‘HoppÃpolla’, the first single taken from Sigur Rós’s most highly acclaimed album to date, ‘Takk…’, is released by EMI Records on November 28. Coinciding with the end of the band’s European tour -- including a sold out show at London’s Brixton Academy -- ‘HoppÃpolla’ comes backed with two of the most highly sought after songs in the band’s canon, to whit the ‘lost’ versions of ‘Hafsol’ and ‘Von’.
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HoppÃpolla’ is hands down the most commercial thing Sigur Rós have ever recorded. At just over 4 minutes long, it is also the only song anything like radio programmable they’ve ever put their name to. Starting with a simple and pretty piano motif, ‘HoppÃpolla’ proceeds to layer slightly warped backwards string loops with beautiful real ‘forward’ strings to slowly construct a feeling of awesome well-being, surging on a tide of pure psychedelic pop euphoria.
Singer Jon Thor Birgisson adopts a slightly lower register than his usual full-on falsetto, weaving an open and childlike sense of hope through multi-layers of carefully constructed vocals, while he sings (in Icelandic) about nosebleeds and jumping into puddles. As the song expands to a grand and dizzying climax, brass begins to fanfare and an orchestra swells and flourishes, while all about tinkly things twinkle brightly.
The Wire magazine recently derisively referred to ‘Takk…’ as “the indie last night of the proms”. ‘HoppÃpolla’ is what they were talking about, but from where we’re sitting that seems like an awesome and overwhelming thing. Remember avant-garde is French for bullshit. ‘HoppÃpolla’ is spectacular, and, according to the heads who run the band’s fansite, “the best thing they’ve ever done” – and, believe me, these people know a thing or two about that.
Originally recorded on the band’s 1998 debut album ‘Von’, ‘Hafsol’ and ‘Von’, the two additional tracks on this release, have taken on near mythic significance with the band’s fans thanks to magical live renditions that bear scant relation to the experimental originals. ‘Hafsol’ is even now providing the climax to the band’s set on their current American tour, while ‘Von’ has not been performed live since 2002, and is therefore even more highly prized.
HoppÃpolla / Hafsol / Von EP released by EMI Records on November 28th.
Check out the "HoppÃpolla" video clips:
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European tour dates are as follows:
31/10 - Helsinki, Finland – House Of Culture
01/11 - Stockholm, Sweden - Cirkus
02/11 - Oslo, Norway - Concerthouse
03/11 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Concerthouse
05/11 - Leipzig, Germany – Kohlrabizirkus
06/11 - Cologne, Gemany - Paladium
07/11 - Tilburg, Holland - 013
09/11 - London, UK - Brixton Academy
10/11 - Edinburgh, UK - Corn Exchange
11/11 - Dublin, Eire - Olympia
13/11 - Liverpool, UK - Philharmonic
14/11 - Birmingham, UK - Academy
16/11 - Paris, France - Elysée-Montmartre
17/11 - Lyon, France - Transbordeur
18/11 - Montpellier, France - Zenith
20/11 - Lisbon, Portugal - Coliseum
21/11 - Madrid, Spain - Teatro Coliseum
22/11 - Barcelona, Spain - Barcelona Teatro Musical
24/11 - Florence, Italy – Saschall
25/11 - Turin, Italy - Teatro Della Concordia
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