In a news post on their website dubbed “homage or fromage?,” Iceland’s Sigur Rós have pointed out a handful of television ads featuring music that’s “eerily similar” to their own. Reminding fans that they’ve only given permission to films, charity, and other creative projects over the past decade, the band adds:
Despite rumours to the contrary [Sigur Rós] have never allowed their music to be used to sell anything. And they get asked A Lot. Sometimes they get asked, say ‘no’ and then a few months later an ad will suddenly appear that sounds strangely familiar.
For example, the band reprinted an email in which permission was requested by a car company. The band politely declined, but later found comments on the Internet by people wondering about a possible Sigur Rós connection to the commercial that followed. “We’re not suggesting anyone’s ripping anyone off here,” the band insists, “or has purposely gone out to plagiarise Sigur Rós music, because that might get us sued (which would be ironic).”
In any event, the band decided to post YouTube videos of ads that make them “go ‘hmmm’ and let you decide who’s zooming who?” Check out two examples that they cited below and their full post here.
“Svefn-g-englar”
“Hoppípolla”