Von - Sigur Rós (1997)
Jón Þór Birgisson, Georg Hólm and Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson form the group Sigur Rós in January 1994, the day of the birth of Jónsi’s sister: Sigurrós, which means Victory Rose.
They are quickly gaining in popularity at local level which allows them to produce an album with the icelandic label Bad Taste. This album, entitled Von introduces their post-rock, ambient sound.
In 1999, with the release of their second album Ágætis byrjun, they export their music and are particularly welcomed by international critics, especially in the United Kingdom.
Two significant elements of that group’s sound are the falsetto of Jónsi and his special way of playing the electric guitar with a cello bow which produces an aerial and fluid sound. He took this technique from Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin guitarist, who used to play Dazed and Confused live this way.
It is also interesting to note that when they are playing live, they are frequently joined by the classical fourtet Amiina which brings another dimension to their music.
The track Von, which is on the album of the same name, is not sung in icelandic, but in vonlenska. An imaginary language, composed entirely of syllables without meaning. The group defines it as “a form of vocal gibberish that fits with music“.
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Sigur Rós Official Website
Sigur Rós Official Fansite
Sigur Rós Official Myspace
Sigur Rós Von Live on Youtube
Further information on Wikipedia [en]
Buy Von on Amazon.com
