The eagerly awaited sixth Sigur Rós album Valtari has been in the works for almost six years. After returning to the studio after an indefinite hiatus, the Icelandic band reimagined tracks that according to drummer, Orri Páll Dýrason, had been ‘not quite forgotten’. If that sounds unromantic, the results are anything but – the cinematically beautiful album features unreleased film scores, girls choirs and Jonsi’s hopeful but incomprehensible lyrics. With Valtari set for release on the May 25th we talk to Orri about the new release and it’s surprising samples, and the possibility of an Australian tour… (that may or may not be in November).
Your latest album, Valtari, which comes out on May 25th, is Sigur Rós’ sixth studio album, could you tell us a little about it?
We started working on this album in 2007 – so quite some time ago – and it’s taken a very, very long time, but it’s been kind of an on and off process.
So it’s been a work in progress for a while?
Yes.
Georg has said this is the only album of Sigur Rós he has listened to for pleasure – is it the same for you?
(laughs) Um, I actually have only listened to it once after we’d finished it. But I enjoyed it, actually. It’s the only album I’ve listened to afterwards.
So when you’ve finished the albums they’re quite a ‘closed book’ for you?
Well after working on it for such a long time, in its last stages. And for the last two months I’ve listened to it everyday – all day. It gets kind of… maybe I could after a few years. When I’m old maybe, play it for my grandchildren.
Some of the tracks on Valtari you have been working on since the release of Takk – what made you return after a hiatus to finish this album?
It was actually our manager, Dean, who pointed out we had this old record, older work that wasn’t quite forgotten – we’d just stopped thinking about it – but the content was already there and he said maybe you should try and listen to them and see what would happen, and we did. You know, we just started working on them again and that was about a year ago. Just over a year ago. And yeah, it was our manager’s idea.
Because there are certain tracks from different times and others that were composed for the album, are the tracks intended as fragments of a whole record, or do the tracks stand alone without the rest of the album?
Well, when we wrote it, it was not intended to be as a whole piece. We were going to make a choral album, but we thought it was really boring. Then we had another session and wrote some more tracks, and then later we just experimented and worked on and found that they were really fitting together. Alex – Jonsi’s boyfriend co-produced the album with us and he managed to just glue it all together, actually. There’s one track on the album called Varúð – which we created for a film, but it wasn’t actually used, and we liked it a lot so we’ve used it on the album – and that’s one track, I feel, that stands out a little bit.
Valtari has quite an electronic sound and a mixture of ‘found sound’ recordings – how is it that you collect those?
Found sounds? Uh, no… not really. It’s just us using sampling equipment in the studio.
Oh, I’ve read that sometimes you use an iPhone?
Oh yeah, yes! Sometimes I take the bus, you know. To the city. Well – to the village – Reykjavik – and I play around with my iPhone. And yes, I actually sampled a guy with a lawnmower – who was mowing his lawn. And it’s in a song called Elephant – at least – that was its working title. He has no idea he’s on the album!
Do you find yourself doing that often? Sort of drawing inspiration from the sounds you hear around you?
Yeah, and for me, being on the bus, no one bothers you there. I really like riding the bus.
It gives you a chance to listen to music too, I find, with the bus.
Yes, it’s true.
And you play synth for Sigur Rós, as well as drums – which do you prefer to play?
And piano and keyboards, yes. I don’t know which I prefer – they are both so different– drums are so physical, and occasionally I play the guitar. But they’re all different experiences.
You released a remix album of Von, and ran a contest for the remix of Gobbidigook, are there plans for a remix album of Valtari?
Um, no… sorry… I’m making a cigarette. No, plans for that. But we are doing videos for the album. We have some directors to make videos.
Have you started work on those?
Some people have – but we don’t have any input in that.
Sigur Ros have composed the music for several different films, but what movie if you could choose any – would you like to score?
Whoa, any of them! Um, I’m don’t know. I really like Sunset Boulevard – it’s my favourite film probably. So that one.
I noticed it’s your wife that creates some of the handmade merchandise for the band?
It was for one album, Takk.
What did she create?
She worked on the covers with Alex, and t-shirts and just… the sort of graphic side.
It’s nice that you guys have a lot of family and friends involved with the production of the band.
Yes, and Jonsi’s sister did the cover for Valtari.
It’s beautiful – is it just photography?
Yes, just a few photographs and the small boat – which I’m not sure, it was maybe a drawing.
You’ve been working on a new stage set for the latest tour, could you tell us a little about that?
We’re going to have a video backdrop – like we’ve always had – but we’re still working on it.
You’ve just set dates for touring in July starting in America – are there any plans to tour Australia?
Yes. I think it will be in November.
I think a lot of loyal Aussie fans will be pleased.
I really like Australia. We’ve been three times, I think.
What preparation do you do before a tour?
We are rehearsing a lot – being in the studio is nothing like touring – at the moment, it sounds like shit (laughs).
I’ve read that your studio is a converted pool?
That was our old one. The new one is just a… box. In an industrial area, it’s like a shipping container.
Do you find that a different environment has influenced the album at all?
Well, actually, we do still use the old studio a bit. And well, it has changed a little bit. But we sold the old studio because it was boring to us. It had become like an office. It was like going to work. Sometimes we use Jonsi’s place and my garage. We’ve recorded Valtari all over.
Sigur Rós online: