carlo zambotti
on a mission from odin.

everybody in the halle is standing and clapping hands, smiling.

i finally manage to enter the show with a last minute ticket. the charlie parker space in the grande halle de la villette å an old market å is already full of people talking and feverishly waiting. on the stage å a big one å a forest of bowing microphones. one could not count them. in the front, the conductor’s music stand, under a cone of white light. to the right, an enormous stone marimba that will later be played by five people at a time. after the group i was in å the Çdernier minuteÁ group å entered the halle, the show began. i was first raw to the right, in front of the marimba, scarifying a perfect sound to my fan-desire of being in pole position. slowly, crowds of people with instruments began to enter the stage: first the cnsmdp å l’orchestre des laur¯ats du conservatoire - then the schola cantorum choir, then the hrafnagaldurs performers (which are sigur rós plus hilmar hilmarsson, steindor andersen and maria huld markan sigfusdottir). On the back of the stage, an enormous white square is waiting for images to appear on it. the music starts, from far away, then becomes stronger and stronger with the bows and female voices raising. it somehow reminds me of van den budenmayer. then, for more than an hour, everybody was into odinÁs tale and å though not many knew the story å they felt it. there were moments of extreme power and joy, others of despair and hopelessness. ups and downs, one could say. no: it was light and darkness, if you understand. good and evil if you prefer. what they manage to do is bringing their knowledge of classical music to a contemporary taste, with just few ingredients: bows to move one’s soul; voices to narrate and enchant; percussions and electronic bases to give power; the marimba to create the atmosphere of primitive magic. j†nsi is not singing a lot in this show, but when he sings it is as if a blade struck you in the stomach. maybe his voice was less ÇperfectÁ than the others on stage, but unique and so powerful, probably because of its ÇimperfectionsÁ. on the white square behind, a black and white aurora borealis made out of bird wings, visual noises, abstract houses and visions contributed to the whole, but one was too tempted just to close his eyes and daydream to really look at it. the audience was shocked all the time, out of control i could say. the show was not divided into acts, so there was no place for applauses, but people kept on clapping hands and shouting. they were playing their part in some ancient ritual they did not understand but felt.

everybody in the halle is standing and clapping hands, smiling, for more than 15 minutes, trying to give back the magic they received. it's a pity you were not there. oh, did i mention that all this was recorded and is going to come out on cd and dvd? thanks god. no. thanks odin!
(carlo zambotti)

fan interviews

yann

did you know before the show that this wasn't going to be a normal sigur rós concert?

yes, and it was the main reason why i've decided to go to this concert (because i had already seen 3 'traditional concerts' of sigur ros in paris -festival des inrockuptibles, le bataclan & le grand rex)

what did you think of it?

i really enjoyed the mix of sigur ros' music + electro + orchestra + choir + stone marimba. the voices were divine and sigur ros weren't the star of the show but just a part of it. i love them because they are so humble. actually, i didn't know exactly what to expect. was the poem going to be sung or read? it was really exciting to discover the result on stage. i only was disappointed by the videos in the back, but there was so much to see on stage anyway!

are you a fan of classical music?

yes, especially of 20th century composers: gorecky, erik satie, stravinky, saint sa«ns, messiaen, rachmaninov... and i love pop-rock bands using strings: echo & the bunnymen, tindersticks, a silver mount zion, rachel's, nick cave, the walkabouts...

if so, how did it compare to other classical pieces?

the solo singer's voice was extraordinary and the choir was distressing. the stone marimba was a real surprise for me. and i will never forget the last chapter : waw!!

do you know anything about the history behind the project?

not really. i only read the information in the programme of the villette numerique festival. and i'd like to learn a little bit more about the poem.

do you think sigur rós should continue with these kind of projects, or just stick to albums and regular concerts?

of course! i really appreciate these guys who are so creative and original and have lots of projects in addition to their studio albums. and i really appreciate these kinds of projects/performance including different arts (music/dance or music/film or music/performance). it reminds me the beginning of the 20th century with stravinsky/picasso or erik satie/cocteau collaboration.



burdy

did you know before the show that this wasn't going to be a normal sigur rós concert?

yes, i know that

what did you think of it?

i have listen the odin' raven magic before on internet and i like it. and the concept is very interesting for me, so i want to see this concept in live

are you a fan of classical music? if so, how did it compare to other classical pieces? if not, has it made you want to hear other classical works?

yes, i like classical music. younger, i play music in a orchestra. i have seen by past a lot of concert of classical music. for me, odin raven magic it's a contemporary classical music. very interesting, because it's classical music + traditional music + "rock n roll" music. this mix is very deep.

do you know anything about the history behind the project?

