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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the Purchase., June 12, 2003
American fans of Icelandic quartet Sigur Ros probably found the announced release date of their "Untitled 1" single/DVD a bit curious--especially considering that the promotional video for the song was shown here in the States way back in February.This can largely be attributed to the delays that are associated with international releases (see Pulp's "We Love Life"), but regardless of the reasons, "Sigur 1/Sigur 9" is worth the wait. "Untitled 1" is basically unchanged from its original album version (found on 2002's "( )"), but like most Sigur Ros material, is consistently listenable and re-listenable; its precious vocals from vocalist Jon Thor Birgisson and mixture of icy vocal samples and warm keyboards are engrossing, even if the song has no explicit meaning (or for that matter, language). Even more captivating is the b-side, known on the street as "Smaskifa," which began as a reworked version of "Untitled 1" but became its own song. Sigur Ros's trademark sampled vocal gurglings cascade across the stereo field with haunting pace, giving way to an almost cathedral-esque performance by Birgisson. This all gives way to what sounds like a squirrel giving an incantation (I'm not kidding), to a more meditative piano progression, composed by the band's drummer, Orri Pall Dyrason, that recalls some of Eno's ambient works. The b-side ends with a minimalist, looped interval of strings. This portion of the single will likely draw the most criticism, as, even for a band that prides itself on using meditative pace, it is a bit simplistic. Nonetheless, the beauty of the song as a whole is enough of a reason to purchase the single. But there is another reason, and that is the three-track DVD, which includes videos for "Svefn-g-englar," "Vidrar vel til Loftarasa" (both from 1999's "Agaetis Byrjun") and "Untitled 1." The first two videos are sweeping in their imagery, using the crags and expanses of Iceland as their background. "Untitled 1," on the other hand, could be construed as having a more political edge (considering the time period in which it was released). The video is effective in its depiction of the world our children could conceivably inherit. "Sigur 1/Sigur 9" may not be a treasure trove of rarities, but there's enough stirring power on this 20-minute disc that listeners can cope with its shortcomings. And that's a testament to the impact Sigur Ros has in today's music.
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by Sigur Rós 
