Heima (Home)

Sing with me
My sister calls
Remember your roots
Learn the songs of days
Gone by

Make music with us
The mountains whisper
Let us inspire you
Strum beside our
Ancient peaks

Dance with me
The West wind blows
Chase my melodies
I will stop to listen
As you play

Sing with your family,
Make music with mountains,
Dance like the wind, yet
Never forget –
Your home

I choose a radio station, I pick a CD from the local store, I download a song from iTunes. My musical choices are my own. At least, that is what I thought until I watched a film that made me reconsider the meaning of choice, specifically musical choice. The film was 'Heima,' a documentary about indie band Sigur Ros who became famous in 2007 for rejecting the rules of the music industry. 'Heima' is one example of the power of independent music to reject and reimagine the possibilities of music within a global monetary system of rules, regulation and limits.

For the band Sigur Ros, home is Iceland and the focus of their film, 'Heima'. After a worldwide tour, Sigur Ros decided to return to Iceland to give several unannounced, free concerts. 'Heima,' literally translated to mean “homeland”, follows Sigur Ros on their 2006 tour of villages, cities and wide expanses of natural beauty. The band’s choice to give small, free concerts was motivated by the desire to make music without the influence of money and fame. Sigur Ros also wanted to give back to their country, and tell the people of Iceland through song, that no matter how far they traveled, the band never forgot the beauty of being home. Beautifully filmed and edited, 'Heima' is a grand celebration of music, community and nature.

During Sigur Ros’ performances space, music and people become a single entity and the result is enchanting. Even Icelanders that never heard of Sigur Ros came to be a part of these moments, which, as Birgisson states, “is almost as nice as liking the music.” When the date and location of concerts were leaked, people gathered in droves to see the band willing to break away from the demands of the music industry and play free music for the people.
 
In today’s global music industry, music is often used to entertain and make profit. Free concerts are not only unprofitable, but also often viewed as risky due to possible violence. Usually, concerts are guarded, contained and blocked to the public. So much so, that the view of the band is often shielded from the outside world to ensure that people who watch will pay. The movie shows several clips that display Sigur Ros’ international success. In subsequent interviews, the band reflects on their frustrations with the music industry. “You’re in a band, but you’re just doing business,” says bassist Goggi Holm, “In a way, it’s quite exciting, but at the same time it’s almost like doing a desk job instead of making music.”

The band’s skepticism paid off. By straying from normal proceedings and creating a small-scale, unpromoted, and open tour in Iceland (a country often overlooked by the global music industry) the band found that they were able to get back to the feeling of playing music for people, not money. “I don’t think we maybe realized what we were doing,” says Birgisson in the film, “but it became a really big thing here.” The final concert of the 'Heima' documenary, held in Reykjavik, displays the possibility of a concert where the crowd, band, and place seem to come together to create an immense, yet intimate space. In the process of making music for themselves and their country, Sigur Ros “joined the souls of the Icelandic public” as one journalist mentioned in the film describes.

In an industry obsessed with image and money, both audiences and musicians must operate within confined spaces of imagination. We are told that the internet has provided music listeners with endless choices, but what is choice if our options, in the case of music, options of sound, creativity, genre and success, are pre-selected and presented to us by corporations? According to an essay from bemuso.com, a website dedicated to Do-it-yourself (DIY) music distribution, the music scene is more diverse than it may seem.

        “Although mainstream TV and radio is dominated by major label acts, a 2004 survey found over         4,500 live music events in the UK every day (1.7 million a year, MORI poll). Compare that with TV.         The mass and diversity of local acts puts the handful of bland national icons in perspective.         There’s a lot more happening outside the media bubble. But the influence of big business gets         attention, and it’s easy to forget that what’s happening in music isn't what's happening on MTV,         Radio One or in the charts.”

