly music corporation, which is almost palimpsest-like, in that the reverse and slow speed incarnations are both here (there are explainations given as to why..chortle away at the history), and its the same piece of music...yet it sounds different enough to warrant inclusion.

Being a composer/producer, I noticed a sizeable difference in the audio quality of this master compared to the previous incarnation of the album. Everything is crisper, and more punchier, WITHOUT losing the ambient remit which this album perhaps inadvertantly ended up setting (eno's truer ambient works started later). Swastika girls is more raucous and simmery/ glittery depending on your auditory/ kinasthetic disposition, and quite a volte-face to the first "track". It still works well, but isnt so immediately accessible. There's more trickery here, and obvious overdubs, compared to the first, which was just the dual revox and pedalboard set-up.

24 bit mastering, coupled with lots of extra tracks, track markers/indents to make it easy to get to your faveourite parts, crisp repackaging...every boy needs this album. Especially if your an affecianado of electronica AND guitarwork.

Classless, if no longer peerless.

What the Fripp do Eno, 07 Oct 2008
I agree with much that has been said about the excellence of this album but surely Amazon have scored 1 star agian for lumping all the old reviews for the originalk CD version of this album into the page for this new version. I looked this up to try to get a handle on the "reversed" and "half speed" versions that are included in this 2 CD edition. Sadly there does not seem to be any.

To my ears the half speed version of Heavenly Music Corporation is very heavy and dense. You will not want to play this on anything that can not cope with very deep bass sounds. The reversed Swatsika Girls version sounds very similar to the forwards version. Great stuff

Groundbreaking ambient guitar soundscape record, 18 Jan 2007
Eno and Fripp developed a tape loop feedback system to apply to the guitar work of Robert Fripp. This recording shows the system off to its maximum potential and consists of two long tracks that explore a soundscape entirely invented by their unique musical talents. Swooping guitar sounds combine with synthesised textures in what can sometimes begin to feel very dense. There is a lot of detail in the treatments as well and these maintain the listeners interest. Despite the age of the record it does bear repeated listenings and my copy gets a regular airing at home. An essential Fripp & Eno recording and one of the better examples of Fripp's work.

fripp and eno: THE heavenly music co.!, 31 Jul 2004
1973's 'no pussyfooting' is a classic example of two artists at the top of their respective games collaborating to create something magnificent.

in this case it was king crimson guitarist robert fripp (inventor of the famous 'frippertronics' technique) and brian eno, legendary roxy music synthesizer twiddler.

it's a majestic minimalist experiment that has little or no concern with the typical elements of rock. no rhythm section and no vocals, just a black gibson les paul guitar and some machines. it's ice-cold, eerie, sophisticated cover photo gives clues to the music within.

the entire album consists of two side-length pieces, entitled 'the heavenly music corporation' and 'swastika girls'. 't.h.m.c' is a grand, sweeping piece that shows off the stark contrast between the two artists. it's like hot and cold: the icy, relentless pulsing of eno's revox tape reels and synths, and the dense, earthy rumble of fripp's extended solos. it's stunning.

at first, 'swastika girls' seems like a bit of a let down compared to the last twenty minutes, but it's not. again, the contrast is startling. eno's synths glitter and sparkle like the sun on water, twinkling until the last second. fripp's gibson enters quietly after around seven and a half minutes, building in intensity until it sounds like the turbo-charged turbine engine we heard on the first track.

admittedly, the thought of an album with only two tracks each lasting twenty minutes and being entirely instrumental puts a lot of people off. i know that my parents and my mates hate this album, and that a lot of people dismiss this kind of music as wallpaper music, but i was stunned by it straight away. i love 'no pussyfooting' and you need only listen to a few seconds of the middle section of track one (the part where fripp almost paraphrases hendrix at woodstock '69) to know that this is anything but background.

