Sigur Rós co-founder Jónsi released a surprise album over the weekend titled Obsidian. The project coincides with his installation of the same name at the Tanya Bonakdar Gallery in NYC. As one might expect given the context, Obsidian derives its inspiration from this installation.
The installation comes from a sense of longing for home and wonder at nature.
After lying dormant for nearly eight hundred years, the recent eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano in Iceland served as the inspiration for Jónsi’s second solo exhibition, on view now from October 30 through December 17, 2021 at the Bonakdar Gallery.
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Obsidian was co-produced and mixed by Paul Corley & Nathan Salon. It is more ambient than some of Jónsi’s past projects with long stretches of airy, fleeting pads and voices softly echoing in the background. Some moments, like the end of “Kvika,” are more haunting and visceral, while there are plenty of periods to relax in warm, blissful ambient.
Jónsi and his collaborators really lean into the ambient side of his production, without losing sight of the ethereal qualities of his music. The project is long and a slow-burner, but something to really take in as the sun slips away and the cold entrenches itself. Pick up your copy here.
