Sigur Rós

Sigur Rós (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈsɪːɣʏr ˈroːus] SIG-ər rohss) are an Icelandic post-rock band from Reykjavík, who have been active since 1994. Known for their ethereal sound, frontman Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto vocals, and the use of bowed guitar, the band's music is also noticeable for its incorporation of classical and minimalist aesthetic elements. The band is named after Jónsi's sister Sigurrós Elín.

History

1997–1998: Von and Von brigði

Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson (guitar and vocals), Georg Hólm (bass) and Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson (drums) formed the group in Reykjavík in January 1994. The band's name is Icelandic wordplay: while the individual words Sigur and Rós mean, respectively, Victory and Rose, "Victory Rose" wouldn't be grammatically correct; the name is actually borrowed from Jónsi's younger sister Sigurrós, who was born a few days before the band was formed, and then split into two words. They soon won a record deal with the local Sugarcubes-owned record label Bad Taste, because they thought the falsetto vocals were very cute and would appeal to teenage girls. In 1997, they released Von (pronounced [vɔːn], meaning "hope") and in 1998 a remix collection named Von brigði ([vɔːn ˈprɪɣðɪ]). This name is also Icelandic wordplay: Vonbrigði means "disappointment", but Von brigði means "variations on Von". The band was joined by Kjartan Sveinsson on keyboards in 1998. He is the only member of Sigur Rós with musical training, and has contributed most of the orchestral and string arrangements for their later work.

Ekki múkk

"Ekki múkk" is the second track on Sigur Rós' sixth studio album, Valtari. It premiered on the official website as well as an accompanying video on March 26, 2012.

On Record Store Day, April 21, Sigur Rós released a 10-inch limited edition vinyl edition of "Ekki múkk" that plays inside out. Its B-side is an instrumental track titled "Kvistur". This B-side is also available as a pre-order bonus track for Valtari.

Videos

A "moving art" video for "Ekki múkk" was released on March 26, 2012 on the band's official website,Vimeo, and YouTube. On September 24 the second "Ekki múkk" video was released. The short narrates the story of a man lost in the English countryside. It was directed by Nick Abrahams and featured Aidan Gillen and Shirley Collins. It won the British Council award for Best UK Short at the 10th London Short Film Festival, and it was screened as Official Selection at 'Art Basel Miami 2012', 'Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival 2013'. This film for "Ekki múkk" is the tenth of the Valtari Mystery Film Experiment. "Ekki múkk" also appears on two other videos from the series: Seraph, the ninth Valtari Mystery Film, displays the track briefly at the end; and the fourteenth Valtari Mystery Film, called Valtari, plays the track at the beginning.

Fjögur píanó

"Fjögur píanó" is a song by Icelandic band Sigur Rós from their sixth studio album, Valtari.

Two official music videos were released. The first, directed by Alma Har'el and starring Shia LaBeouf and Denna Thomsen, premiered on June 18, 2012. The second premiered on 15 October and was directed by Anafelle Liu, Dio Lau and Ken Ngan.

Music videos

The first music video for the song premiered on June 18, 2012. It is directed by Alma Har'el and stars Shia LaBeouf and Denna Thomsen as "a couple trapped in a perpetual cycle of addiction and abuse, set to a somber piano melody that at times hints at some light at the end of the tunnel."

The video, an overnight sensation gaining millions of views on YouTube, was applauded as a unique artistic achievement and covered in the media around the world. Filmmaker magazine called it "provocative and dramatically compelling," while Nowness magazine called it "Hypnotic." MTV wrote, "It's a sad and beautiful visual that brings to life one of the few tunes in the Sigur Ros catalog that's absent of Jonsi's now-trademark siren vocals."

Music video

A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings. There are also cases where songs are used in tie in marketing campaigns that allow them to become more than just a song. Tie ins and merchandising could be used in toys are marketing campaigns for food and other products. Although the origins of music videos date back to musical short films that first appeared in the 1920s, they came into prominence in the 1980s when MTV based their format around the medium. Prior to the 1980s, these works were described by various terms including "illustrated song", "filmed insert", "promotional (promo) film", "promotional clip", "promotional video", "song video", "song clip" or "film clip". Since the creation and increased popularity of YouTube, mainstream artists now promote new music videos by releasing trailers of short promos on the site for their upcoming song and music video. Consequentially, YouTube has been converted into a social media platform for celebrities and artists to market themselves to their fans and audiences.

Mystery film

Mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, investigation, and clever deduction.

The plot often centers on the deductive ability, prowess, confidence, or diligence of the detective as they attempt to unravel the crime or situation by piecing together clues and circumstances, seeking evidence, interrogating witnesses, and tracking down a criminal.

Suspense is often maintained as an important plot element. This can be done through the use of the soundtrack, camera angles, heavy shadows, and surprising plot twists. Alfred Hitchcock used all of these techniques, but would sometimes allow the audience in on a pending threat then draw out the moment for dramatic effect.

This genre has ranged from early mystery tales, fictional or literary detective stories, to classic Hitchcockian suspense-thrillers to classic private detective films. A related film subgenre is spy films.