'no pussyfooting' is apparently not the easiest cd in the world to get hold of, but it is well worth seeking it out, as is fripp & eno's second effort, 'evening star', which follows in the same formula but is a bit more concise.

five stars, without a doubt. *****

Soothing Stuff, 29 Apr 2004
Although I have to say I'm not a big fan of Robert Fripp's, Brian Eno's eclectic career as a producer, composer and arranger always throws up something different. 'No Pussyfooting' was his first real attempt at a pseudo-solo album. As can be seen from the photo on the cover, he was still a member of Roxy Music at the time, but obviously felt limited by their 'pop' image in terms of his music making. Ironically Eno was probably the most outrageous looking member of Roxy Music (which maybe one of the reasons Brian Ferry wanted him to leave). But since beginning his solo career his music has become the very epitome of the "non-image". Music that never speaks to the emotions or the intellect but simply floats in and around your environment or situation.
On the 'Heavenly Music Corporation' most of this ambience is created by Fripp, developing a technique that would later be described as 'Frippertronics'. Track after track is layered on top of each other as Fripp plays dense harmonies in tune with each other. In fact most of the background track is just a dense layer of protracted harmony, dispensing with any notion of melody altogether. But when Fripp starts to improvise his pseudo-stadium rock solos, the effect can be mildly soothing. At the end of the piece Fripp's dive-bombing effects are quite startling, endlessly looping a false ending. 'Swatika Girls' sounds mostly like the work of Eno but unfortunately is not as inventive as the first track. Too many instruments vie for attention and when Fripp's improvisations come in at the end, they sound like the cry of something uncontrollable trying to break free from a repetitive 'Groundhog Day' backing track.

Excellent!, 20 Oct 2008
One of my all time favourite albums. This will be a classic of the French chill-out genre for decades to come. Buy it!

SexyBoySexyCock, 16 Aug 2008
Detached, hypnotic, and retro (much like Pink Floyd's song "Breathe" from the Dark Side Of The Moon--and yet not Pink Floyd) is how I would describe the sound of this debut CD. Released in 1988, Moon Safari is the first release from the Surrender Monkeys-French electronica duo Air, consisting of Nicolas Godingodiva and Jean-Benoît Dunckelly. (The name "Air" is an acronym for Amour, Imagination, Rêve -- How life changing is that !)

Not only is Air's music a chillout blend of Love, Imagination, and Dreams, but it is a light blend of psychedelic musical influences (including Pink Floyd, Tangerine Dream, and Jean Michel Jarre and other obscure retro stuff). Standout Moon Safari tracks include "Sexy Boy," "Kelly Watch the Stars," and "All I Need." (Yes, you've heard the song "La Femme D'argent" in a L'Oreal Paris ad, the song "Sexy BoySexyC0ck" in the TV series Queer as Folk, and the song "All I Need" in the TV series Felicity.) The complete album setlist includes:

1. La Femme D'argent (7:11)
2. Sexy Boy (4:58)
3. All I Need (4:28)
4. Kelly Watch The Stars (3:45)
5. Talisman (4:16)
6. Remember (2:34)
7. You Make It Easy (4:00)
8. Ce Matin Là (3:39)
9. New Star In The Sky (5:40)
10. Le Voyage De Pénélope (3:10)

Dr Gonzo Clarke : 7/10.

I wore out my 1st Air Moon Safari CD.........., 29 Jun 2008
............and am purchasing replacement because I couldn't live without it. Play it any time of day. If I play it after bedtime reading to my 6yr old, without a doubt, they'll be asleep before the CD finishes! This album can lift you, relax you, whatever you need, it can do it. Definately in my top 10 and I haven't changed my mind since that first Moon Safari CD purchased many years ago!

A few tracks are ok, 22 Jun 2008
I bought this because it had so many good reviews, also i like this genre of music however i don't understand what all the fuss is about. It's not bad but certainly not outstanding or original. There's much better albums around.

Air - Moon Safari, 13 May 2007
A great album. a worthy buy. This album has one of my top 10 fav tracks of all time "All I Need". All I Need has great sounds and is very simple format but carries accross a great feeling.

