Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.10.2016, Qupperneq 2

ELECTORAL DYSFUNCTION P: 6-23
The elections: absolutely everything you need to know
+ fixing immigration + utopian dreams
LIFE
It’s a well-known fact that Iceland has long
run on coffee. From the writings of Lax-
ness, in which farmers habitually gather
for a cup of Jói, to the flat white-sipping,
single estate bean-roasting culture of
today’s downtown coffee house scene,
Iceland’s love affair with the black stuff is
long, deep and well-documented.
But in recent times, there’s been a slow,
quiet renaissance in the appreciation of
the world’s other most treasured drink:
tea. Not long ago, ordering a cup of tea
pretty much meant getting an expensive
cup of hot water with a dusty little bag of
“English Breakfast.” But lately, that sorry
situation has improved.
One case in point is Kumiko: a new
Japanese and Chinese tea house and cake
shop that’s opening this month on Gran-
di. We popped in recently and found the
owner, Sara, to be passionate about the
subtleties and flavours of fine Japanese
and Chinese teas, with plans to import
the leaves directly from farmers, and to
incorporate powdered matcha tea into a
variety of sweet treats.
We at Grapevine couldn’t be happier
about this evolution. Green tea is not only
a world of flavours and brewing traditions
to be explored, but it comes with health
benefits that include lowering blood pres-
sure and cholesterol, helping prevent cel-
lular damage, and helping regulate blood
sugar levels.
So next time you’re in Te og Kaffi, you
could try a cup of their thick green matcha
or delicious, umami-rich sencha Fuku-
jyu as an alternative to coffee. And if you
should find yourself in Kex, Kaffi Vest or
Kaffitár, there’s an ever-increasing range
of freshly brewed loose leaf tea on offer.
Also, pick up a copy of our super-fresh au-
tumn/winter Best Of Reykjavík magazine
for a guide to the best tea in town. Our
only warning: once on board, it can prove
addictive. So just be careful not to get a
(tea) drinking problem. JR
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founders
Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson,
Hörður Kristbjörnsson,
Jón Trausti Sigurðarson,
Oddur Óskar Kjartansson,
Valur Gunnarsson
The Reykjavík Grapevine
is published 18 times a year
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and fortnightly from May
til October. Nothing in this
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On our 2-day south coast tour you‘ll travel through a magnificient
variety of landscapes. Explore waterfalls, lava fields, Reynisfjara
-black sand beach, Jökulsárlón -glacier lagoon, and hike on
Skaftafell glacier!
BOOK YOUR TOUR AT
www. adventures.is
©
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DISCOVER
THE PEARLS OF THE
SOUTH COAST
In This Issue
Tea & Tea
Houses
NIGHT LIGHT P: 52
Dyrhólaey lighthouse is open for guests
+ a night of blazing aurora + golfing in the Westmans
TRAVEL
FRESH AIRWAVES P: 20
Our guide to the 2016 festival’s first-timers
+ art theft! + Gunni Ewok + Alvia Íslandia
CULTURE
THE
GRAPEVINE
PLAYLIST
Ruxpin - Glimmer
of Hope
The final track of
IDM veteran Ruxpin’s
8th album is called
“Glimmer Of Hope,”
and it’s a pretty
literal name. With
a fresh, uplifting
chord sequence and
a pretty soundscape,
it’s one of those
tracks that you don’t
mind playing over
and over. SP
aYia - Water Plant
The debut track
from Reykjavík trio
aYia is something
quite special. “Water
Plant” lurches along
unpredictably, pow-
ered by jittery synths
and a languid rhythm,
punctuated by a
catchy chorus and a
mesmerising vocal.
It’s out now as part
of Bedroom Com-
munity’s HVALREKI
singles series. JR
Aron Can
- Lítur vel út
Of the five most-
played Icelandic
tracks in Iceland’s
Spotify top 50, four
of them are by Aron
Can. Although he
just emerged this
spring, the 16-year-
old singer’s moody,
trap-infused sound
has young Iceland
on lock. This track is
taken from Baltasar
Kormákur’s new
thriller ‘The Oath’
(‘Eiðurinn’), which
premiered last
month. SP
Viktor Birgiss
- That Time When
Despite his young
age, Viktor Birgiss
has been releas-
ing house tracks
for a quite a few
years. This deep
‘n’ slow burner of a
track manifests the
mastery he’s built up
through the years.
It’s a flawless soul-
sampling keeper of
a track, sure to stay
fresh for weeks and
months to come. SP
Skrattar - Never
Gonna Slow Down
For all the Anglo-
philes out there,
this one’s for you.
The new track from
Skrattar (“Devils,”
in English) features
Joy Division-style
bass, cheap ‘n’ nasty
synths, a flat drum
machine rhythm, and
sneering, nihilistic
vocals. You might
recognise these two
Devils’ faces from
their other projects:
Muck and Fufanu. JR
Photo by Aiyele / Wikimedia Commons
Listen & watch:
GPV.IS/PLAY
Words
PARKER,
SVEINBJÖRN
& JOHN
Fresh