yes, but just a little, or just the essential

do you think sigur rós should continue with these kind of projects, or just stick to albums and regular concerts?

i think, and i want that sigur ros continue the regular album and concert (i hope to see alone quickly) and that sigur continue in this kind of projects, where there is a work, a progression for the music in generally

do you have any other comments about the event?

it's great, very cool



francesco

did you know before the show that this wasn't going to be a normal sigur rós concert?

of course, but after all, the sigur ros's influence on it was not negligible!

what did you think of it?

indeed, it was a very very good gig

are you a fan of classical music? if so, how did it compare to other classical pieces? if not, has it made you want to hear other classical works?

i'm not a fan, i just know the basis ; and this gig did not disappoint me on that score !

do you know anything about the history behind the project?

well, nearly nothing

do you think sigur rós should continue with these kind of projects, or just stick to albums and regular concerts?

my final word were "i wanna so much see them alone" (i mean, in a "traditional" concert)

do you have any other comments about the event?

that's honestly better when (like at the end of the gig) all the sr's instruments explode to give us a show that explains why we love their music so much!



carlo

did you know before the show that this wasn't going to be a normal sigur rós concert?

yes.

what did you think of it?

better than ever.

are you a fan of classical music? if so, how did it compare to other classical pieces?

yes, it reminded me of van den budenmayer

do you know anything about the history behind the project?

odin's tale? yes.

do you think sigur rós should continue with these kind of projects, or just stick to albums and regular concerts?

go on with this and the albums..!

do you have any other comments about the event?

no



sophie bonaly

did you know before the show that this wasn't going to be a normal sigur rós concert?

yes , i did know it before going in paris (in fact in live in nice,the south of france). i did read it on the web site of the vilette where the concert took place.

what did you think of it?

i did think it is a great idea and i was really touched by this concert and the combination between classical and sigur ros music. i really love sigur ros music. i went already to see them in lyon last year (in the classical room!) i did travel in island also and try to find some cd we don't have any chance to find in france. i was so subjugated by this place and when i was there i directly understood why and how they do this kind of music... for me sigur ros is the music of angels. so to combine this magic music with the power of classical instruments it is so huge.

are you a fan of classical music? if so, how did it compare to other classical pieces? if not, has it made you want to hear other classical works?

i am a fan of classical music, i am a singer. i still learn and take classical technical lesson. this piece was original on the way of mixing the different instruments and type of music. the voice of the singer "odin" was a good choice, deep enough. and the choir also. i loved the soprano lead (don't remember which song). i did find the "marimba stone" really magic. what was different to usual classical piece was also the video on the back which gave another key to dream...

do you know anything about the history behind the project?

no, i know it is about old island tales, but that's it.

do you think sigur rós should continue with these kind of projects, or just stick to albums and regular concerts?

i think they should go on these kind of projects, and also on regular concert of course. their way of playing with music and emotions is so magic, that they should explore every step and every way of doing it. albums are important cause it is sometime too fare away to come to see them on concert. but of course nothing will replace the emotion you can feel during live concert. will they do any dvd/cd of their tour or shows?

do you have any other comments about the event?

it was great! thanks a lot to everybody !



s¯bastien leboucher

did you know before the show that this wasn't going to be a normal sigur rós concert?

i heard samples of the show on sigur rós web site. so i knew what kind of show it was before.

what did you think of it?

it's a great project. i was very charmed by the classical and contemporary music alchemy.

are you a fan of classical music? if so, how did it compare to other classical pieces? if not, has it made you want to hear other classical works?

not fan of classical music but i hear classical sometimes. i think it may increase the odin's raven audience interest in classical music.

do you know anything about the history behind the project?

i read articles about it before.

do you think sigur rós should continue with these kind of projects, or just stick to albums and regular concerts?

they have to continue such kind of project and sigur rós album at the same time.

do you have any other comments about the event?

no comment. continue to amaze us !


christophe

did you know before the show that this wasn't going to be a normal sigur rós concert?

i read about it on "18 seconds...", so i have not been surprised at all.

what did you think of it?

it was a very good moment for me; they did a very good job.

are you a fan of classical music? if so, how did it compare to other classical pieces? if not, has it made you want to hear other classical works?

not really a fan, but i like some pieces of classical music; of course, we can compare it to other pieces based upon mythological or historical stories (richard wagner, richard strauss, and perhaps edvard grieg...)

do you know anything about the history behind the project?

nothing; as told in , i only read some things about the project on your website.

do you think sigur rós should continue with these kind of projects, or just stick to albums and regular concerts?

yes, of course: this kind of project should help them constantly renewing their music, doing each new album different than the previous one, with nevertheless their typical sound.

do you have any other comments about the event?

i said all...