Reykjavík Grapevine - 15.07.2016, Síða 26

that year, in which 20 people lost their
lives. “‘1995’ is darker than the other
songs from the series,” he says, “which
is why I immediately connected it to
the avalanche and the impact it had on
the locals.”
All seven compositions of the com-
positions were written earlier this
year. “I see them as a series of individ-
ual songs, rather than a whole,” says
Ólafur. “But they’re connected by the
fact that they were all written with an
accompanist in mind.”

Casting a light
In selecting his collaborators, Ólafur
aims to emphasise the importance
of people who are sometimes forgot-
ten in the Icelandic music scene. “The
purpose of this project is dual,” he ex-
plains. “I’m able to meet and work with
people who have had an effect on me
and my music, and to cast a light on
them, too.”
“Some of the most important as-
pects of the Icelandic music scene are
almost never mentioned, such as our
traditional choir, rhyme and poetry cul-
ture,” he continues, citing Dagný as an
example. “She’s an accomplished profes-
sional musician whose work is extreme-
ly important for the local music scene.
And people need to know that.”
As the crew finishes setting up,
Ólafur and Dagný step into a nearby
boarding school building to conduct
another interview. This quickly turns
into a free-flowing chat between the
cousins, who speak fondly of their in-
troduction to classical music courtesy
of their grandfather, who’d listen to
Chopin in his armchair, smoking a ci-
gar.
Dagný speaks about her multi-fac-
eted life as a mother, teacher, choir
conductor and performer in Flat-
eyri. She describes how music plays
a part in the local culture, and says
the calm atmosphere makes Flateyri
the ideal place to bring up children. “I
was raised in the city,” she says, “but
my attachment to Flateyri has grown
stronger each year. I don’t think we’ll
be leaving just yet.”
Magical sounds and
pizza

As the group gathers once more to
rehearse, Reverend Fjölnir prepares
pizza for everyone. The players are
in high spirits, but as they take their
positions, a hush falls. I listen as they
begin to play, picturing the avalanche
in my mind. “1995” is a dark piece, but
the viola’s sound, and Dagný’s organ
melody, also create a hopeful feeling.
The crew and the players continue to
run through the piece, sinking into a
deep reverie. Later, the violinist Ása
will tell me: “Performing Ólafur’s mu-
sic is unlike anything else. It puts you
into a sort of trance.”
After the fifth run-through,
Baldvin says: “So! There’s pizza. Should
we eat?” Dagný’s children Einar and
María, who are seen in the beginning
and end of the video, arrive just in
time. They’re happy to see Ólafur, and
excited to be a part of the project.

Musician and producer
As we eat, Ólafur tells me about over-
seeing the many different aspects of
the project, from carrying out inter-
views with his collaborators, through
to the rehearsals, livestreaming and
filming. There are many people on
set, and numerous things to consider,
but he handles it all with a sincere and
calm approach. “What I like about be-
ing an artist is the whole process of
creating an overall image,” he says.
“That’s why I love working on these
kinds of projects. I might even call
myself more of a producer than a mu-
sician. I love curating art, and pulling
the best out of people.”
A serial collaborator, Ólafur wrote
the scores for Baldvin Z’s two feature
films, ‘Órói’ and ‘Vonarstræti’. Baldvin
explains that their collaboration be-
gan when he used Ólafur’s music while
editing ‘Órói’, and fell in love with it.
‘Island Songs’ is their third project to-
gether, and the first in which roles are
reversed—this time, Baldvin is creat-
ing movies for Ólafur’s music, instead
of the other way around. Next year,
the dynamic will revert to type when
they begin work on soundtracking
Baldvin’s next film.
After the pizza, the crew gets into
position for the recording. The mist
has deepened, and the drizzle has be-
come a downpour. The hiss of the rain
on the church’s roof complements the
performance perfectly. Baldvin di-
rects Einar and María as they run and
play together in the rain—a task that
comes naturally to the young brother
and sister.
After many takes, Ólafur, the crew,
and the musicians are all pleased.
They gather around Baldvin to see the
video, and María and Einar are praised
for their star performance. “I wouldn’t
have imagined how fun this day would
be,” smiles Ólafur. Dagný excitedly
agrees, adding: “We should do more of
these projects together!”
Living room movie
premieres

