It was in 2011 that Iceland's king of lo-fi layered lushness, Sindri Már Sigfússon released “Summer Echoes” as an album under the name of his solo-project Sin Fang (he had previously recorded as Sin Fang Bous). The album oscillated wildly unearthing glimpses of familiarity - vintage Flying Nun here, Paw Tracks there and a Belle and Sebastian pop nous - while retaining the own stark originality of this uber-talented artist and producer.
And Sigfússon is a pretty unlikely ambassador of the Icelandic indie pop scene: in his teens he was a skateboard and Hip Hop aficionado, his arms are covered with a colourful mess of self designed tattoos and besides doing visual arts his true favourite obsessions are soccer and pizza: what makes him pretty much an antidote to the all too present cliché of the Icelandic nature boy. Sigfússon didn’t pick up a guitar until he was 20 but after graduating from art academy and moving to London he became sick and bought his first proper home recording equipment from the insurance money he got. And within just a few years, his infamous work ethic (he has a very strict 9 to 5 routine working on songs in his basement studio) and distinctive do-it-yourself production style culminated in the Sin Fang (Bous) debut album “Clangour” which was released on Morr Music in 2009 to worldwide acclaim and suddenly propelled him in the midst of a new wave of bands redefining the indie rock game in thus far unexpected directions.
Enthusiastic media and blog coverage and live shows in Europe, North America and Brazil followed.
After having set himself the task of playing all instruments on his debut solo album "Clangour", this time around Sigfússon wanted to move closer to the sound of a live band and recruited a number of his friends from múm, Amiina and Seabear to record “Summer Echoes” in his own studio and Sigur Rós Sundlaugin studio. The arrangements are more band oriented, grander in scope and more transparent than their predecessor’s and there is a diverse breadth of sounds across "Summer Echoes" dozen songs, reaching from a heart-breaking intimate piano ballad like “Two Boys” to sudden outbursts of guitar noise in “Bruises”. Not even the one-off appearance of synthetic beats in "Sing For A Dream" sound out of place when drenched in Sin Fang's signature layered wash of sound and it is the album's first single, "Because Of The Blood" that encapsulates the essence of this album in an euphoric orchestral pop song that manages to merge epic tune sculpting with several layers of choir abundance.
The fact that Sigfússon did not only write all the music but also was doing most of the recording and production promises a lot for his future and “Summer Echoes” conveys the feeling that the real story has only just begun: and in fact a next Sin Fang album is already fully written and Sigfússon shows no willingness to slow down. Summer Echoes will be released on Morr Music in March 2011. A limited edition Sin Fang 7" featuring the non-album coverversions of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" and Simon & Garfunkel's "The Only Living Boy In New York" is available as of December 2010 while the album's first single, "Because Of The Blood/Two Boys" will be out in February 2011. The artwork for the release was done together with Sigfússons partner Inga Birgisdóttir.
2016 saw the release of Spaceland and, with it, Sin Fang's total conversion to electronic music.
Easier
Sin Fang Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I walk with you and I sing in the choir
Choir
I put on a new face for you
Everything so full of nothing to do
When I'm awake
Always felt strange
To be no one
In my dreams
I walk with you
I walk with you
You came to me in my dreams while I was floating
Left me with a limp and a scar I believe
I'll be alright now and forever
It's never over
In my dreams
I walk with you
And I sing in the choir
Choir
The lyrics to Sin Fang's song Easier explore the theme of longing and yearning for someone who may be unattainable. The singer of the song appears to have feelings for someone who is either no longer in their life or perhaps someone they have never had the chance to be with. They express this desire in their dreams, where they change the colors of this person's eyes, suggesting that they may be imagining or idealizing their interactions with them.
The singer goes on to describe how they feel when they are awake, that they always felt strange "to be someone, to be no one". This could be interpreted as feeling like they are not being their authentic self around other people, maybe for fear of rejection or feeling like they would not be accepted as they are. They then go on to describe how they feel fulfilled when they are dreaming and walking with this person, singing in the choir alongside them.
Later in the song, the singer suggests that this person has left a mark on them, leaving them with a limp and a scar. However, they seem to feel that they will be alright now and forever and that their journey with this person is never over. The song ends by restating how the singer walks with this person in their dreams and sings in the choir with them, hinting at a sense of peace and fulfillment that comes with their imagined interactions.
Overall, the song explores themes of longing, unrequited love, and finding solace in one's dreams. The singer seems to be struggling with their identity and relationships in the real world, but finds comfort in their imagined connection with this person.
Line by Line Meaning
I couldn't stop myself from changing the colors of your eyes in my dreams
I can't control my imagination in my dreams and I keep fantasizing about changing the way you look.
I walk with you and I sing in the choir
In my dreams, I get to spend time with you and feel a sense of togetherness in a musical setting.
I put on a new face for you
In an attempt to impress you, I portray myself differently than my true self.
Everything so full of nothing to do
I find myself with empty hours, unsure of what to do with myself.
When I'm awake, always felt strange
Even when I'm not dreaming, I still feel out of place and abnormal.
To be someone, to be no one
I struggle with my identity and question whether I want to be someone significant or blend in as no one special.
You came to me in my dreams while I was floating
Even in my subconscious state of floating in dreams, you still manage to appear to me.
Left me with a limp and a scar I believe
When I wake up from my dream, I feel like it has left a lasting effect on me, like a wound or a mark.
I'll be alright now and forever
Despite the ups and downs of my dreams, I reassure myself that everything will be okay in the present moment and for the future.
It's never over
Dreams are ongoing and never really end, and there will always be more to experience.
Contributed by Arianna L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@xchiaroscura
Listening to this song feels like cool water cascading into my brain and splashing around and making all sorts of nice bubbles and whatnot