Reykjavík Grapevine - 29.08.2014, Blaðsíða 28

28 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 13 — 2014MUSIC
PU$$WHIPPE '93
MANIFESTOEN
Much like the above-quoted dope UK
hip-hop track, LORD PUSSWHIP is
a critical reaction to the local music
scene; to the inertia and nepotism of
the Icelandic music industry; to typi-
cal small-town boredom. I do not want
to make music that's easy, formulaic or
safe. I want the explosiveness—the fun,
the surprise, the batshit insanity. We
Icelanders are so open-minded and of
course everyone agrees that our music
scene is perfect and that everything is
just fine. But for me, something was
missing. Lord Pusswhip is a mutant, a
musical carnivore, a curse. Spawned
out of the muck—forged from the flames
of the lame.
For the uninitiated: there was gen-
erally not a lot of interesting music go-
ing on in Iceland in the '60s and '70s (a
few exceptions aside). However, in the
dreaded '80s, everything changed.
Punk, like most trends, arrived
late to Iceland. Director Friðrik Þór
Friðriksson’s 1984 rockumentary ‘Rokk
í Reykjavík’ documented this strange
new music at a critical time. In the film
you could see up-and-comers such as
Björk, Einar Örn and others—people
who would in a few years start The
Sugarcubes and the accompanying re-
cord label Smekkleysa (“Bad Taste”).
Bad Taste's motto was: “World domina-
tion or death.” The expansion of Icelan-
dic music had begun. The Sugarcubes
were fresh, odd and different. This was
a paradigm shift in Icelandic culture,
but it also created a few myths.
Yes, Iceland’s music and art scene
is quite interesting and vibrant rela-
tive to its size, “per capita” as they say,
but the biggest running joke in Ice-
land is that we're always the greatest
at something “per capita.” We do have
an inflated view of our culture and our-
selves—we're among the few countries
in the world that somehow manages to
earnestly and regularly spout national-
istic drivel without it being called out as
fascist fantasizing. And when it comes
to our music, I think it's a post-Björk
thing—at some point we were told that
we make great music, and we believed
it. Foreigners with a culture boner did
too.
A long way from Björk's progressive
and futurist artistry, some of the big
musical acts here play extremely safe,
festival-friendly music. I'm not hatin’ on
those fine folks—I just don't want any-
thing to do with that type of dour bland-
ness. The moment we become content
is the moment we stop striving to do
better, and more. Hip-hop is a vehicle
for change, a crusher of the mediocre
and the ultimate art of one-upmanship.
By now you're probably asking your-
self: “Who is this man? Why is he shout-
ing at me?”
I will continue to shout at you for a
little while longer.
I will continue to shout at you for a
little while longer, because it is fun and
I want to keep doing it. Because it feels
so right… so fulfilling. Better than sex.
Life is cray-cray. Fuck with me.
Pusswhip’s Picks:
Local legends in the making,
according to the connoisseur
Marteinn!
A parking meter dude by day, a top DJ
and producer at night. Marteinn is defi-
nitely one of Iceland’s top three hip-hop
producers; his turnt-up, upbeat tracks
sound like he should be working with
the big guys in the USA.
www.soundcloud.com/vavaviva
Vrong
I've probably made most of my beat col-
laborations with the homie Lord Vrong,
for example the beat to the fabled “Met-
ro Nome” (with Antwon and Wiki93).
Check out his ultra-blunted '90s revival.
www.soundcloud.com/vrong
russian.girls
Gulli from Fufanu on the droney, psy-
chedelic tip. Washes of feedback and
ominous guitar melodies. See him live
for the whole shebang (hint, hint: mush-
room season is here).
www.soundcloud.com/russian-girls
Geimfarar
The extremely chill and laid back Icelan-
dic crew Geimfarar (“Cosmonauts”) hail
from downtown Reykjavík. Effortless
stuff that doesn't take itself too seriously.
www.soundcloud.com/geimfarar
“I don't give a fuck
on that new school punk shit,
all these niggas suck
this that new school funk shit,
Dizzee fell off
and Kano did too”
Bounequou Fitzroi,
aka Zack Taylor, from the song “SHUT THE FUCK UP”
Photo
Provided by Writers Retreat
Words
Lord Pusswhip
Fuck You.
Fuck With Me.
STATE-
MENT