Hlemmur Original Soundtrack [Numbered Book & Vinyl Edition]

Numbered Hardback Book Edition on 2 x 10” Vinyl - Limited to 2002 copies

In 2002 Sigur Rós scored their first film, the picaresque Reykjavík documentary, ‘Hlemmur.'

The film followed the homeless habitués of the city’s central bus station through their frequently chaotic existences. Unflinching and sad, the project allowed the band to step away from the broadsweep beauty of their breakthrough album, 'Ágætis byrjun' and it’s newly minted follow-up, to create a smaller scale, altogether more homespun world of shonky electronics and melodies with a charming ad-libbed feeling to them.

The loose and appealing music they created when the pressure of being “Sigur Rós” was off, was both surprising and fresh. ‘Hlemmur' was initially released on a tour CD with colour photocopied artwork in a simple plastic slipcase. A couple of years later the project was upgraded to a lavish hardback, clothbound book edition, which featured drawings of the characters from the film as executed by the band themselves. The book came with a CD of the soundtrack as well as a DVD of the film.  This double disc limited edition was printed at Iceland’s last hardback book makers, Oddi.  And that was it for ‘Hlemmur' for more than a decade. 

15 years later, Sigur Rós revisit Oddi to make the first-ever vinyl edition of the album, in what turned out to be the last-ever hardback cloth-bound book ever to be made at the company’s factory in Iceland.  The 10-inch square book features all the band’s illustrations, plus a double 10-inch vinyl of the full soundtrack, all in a exquisitely put together, numbered 2002 limited edition.

Sigur Rós’ music would go on to soundtrack significant moments in movie and television throughout the next two decades, but ‘Hlemmur' was the first time they wrote to picture.

A few words from the Loftur Gunnarson Foundation below:

Nobody should die alone on the cold streets.

Loftur Gunnarsson was a homeless man living on the streets of Reykjavik. He was 32 years old when he died. His premature death could have been avoided if he received the medical care most of us take for granted. We believe everyone is born equal and as a community we should be helping those in need. The Loftur Gunnarsson Foundation was set up in his honour in 2012 to help give support and a voice to those who may have otherwise been forgotten.

www.lofturgunnarsson.com