Search - Sigur Ros :: Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do

Music that goes nowhere . . .

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 04/16/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

". . . but the nowhere it goes is somewhere you want to be. The first track on this, Sigur Ros's fourth release, is purely, ravishingly beautiful. Comprising simple, one is tempted to say mindless, musical materials, it nevertheless conjures the most unpretentious, most evocative childhood memories-of safety, security, bliss, mother-warmth. Things clarify and simplify still further on the second cut, where electro-acoustic materials dance and cavort in a mesmeric static sound signature that evokes proto-childhood, somewhat reminiscent of the space-child birthed at the end of 2001, A Space Odyssey, with just the slightest worm of a hint that everything's not as it seems to be introduced and thematized by scratchy, somewhat mechanical-sounding percussion, warmth and assurance seemingly coexisting with uncertainty and potential destabilzation. Cut three fully launches menace into this childhood Eden. Processed wordless vocals, of an uncannily ominous sort, combine with storm-like electronic background soundscapes to skew the proceedings in an eldritch direction: A new Songs of Innocence, Songs of Experience? Perhaps. Indeed, there is a Blakian signature all over this remarkable music. With the introduction of annoying, jarring electronic effects and layered freak-out guitar, all semblances of innocence are destroyed, only to fleetingly reemerge near the end with an astonishingly short finishing flourish.In all, I find this music to be at once warmly encouraging and coldly menacing. Just like the real world."

Nice little treasure.

IcemanJ | Ohio, USA | 09/09/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a very interesting release for Sigur Ros. Completely different from their two full lengths, but that's good isn't it? We don't want bands making the same album a bunch of times. (Not that the first two were "the same" really). This is entirely instrumental, and much more minimal and abstract than the other albums.



"Ba Ba" gradually materializes from silence with a gentle, ethereal, keyboard melody, which keeps unfolding to reveal more little melodies of music boxes winding up, bells, and pianos. It really evokes a magical kind of dream-like atmosphere in the clouds. I think this track really flows the best and sounds the fullest, sounds like it could be from ().



"Ti Ki" has more music box sounds and odd repetitive electronic dings. very sparse for a while then really builds up.



The last track "Di Do" is kind of creepy, with strange mangled robotic voices repeating the song titles, and swooshing noises, but actually evolves into a good rhythm for a while until the song is tortured and distorted to the point where it is pretty much random experimental noise. This is probably one of the most bizarre songs I've ever heard .



I admit, I probably won't listen to this very often, but it was a very worthwhile purchase for the collection. Fans of the Icelandic band Mum will probably dig this album, as it sounds more like Mum than Sigur Ros. Sometimes I think i'm listening to Mum rather than Sigur Ros, usually on the second song. They had to get some inspiration from them, it sounds so similar. It also reminds me slightly of Aphex Twin, and very slightly of Ulver, mostly on the "Quick fix of melancholy" EP. You should definitely check out Mum and Ulver's electronic music if you enjoy this."

Ba ba babble

E. A Solinas | MD USA | 12/30/2004

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Sigur Ros is one of those blindingly good bands that occasionally churns out something... not so good. Not bad, but far from good. Sadly that is the case with "Ba Ba/Ti Ki/Di Do," a simplistic little soundtrack EP that sounds pretty, but doesn't inspire a second listen. Heck, it didn't even inspire a title.



"Ba Ba" is perhaps the prettiest song on here, a coldly delicate little synth melody that slips back to where it began, on an ambient loop. After some babbly vocals, "Ti Ki" debuts with a cracked, disjointed sound, followed by the wavery, eerie "Di Do."



Created for the Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, this EP may be better if you watch people dancing as you listen. It's somewhat like Sigur Ros's previous work, but somehow it feels more simplistic and sloppy, as if it were slapped together quickly.



Jonsi's falsetto vocals are pleasant, even when he utters baby noises. Backing him are a bunch of experimental samples -- a robotic voice, bells, music boxes, clock gears, and so on. They definitely have the makings of brilliance, but they also overwhelm the delicate ambient melodies. The experimental tracks never quite gel.



Perhaps the worst thing is that Sigur Ros's elusive, almost elfin emotions seem to be missing. The songs of "Ba Ba/Ti Ki/Di Do" are definitely interesting and offbeat, but it's not great. They dart very close to the musical grandeur from "( )" and "Agaetis Byrjun," but fall just short because of a lack of musical focus.



The die-hard Sigur Ros fans may want to give this a spin. "Ba Ba/Ti Ki/Di do" is an interesting EP, but by a truly excellent band like Sigur Ros, this blurry collection feels like a bit of a letdown."