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Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson's
soundtrack to the Icelandic film "Englar Alheimsins" ("Angels of the
Universe") makes a fitting companion piece to Björk's
Selmasongs, harnessing darkly flowing strings to create an
appropriately cinematic atmosphere of longing and regret.
Hilmarsson's score gets most interesting when bastard influences flit
into the mix — like the flickering percussion of "Yfirum," the
feedback washes of "Litbri>i" and the digital gurgles that close out
"Bakslag" — and the density of the strings breaks up into
something less stultifying. But the real attraction for most
listeners here will be the two songs contributed by Iceland's
post-rock darlings Sigur Rós. Recorded for FatCat's "Ny
Batterí" single (a title that always conjures Master of
Puppets-era Metallica for me, no matter how incongruous the
reference), both tracks are well known to the band's countrymen:
"Bíum Bíum Bambaló" is an old Icelandic lullaby,
while "Dánarfregnir og Jar>arfarir" is the culture's classic
marche funébre. Those tracks open up yawning chasms of
yearning as only these northern sculptors of feedback can. I don't
know what Iceland is like, aside from scenes from films, but Sigur
Rós inhabit a land of wasted beauty and blasted desire. It may
well be a world of their own making, but it's one I'm happy to visit,
whatever the season.
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