If one wants to take a journey to explore unknown and mysterious terrain, Iceland is the ultimate destination. From the volcanic fields blanketed with spongy moss and the calm seas echoing the memories of Vikings who once stormed the island come a plethora of musical treasures to provide a sense of mystique. Björk has become a household name because of her extraordinary vocals and her idiosyncratic lyrics. Members of well-known Icelandic acts Múm or Amiina waltz around the stage during a live show in a carefully choreographed musical instrument trade-off. The sometimes soothing, sometimes sanguine melodies of Sigur Rós has garnered fans around the world, as their music embodies myriad qualities of Icelandic ambient music.
Sigur Rós is known for contemplative, progressive, elemental ambient music that is impossible for even iTunes to slip into a neat genre. Jónsi Birgisson, the lead vocalist, coos and wails to contort the human voice box in ways unheard of in the New World. He is joined by his boyfriend, Alex Somers and together create a flowing visual dreamscape as one closes their eyes and is consumed by their debut album as the duo Jónsi and Alex, Riceboy Sleeps.
The digital download of Riceboy Sleeps provides All Animals, a three-part supplement to the LP. The first chapter is a 20-minute medley that fades in, appropriating long, slow chords that relax the listener’s breathing and heart rate to a glacial pace. Throughout, playful xylophone and keyboard parts sync into the molten background noise. The three tunes follow a pattern but, in true Sigur Rós fashion, the layers of composition cause even the repetition to morph until the last phase of the song, where the melodies drone into what can only be described as an aural smoke, slowly seeping through your speakers to deliver a completely intoxicating, subjective experience.
Riceboy Sleeps is an incredibly artistic celebration of minimalist elements and the complexity and mystery of composing layered tracks, combining both traditional and modern devices and sounds. Although the duo uses similar thematic elements in each piece, such as the subtle reverberations of a synthesizer, string compositions and hauntingly transcendental choir parts, each song has individualizing aspects. “Sleeping Giant” is a static-laced track that simulates rumbling snores, while “All the Big Trees” can be understood by its six-minute music video of a flock of nondescript birds flying in a choreographed flight against a gray sky.
The ethereal beauty of Riceboy Sleeps is a perfect go-to for a relaxing but contemplative listen. By blending different elements together while each track maintains its own personality, the romantic duo show their versatility while sticking to an Icelandic identity. Whether the album is to hold one over until the reported 2010 Sigur Rós new release or just to provide some aural pleasure, Riceboy Sleeps is the defining soundtrack to take you for a soul-searching journey. That is, if Icelandair is booked-up on Orbitz.
The album is available now in the United States and comes with original artwork by the duo.
From the Matric Issue, 2009
Leave a comment