Musical aesthetics below ground: volcanic action and the geosocial in Sigur Rós’s “Brennisteinn”

• Published in: Journal of Aesthetics & Culture
• Main Author: Tore Størvold
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2020
• Subjects: sigur rós; anthropocene; ecomusicology; ecocriticism; popular music; iceland; Arts in general; NX1-820; Aesthetics; BH1-301; Post Rock; Iceland
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1080/20004214.2020.1761060; https://doaj.org/article/a07d9a7ef30d44b3a72cb6adbe1de6cf

This article presents a musicological and ecocritical close reading of the song “Brennisteinn” (“sulphur” or, literally, “burning rock”) by the acclaimed post-rock band Sigur Rós. The song—and its accompanying music video—features musical, lyrical, and audiovisual means of registering the turbulence...