Amina – AnimaminA

After playing on and generally gracing the last two Sigur RÛs albums – ìAgaetis Byrjunî and their untitled album, not to mention the Album Leaf record “In a Safe Place” and the Efterklang album “Tripper”, the women of Amina have at long last created some beautiful and engaging music of their own. This, their debut ep, is released on a new imprint – The Worker’s Institute ñ finally allowing the world to taste what has been brewing in their heads over the last few years. From the shimmering sustained feel of the opener ñ we were just irresistibly drawn into this magnificent four track release. Playing together since 1998, after meeting at Reykjavik music college, the ladies quickly found themselves touring with Sigur RÛs supporting the Agaetis Byrjun release. As they toured the world playing only the songs from that album, they all felt the need of new material. Amina joined the boys in nightly soundcheck improvisations, which led to collaborations on many songs. After recording a second album with Sigur RÛs and touring further, Amina decided it was time to work further on their own music. Months were spent in apartments around Reykjavik and a summer house in Borgarfjordur in the west of Iceland, defining and refining their sound. This ep will only be the start, as Amina have planned a full length album this fall and a full tour of Europe with Sigur Ros from June through to August. Known as a string quartet, this release finds them playing to their considerable strengths on Violin, Viola and Cello as well as many malleted instruments, a glassophone and various stringed instruments they picked up around the world