The last review a little harsh... if you like easy going ambient french sounds and you have familurised yourself with Airs previous work then you wont be bored. I like this album and have it on CD and vinyl.

So much unnecessary fuss was made over Enigma's juxtaposition of the sexual and sacred. After all, Prince had been doing it for years, and his take on it was far more interesting--and a lot more daring. But Enigma's MCMXC A.D. did manage to work a lot of people into a lather, both on the dance floor and behind the pulpit. Their inclusion of chanting monks in "Sadeness", over wooshy ambient noises and a slower hip-hop-appropriated beat was a sensation. "Callas Went Away" promised more than it could deliver, although "Mea Culpa" stands as one of the few shining moments on the CD. The idea of mixing new age aural wallpaper with beats that you can do a slow grind to is actually rather intriguing. Spicing it up with controversial religious chants isn't a bad idea either. But there's got to be something personal to it. After the initial novelty wears off, there's nothing to MCMXC A.D. other than bland, cold, impersonal repetition. Now, that might be what most people are used to, but what's so sexy about it? --Steve Gdula So much unnecessary fuss was made over Enigma's juxtaposition of the sexual and sacred. After all, Prince had been doing it for years, and his take on it was far more interesting--and a lot more daring. But Enigma's MCMXC A.D. did manage to work a lot of people into a lather, both on the dance floor and behind the pulpit. Their inclusion of chanting monks in "Sadeness," over wooshy ambient noises and a slower hip-hop-appropriated beat was a sensation. "Callas Went Away" promised more than it could deliver, although "Mea Culpa" stands as one of the few shining moments on the CD. The idea of mixing new age aural wallpaper with beats that you can do a slow grind to is actually rather intriguing. Spicing it up with controversial religious chants isn't a bad idea either. But there's got to be something personal to it. After the initial novelty wears off, there's nothing to MCMXC A.D. other than bland, cold, impersonal repetition. Now, that might be what most people are used to, but what's so sexy about it? --Steve Gdula

Hate, Love, Heartbreak, 14 Nov 2008
My partner hates this album with a passion...He said it was like having sandpaper rubbed all over his face. I love it. Exquisite, strong, heartbreaking. J'adore Takk.

Very impressive, 30 Oct 2008
Sigur Ros are a band that I have admired in passing for a number of years. I liked everything I'd heard by them but didn't imagine for a minute I'd want a whole album of their stuff. But then I saw this in the sale and picked it up. Wow. What a great album. I particularly liked Hoppipola and Glosoli as they had that familiar sound to them that suggests I've heard them both on TV a number of times in things like the Olympics and such.
The fact that the lyrics are indiscipherable to me because they're in Icelandic should be annoying but it actually adds to the overall enjoyment of the music.
I'm most definitely a fan. This band can do no wrong in my eyes.

A must album, 30 Sep 2008
How can you discribe the music of Sigur Ros - pure magic. Music where the emotion is in the song, not necessarily the lyrics. An album you cannot descibe but simply have to listen to it to realise its beauty. I already heard the songs hoppipolla and saeglópur before I have recently brought the album takk, and I was amazed at the quality of the album, not just those two tracks.

Hauntingly beautiful Icelandic music, 08 Sep 2008
It was not my original intention to buy this album as I was searching the internet to find out where I could buy a copy of that wonderful piece of music used on the Planet Earth series on BBC One.

Having discovered that the theme is called Hoppipolla by an Icelandic male group called Sigur Ros, I looked them up on Amazon and found their album Takk after reading much of the positive feedback I purchased a copy.

Well I'm absolutely amazed at the original sound from this group, the music is very different and I find it easier to listen with headphones and you then get the full beauty of the sound. Obviously you get the full version of Hoppipolla which never fails to move me to tears. But the rest of the album is outstanding and definitely makes you think of icelandic volcanoes and amazing frozen scenery. A simply wonderful album.

