Sigur Rós Will Release Their 1st Album In 10 Years – Tomorrow

Sigur Rós announced the surprise release of their first album in 10 years, ÁTTA, which will arrive tomorrow, Friday, June 16. The Icelandic band previewed the previously revealed record with the 10-minute single, “Blóðberg.”

Multi-instrumentalist Kjartan Sveinsson, who left the group in 2012, returned to accompany frontman Jónsi and bassist Georg Holm on the follow-up to 2013’s Kveikur.

“[The three musicians found themselves] just wanting to have minimal drums and for the music to be really sparse, floaty and beautiful,” Jónsi said. “We’re getting older and more cynical so I just wanted to move us so that we felt something! When we do this, we always talk about each album as if it might be the last. We’re always thinking about climate change, doom-scrolling and going to hell. The world felt a bit bleak making this album, but maybe there is hope. When there is darkness, there is light.”

ÁTTA was recorded at the band’s Sundlaugin studio in Iceland, Abbey Road in London and at several studios in the United States. The album was mixed and co-produced by regular collaborator Paul Corley and “prominently features the London Contemporary Orchestra conducted by Robert Ames, alongside brass performed by longtime Icelandic collaborators Brassgat í bala.”

“We wanted to allow ourselves to be a bit dramatic and go far with these arrangements,” said Sveinsson. “The world needs that right now. It’s hard to describe, but for me everything is always open to interpretation. People can think and feel how they want.”

“It’s what the music asked for and spoke for itself,” said Hólm. “This record sounds like a Sigur Rós album, but it’s more introverted than before. It’s very expansive with this sound of strings, but it looks within more than outside.”

Sigur Rós will support the release of ÁTTA on a previously announced tour of Europe and North America featuring the band joined by a 41-piece Orchestra. The tour begins tomorrow in London.

Stream the single “Blóðberg” below:

ÁTTA Tracklist

1. Glóð
2. Blóðberg
3. Skel
4. Klettur
5. Mór
6. Andrá
7. Gold
8. Ylur
9. Fall
10. 8