( )

( ) – Sigur Rós’s celebrated third album, and for many the most quintessentially “Sigur Rós” record, hits its 20th anniversary. The album has been remastered by legendary mastering engineer Ted Jenson at Sterling Sound. Originally released back in 2002 the CD has been reissued as a double and for the first time ever includes a disc of rarities and B-sides.

( ) is the only album where Jónsi sings entirely in the wordless lyrics of Hopelandic. A desire to elide meaning and allow the listener to bring their own interpretation to the music extends to each of the album’s eight songs, all of which are nameless. The record is broadly divided into two halves, divided by a critical 36 seconds of silence. The first half of the album is light and optimistic, the second half bleak and melancholic, culminating in the thundering climax of Untitled #8 – the closing song of every Sigur Rós show since it was written in 2000.

( ) was recorded at the band’s own studio Sundlaugin, in Mosfellsbær outside Reykjavik, in 2002, co-produced by the band with Ken Thomas, who also helmed their breakthrough second album, Agætis Byrjun.