Reykjavík Grapevine - 08.04.2011, Page 38

OK so there’s this ‘new’ music festival mak-
ing the rounds in Reykjavík (you might have
noticed—you are reading a special Grapevine
supplement about it) . We think it’s exciting
(this is why we are co-promoting the thing) .
The month of April needs more music related
stuff in it (sometimes, Aldrei fór ég suður
happens in March) and the festival seems of
the composition and spirit that other glorious
local parties have been known for (the afore-
mentioned AFÉS, early Innipúkinn and Ice-
land Airwaves, for instance) and has maybe
been lacking lately . Reading over the sched-
ule, one can’t help but be impressed and, yes,
excited!
However, we have been excited and subsequently bru-
tally let down by promising ‘annual festivals’ in the past
(Reykjavík Music Festival, Reykjavík Round Up, any-
one?), so we have grown wary and hesitant to let our
guard down to embrace new festivals . How can we trust
they are not merely fly-by-night shindigs, as opposed to
ongoing creative orgies that last for years upon years,
building tradition and legacy? Getting all panicky, we
called up one of RMM’s architects, Kimi Records founder
and proprietor Baldvin Esra Einarsson, to interrogate him
on his intentions .
Reykjavík Music Mess is really built around the
Deerhunter concert,” says Baldvin . “We managed to
book them, after a long bout of trying, and subsequently
thought: Why not make more of this? Let’s book some
more bands and create an event!”

What, Airwaves isn’t enough for you?
No [laughs] . The problem for ‘alternative music’—for lack
of better term—in Iceland is that it just isn’t enough to
have one weekend a year where new and exciting stuff is
one display . That isn’t enough to broaden local listeners’
horizons and keep them informed about what’s happen-
ing in the music world . Local audiences and artists need
more, and we are striving to provide that .
So you’re not in the lucrative ‘indie festival’ busi-
ness for the money, eh? You’re not getting paid?
Ehrm . Not a lot, anyway . We want to make a good festival,
that’s our number one priority . No sane person enters the
indie music business in Iceland to make a profit, that’s
for sure . Maybe if the thing sells out we’ll get a little ex-
tra pocket money, but we’re not counting on it . Our aim
is creating a good festival, first and foremost . Exposing
people to good and interesting music . That’s always been
the aim .
Are you selling a lot of records under the Kimi and
Brak imprints? Enough to get by? I love almost all of
them, but they’re not exactly crushing Bubbi in the
local charts or on the radio . . .
I suppose we sell on average around a thousand copies
of each release on Kimi . Brak releases usually sell out,
but the releases are limited to 200 copies . This is enough
to make ends meet, usually .”
Are Icelanders buying this music? Do Icelanders
like ‘indie music’?
I have no idea . What I quoted you are our average local
sales numbers, what’s sold within Iceland . We also sell
a lot of albums abroad, as we distribute internationally .
But I do know that in Havarí, for instance, one of our big-
gest groups of buyers were tourists and foreign visitors .
A surprising number of tourists to Iceland come here be-
cause of the music . You could even say they were our
main clientele .
So back to RMM . Why?
Well . Several reasons . Mainly to create a nice festival, as
I’ve said . But also because us at Kimi Records are inter-
ested in adding concert promotion to what we do . Our
company goal is to bring music to the people on every
level . And also bring music to us, get to know people that
are making it and working in the field the world over . This
is a nice way to do that .
Any more concerts scheduled?
Yes, we’ve booked the legendary Low to play here this
June! And there’s more to come . It’s all happening .
Will there be a Reykjavík Music Mess 2012?
Sure, if the planet doesn’t melt like in that movie . It seems
like a good concept and a worthy thing to keep going .
This time of year, around spring, seems lacking in activi-
ties . People are already excited for spring, but there’s not
a lot folks can do to let off steam . So here we are .
Finally, are there any news of Havarí? When will you
reopen?
We are currently looking like crazy for a new location .
We will open as soon as possible, I promise . Renting real
estate in 101 is no picnic right now . It seems to be capital
holders’ sincere will to completely kill downtown Reyk-
javík .
- Haukur S . Magnússon
- Photo by Billi
DARE WE BE ExCITED
ABOuT REYKJAvíK
MuSIC MESS?
Sure, if the planet doesn't melt
FOR A LOvE OF MOISTuRISER
AND DAvID BOWIE
A conversation with who may or may not be Deerhunter's Bradford Cox
If you don't know much about Deerhunter's
music, you probably should . However, this
interview might not provide much in the way
of information . Bradford Cox of Deerhunter
doesn't like dissecting his music . He is far
more interested in moisturiser, reversing the
roles of interviewer and interviewee, and
speaking in a rainbow of different voices, all
of which may or may not be him . But a little
philosophy of music did get in there . A little
surrealism too . If you do want to get to know
Deerhunter's music, you should just go see
them live at RMM, which they are headlining .
This is going to be their first visit to Iceland
and they said if we play nice, they will too .

Someone answers the phone, high-pitched voice, like a
little girl: “Hi . Hi . Hi . [giggle] .”
Who is this?
Braaaaaaaad Cox .
Then can I ask you a few questions, Brad?
Okay [still little girl-like] .
So Icelanders may not be familiar with Deerhunter .
They aren't? [Talking to someone in the background]: she
said they don't know who Deerhunter is in Iceland . Well,
we don't know where Iceland is either .
You don't know where it is on the globe?
Yeah, we've never heard of them either [still high-pitched] .
Tell us how you got into music and why you find mak-
ing music important .
[Voice gets lower] well, I can't really imagine not playing
music . It's just a natural, instinctual desire for me .
ON PERFORMING
Our readers might want to know about your perfor-
mances . From watching some of your live shows . . .
Well I don't really like describing our performances, just
because it's like if I asked you to describe how you write,
it's sort of like, you know, you just do it . It's everybody
else's job to review it, or discuss it, or analyse it . It's just
my job to do what I do .
I heard that you’ve come onstage wearing a dress or
covered in fake blood .
That was years and years and years ago . And it was just for
a laugh . It was sort just like absurdist theatre . I was really
into surrealism and absurdism . And bewilderment .
What do you want people to get out of a live show?
I want them to have a really good time and enjoy the music .
My goals aren't that different than any musician's, really .
Have you ever done the crowd surfing thing?
Oh yeah, I jump into the crowd a lot . But I don't think: "To-
night I'm going to jump into the crowd ." I just do whatever
happens, you know . If people don't know who we are and
they treat us like: "Who the fuck are these guys?" we'll
probably treat them like: "Who the fuck are you?" We'll
have as much fun playing for people as they have watching
us . We can't force people to have a good time .
ON COMING TO ICELAND
This is your first visit to the country . What do you
think you're going to do while here?
I guess whatever it is that tourists do . I wanted to see that
church and I wanted to go to that milky, blue bath .
Do you expect the Icelandic audience is going to be
any different than audiences in other places you've
played?
Well, I don't know, I'd have to see them . From the ones
that I've met, Icelandic people seem really nice and cour-
teous and thoughtful . I can only imagine that it would a
very nice place to play, a place that has respect for the
arts and culture .
Do you listen to Icelandic music at all?
I've been a huge Björk fan since I was a kid, obviously . But
that's kind of like saying to an American that you're a fan
of Bruce Springsteen .
Yeah, kind of .
I mean, I like múm too . I've listened to quite a few mixes
they've made that included traditional Icelandic music and
some stranger music from Iceland . I quite liked that .
ON COMPOSING
In some of your interviews, you've mentioned a
stream-of-consciousness composing style . . .
Well, it's interesting that you should bring that up, because
today I went to the original Cabaret Voltaire here in Zu-
rich, which is the birthplace of Dadaism, the precursor to
surrealism . It's a literary and arts movement . When I was
growing up I was very attracted to these movements . They
related a lot to stream-of-consciousness writing and ex-
ploring the unknown regions of the brain .
With stream-of-consciousness composing, how do
you pick out what's good from what's bad? Do you
edit at all?
I use everything I write, mostly . So no, I don't really edit
very much .
