Reykjavík Grapevine - 03.06.2016, Síða 27

Boxing, lifting and a whole lot of dancing
can be seen in Retro Stefson’s newest mu-
sic video. “Skin” is the first track we get
to hear from the band’s upcoming album
‘Scandinavian Pain’.
The music video was filmed in Eyrar-
bakki, on the south coast of the island, giv-
ing it a nostalgic Icelandesque feel. Singer
Unnsteinn Manuel and Haraldur Ari pop
up all over the one-horse town, doing ev-
eryday activities and singing all the while.
The track brings together so many of the
things that have built their fanbase over
the years—a joyful, epic song structure, the
swirling sonic landscapes by their synth-
master Hermigervill, the unique voice of
Unnsteinn Manuel, both melancholy and
hopeful at the same time. Oh Retro Stefson,
how we’ve missed you.
Retro Stefson – “Skin” TRACK OF THE ISSUE
STRAUMUR
Download it for free! at gpv.is/t7
An odd recording came over our transom
last month: the self-titled debut album/
cassette of electronic musician Andi,
which came out May 19 on the presti-
gious underground label Lady Boy Re-
cords. It’s a beautiful cassette that looks
and sounds like an ancient relic of an al-
most forgotten past. Within it is a mix of
retro-futuristic disco, sound box melo-
dies, primitive drum machines and mov-
ing strings. It’s like a soundtrack for a 70s
sci-fi flick that bombed when it came out
but slowly became a cult classic over the
passing years, or an old Atari game that
only retro video game enthusiasts re-
member. In the album’s finest moments,
pulsating analog keyboard arpeggios rub
up against synthetic strings and conjure
up visions of past synth maestros like
Giorgio Moroder, Cerrone, Jan Ham-
mer and Yellow Magic Orchestra. It’s
often playful, like in opener “Fútúrismi
femínismi” (“Futurism Feminism”),
where strings play an Eastern-tinged
melody that bounces off a juicy synth
bass, but other times there is a tension
between the sounds, like in “Á hraðferð”
(“In a Hurry”), which could be the score
to a chase scene from a ‘Miami Vice’ epi-
sode. ‘Andi’ is one of the most surprising
and best Icelandic albums to come out
this year; you can listen to it and buy it
at the Lady Boy Records Bandcamp site,
and contact them there to buy the physi-
cal cassette.
Sykur’s H.Dór delighted us with his
first solo output a couple of months ago,
and now he’s back with a sweet summery
jam called “Sound Asleep.” Over bright
sunny electronics, he sings about dreams
of driving under the sea while his own
backing vocals are enhanced by vocoders
and talk boxes, doing his best Kraftwerk/
Daft Punk impression.
Jón Lorange, half of weird-pop duo
Nolo, just released a song under the
moniker TheSuburbanSpaceman, aptly
called “Woozy.” It’s like lo-fi 60s lounge/
elevator/library music and his voice
hovers above it like he's calling in from
a phone booth. Listen to the song at his
SoundCloud—it’s fresh and original and
we’re excited for the upcoming album
he’s working on.
Techno duet TRPTYCH just released
a brand new song, video and website
this month. The song, “Lust,” is basic in
a good way, hard-hitting Berlin techno
that kicks you in the gut with each bass
drum so you can’t help but move your
feet. It’s dark and decadent stuff, so no
wonder TRPTYCH have been booked this
summer to play a gig at the legendary
Berlin club Berghain. Watch the video at
their new homepage, TRPTYCH.com.
SHARE & LISTEN: gpv.is/str7
Straumur, Iceland's premier indie music
radio show, airs on X977, Mon. at 23:00.
Daily music news in Icelandic at straum.is
Words ÓLI
DÓRI & DAVID
ROACH
The first
Grapevine
Grassroots event
this year will be
held June 12th
at Húrra. Emerging poets and
musicians will be performing.
Hinrik, Þórhildur Elín & Eydís
Blöndal will start the evening
by reading some of their work,
followed by performances
by Johnny Gazzone, Náttsól,
Hórmónar and Antimony.
Admission is free! Don’t miss it.
The reputation of
Reykjavíkurdætur, Iceland’s
feminist rap phenomenon,
has spread well beyond the
borders of our small country.
The powerful hip-hop group will
be performing in Canada at the
festival NúnaNow, and at the
Roskilde Festival in Denmark.
Catch them in Iceland at Secret
Solstice before they take on the
world.
Indie pop band Puffin Island
has released their newest
album ‘Another Day’. The band
originates from the west side
of Iceland, hence their name,
and their feel-good tunes are
inspired by the Beatles. The
album can be found on Spotify,
Bandcamp and iTunes; Puffin
Island will perform at Iceland
Airwaves in the fall.
‘Arctic take one’ is an album
dedicated to climate change.
Kristján Hrannar improvised
the songs on an electric piano
and used the first recordings
without exception. He and his
wife plan on performing the
album in an art installation
as they feel climate change
requires its own music.
MUSIC
NEWS IN
BRIEF
Happening Find today's events in Iceland! Download our free listings app - APPENING on the Apple and
Android stores
Sci-fi Disco,
60s Lounge And
Berlin Techno
Poetry reading
Eydís Blöndal
Hinrik Kanneworf
Þórhildur Elínardóttir
Performances
Antimony (synth pop)
Hórmónar (punk rock)
Johnny Gazzone
(emo trap hip-hop)
Krabba Mane (DJ set)
Náttsól (indie folk)
GRAPEVINE
GRASSROOTS
Húrra
12. june
20:00