A word of warning, 25 Jun 2008
I bought this on the strength of customer reviews which made it sound like the kind of music I might like.
Wrong. I find the music turgid and monotonous. It is difficult to determine where one track finshes and the next one begins. The strangled warble which passes for vocals is very irritating.
It may work as backing music on TV but is does not stand up on its own.
Don't be taken in by the Sigor Ros appreciation society (whose entire membership seem to have offered a review here),try before you buy!

Like a beautiful trance, 18 Jul 2008
It's hard to really put the experience of listening to this album into words. It is just a relentlessly gorgeous soundscape, even by Sigur Ros' own high standards.

Of all their albums, this is the most seamless. As many listeners have commented, the songs seem to blend into each other, as if they are different movements of one work, and the album as a whole simply encapsulates me.

That is not to say that the mood is a constant throughout. Rather, the melancholy of Track 1 gives way to the gentle and beautiful optimism of Track 3, whilst the mood of Track 4 drifts between the two, in a wonderfully passive, relaxed way. The second half of the album, in contrast, is considerably darker, whilst maintaining the beauty of the first half. It is the darker songs which mark ( ) from Agaetis Byrjun and Takk. Due to this, the album comes across (at least to this listener) as the purest, most emotional, most revealing album by Sigur Ros, and possibly of any band I have heard.

This is a quite exceptional album.



the sound of snowblind angels flying into the sun..., 20 Nov 2007
to appreciate this album, you must listen to it from start to finish, it is utterly sublime.

( ... ), 26 Oct 2007
First of all, don't be scared that it will be depressing. It's dark, emotional and immensely powerful, is what it is. This isn't an album to share headphones for at the bus stop, or put on shuffle on your MP3 player with any other tracks. Possibly the only way to do it is listen to the whole thing, in order, in bed in the middle of the night when no one else can hear you. Or maybe on a plane. Or sitting up a tree in a forest after a long bike ride, where birdsong can add to it. They say you're meant to write your own lyrics on the ethereal pages of the booklet (be careful taking this out - it's fragile), and maybe I will one day, but at the moment I'd rather just do so in my head. Everyone on Earth should listen to this album at least once, and then they might just relax even for an hour and a bit. Track 8 is possibly the most beautiful thing I've ever heard. The only problem I can find is that of how to recommend it to your friends - I mean, how do you say it?

strange beauty, 28 Sep 2007
Writing reviews is not something I normally do, but since this album is in my opinion a masterpiece in very many ways, I feel compelled. It is one of few in my collection of thousands that really stands out above the rest.

If like me, you think music has the power to evoke places, mood and atmosphere, then you simply must buy this.

I have never come across any music from any other genre that can make you both depressed and elated - at the same time. Its power is awesome. It is utterly hypnotic. These guys from Iceland take you to strange, compelling places you've never been to before - but like flames to moths, you will surely be drawn to those bright, yet dangerously beautiful places again and again.

Be warned though - flying too close can be hazardous...

Powerful and Evocative..., 02 Mar 2007
...is two adjectives that come mind for this record. This was my first exposition to Sigur Rós. And on first listen, I was rather bemused. No really I was, the first time I listened, I am not sure I knew what to think, It didn't really make any sense, to the point where it stayed in dark deep bottoms of my CD cupboard until a few months later. Indeed I thought I had made terrible mistake, buying it, after all what attracted me that strange afternoon in HMV, was the beautiful packaging. And Indeed it is beautifully packaged, a crystal white slip case, with paranthesis cut out, covers the jewel case, which itself has just contains blank book of black and white artwork on what I can only describe is soft parchment. You could say it is represenation of what is to come, once you slip it into your cd player. The sparse emptiness of the packaging is certainly a visual metaphor, for the dark empy heavy drones that precede on the album.

