In a world centered around technology, Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós’s music is the powerful antithesis to everything mechanical. Just before their performance at Primavera Sound in Barcelona early this month, the band performed an intimate rehearsal at Fly By Night Rehearsal Studios in England, indicating their tour plans of playing without an opening act and also leaving behind their otherwise grand string and brass sections.In a new and neat trimmed down three-member formation, they revealed their new song, dubbed “Óveður,” the performance footage from Primavera of which is now available online.Since it is exciting to keep new albums shrouded in secrecy, Sigur Rós is releasing a live-streamed looped video for “Route One,” which is touted to be on their forthcoming LP. The announcement came yesterday and the video has been set to an ever-changing soundtrack, based largely around the elements from their latest song.At this juncture, it’s all guesswork for fans, but the idea has generated a frenzy with the video being shown live on Iceland’s national television and streamed simultaneously on YouTube. The soundtrack is being created moment-by-moment using the generative music software app Bronze.“In a day and age of instant gratification and everything moving so fast, we wanted to do the exact opposite,” said Sigur Rós’s Jónsi Birgisson as the members are driving anti-clockwise around the island, aiming to also pass by several of the country’s famous landmarks such as Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest ice-sheet; the glacial lagoon, Jökulsárlón; as well as the East Fjords and the desolate black sands of Möðrudalur.There’s no denying that the experience is incredibly atmospheric and ephemeral. As you start getting used the music, the landscape changes and the other way round. Whatever it might turn out to be in the end, it’s coming soon — the stream will end by showing the message “sigurrosrouteone begins 21.00 GMT,” which translates to 5:00PM EST. So there’s a few more hours until the final revelation. Until then, keep those headphones on and watch Iceland’s lush landscape unfold on the screen.
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