June 29 December 14 From M. October 2 August 31 August 21 December 15 We present the Year in News, a roundup of music-related triumph, tragedy, and kookery from the pages of Pitchforkmedia. Sign in. Log into your account. Privacy Policy. Password recovery. Join the Community Shop About Contact.
Forgot your password? Get help. Classic Album Sundays. My Classic Album. The problem with Takk The unpronounceable was in many ways the anti-Byjrun, downplaying orgiastic climaxes and traditional song structures in favor of spacey, drifting ambience and brooding textural melodrama. But the remaining trio rebounded brilliantly — crafting a heavier, more aggressive approach, emphasizing the seismic power of the rhythm section.
The band knew they couldn't top Agaetis Byrjun — at least not in the same way. So they haven't tried to replicate its magic. Around 8 minutes, things really start to open up with an almost sudden increase in intensity with organ and guitars creating a beautiful climax.
It features a constant slow rhythm with a quick build at the beginning which quiets for the vocals. Bowed guitars build a heavy, but not quite monstrous sound which calms about halfway through.
The guitars continue an unsettling vibe under the vocals which push it forward to another build. At , a sudden increase in loudness and a theme is created with the guitars which carries the track to the end.
Again, this is a very slow burn with a lot of ambient atmosphere and sleepy vocals. Layered organ and guitars remain shimmering and almost dronelike. The Japanese release also had 2 bonus tracks. This is mostly just a relaxing soundscape without a lot of development. The bonus tracks are okay if you love ambient and experimental music, but the best tracks are on the regular album.
This album is different than most of their other albums in that it is very atmospheric and ambient. If you don't like that type of music, then you probably will be disappointed in this album, but I find it very relaxing and peaceful. It is true that it is not one of their best, but there is still a lot to discover in this album, it just takes more time and effort. There is still plenty of beauty found within it's tracks.
Review by Mellotron Storm Prog Reviewer. They both sound better than the studio versions in my opinion and they are the first and third tracks respectively. The opener sounds so cool as the crowd buzzes and the atmosphere rolls in followed by cheers as the band steps out.
Check out the organ before 6 minutes and the guitar before 9 minutes. I love the way the sound rises in power then falls throughout. People like to compare them to Pink Floyd, but there is no comparison to any band. The techniques they use are unique, like using a cello bow on guitar strings and then adding reverb to create atmosphere.
And this album is completely full of atmosphere and emotion. When I listen to it, I marvel how some of this music is even earthly possible. It approaches celestial status at times, lifting you above everything.
It is also very immersive music in that to fully appreciate it, you have to immerse yourself and really listen. There is so much going on even at regular levels, but also in many underlying passages. But you don't have to always be immersed to hear it's beauty. For example, the 3rd track "Staralfer", when I first listened to this album, I was not really immersed into it, but the beauty of the orchestration and musicianship pulled me in instantly.
Just as another reviewer has mentioned, this album can bring you to tears, and this is one track that does it. It's hard to believe that the topic of the track is a child's fairy tale about a staring elf, but that is why I think it is important that the lyrics can't be understood, because it leaves that track and every song by the band open to complete interpretation.
You can paint your own pictures in your mind. But, the amazingness of the music isn't just limited to that track. It starts off with an "intro" which is simply the title track Number 8 played backwards. But it prepares you for "Svefn-g-englar" which is also a lovely song, where the lyrics are repeated often, but the lyrics and the vocals are just instruments in the entire band.
The birthing process through the perspective of a new born is the topic of the song. The use of the bow on guitar strings is used well in this song to increase volume and emotion of the track. Then the beautiful and heavily orchestrated "Staralfer" comes next and words can't express the emotion in this track. I love how the orchestra builds while Jonsi sings and then just drops off to what sounds like an electric guitar that is not plugged in to an amp being strummed while he continues to sing.
An interesting side note here is that the strings in this track are palandromic, or the same forward and backward. Throughout the album, there is such an effective use of dynamics, and that is very relevant in this track. It has a very long introduction which features a solo piano and an orchestra crescendo-ing and then a sliding guitar sound very reminiscent of Pink Floyd joins in very tastefully.
Then vocals finally start, remaining somewhat subdued and far away this time, but the instruments still swell and ebb around the vocals.
The effect is amazing. Then suddenly, there is that huge sound of the treated guitar and bow again, and it is joined by strings which eventually drown everything else out as it builds and tempo and pitch are sped up.
Then it drops off suddenly and flows into the familiar drum beat and bass line of "Olsen Olsen". This is another beaut of a song. The far off voice starts sounding like Jonsi is singing from a distance, like from a distant canyon. And that flute melody that comes in from time to time is perfect. It gives the track a definite Celtic feel. When that melody comes back, it is played by the piano with strings chugging underneath, and then joined by the band and the orchestra and chorus.
Love the jubilant feel of this one. As brass joins in, things get slightly disjointed and dissonant as it fades out.
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