Sigur Rós is commemorating the 20th anniversary of their breakthrough album, 1999’s sublime Ágætis byrjun (A Good Beginning), with a massive reissue. The reissues will come in multiple formats – as a 7-LP limited edition deluxe box set and in 4-CD and double vinyl versions – on June 21st via Krunk Records and are available for pre-order via Sigur Rós’ website.
Demos, early song versions and live recordings comprise six sides of the vinyl box set. The band dove into its personal archive for the source material, surfacing long-ago forgotten recordings. Guided voice versions of “Svefn-g-englar” and the title track, an original speed version of “Staralfur,” an extended version of “Vidrar vel til loftarasa” and an oboe-featuring “Olsen Olsen” are among the variations found in the set. It also features then-untitled songs and B-sides.
The package includes a live recording of their June 12th, 1999 concert at Íslenska Óperan (Icelandic Opera House), which has been remixed by former keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson with Birgir Birgisson who originally recorded the performance. The 90-minute set also marked the final time their original drummer, Águst Gunnarsson, would perform with the band. The band released “Flugufrelsarinn” from this set to coincide with the release.
The vinyl limited edition box set comes in a linen-bound box and houses an 84-page cloth-bound book. Handwritten string arrangements, photos, artwork ideas and more pieces from the band’s archive are among the contents. The first 1999 box set copies will be numbered. The full music offering will also be available in a 4-CD edition (one CD features the rarities and demos, two CDs span the concert and the final CD features the original album). The double vinyl version houses the original album, and comes with a download code for the demos and rarities and concert material.
Ágætis byrjun Limited Edition Box Set Track List
3 x LP – Demos and Rarities
Side A
1. “Svefn-g-englar” (Live at Popp í Reykjavík, 1998)
2. “Starálfur” (Original speed version)
Side B
1. “Flugufrelsarinn” (1998 Demo)
2. “Ný batterí” (Instrumental)
Side C
1. “Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm)” (1995 Demo)
2. “Viðrar vel til loftárása” (Alternative ending)
Side D
1. “Olsen Olsen” (1998 Demo)
2. “Ágætis byrjun” (1998 Demo)
Side E
1. “Hugmynd 1” (1998 Demo)
2. “Hugmynd 2” (1998 Demo)
3. “Hugmynd 3” (1998 Demo)
Side F
1. “Debata mandire” (Live at Laugardashöll, 1999)
2. “Rafmagnið búið” (From Ný batterí EP, 2000)
2 x LP – Live Íslenska Óperan 1999
Side A
1. “Intro”
2. “Von”
3. “Syndir Guðs”
Side B
1. “Flugufresarinn”
2. “Olsen Olsen”
3. “Ágætis byrjun”
Side C
1. “Viðrar vel til loftárása”
2. “Svefn-g-englar”
3. “Ný batterí”
Side D
1. “Nýja lagið”
2. “Hafssól”
2 x LP – Ágætis byrjun original 1999 album
Side A
1. “Intro”
2. “Svefn-g-englar”
3. “Starálfur”
Side B
1. “Flugufrelsarinn”
2. “Ný batterí”
Side C
1. “Hjartað hamast (bamm bamm bamm)”
2. “Viðrar vel til loftárása”
Side D
1. “Olsen Olsen”
2. “Ágætis byrjun”
3. “Avalon”