Sigur Rós - Ég Anda

While we’re waiting for new album of Sigur Rós to arrive there are more updates on the visual side of their gorgeous  music. Icelandic band announced film series based on their new album Valtari. The series, entitled “Valtari Mystery Film Experiment”, already kicked off with Ég Anda video, for the opening track of band’s new album.

Ég Anda is directed by Icelandic performance artist Ragnar Kjartansson and shows instructions of how to save someone’s life who’s choking. Watch the music clip below.

Official announcement states: “Sigur Rós have given a dozen film makers the same modest budget and asked them to create whatever comes into their head when they listen to songs from ‘Valtari’. The idea is to bypass the usual artistic approval process and allow people utmost creative freedom. Among the filmmakers are Ramin Bahrani, Alma Har’el and John Cameron Mitchell. We never meant our music to come with a pre-programmed emotional response. We don’t want to tell anyone how to feel and what to take from it. With the films, we have literally no idea what the directors are going to come back with. None of them know what the others are doing, so hopefully it could be interesting.”

Films are supposed to roll out every couple of weeks, across the summer while Sigur Rós will be on tour.

Yes, tour, about that. The Reykjavík Grapevine reports that one of band members, Kjartan Sveinsson, won’t be touring with the band. But that doesn’t mean he’s quitting Sigur Rós, no. According to The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, Kjartan himself confirmed that, adding that he will be replaced by Ólafur Björn Ólafsson on keyboard and oboe, and Kjartan Dagur Hólm — younger brother of Georg Goggi Hólm, Sigur Rós bassist, and member of celebrated post-rockers For A Minor Reflection — on guitar.

The main reason for Kjartan missing on tour is that he’s “tired of touring”, according to band frontman Jónsi, and he wants to “spend his time doing something else”. Georg adds that touring time is “not necessarily the most productive”.

However, Kjartan stays on Sigur Rós’ line-up as a permanent member and has contributed to new album Valtari which is coming out just in a few days, on May 28. If you can’t wait for it to be released, head to npr.org to stream Valtari in full.