As we return to Flateyri, Ólafur is
tired but happy after the long day of
filming. Throughout the day, he was
livestreaming the process, and updat-
ing his fans online. “I use social media
a lot,” he says. “I enjoy it. An artwork
isn’t complete until it reaches the ears
of the listener. That’s why it makes so
much sense to involve the listener in
the process and livestream an ongoing
project like this. It’s simply a part of
the artwork.”
Ólafur has a very engaged fan base,
and stays in regular contact with
them. Twenty thousand people have
been watching the livestreams. He
says that even though artists might
say that they don’t listen to comments
about their work, they’re still affected
by it, which he thinks is good. “When
people say they like my work, the cre-
ative process is directed towards that,”
he says. “That’s why the audience has a
lot to say about my work.”
He tells me how the series will be
compiled into a full-length film and
released later this year. The premiere
is very unusual—rather than a red
carpet event, Ólafur has decided to
offer his fans the chance to host their
own premieres in their homes, or any-
where they like. They just have to apply
at a website, which will be announced
later. Universal will then distribute a
link to the people who wish to show
the film. This way, the movie will be
premiered at the same time all around
the world, and probably on a scale as
intimate and personal as the record-
ing process.
Trapped in the West
Back in Flateyri, the rain is heavier
than ever, and has turned into quite
a storm. We shelter in Vagninn, a res-
taurant and karaoke bar. “I’ve sure
partied here,” Ólafur says as we walk
in, shaking the rain from our coats.
The whole group are overjoyed when
the staff bring out glorious fish cours-
es of all kinds, even though everybody
is still quite full after the pizza party.
Fjölnir entertains us with stories from
his eventful life, including the time he
took part in a Japanese documentary.
After dinner, we receive some news:
our return flight has been cancelled. It
doesn’t come as a big surprise to any-
one—this is quite typical in the West-
fjörds. We order beers, and contemplate
whether or not we should try the kara-
oke, amongst rumours of Ólafur being
quite the closet hip-hop star. But the
group is exhausted after the long day.
We finish our beers and head for bed.

A new chapter in life

The next morning, the weather is bet-
ter. Dagný takes us to the airport, and
we bid her farewell and thank her for
her wonderful hospitality. Ólafur and
Dagný hug each other goodbye, and
she remembers to give him the box of
her son’s homegrown spinach, much
to Ólafur’s delight.
As we fly back to Reykjavík, Ólafur
tells me that his favourite thing about
being a musician is to know that he
can have an affect on people. “Receiv-
ing a letter from someone who I’ve had
some kind of impact on—or even put-
ting a smile on someone’s face—is the
best,” he smiles. “I don’t care how big
or small of an impact it is—I just love
the fact that I can create a connection
between me and someone else, with-
out even meeting them.”
Ólafur is, to put it mildly, a worka-
holic. In fact, he hasn’t had a day off
since the summer of 2015. I ask if he
even has time to sleep, and he tells me
that his motto in life is to work as much
as he can, sleep as little as he can, and
drink a lot of coffee. Baldvin laughs, and
agrees with this method, saying they
practice the same lifestyle—except he
also has three children.
But Ólafur does find some time for
himself. If he isn’t working, he can be
found at the pool, where he goes for a
daily swim. In 2017, he’s planning a va-
cation. He wants to take two months
off, and travel alone, without any elec-
tronics, to study different cultures,
meet new people, listen to music, and
become inspired. “I want to experi-
ence new things to bring with me into
a new chapter of my life,” he says. He
tells me starting a family isn’t next
on his agenda quite yet. “Sometimes I
feel the longing to start a family,” he
explains, “but then I get another idea,
or start another project—and that be-
comes my family.”
“I’ve always said that I’ll continue
making music as long as I enjoy it,”
he finishes. “Perhaps I’ll get bored of
it, and that’s okay. I don’t see that hap-
pening just yet, though. And right
now, it’s the only thing I want to do.”
Three songs have now been released from
‘Island Songs’ so stay tuned for the next
four, to be released every Monday. Follow
Island Songs at www.islandsongs.is.
“Sometimes I feel the longing to start a family,
but then I get another idea, or start another
project—and that becomes my family.”