Reykjavík Grapevine - 29.08.2014, Qupperneq 30

30 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 13 — 2014MUSIC
Viðey
Skarfabakki
Elding
Old harbour
Harpa
www.elding.is
Other adventures
Sea Angling daily at 11:00 from 1 May to 31 August
Puffin Watching daily at 9:30 and 15:00 from 15 May to 15 August
Elding Whale Watching schedule – all year round
* From 15 May to 15 September
** From 15 June to 31 July

Make sureit’s Elding!
ELDING
WHALE WATCHING
from Reykjavik
Call us on +354 519 5000
or visit www.elding.is
Jan-Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov-Dec
EL-01 / EL-02 / EL-03
13:00 13:00
9:00 9:00
13:00
9:00
13:00
9:00
13:00
9:00
13:00
9:00
13:00
9:00
13:00
9:00
13:00
17:00* 17:00 17:00 17:00 17:00*
10:00
14:00
10:00
14:00
10:00
14:00
13:00
20:30** 20:30
From Elding (Ægisgarður) to Viðey
11.50 14.50
From Harpa to Viðey
13.30 15.00
From Skarfabakki to Viðey
From Viðey to Skarfabakki
13.30
From Viðey to Harpa and Elding (Ægisgarður)
11.30 13.30 14.30 17.30
10.15 11.15 12.15 13.15 14.15 15.15 16.15 17.15
13.30
Summer Schedule 15 May - 30 September
14.30 16.30 18.302
2.0
15.30 17.30
Really hidden treasure
off Reykjavik.
Well worth a visit.
“
Biffajk taken from TripAdvisor
Island
#videy
videy.com
533 5055
Regardless of the compilation’s
targeted market, the album is
overall a great listen, display-
ing a diverse array of talented musicians
and thoughtful songwriting that appeals
to both casual listeners and those who
seek depth from the speakerbox. Though
there are certainly more underground,
classical, metal, and experimental musi-
cians in Iceland that could do with more
exposure, the majority of music buyers in
Iceland are visitors, and this album ap-
peals to a mass market rather than your
more adventurous audience.
Though the compilation sets Icelandic
indie music in a more stereotypical “iso-
lated” or folksy rural state (reinforced by
the album’s landscape cover), the reality
is that the country is now just as global as
any other nation. Icelandic musicians are
able to soak up musical influences from
around the world. They also have many
avenues to get their own music heard
on a global scale. Festivals like Airwaves
(more of which seem to pop up every
year), social media channels, and digital
music sharing all support these musi-
cians’ careers, and you can bet that even
old-fashioned word of mouth still works
wonders.
Another factor in the appeal of this
compilation to tourists is language choice.
Only three tracks on this album are in Ice-
landic, with the rest in English. Language
choice is often a very telling forecast for
“saleability” and attracting a global au-
dience (curiously, Sigur Rós manage to
skirt around this issue entirely with their
hybrid Hopelandic). Mammút’s “Blóð-
berg” (Icelandic for “wild thyme”) still ap-
peals to non-Icelandic speakers thanks to
a solid rock melody that a festival-going
crowd can enjoy. But Ojba Rasta’s “Ég
veit, ég vona” (“I know, I hope”) stands
out as a bit of an anomaly: the band is one
of Iceland’s only reggae bands, and they
also sing entirely in their native language.
One can assume it makes for a great live
performance, and that the band’s catchy
melodies coupled with the novelty of
“Icelandic reggae” keep Ojba Rasta on a
more global radar.
The tracks on the compilation that
stand out as particularly “Icelandic” are
ones with the more singular points of
view; they don’t borrow traits from Björk
or Sigur Rós but rather create their own
sound worlds with the same convictions
as their more famous colleagues. Agent
Fresco’s “Dark Water” is one of these.
The band is an excellent representation
for the plurality of Icelandic music today.
Their rhythms and harmonies are com-
plex but tightly woven, and Arnór Dan
Arnarson’s crystalline tenor cuts through
the texture. Their live performances are
just as riveting as their records, so any
travellers who may catch them at a venue
could easily be hooked. Worldwide expo-
sure could come quickly for Agent Fres-
co, but they seem to always focus on the
music before the marketing, which makes
the band even more special.
Lay Low has been building her suc-
cess seemingly one show at a time for
almost a decade. Along with several in-
ternational tours, she’s played venues as
diverse as the Vesturbæjarlaug swimming
pool and the remote Rauðasandur festival
in the Westfjörds, as well as lending her
talents to Benny Crespo’s Gang (also
on this compilation). Her track “Gently”
has an infectiousness which stems from
her lullaby-like melodies and alto voice, a
feature shared with many other Icelandic
singers. The recent influx of tourists may
not lead to a meteoric rise in fame for Lay
Low, but it may end up providing the ex-
tra CD sales that help pay the rent each
month.
Június Meyvant, a native of the tiny
Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, presents a
song titled “Color Decay,” which comes
with a catchy, campfire-esque singabil-
ity and a great brass section. One of the
most interesting facets of Iceland’s music
scene right now is surely its horn players.
Icelanders have yet to become famous
for their jazz bands or brass sections,
but in recent years the impressive scope
of Icelandic trumpeters, saxophonists, et
cetera has become an interesting feature.

Are these musicians’ livelihoods af-
fected by increasing numbers of tourists
in the last few years? Definitely. FM Bel-
fast have been making music for several
years now, and the song “Brighter Days”
catches a moment in the spotlight. This
track seems less a product of tourism and
more a convenient moment for the band’s
Euro-influenced beats to reach new,
dance-hungry audiences. Several other
tracks turn a folkier direction influenced
by American culture rather than Europe.
Mono Town’s track “Peacemaker” re-
calls the infectious choruses of now-
famous Of Monsters and Men, who
have incidentally released music through
Record Records.
The album closes with singer-song-
writer Snorri Helgason’s “Kveðja,”
which wishes us well. These instrumenta-
tions and guitar techniques come straight
out of American folk-rock. Perhaps these
sounds reflect the global market they
are trying to reach, or perhaps it's just
an honest embrace of American sounds
that the bands are discovering from
abroad. Regardless of intention, the fact
that these musicians are able to make
the music they love and have people sup-
port their careers; that is a true Icelandic
blessing.
Listening to ‘This Is Icelandic Indie Music (Vol. II)’ might make you wonder exactly what
doesn’t count as “Icelandic Indie Music” these days. Despite the name, this sampling of
Record Records’ roster carries some of the most prominent bands in the country, and
like its predecessor, travels through folk, rock, dance, and even reggae. “Indie music”
and “Icelandic music” are pretty synonymous; if you’re making your own music in Ice-
land, chances are you could be categorized as “indie.” Furthermore, the genre divide
within Icelandic music is smaller than most anywhere in the world, partly because there
are fewer people in the country, and partly because the culture often embraces artists
who explore many different areas.
Words
Nathan Hall
Album
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