"Vaka" (released as "untitled #1 (a.k.a. "Vaka")") is the common name for the untitled first track and lead single from

Sigur Rós Sigur Rós () is an Icelandic post-rock band that formed in 1994 in Reykjavík. It comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Jónsi, Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassist Georg Hólm, and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal soun ...

' 2002 album '' ( )''. As late as 12 November 2006 the single remained fifteenth in the Canadian singles chart, having spent a total of 16 weeks in the top 20. The band closed their set with tracks 2 and 3 from this single during their spring 2003 tour, calling the two songs "Smáskífa" (single) on their

set list A set list, or setlist, is typically a handwritten or printed document created as an ordered list of songs, jokes, stories and other elements an artist intends to present during a specific performance. A setlist can be made of nearly any materi ...

. Track 2 was originally meant to be a remix of "Vaka" but it turned out into a different song altogether, although some remnants of "Vaka"'s melody can still be heard. Track 3 features a solo on piano by drummer

Orri Páll Dýrason Orri Páll Dýrason (; born on 4 July 1977) is an Icelandic musician. From 1999 till 2018 he was the drummer for the band Sigur Rós, which he joined in 1999, shortly after the recording of the studio album ''Ágætis byrjun'', when the previo ...

. Track 4 is the music looped before and after Sigur Rós' live shows. The single was released as a 3" limited

mini CD Mini CDs, or pocket CDs, are CDs with a smaller diameter and one-third the storage capacity of a standard 120 mm disc. Formats Amongst the various formats are the * Mini CD single, a small disc. The format is mainly used for audio CD s ...

, 5" CD with DVD, and as a 10" limited vinyl gatefold sleeve with an artwork stencil. The 3" mini CD was only released in Europe, and is labeled as featuring a new 12 minute track though there are four separate tracks on the disc. The DVD accompanying the 5" CD contains the first three music videos the band has made: "

Svefn-g-englar "Svefn-g-englar" is a song by the Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós, from their second album, ''Ágætis byrjun''. Overview "Svefn-g-englar" was released as a single in 1999, with two studio recordings — "Svefn-g-englar" (an Icelandic pu ...

", "

Viðrar vel til loftárása "Viðrar vel til loftárása" ( Icelandic for "it's good weather for airstrikes"; pronounced ) is a song written and recorded by Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós for their second studio album ''Ágætis byrjun''. The song appears as the seventh ...

" and "Vaka". The menu screen has a video which the band shot of some birds on a wire, with track four from the single playing.

Music video

Directed by

Floria Sigismondi Floria Sigismondi (, born 1965) is an Italian-Canadian film director, screenwriter, music video director, artist, and photographer. She is best known for writing and directing '' The Runaways'', for directing music videos for performers includ ...

, the music video shows a

post-apocalyptic Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction are genres of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astronom ...

world in which children, attending school, get ready to go outside and play. The children, after having their ears and mouths inspected by the faculty, putting on many layers of clothes as well as ominous

gas mask A gas mask is a piece of personal protective equipment used to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft ...

s, exit the school building and emerge to a yard covered in black ash, which falls from the red sky like snow. The children play in the ash, throwing it at one another and making snowmen out of it as well as roughhousing with each other, causing one of the kids to lose her gas mask. Her classmates gather around her as she falls to the ground and eventually closes her eyes. The video won the " Best Video" award at the

2003 MTV Europe Music Awards The 2003 MTV Europe Music Awards were held in Western Harbour in Edinburgh, Scotland. The awards ceremony was held in a 6,000-capacity big top arena constructed specifically for the main event. On the night, Justin Timberlake notably received a ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

, Scotland. The music video was originally planned for another song on the album, "untitled #4" (a.k.a. "Njósnavélin"). The song is also used extensively in the film ''

After the Wedding After the Wedding may refer to: * After the Wedding (1962 film), ''After the Wedding'' (1962 film), a Soviet film directed by Mikhail Yershov * After the Wedding (2006 film), ''After the Wedding'' (2006 film), a Danish film directed by Susanne Bier ...

''.

Track listing

*CD - 3"

/ 5" CD with DVD #"untitled #1" (a.k.a. Vaka) – 6:43 #track 2 – 4:38 #track 3 – 2:47 #track 4 – 4:22

References

External links

''untitled #1 (a.k.a. Vaka)'' on Sigur Rós' official site

''untitled #1 (a.k.a. Vaka)'' video on Sigur Rós official site
{{Authority control Sigur Rós songs Music videos directed by Floria Sigismondi 2003 singles Sigur Rós albums FatCat Records singles