Svefn-g-englar
Encyclopedia
"Svefn-g-englar" is a song by Iceland
ic post-rock
band Sigur Rós
, from their second album
, Ágætis byrjun
.
pun "sleepwalkers" or "Sleep angels") and "Viðrar vel til loftárása" ("good weather for airstrike
s"), both from Ágætis byrjun — and two songs recorded live at the Icelandic Opera House in Reykjavík
— "Nýja lagið" ("new song
"), which has not yet been recorded in studio, and "Syndir Guðs" ("God
's sin
s"), from the group's first LP, Von
. The single was the first UK release for the band, issued on Fat Cat Records
in 1999. Upon release it was named "Single of the Week" in NME
. In 2001, it was re-issued, in the United States, on PIAS records
. The single is available both on compact disc
and 12 inch vinyl
, with somewhat different selections of tracks.
The music video for "Svefn-g-englar" was directed by August Jacobsson.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic post-rock
Post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of rock music characterized by the influence and use of instruments commonly associated with rock, but using rhythms and "guitars as facilitators of timbre and textures" not traditionally found in rock...
band Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós is an Icelandic post-rock band with classicaland minimalist elements. The band is known for its ethereal sound, and frontman Jónsi Birgisson's falsetto vocals and use of bowed guitar. In January 2010, the band announced that they will be on hiatus. Since then, it has since been announced...
, from their second album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, Ágætis byrjun
Ágætis byrjun
Ágætis byrjun is the second album by the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós, which was released in 1999. Ágætis byrjun was recorded between the summer of 1998 to the spring of 1999 with producer Ken Thomas, and became Sigur Rós's breakthrough album, both critically and commercially...
.
Overview
"Svefn-g-englar" was released as a single in 1999, featuring two studio recordings — "Svefn-g-englar" (IcelandicIcelandic language
Icelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
pun "sleepwalkers" or "Sleep angels") and "Viðrar vel til loftárása" ("good weather for airstrike
Airstrike
An air strike is an attack on a specific objective by military aircraft during an offensive mission. Air strikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as fighters, bombers, ground attack aircraft, attack helicopters, and others...
s"), both from Ágætis byrjun — and two songs recorded live at the Icelandic Opera House in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
— "Nýja lagið" ("new song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
"), which has not yet been recorded in studio, and "Syndir Guðs" ("God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
's sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
s"), from the group's first LP, Von
Von (album)
Von is the debut album of Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós.The production of the album took a long time, and the end result sounded significantly different from the original recordings. The band considered scrapping the final result and starting all over again, but decided not to because it...
. The single was the first UK release for the band, issued on Fat Cat Records
Fat Cat Records
Fat Cat Records is an independent label based in Brighton on England’s South Coast. Their output includes electronica, post rock, indie, downtempo, minimal techno, noise and punk-pop...
in 1999. Upon release it was named "Single of the Week" in NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
. In 2001, it was re-issued, in the United States, on PIAS records
Play It Again Sam (record label)
[PIAS] Recordings is the recorded music division of the [PIAS] Entertainment Group, a European independent artist and label services company.The record labels that operate under the [PIAS] Recordings umbrella are: Play It Again Sam, Wall of Sound and Different Recordings.Aside from the three London...
. The single is available both on compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
and 12 inch vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
, with somewhat different selections of tracks.
The music video for "Svefn-g-englar" was directed by August Jacobsson.
In film and television
- "Svefn-g-englar" is featured in the Vanilla Sky SoundtrackMusic from Vanilla SkyThe soundtrack for Vanilla Sky was nominated for an Academy Award. The film's soundtrack has been subject to critical acclaim from its reviewers, being called "a music masterpiece" by The New York Times. The eclectic taste of the soundtrack has been said to be one of the reasons the movie has...
. - "Svefn-g-englar" also featured on the DVD release of We know where you live
- Was played in episode 202 of Queer as Folk.
- "Svefn-g-englar" is featured in the movie Ben XBen XBen X is a 2007 Belgian drama film based on the novel Nothing Was All He Said by Nic Balthazar, who also directed the film. The film is about a boy with autism who retreats into the fantasy world of the MMORPG ArchLord to escape bullying...
(Belgium) (also on the soundtrack CD). - Featured in CSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCSI: Crime Scene InvestigationCSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
episode "Slaves of Las Vegas". - Used in a nature sequence in Leonardo DiCaprioLeonardo DiCaprioLeonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
's The 11th HourThe 11th Hour (film)The 11th Hour is a 2007 documentary film, created, produced and narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, on the state of the natural environment. It was directed by Leila Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners and financed by Adam Lewis and Pierre André Senizergues, and distributed by Warner Independent...
. - Portions featured in ABC's V (2009 TV series)V (2009 TV series)V is an American science fiction television series that ran for two seasons on ABC, from November 3, 2009 to March 15, 2011. A remake of the 1983 miniseries created by Kenneth Johnson, the new series chronicles the arrival on Earth of a technologically advanced alien species which ostensibly comes...
in episode 4 of Season 1 during the 'Bliss' scene. - Also featured in the first series of "Rolf On Art" in the episode about Paul Gauguin.
CD version
- "Svefn-g-englar" (single edit) – 9:16
- "Viðrar vel til loftárásaViðrar vel til loftárása"Viðrar vel til loftárása" is a song from Sigur Rós's second full-length album Ágætis byrjun. It was also released as the B-side of the single "Svefn-g-englar".- Origin :...
" – 10:13 - "Nýja lagið" (live at the Icelandic Opera House, June 12, 1999) – 9:28
- "Syndir Guðs" (live at the Icelandic Opera House, June 12, 1999) – 5:46
12" version
- "Svefn-g-englar" (single edit) – 9:16
- "Viðrar vel til loftárása" – 10:13
- "Veröld ný og óð" – 3:29