The difference between major record labels and independent music labels boils down to how much control the artist has over their art. Every DIY label is an indie. Independence means running your own record label, preferably with your own publishing. Bemuso.com explains,

    “The point of independence isn’t spurning the music industry—it’s being your own boss and avoiding     arbitrary costs and constraints. If you’re a writer and performer you can also be the publisher and     record label, and keep your rights and recordings. You can make direct contact with your audience     using the Internet and mail order, supported by live gigs and publicity. This is DIY.”

Sigur Ros is DIY. In their interviews, the band explains their perspective on the importance of returning to Iceland. Birgisson states, “When we travel we play in really big crowded cities, so its really nice to come back here to all the space in Iceland, just to relax a little bit.” The open spaces captured in the movie are breathtaking. “Space is what we have here,” says Pianist Sveinsson “in our personal lives and in the land as well...it’s in our souls.” The tour documented in 'Heima' is about more than just the music and people of Iceland, it is also about the beauty of Iceland’s natural resources. Several times during the tour, the concert’s location was not leaked and no one attended except the band and their crew. Independent musicians have more control over their messages and content. For Sigur Ros, the environment and speaking out against big business were important points that could only be discusses when they were in control of their message.

Claiming independence means being able to take risks and make choices that more comfortably suit your lifestyle and your beliefs. When artists are asked to compromise their vision by major record labels, this can cause tension. But when artists are asked to compromise their beliefs for monetary gain, this can lead to disaster. A successful tour, according to the major labels of our day equates to sold out stadiums, overpriced tickets and increased merchandise sales. But what if no one came to your show? What if no one saw you play? Even if you, the artist, play the best show of your life, are you a success?

Heima weaves beautiful footage of performances and surrounding scenery with interviews of the band. Sigur Ros’ sound is a blend of classical, electronica and post-rock styles. The talents of bassist Goggi Holm, pianist Kjarii Sveinsson and drummer Orri Pall Dyranson are accentuated by lead singer Jonsi Birgisson’s falsetto voice. The singer’s voice is used more as an instrument, similar to the scat technique of jazz singers. Birgisson’s voice allows listeners to develop their own interpretations. This aspect of the band’s sound contributed to the success of Sigur Ros’ debut album in 1997. It also might help explain how this band was able to unite so many Icelanders in multiple peaceful, positive spaces during their 2007 documented in 'Heima.'

One of the most memorable performances in the film takes place in Karahnjukar, one of the biggest unspoilt highlands in Europe. In 2007, it was also the site of an environmentalist protest camp. The individuals in the camp were protesting the building of a large dam that would flood Karahnjukar. To show their support, Sigur Ros gave a performance in a magnificent green expanse of the highland with the all-female quartet Amiina. In the film, the members of Amiina remember the concert as “magical” describing how the wind stopped as the band began to play, and returned when they were finished. Iceland’s natural beauty is a central focus of the film, emphasizing the band’s resistance to the destruction of their home.

The band’s connection to the land comes through in the film’s music and interviews. Holm explains, “Iceland is a unique place on this planet, and it’s so strange that people can actually think about it as sort of a money making scheme.” He continues, “In Iceland there are two groups. The people who want to make loads of money in a short time and the people that are thinking about the long term effect on Iceland.” Holm is referring to aluminum companies, and their supporters, who wish to take large amounts of aluminum from the land despite evidence of irreversible environmental damage.
 
Home is a place where your loved ones live, as well as a place you cherish and take care of. A place you never forget. As young men, the members of Sigur Ros were thrown into the world of international musical fame. They quickly learned that the music industry has little patience for those who wish to challenge established industry practices. Instead of giving in to the demands of big business, Sigur Ros chose to return home and give back to the place that formed their music and souls. 'Heima' documents Sigur Ros’ return to a simpler way of making music, removed from ticket sales, promotional tours and seas of unfamiliar faces. Perhaps unexpectedly, the tour promoted peaceful gatherings, a rejection of capitalist industries, national unity and an appreciation for nature. 'Heima' is a must-watch film for music lovers, especially those who crave sound uncorrupted by industry.








Citation:

You can watch Heima on Youtube in 10 parts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNofqsFTW08