At the end of October, Jónsi of Sigur Rós released a surprise album, Obsidian, alongside a virtual art installation at the Tonya Bonakdar Gallery in New York. Now, a fully mixed and mastered version of the album is available on Apple, Amazon and Tidal music.
The album was inspired by the recent eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland, which had been dormant for over 800 years. Jónsi was unable to travel to the country to experience the once-in-a-lifetime event but he encapsulated the force with his art.
“Obsidian the album, likewise, centers on the Icelandic natural wonder,” reads a press release. “Recorded and produced in tandem with the works on view, the parallel formats inform one another and interweave through their embodiment of volcanic energies. Over the course of 10 tracks, each with evocative titles referencing sights, textures, and aromas of the ashen terrain, Jónsi takes his listeners through narrative arcs between erupting flares.”
The album follows his 2019 Shiver, which was much more influenced by pop than the current piece. It also comes after the band’s 2020 album Odin’s Raven Magic, an orchestral collaboration between several Icelandic artists. This talent earned them spot on the soundtrack for Life Is Strange: True Colors game.
Obsidian Tracklist
1. Vikur
2. Ambrox
3. Kvika
4. Pyralone
5. Obsidian
6. Cypriol
7. Eyja
8. Öskufall
9. Vetiverol
10. Hedione
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