Reykjavík Grapevine - 03.07.2015, Blaðsíða 2

2
The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 1 — 2011
Earlier this year, ever-popular Icelandic
electronica trio Samaris released an en-
ticing live album called ‘Silkidrangar Ses-
sions,’ as a kind of partner piece to their
album ‘Silkidrangar.’ As they’re throwing
a big independently-promoted show with
Mammút next week (see the cover of our
info section for more on that), our track of
the issue is one of the standouts from the
‘Sessions’ record: a deep, dubby reworking
of the ‘Lífsins ólgubjór.’ It starts out mel-
low and slow, picking up pace and volume
with some swooning clarinet and shim-
mering synth octaves. Jófríður Ákadóttir’s
voice flits over the rich backing, adding a
seductive, humane warmth to the sound.
2 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 9 — 2015
Hafnarstræti 15, 101 Reykjavík
www.grapevine.is
grapevine@grapevine.is
Published by Fröken ehf.
www.froken.is
Member of the Icelandic Travel Industry Association
www.saf.is
Printed by Landsprent ehf. in 25.000 copies.
Editor In Chief:
Haukur S Magnússon / haukur@grapevine.is
Editor:
Anna Andersen / anna@grapevine.is
Journalist & Travel editor:
John Rogers / john@grapevine.is
Journalist & Listings editor
Gabríel Benjamin / gabriel@grapevine.is
Food Editor:
Ragnar Egilsson / ragnar@grapevine.is
Editorial:
+354 540 3600 / editor@grapevine.is
Advertising:
+354 540 3605 / ads@grapevine.is
+354 40 3610
Publisher:
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson / hilmar@grapevine.is
+354 540 3601 / publisher@grapevine.is
Contributing Writers:
Paul Fontaine
Rex Beckett
Bogi Bjarnason
Ragnar Egilsson
Óli Dóri
Davíð Roach
Mary Frances Davidson
Editorial Interns:
Ciaran Daly / ciaran@grapevine.is
Hannah Jane Cohen / hannah@grapevine.is
Katie Steen / katie@grapevine.is
Timothée Lambrecq / timothee@grapevine.is
Art Director:
Hörður Kristbjörnsson / hordur@dodlur.is
Layout:
Hrefna Sigurðardóttir
Photographers:
Art Bicnick
Baldur Kristjánsson
Hörður Sveinsson
Alisa Kalyanova
Sales Director:
Aðalsteinn Jörundsson / adalsteinn@grapevine.is
Helgi Þór Harðarson / helgi@grapevine.is
Óskar Freyr Pétursson / oskar@grapevine.is
Distribution manager:
distribution@grapevine.is
Proofreader:
Mark Asch
releases:
listings@grapevine.is
Submissions inquiries:
editor@grapevine.is
Subscription inquiries:
+354 540 3605 / subscribe@grapevine.is
General inquiries:
grapevine@grapevine.is
Founders:
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson,
Hörður Kristbjörnsson,
Jón Trausti Sigurðarson,
Oddur Óskar Kjartansson,
Valur Gunnarsson
The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 times a year by Fröken
ltd. Monthly from November through April, and fortnightly
from May til October. Nothing in this magazine may be repro-
duced in whole or in part without the written permission of
the publishers. The Reykjavík Grapevine is distributed around
Reykjavík, Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Seyðisfjörður, Borgarnes,
Keflavík, Ísafjörður and at key locations along road #1, and all
major tourist attractions and tourist information centres in the
country.
You may not like it, but at least it's not sponsored (no articles
in the Reykjavík Grapevine are pay-for articles. The opinions
expressed are the writers’ own, not the advertisers’).
Cover by:
Sigurður Oddsson &
Gabríel B. Bachmann
www.siggiodds.com
www.behance.net/gbbachmann
THE BEST OF REYKJAVÍK 2015
YOUR FREE COPY W W W.GR APEVINE. ISISSUE JULY 3 . – 16 . 2015
In Fact, Things Aren’t
Too Shabby Over Here!
Welcome to our annual Best of Reykjavík issue, in
which we like to get super positive (for a change!)
and write about all of the best stuff that Reykjavík
has to offer.
This is the seventh Best Of issue that we’ve
made, and the fifth one that I’ve been involved
with. In other words, I’ve done my fair share of
thinking and writing about everything from the
city’s ‘Best Hamburger’ and its ‘Best Romantic
Walk’ to its ‘Best Haberdashery’ and ‘Best Art Mu-
seum’.
I’ll be honest, at some point, I’ve certainly en-
tertained the notion that it’s senseless to give out
an award for something that really only has one
or two contenders, especially when you’re doing it
year after year.
But, at some point, I also became convinced
that we should recognise and celebrate the fact
that our favourite burger joint is still around and
going strong, and we should continue to be im-
pressed by the fact that this tiny city has a great
art museum, with not just one but three locations.
I feel especially strongly about that this time
around, having just returned from a trip to Cuba.
Visiting a communist island nation that has been
embargoed by the United States for half a century
certainly provides a bit of perspective.
It was a fascinating experience (…you should
hurry up and go!). Still, my travel mates and I
breathed a collective sigh of relief as we boarded
a very old, much-used porta-potty with wings
(plane) and began our journey home, back to all of
the modern conveniences we have grown accus-
tomed to.
Four flights later, and I was finally back in
Iceland (home sweet home!), on a FlyBus, staring
out the window on a nice day (the sun shines here
too!), thinking ‘Iceland is so great! We have all of
this hot water here! We have toilet paper! There’s
so little bureaucracy! We have working internet—
all over the place! And we have some really, really
GREAT food on this island (go read Vice’s “Red
Gold: A Quixotic Quest to Find Beef in Cuba” to
learn more about the state of modern Cuban cui-
sine)!’
Ahh, there’s nothing like leaving the country,
enjoying some time abroad, and then coming back
again with a renewed appreciation for all of the
great aspects of living in Reykjavík. That’s just the
BEST (especially if you can somehow avoid read-
ing the news upon your return)!
…Enjoy our Best Of issue!
Anna’s editorial
TRACK OF
THE ISSUE
WWW.INTOTHEGLACIER.IS
A RARE,
ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME
OPPORTUNITY
You can choose from various
tours and book online at
www.intotheglacier.is
Visit the largest man-made ice caves and tunnel in Europe
Samaris
“Lífsins ólgubjór”
Download the FREE tracks at www.grapevine.is
Comic | Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir