I don’t say this lightly, but Icelandic band Sigur Rós are so whacked out they make Björk look almost lucid. For this, obviously, I adore them. They are completely individual, with an ethereal, instrumental, other-wordly sound that seems to follow no musical convention… not any that we know of on Earth, anyway.
The first single from their new album “eð suð i eyrum við spilum endalaust” (With A Buzz In Our Ears We Play Endlessly), is “Gobbledigook”, and for the video they’ve teamed up with one of my favourite artists – photographer Ryan McGinley, who’s also doing artwork for the album itself.
I recently posted about his latest exhibition, the subtly brilliant “I Know Where The Summer Goes”, and I’m thrilled to see how his earthy, naturalist, glowy photgraphic style translated to film. The result is quintessential McGinley: a beautiful, hazy, green, wood nymph-filled romp. Unfortunately, the vid won’t get nearly as much play as it deserves because everyone in it is naked. And for some reason casual, unsexual, artistic nudity is still a gigantic taboo in North America. We are so uptight over here it scares me sometimes…
Click HERE to download a high-res version of the vid. Here’s a YouTube link, but watch it right now. They’re getting taken down faster than they’re going up because the censorship-lovers are flagging it left and right.
(Director: Arni & Kinski.)
Via OMG
shape+colour 
Needless to say, Sigur Ros is one of my favorite band. It draws me in, every time I listen to it. Even if you’re not a fan of trip hop or electronic music, you will still appreciate this band
by the way. . . . . .they are coming to massey hall the last weekend of september, just sayin, if you want to go. . . . . .id be into it in a BIG way
I agree on the need for a variety of shapes.
The girls are a bit different to average models anyway. For starters, they are not bikini waxed. They are somewhat at peace with some of their body hair.
But it would have been amazing to see some people with more meat and fat on their bones. Maybe that’s the next step, and some other artist will do it someday. Maybe McGinley himself?
if only any other format than quicktime!
i do agree with jo,
also, encyclopedia pictura did a much more interesting ‘nude’ music video for .. well i forget who (its available to watch on their website) but the concept was more interesting to me then just a bunch of nude people (with boots and shoes?) running around in a forest. i do understand they wanted a simple freeing feeling from that so i don’t mean to come off as bashing the video or anything..
I think that’s a bit annoying really, all the people used are a uniform long-thin shape, they can run without wobbling and they end up touching each other a bit. I’d like to see a broader range bodies hanging out in the nude and not ending up getting frisky.
It was a pretty attempt at something novel and quirky but too formulaic I think, boring.
Hey Lmcc –
I’ve got another live link up there as of right now. I’m pretty sure it will get taken down soon – so watch it now!
I love Sigur Rós to the core. I absolutely agree with what you say about this double standards society that doesn’t like pure, artistic nudity, yet they only show videos with girls in animal print degrading themselves and shaking their bums in front of hip hop artists. It’s just stupid.
Árni & Kinski have always done a great job with Sigur Rós videos. Viðrar vel til loftárása was so heartwrenching.
And thank you so much for recommending Ryan McGinley. I didn’t know him before. It’s so refreshing to see nude pictures that don’t strive to be arousing. That are casual and innocent, and just about living your life as if shame never existed.
it’s gone…any other known posts?