Sunday, September 2, 2012

Fondest Listening Memory-Mary Beth

It may be somewhat cliche these days, but I am absolutely enamored (still) with Sigur Ros. Whenever I listen to a song, I imagine the visuals and/or story that would go with it; this is especially meaningful to me with instrumental-type songs that come from Sigur Ros. When I listened to their song, Ara Batur, I imagined the end of a post-apocalyptic film where two characters had to reach a boat to escape a city that is about to be destroyed.

Here is a link to the song if anyone wants to listen.

So that was my crazy picture to this orchestral beauty of a song. A few months ago, I looked up the English translation of the Icelandic lyrics out of curiosity. I discovered the song is actually about being on a boat!

How amazing is it that Jonsi and Sigur Ros are able to convey a sense of the ocean and sailing with only instruments and vocalic singing? The power of music and sound to convey emotions and images of all kinds is important to me.


2 comments:

  1. great observation, Mary Beth. isn't it surprising how music can transcend language somehow, and communicate feelings and space without that barrier of translation? what power. And, maybe I'm a fuddy duddy too but I like sigur ross too. They had a nice concert film a year or so ago. Maybe they are communicating to my Finnish roots in some weird way, beyond language.
    --Diane

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  2. Yes! I saw Inni at the Alamo Ritz. What an experience. And I'm sure it's nothing compared to actually seeing them live! (Valtari tour here soon hopefully?!)

    It would be a dream to sit down with them and ask about their creative process that produces the transcendant qualities.

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