Search - Sigur Ros :: Von

A gloomy synthesis of rock, ambience, and electronic experim

Jeffrey J.Park | Massachusetts, USA | 12/10/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a huge fan of 1960s-1970s European psychedelic and progressive rock, "Berlin School" electronica, and American minimalism, I was delighted with this 1997 debut from Icelanders Sigur Ros. Stylistically, this album fuses elements of electronica, minimalism, the European avant-garde, and ambient styles (especially Brian Eno) with rock, and exhibits a level of studio wizardry that is vaguely reminiscent of psychedelic rock groups such as Pink Floyd during the 1967-1969 period.



The overall mood of Von is windswept and grey, haunting, and at times, pretty creepy. A good example of the creepiness is provided by the heavily echoed "screams from outer space" on the 9'46" opening track (Sigur Ros), briefly at the end of Hun Jord, and on Syndir Guos. Interestingly, those screams made the hairs stand on the back of my neck just as readily as the bloodcurdling screams on "Careful with that Axe Eugene" (Pink Floyd, 1968). There are gloomy, brooding vocal parts scattered throughout the recording, although they do not comprise a large part of the compositions. Interestingly, the lyrics were written in a fabricated language called "Hopelandic" - the French band Magma (chamber progressive) did something similar in the early-mid 1970s in a language called "Kobaian".



It is worth noting that the heavy opening of Hun Jord (complete with distorted guitar played at a crushing volume), the beautifully sad Myrkur, the title track Von, and Syndir Guos, in addition to the last few minutes of the final track Aukrym (albeit with backwards recorded parts) are the only pieces that resemble "songs", and for the most part, the pieces are instrumental and very lengthy. Although there are breaks here and there, musical themes are restated at various points throughout the album, creating a single larger work.



Instrumentation is somewhat sparse, and electronic experimentation conducted primarily on synthesizers (possibly guitar synthesizers as well) dominate the aural landscape. Brief passages of electric guitar (heavily distorted in addition to clean tones) and acoustic guitar are present during the conventional "songs", in addition to bass guitar, drums, and very interesting percussion parts.



In contrast to a lot of ambient recordings, which exhibit only extremely subtle permutations in musical themes within a given piece, Von is sprinkled with variations in tone and timbre, and displays use of both experimental and found sounds. This variability, coupled with the combination of vocal and experimental passages, in addition to the stark dynamic contrasts between the spacier passages and the heavy, "rocking" sections makes Von a very interesting recording.



This debut album is recommended to those people that don't mind experimental approaches to rock music and are not put off by the absence of traditional song structure. In fact, I highly recommend this album to fellow progheads that are desperately looking for excellent music in the current prog scene.



Further discussion of the band is provided on the Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock website - unfortunately it has not been updated."

Completely different from any other Sigur Ros album.

Nick Bobraton | HAZAA! | 02/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is my absolute favorite Sigur Ros album, even though it sounds nothing like what they sound like today. For the most part, it is ambient soundscapes with dark noises bubbling to the surface. Also, the vocals are so far back in the mix, you can't tell what he's saying and they sound like another instrument. Yes, people have been saying that about Agaetis Byrjum, but on Von, they're pushed even further.



To be honest, there are about 5 actual songs on here. The rest are soundscapes and weird noises. The 1st track alone is 10 minutes of minimal electronica. The only song here that reminded me of the later stuff is the title track. Very beatiful, slow, and full of things that will make your heart melt.



Fans of () and Agaetis Bryjum probably aren't going to like this. But if you dig amibient electronic music, you'll like this. For fans of Aphex Twin and My Bloody Valentine."

Worth a shot... though I find it truly fascinating.

achtung | United States | 03/02/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I agree that this album is not for everybody. Alot of Von deals in spacy atmospheres and there is very little music in the strictest sense. However, it warrants at least a run through for most people, especially those interested in Sigur Ros. (Hint: This album is alot like the BABA/TIKI/DIDO EP, if you didn't like that, you probably won't enjoy this very much.) But anywho, onto the songs.



"Sigur Ros" opens the album with a series of shrieks and unnerving sounds. It really sets the tone for the rest of the album. It is followed by the beautiful "Dogun," a very spacy song featuring a beginning that will take you away. "Hun Jord" is an album highlight. It was the first song I ever heard from this album, and afterwards I knew I had to hear more. (btw, forgive my neglect to use Icelandic characters in my typing) A little further down the stretch we come to "Myrkur," which is a truly fascinating tune that takes the angelic choruses of "Hun Jord" to a more fast paced level. "Hafssol" is an extensive track but is very interesting. The song's length hints at what will come on later Sigur Ros albums, particularly ( ). "Von" is a great song, another highlight. "Syndir Guds" is also great and a great end (kind of) to the album.



In closing, this is a very exclusive album. Those looking for the more structured music of "Ageatis" or the orchestral backings of ( ) will probably be dissapointed. Remember to expect nothing when it comes to Von, because there is alot to be discovered.



Highlights: Hun Jord, Myrkur, Von

Lowlights: Verold Ny Og Od, Mistur, 18 sekundur fyrir solaruppras (which is basically 18 seconds of silence)"