Sigur Rós’ “Atta” album is a triumph and one of my personal favorites from this summer. At times, “Atta” is celebratory and others, elegiac. It’s not an easy listen and although it can be challenging, if you give it the time, it will reveal more.
Today Sigur Rós announce the ÁTTA film experiment: ten music videos – one for each track of their acclaimed new album – all created by different directors without rules or boundaries.
Learn more about the ÁTTA Film Experiment HERE
The band have invited ten filmmakers to explore their own visual interpretation of a track on ÁTTA. Refreshing and diverse in outcome, this experiment in creative freedom led to ten entirely different videos, and in turn, will platform a range of creators from a range of backgrounds.
Today sees the release of “8,” with a visual directed by Icelandic artist Rúrí, renowned for her political and environmental feminist activism, and whose 1983 performance and installation “Rainbow I” serves as the cover art for ÁTTA.
Rúrí’s film is largely an exploration of the nature of water in its various states of flow and flux, abstracted and colour washed with blue tones. Says Rúrí of the video: “Among the many gems of the album ÁTTA, it was the song “8” that captivated me. It immediately connected not only to the present, but also to infinity. Catharsis – soft, melancholic, powerful and uplifting.”
“8” follows Katya Gimro and Alexey Krupnik’s video for “Andrá” and the video for “Blóðberg” – a sepia-toned birds eye view of desecrated and barren land in reflection of socio-political and environmental anxieties directed by Johan Renck, the highly acclaimed Swedish director whose past directorial credits include HBO’s Chernobyl and videos for Madonna and New Order, amongst others. Further films to come include:
Glóð directed by Rúnar Rúnarsson
Skel directed by George Jasper Stone
Klettur directed by Frosti Jón Runólfsson
Mór directed by Glenn Leyburn, Lisa Barros D’sa and Aires Barros D’Sa
Gold directed by Rene Pannevis
Ylur directed by Sophie Hunter
Fall directed by Katya Gimro
Stream/Purchase ÁTTA HERE
Few bands cut through the noise and distractions of the world to bring you a pure elemental truth or feeling like Sigur Rós. As you hear on ÁTTA, there’s a new compulsion and drive to the band.
Recorded across multiple continents – in the band’s Sundlaugin studio in Iceland, the legendary Abbey Road in the UK and a number of studios in the US – ÁTTA leans heavily towards the orchestral, and touches on everything that has made Sigur Rós one of the most ambitious and acclaimed bands of recent times, with close to ten million albums sold, whilst signposting an exciting and expansive possibility for their future. ÁTTA prominently features the London Contemporary Orchestra conducted by Robert Ames, alongside brass performed by longtime Icelandic collaborators Brassgat í bala. ÁTTA was mixed and co-produced by another frequent collaborator Paul Corley, alongside the band. In a post-pandemic world torn apart by war, economic turmoil, culture wars, and brutally divisive discourse, ÁTTA feels like a balming and unifying bond.
Learn more about the ÁTTA Film Experiment HERE
Sigur Rós are celebrating ÁTTA with a limited run of very special dates, performing with a 41-piece orchestra for the first time across Europe and North America; all shows sold out in record time. The tour began at Meltdown Festival in the UK on the day of album release, where the band performed with the London Contemporary Orchestra, who also accompanied them on their following European tour dates. The tour arrives in North America in August, where the band will be accompanied by the Wordless Music Orchestra. All orchestral dates are conducted by Rob Ames.
Sigur Rós Tour Dates
8/14 Toronto, ON — Roy Thomson Hall – SOLD OUT
8/16 New York City, NY — Beacon Theatre – SOLD OUT
8/18 Brooklyn, NY — Kings Theatre – SOLD OUT
8/19 Boston, MA — Wang Theatre – SOLD OUT
8/21 Minneapolis, MN — State Theatre – SOLD OUT
8/24 Seattle, WA — The Paramount Theatre – SOLD OUT
8/26 Berkeley, CA — The Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley – SOLD OUT
8/27 Los Angeles, CA — The Greek Theatre – SOLD OUT
