Reykjavík Grapevine - 14.08.2015, Side 51

The Nordic House Reykjavík is a vibrant Nordic cultural
institution with exhibitions, a library, shop and one
of the best restaurants in Reykjavík, Aalto Bistro.
The building is designed by the internationally
acclaimed finnish architect Alvar Aalto.
Open everyday from 10–17
Visit www.nordichouse.is for more information.

Book a table: www.aalto.is
Sundays – wednsdays 11–17
Thursdays – saturdays 11–21
The Nordic House
Sturlugata 5, 101 Reykjavík
Tel: 5517030, www.nordichouse.is
Enjoy food
Enjoy books
Enjoy culture
Enjoy the
Nordic House
Norræna húsið
The Nordic House
THE HOUSE AT EYRARBAKKI
Opening hours: May 1st - September 30th daily 11.00-18.00 or by an agreement
Tel: +354 483 1504 & +354 483 1082 | husid@husid.com | www.husid.com

The House at Eyrarbakki
Árnessýsla folk museum is located in Húsið,
the House, historical home of the Danish
merchants built in 1765. Húsið is one of the
oldest houses in Iceland and a beautiful
monument of Eyrarbakki´s time as the
biggest trading place on the south coast.
Today one can enjoy exhibitions about the
story and culture of the region, famous piano,
shawl made out of human hair and the kings
pot, are among items. Húsið prides itself with
warm and homelike atmosphere. E L E G A N T P R E M I S E S I N
T H E H E A R T O F R E Y K J A V I K
B R U N C H - L U N C H A N D D I N N E R M E N U - L O C A L A N D F O R E I G N D I S H E S - B A R
B A N K A S T R Æ T I 7 A - 1 0 1 R E Y K J AV Í K - T E L . 5 6 2 3 2 3 2
Seats creak as we settle in for Mr. Silla,
a.k.a. Sigurlaug Gísladóttir, and it’s so qui-
et I wonder if this auditorium moonlights
as a church on Sundays. Before my theo-
logical musings go further, the lights dim
and my attention turns to the stage and
the lone figure smack in the middle of it.
Mr. Silla stands behind a single red
fluorescent bulb, a single prismatic image
projected on the wall. Eyes closed, clad
in a loose black robe, the bulb casts a thin
shadow on her face as she clutches the mi-
crophone. Then the music starts—a lulling
beat and swelling melody—and just like
that Mr. Silla vanishes.
But that voice.
Just listen
Silla’s haunting rasp pushes all the way to
the back row before bouncing back. Each
sustained note is all the stage dressing she
needs. For what seems like the first time in
hours I settle in, and just listen. The swell-
ing synth, driving beats, and bright trills
pull me down into my chair and demand
my focused attention. I feel alone while
I listen—not something that happens all
that often at a festival—and I like it. If you
haven’t tried it yet, Mr. Silla is the perfect
festival nightcap.
But Sigurlaug is no fading wallflower.
The persistent pulse and anthemic synth
in songs like “Holding On” highlight her
primal vocal range. When she wants to,
Mr. Silla can bring it. Banshee wails and
sustained harmony with her backing
tracks make it easy to forget it’s just one
person up there. Add in guitarist Tyler
Ludwick for a few songs and you’ve got a
packed house.
Mr Silla is a welcome tonic for bass
blasted festival ears; somehow equally at
home in a cosy bar at Iceland Airwaves or
headlining the side stage at the raucous
ATP festival. With an album on the way,
deep collaboration pockets to dip into, and
a polished solo act, it’s exciting to imagine
which stage Mr. Silla will command by
early July of next year.
Kind of brand new
Luckily, she agreed to take a minute to
talk with me (barefoot) about her sound,
songwriting process, and what’s next for
her solo effort:
So you’ve got a new record that’s been
scheduled to come out for a while...
Yeah, well this one’s been a while, but
there’s another before that one that didn’t
come out. So this one is kind of brand new.
It’s scheduled to come out this month
[July]. That’s the plan [note: this did not
happen. But we wait].
Has there been a big departure in your
songwriting process with the new solo
effort?
Yeah definitely. It was mostly just me
hanging out with an iPad and some synths.
Yeah?
Yeah. And then I went to London and
worked on it with Mike Lindsay [from
Tunng/Cheek Mountain Thief ]—a friend
of mine, and producer—and this is what
we came up with. Just putting it together.
So it was a collaboration?
Most of the songs were pretty ready, but
working with Mike...he’s just so good at
getting things where they have to be.
Nice. I heard a ton of emotion on stage
tonight, even in your backing vocals.
Is that something you’re trying to get
across in this new effort?
It’s not a conscious effort, it just happens.
It’s kind of how I write. Just what you’re
thinking about at the time.
Are you still working with your
other groups?
Yeah, I’m working with Snorri Helgason
and Mice Parade. All of it is happening si-
multaneously.
So what’s next for Mr. Silla?
Just the album and touring.
OUTSIDE
FESTIVAL
Mr. Silla At ATP 2015
Synth Sounds Better Alone
I shuffle down the aisle to a seat near the front of the Andrews Theater, head held low, shoul-
ders stooped like I’m inching past a family posing for photos on a narrow sidewalk. It is early
Jul, I am in Keflavík for the opening night of ATP Iceland, and unlike the packed Atlantic
Studios stage across the street, where Iggy Pop and Belle and Sebastian (full orchestra in tow)
jump and wail to singing fans, the crowd here is hushed.
Photo Kane Alexander
Words Shawn Forno
7MUSIC
INTERVIEW
A Semi-Partial Introduction
To Opinions I May Or
May Not Have