Music News: Sigur Rós Celebrate Ágætis Byrjun, Sacred Arts & Kælan Mikla

‘Ágætis Byrjun,’ the breakthrough album by Sigur Rós, is twenty years old on June 12th. To celebrate, the band are staging a variety of events looking back at how the album was made, and unveiling a time capsule of unseen archive materials. First of all, the band will have a playback of a remastered recording of their album release concert—20 years later to the day—on the very same stage of Gamla Bíó (it was known at the time as Islenska Operan.) There will also be events at MENGI and Smekkleysa, where special edition LPs will be on sale. Check out sigurros.com/rvk for signup details.JR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bT6Cy1lyYak

Breakthrough Icelandic coldwave band Kælan Mikla are on a seemingly endless upwards trajectory of late. As well as endless touring, festival appearances, and becoming bezzies with goth-in-chief Robert Smith of The Cure, they have announced that a song of theirs will soon be coming to your TV or laptop screen as the theme tune of a new TV show. “HBO Nordic is releasing a new comedy series written by Swedish legend Lukas Moodysson,” they said, via Facebook. “We are so proud to announce that our song “SÝNIR” is the opening theme of the show ‘GÖSTA.’” Follow Kælan Mikla’s adventures via their Instagram and Facebook. JR

The Festival of Sacred Arts continues until June 10th with a busy programme at Hallgrímskirkja. Look out for performances of Bach cantatas on Saturday and Sunday (admission is free for both), and don’t miss the intriguing combination of Hallgrímskirkja’s magnificent organ, church bells and computer technology in ‘Computers, Klais and Carillon.’ The closing concert looks to be particularly fine, with the internationally renowned Hallgrímskirkja Schola Cantorum and Motet Choir joining forces with the Hallgrímskirkja International Baroque Choir in a performance of three Bach cantatas and the premiere of Veni, Sancte Spiritus by Sigurður Sævarsson. Find further info at www.kirkjulistahatid.is. FR

Read more about Icelandic music here. Read more about Sigur Rós here. Read more about Kælan Mikla here.