Tonight in Seattle: Sigur Rós, Julia Holter at the Paramount Theater 8/8

Sigur Rós, Julia Holter @ the Paramount Theater | 8/8 | 8pm | SOLD OUT

Photo c/o popplagið.com

Preview by Julie Cochran:

In support of their sixth studio album, Icelandic quartet Sigur Rós stop in Seattle for a sold out show at the Paramount Theater 8/8. Known for their ethereal, atmospheric sound, Sigur Rós first emerged from Reykjavík in 1994, and caught the attention of the global music community with the subsequent release of Von in 1997, and in 1999, Ágætis byrjun. The release of the former saw the group welcome the musical knowhow of keyboardist Kjarten Sveinssen, who assumed responsibility for much of the orchestration and string instrumentation heard on Sigur Rós’ later material.

In their nearly 20 year career, Sigur Rós have remained a vital force in the post-rock community, continually producing sophisticated material combining classical instrumentation with restricted tonal qualities of minimalism. In conjunction with the release of their latest album, Valtari, the group announced that they would enlist twelve filmmakers to create clips of “whatever came to mind” when they listened to new tracks. New York-based artist Ryan McGinley is the latest director to participate in the project with his take on “Varúð.” Previously, duo Arni and Kinski directed a clip for “Rembihnútur.”

If you are one of the lucky Sigur Rós fans who have tickets to this show, chances are the spooky melodies sounds of Los Angeles-based opening artist Julia Holter will be right up your alley. Check out the video for the artist’s “Our Sorrows,” off her latest release Ekstasis (RVNG).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EczyTD514KA