Having put the CD on few months later, I finally began to appreciate these were more than ramdom drones, but evocative emotions that transcended language barriers. The album is divided into two parts seperated by a 30 second silence after track 4. It begins with "untitled 1" or "vaka" as known as its known by its working title, which starts off with a desolate piano intro. A feeling of disconnection and emptiness is what drives the both halves of the album, sparse drum beats float, while Birgissons "hopelandic" falsetto coo's lonely in a gaseous depth strings and other instruements. The second half is rather more aggressive, and definetley more heavy, with the guitars coming through more clearly particularly as the band descend into "untitled 8" (Popplagið"), which has the most unhinged and what I can only describe as the most narcotic drumming climax I have ever heard. Overall this album is definately a slow burner, and is not for the unadventurous, its not an easy album to like and probablly won't win over many new Sigur Rós fans, but it is in my view the most powerful and evocative of those in Sigur Rós' discography so far.

Highlights...
Its hard to really point out highlights in this album, as it is really concise and so well balanced, "untitled 4" and "untitled 8", definitely stand out, but otherwise this album is made to be, and is best heard so, all the way through.

Magnificent, 11 Nov 2008
This is the second in Johann's planned trilogy based on technology and picks up where the truly stunning IBM 1401, A User's Manual (released in 2006) left off. A modern classical masterpiece - I find it inconceivable that anyone would give this less than five stars! Sweeping strings, delightful electronic bursts, soaring harmonies that can't but help yank one's emotions all over the place. Anyone lucky enough to see Joahnn's live gig at the Union Chapel in the summer 2008 will know what a building-shaking, emotion-shattering talent this guy is.

Not sure if I completely get this music?!, 25 Aug 2008
I must admit that I don't know if I completely understand this music (yet?). It's kind of like new age Pink Floyd with an Icelandic twist. The reason I say that is because it has such a broad expanse of sound which I do like. I must admit the middle of the album is really worth buying it for - there is such a lot going on it's awesome. However on the down side I feel that some of the tracks are a bit long and seem to have these very strange endings where a load of odd unrelated sounds seem to be tagged on as an after thought. Apart from that it has really grown on me and I think if you like something a bit out of the norm then this may well be for you.

Genius, 15 Jul 2008
Id never heard of this 4 piece band until recently and have since purchased 3 of there albums its so unique

Human music beamed in from a distant galaxy, 04 Jun 2008
Hearing Sigur Ros for the first time , as most of us did when hearing Agaetis byrjun, is akin, i imagine , to not just hearing music beamed down from another planet but hearing music beamed across from the far side of a far distant galaxy. The sort of thing Star Trek "Voyager" might have heard on their sojourn through the delta quadrant.( the cover , featuring a ballpoint pen drawing by a friend of the band further ratifies the music's alien ambience) The nearest comparison, and i realise that i am being far from being original here, are The Cocteau Twins , though even their celestial otherworldliness does,nt really compare to the Icelandic quartet.
Agaetis byrjun (Icelandic for An alright start) was originally released in June 1999 and is actually the bands second album , though i was under the misconception for some considerable time that it was their debut. With reference to the Cocteau Twins comparison their actual debut "Von Brigoi" is actually more like them mixed in with ambient drifts not unlike certain Eno or Seefeel. This album though is virtually unique. The astonishing falsetto vocals of Jon Birgisson soar over his cello bowed guitars and the diffuse keyboards of Kjsrtan Sveinsson . Abyss plunging bass lines keep the whole anchored somewhere adjacent to terra firma.
Further enhancing the music's obtuse quality's are degrees of self-reference. The first track "Intro" is,nt listed on the packaging and while most of the songs are sung in Icelandic ( though , even in English they would be indecipherable i feel) "Olsen Olsen" is sung in the gibberish language Vonlenska- which the band used for the entire follow up album ( ). The band also pull off sly technical tricks like making the strings in "Staralfur" palindromic or the fact that "Avalon" is in fact the aforementioned tracked played at a quarter of it,s speed.
Putting all this clever muso mumbo jumbo to one side though the real glory of Sigur Ros is the breathtaking emotional clout of the songs. "Svefn-g- englar" ( It translates as sleepwalkers) is consummately spine tingling -the sort of track i