Like a Phoenix Rising

Better known as the frontman for symphonic rockers Sigur Rós, Reykjavik’s Jön Þor Birgisson (or Jónsi, as he likes to be called) releases his debut solo album Go this April. The record is a multi-instrumental masterwork, with lush orchestrations courtesy of long-time Björk collaborator Nico Muhly, and a dense palette of sampled and found sounds. The stage show for the accompanying tour, designed by London-based studio Fifty Nine Productions, is an equally grand endeavor. Inspired by photographer Martin D’Orgeval’s 2008 book Touched By Fire, which documented Parisian taxidermy store Deyrolle after it burned down in February of the same year (it has since re-opened), the set tells a story of hope born from devastation. Says designer Leo Warner: “It’s about a space that has been repurposed and become something else—a magical space.” On stage, partly dilapidated walls will writhe with soft projections and motion graphics of animals taking flight, “as if brought back to life,” Warner says. The video preview here chronicles the making of the quasi-operatic live show, and is accompanied by “Grow Till Tall”—a suitably climactic track from the upcoming album, released April 5.