Title: Glosoli Artist: Sigur Ros Director: Arni and Kinski Year Released: 2005
What images come to mind when you hear the name... "Iceland"?
I am guessing the folks that make up the Icelandic Department of Tourism" (or the IDT) have not only asked a similar question, but have speculated the response you just formed.
[Enter Sigur Rós.]
If this Icelandic band has yet to mesmerize American culture via
their ambient sound, they certainly have the opportunity to do so
through their poetic imagery. [Cue Arni and Kinski]. Sigur Rós
, named after lead singer, Jónsi Birgisson's, younger sister Sigurrós,
is the compilation of a rare breed of musicians who are experimenting
with both a pure and somewhat "wholistic" approach to music production.
"Pure" in the sense that their creative process is stripped from agenda
(or any talking for that matter). It's organic. Show up. Play. See what
happens. "Wholistic" in the sense that the group lends themselves to
"experience" over product.
With this in mind, it is no surprise that Sigur Rós takes any
visual accompaniment just as serious as their music - anything from
album art to music videos.
[Enter Arni and Kinski]
The IDT can rest assured that Sigur Rós is not alone in the Icelandic rebranding effort. (Here for more on the Rebranding Campaign ). Almost every video release from the band is directed/produced by fellow Icelanders Stefan Arni and Siggi Kinski (Arni and Kinski), who are themselves an intriguing story. Arni and Kinski (the production entity) came out Stefan and Siggi's involvement in a unique music/film collaborative group known as GusGus in the mid-1990s, who also possesed a strong committment to the "experience" - exuding soulful music accompanied by intense visuals that often stemmed from their native backdrop--Reykjavik, Iceland. (Sigur Rós' pronounced 'home') Combine this duo's talent and background with Sigur Rós' commitment to expansive - yet innocent art - and you are left uncertain what you have just encountered.
[Cue Glosoli]
Though each Sigur Rós (and Arni and Kinski) video possesses its own unique intensity, Glosoli certainly distinguishes itself from the rest. Free of shameless promotion, this musical short exudes commitment, freedom, and beauty. In the end, through a creative fusion of both music and film, "something" happens.
"Transcendent" comes to mind.
(for the curious... this video was the first visual inspiration for this site and overall "experiment")
Loved the song....especially with the vid. I'm not completely sure about the meaning of the entire thing, but I felt the innocence of the children. This world may be better off if we were all still children. If you believe....I mean really believe you can fly............you can. The only thing that holds us back on this earth and beyond is......well.......us.
We apologize as we are currently experiencing a few technical problems (registration and some sections). The good news is these problems are the pre-cursor to a new site we are working on (both in design and philosophy). In the short term, we hope to fix these problems soon. Thanks for your patience.
The IDT can rest assured that Sigur Rós is not alone in the Icelandic rebranding effort. (
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I think that is wonderfully original.