Viðrar vel til loftárása
Encyclopedia
"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
".
: "í dag viðrar vel til loftárása" (meaning "today is good weather for an airstrike").
, it features a football match between two teams of young boys. As one team scores a goal and celebrates, two young boys on the same team begin to kiss. The kiss is eventually broken up by the boys' fathers. All band members appear in cameo
in the video: Jónsi
is the soccer team coach, Orri
is the scorekeeper, Georg
is the referee, and Kjartan
is one of the spectators. Moreover, the fetus
design from the Ágætis byrjun album cover is shown on a bottle from which one of the boys drinks.
Production for the music video began in the autumn of 2001. A general casting call was held in the town of Reykjavík, Iceland, which was also the place of principal photography. The video was directed by Arni & Kinski, Icelandic directors Stefán Árni Þorgeirsson and Sigurður Kjartansson (Siggi Kinski). The video has won an Icelandic Music Award for "Best Video" in 2002.
The idea for the video came from Sigur Rós' former drummer Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson
.
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...
's second full-length 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...
. It was also released as the B-side
A-side and B-side
A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...
of the single "Svefn-g-englar
Svefn-g-englar
"Svefn-g-englar" is a song by Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós, from their second album, Ágætis byrjun.-Overview:"Svefn-g-englar" was released as a single in 1999, featuring two studio recordings — "Svefn-g-englar" and "Viðrar vel til loftárása" , both from Ágætis byrjun — and two...
".
Origin
The band named the song after a quote sarcastically spoken by an Icelandic weatherman during the war in KosovoKosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
: "í dag viðrar vel til loftárása" (meaning "today is good weather for an airstrike").
Music video
"Viðrar vel til loftárása" spawned a cinematic and controversial music video. Set in 1950s IcelandIceland
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...
, it features a football match between two teams of young boys. As one team scores a goal and celebrates, two young boys on the same team begin to kiss. The kiss is eventually broken up by the boys' fathers. All band members appear in cameo
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the video: Jónsi
Jón Þór Birgisson
Jón “Jónsi” Þór Birgisson is the guitarist and vocalist for the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. He is known for his use of a cello bow on guitar and his falsetto voice. He is also blind in his right eye and is openly gay. His boyfriend Alex Somers has done much of the graphic design for...
is the soccer team coach, Orri
Orri Páll Dýrason
Orri Páll Dýrason is the drummer for Sigur Rós. He joined the band in 1999, shortly after the recording of the studio album Ágætis byrjun, when the previous drummer, Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson, left the band. He married Lukka Sigurðardóttir in Hawaii in 2005. They have a son together born in January...
is the scorekeeper, Georg
Georg Hólm
Georg "Goggi" Hólm is the bassist of the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. Holm is the most prominent member of Sigur Rós in the English press, as he does significantly more press than the other members due to his being the most fluent English-speaker in the band; part of Georg's fluency in...
is the referee, and Kjartan
Kjartan Sveinsson
Kjartan "Kjarri" Sveinsson is a keyboardist of the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. He joined the band in 1998. Being something of a multi-instrumentalist, he has also played such instruments as the flute, tin whistle, oboe and even the banjo, as well as many of the unorthodox instruments that...
is one of the spectators. Moreover, the fetus
Fetus
A fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
design from the Ágætis byrjun album cover is shown on a bottle from which one of the boys drinks.
Production for the music video began in the autumn of 2001. A general casting call was held in the town of Reykjavík, Iceland, which was also the place of principal photography. The video was directed by Arni & Kinski, Icelandic directors Stefán Árni Þorgeirsson and Sigurður Kjartansson (Siggi Kinski). The video has won an Icelandic Music Award for "Best Video" in 2002.
The idea for the video came from Sigur Rós' former drummer Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson
Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson
Ágúst Ævar Gunnarsson is a founding member of the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós. He was the band's drummer from their creation in August 1994 until he quit in 1999 after the band finished Ágætis byrjun. Orri Páll Dýrason took his place as drummer. The group became internationally popular with...
.