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Those of you familiar with Sigur Rós' hauntingly fantastic music will not be surprised that their first DVD, featuring a documentary and second full disc of live performances, is a total marvel. Sigur Rós' richly constructed brand of Icelandic mood-rock is like nothing out there in music today and Bostonist is pleased to report that Heima, loosely translated as "Home," does justice to their unique sound. Heima was released in conjunction with their new double album Hvarf-Heim, which gives eager SR fans previously unreleased tracks as well as live recordings of some of the band's best.
No detail was overlooked in the making of Heima. The DVD itself is housed in a hard-bound picture book that has 100-odd pages of a single photo without caption. The photos are presented in pairs which challenge the viewer to make the connection between the two; this challenge is again poised as we watch the film and attempt to understand the meaning of the cryptic songs - Jónsi does sing in Icelandic, after all.
The film documents Sigur Rós' 16 free and unannounced shows they played in their home country after an extensive world tour. The film uses insanely cool cinematography to depict the natural beauty of Iceland's landscape while also giving us a peek into the lives of its residents. Various film tricks, such as showing water flowing backwards and using almost stop-action snapshots of various interesting details (mottled rocks, rippling sand, discarded rusting wheels), make the film visually striking. The music of Sigur Rós can be defined as having a surreal and other-worldly quality while being concurrently sparse - the DVD is constructed perfectly to fit with that sound. While the documentary style can be almost off-putting (and you can feel the coldness of the Icelandic air), it combines with the music so perfectly that the joy the band experiences playing at home is palpable.
Another neat thing about the film is that you're able to see first hand how Sigur Rós' uncommon sound is constructed. Jonsi often plays his guitar with a violin bow while the keyboardist Kjarri plunks out notes on a tiny toy piano. The final result is a truly powerful and moving film that adds another dimension to Sigur Rós' already cavernous depth.
Translation: Check it out and experience something musically rewarding and very kick-ass.
Heima screen grab from the Band's Flickr Page
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