Sigur Rós on indefinite hiatus after scrapping new album

[Farin]

The Icelandic band have abandoned their 'nearly completed' sixth LP, taking a break to have babies and pursue solo projects

[smaller]Sean Michaels | guardian.co.uk | Thursday 28 January 2010 | Link[/smaller]

Sigur Rós have scrapped their new album, binning recordings described last year as "near completion". Frontman Jonsí Birgisson has revealed that the Icelandic band are on indefinite hiatus, as they are busy "having babies" and releasing solo albums.

In May 2009, Sigur Rós wrote on their website about sessions at the Sundlaugin studio in Ãlafoss, Iceland. Drummer Orri Páll Dyrason told a local newspaper that the band were almost finished work on their sixth LP, a record that was "slower and more ambient" than their last two. The "out there" release would likely be released in 2010, he said.

Speaking to Spinner this week, Birgisson has dashed such hopes. "We haven't got another album ready," he said. "It was just a rumour. We started to record something, but then we chucked it all away. So I think we are going to have to start it all again."

"We are on a break at the moment. Everybody in the band is having babies." For Birgisson, this baby seems to be a musical one: the singer will deliver his first solo album, Go, on 22 March. Under the name Riceboy Sleeps, Birgisson and boyfriend Alex Somers also released an instrumental debut last year.

Sigur Rós's most recent album was 2008's Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust.

[Viaene]

I don't thrust indefinite hiatusses

[TheLizard]

It's okay, I recently heard Jonsi's new single "Boy Lilikoi" and it's fantastic. So we will not be ambient-Icelandic-less in the time between.