ON GETTING OLDER
In a Pitchfork interview from 2007 you mentioned
that you were tired of people looking at you and not
listening to your music . Is that something that you
care about anymore?
No I don't really care . I was a lot younger then .
How have things changed with age then?
Oh I don't know, in lots of ways, you just get used to it .
We're just a better group . We're tighter and more ma-
ture, more muscular, thicker, harder, stronger, and hairier .
Hair in different places . I mean during this conversation,
my voice has changed . It's gradually getting deeper and
deeper, I don't know if you've noticed that at all . By the time
we end this, I'm going to be elderly . And it will be an article
about the life of the late Bradford Cox, whose legacy lives
on in this article . Let's talk about Josh for a little while .
ON MOISTuRISER
Okay, so how is it working with Josh (the bassist)
then?
Josh has just been a little distant lately .
Why do you think that is?
Well he is using a different moisturiser .
And you think that could have an impact on some-
one's personality?
I think moisturiser has everything to do with someone's
personality .
What if someone doesn't use moisturiser?
Well if they don't use moisturiser, then they don't have a
personality .
And if they use the wrong kind of moisturiser, then
they have the wrong personality?
No, if they use the wrong type of moisturiser, they are
doing everything right . They're playing David Bowie on
the PA really loud and I want to go stand in front of the
speakers . I'll just hand the phone to Martin [Deerhunter's
manager] until the David Bowie song is over, is that okay?
Yeah, that's fine .
Martin: Sorry about that . If David Bowie comes onto the
radio, Brad sort of has to drop everything he's doing and
go and listen . It's sort of this bizarre thing that happens .
Okay here he is again .
ON WHO THE HELL KNOWS
[Deep voice, definitely not Brad Cox] So, next question .
Shoot .
Is this Brad?
Yeah this is Brad . But maybe it's not . Maybe it's Josh . Or
it could be Moses [the drummer] . Thou shalt not wonder .
Okay then . . . so what do you think of Halcyon Digest
compared to your older albums?
I think the new album is pretty good . I think it's a lot more
accessible than the old albums . You know, you could hear
it on the radio, people like to get doooown to it . I think you
know what I mean .
So are you going to tell me who I'm talking to or no?
This is Brad Cox of Atlanta, Georgia [definitely not] . My
social security number is 5129837587213 .
That's an awful lot of numbers for a social security
number .
I have more need for security than most people . I mean,
you know, I've got to talk to a lot of people and shake a
lot of hands .
ON LIFE OuTSIDE OF MuSIC (AND DAvID BOWIE,
AGAIN)
What do you guys do when you're not playing music?
We concentrate on other things . Moses has kids and so he
concentrates on being a father . Lockett also concentrates
on his kids . And Martin concentrates on David Bowie . He
also manages David Bowie [not true] . David Bowie takes
up a lot of one's time, but we have an agreement, me and
David . But then again, David sent this guy to follow us
around play his songs on the stereo where ever we are .
You know, just to let us know who's boss [sighs] .
So David Bowie's the boss, not Martin?
No, Martin is the boss .
And he tells you what to do?
Yeah, we all basically walked into a Burger King in 1998
and we thought we were getting regular jobs .
Then you ended up becoming musicians that tour the
world?
Exactly . I thought I'd just make enough money to buy my
girlfriend an Old Navy gift card for Christmas .
So was it kind of like stepping into an alternate uni-
verse?
No, it was like stepping into an alternate Burger King . At
the end of the day it's all just rags and potatoes .
- vanessa Schipani
- Photo by Matt Tuttle
READ THIS! FANCY SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: To celebrate the Reykjavík Mu-
sic Mess, your friends at the Grapevine are throwing a special edition of 'GRAPE-
VINE GOT LEGS' . Yes, show up at 12 Tónar on Skólavörðustígur on RMM Saturday
(April 16) at 2PM and join GV legend BOB CLUNESS along with Reykjavík!/Prin-
spóló drummer-slash-human music encyclopaedia Kriss Rokk for a music themed
guided walking tour of 101 Reykjavík! Drinks! Music! Fun! Frenzy! Bob Cluness!