Reykjavík Grapevine - 11.11.2016, Blaðsíða 2

INTELLIGENT LIFE P:12
Cyborgs and their masters in Reykjavík basements
+ Fighting Trumpism, everywhere + election post-game
NEWS
“May you live in interesting times,” goes
the classic Chinese blessing (that’s actu-
ally a backhanded curse).
Well, goddamn, this has been an in-
teresting year. With Europe reeling from
Brexit, and Iceland staggering along in
the wake of an unpredictable, divisive
election, we recently woke up to find that
America has somehow contrived to elect
an on-the-record racist and misogynist
to the White House, sending a shudder
around the globe (and through our office:
more on page 10).
It would be easy, in times as interest-
ing as these, to join these dots; to conclude
that the world is going to shit in a kind of
feverish death spiral. But, the funny thing
is, if you turn off the news and look out
of the window for five minutes—there
is no rain of fire. There is no mutant su-
perstorm tearing up the ground beneath
us. Civilisation still exists. Green tech
advances quietly continue. Science, litera-
ture, art, and human knowledge continue
to evolve. Without wishing to trivialise
the threat Trump poses to both the envi-
ronment and to all kinds of people—life
does goes on.
With that in mind, welcome to The Fu-
ture Issue. For our post-election(s) maga-
zine, we’ve decided to raise our eyes to the
horizon. You’ll read in these pages what
Iceland’s political future may hold, and Dr.
Lawrence Lessig's take on where democ-
racy is headed. We've a report about the
progress and ramifications of artificial
intelligence in Iceland, and an interview
with Andrew Huang, one of the artists
behind the game-changing ‘Björk: Digital’
virtual reality exhibition that’s on show at
Harpa. You can also read about how one
of Iceland’s most beloved authors, Sjón, is
writing to the future directly via a book
that will be sealed away in The Future
Library. In travel, we’ve a report from the
inspiring Explorers Festival in Húsavík.
And we have, of course, our cover star Jó-
fríður Ákadóttir, representing the future
of Icelandic music.
So take a breather from that bleak
short-fingered vulgarian. Cleanse your
inputs. See what the voices in these in-
terviews tell you about humanity. They
might be quieter, but they’re every bit as
important. The future’s still bright—and
it doesn’t have to be orange. JR
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Valur Gunnarsson
The Reykjavík Grapevine
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COVER PHOTO BY
Timothée Lambrecq
timothee-lambrecq.com
In This Issue
The Future
THE GREAT UNKNOWN P:58
We went up north to visit the Explorers Festival
+ off-the-beaten-track Hvalfjörður + Húsavík whaletown
TRAVEL
INNER SPACE P:28
Andrew T. Huang on helping create Björk Digital
+ The Future Library + The best concerts, gigs & events
CULTURE
THE
GRAPEVINE
PLAYLIST
amiina - Telegram
It’s been six years
since amiina re-
leased their second
album, ‘Puzzle’.
“Telegram” is an
atmospheric teaser
for the follow-up,
‘Fantômas’—re-
leased November
26—and showcases
the band’s familiar
ear for a beguiling
melody. It’s like the
opening sequence of
a mysterious film...
read more about it on
page 32. JR
JFDR - White Sun
Our cover star,
Jófríður Ákadóttir,
released a lyrical
new video during
Airwaves festival.
The song, “White
Sun,” is the opener
of her forthcoming
debut solo album,
‘Brazil’, and charts
the cyclical nature
of relationships. It’s
a magical, poetic
track, and the video
is just as good—read
more on page 22. JR
Úlfur Eldjarn - Innsæi
Curly-haired
mainstay of synth
eccentrics Apparat
Organ Quartet, Úlfur
is also an established
composer. In 2015,
he created the
soundtrack to the fu-
turistic documentary
‘Innsæi - The Sea
Within’. It features
The Budapest Art
Orchestra, Miklós
Lukács, amongst
others, and is a beau-
tifully lush piece,
available now on his
Bandcamp. JR
Vök - Show Me
Vök’s simmering
Samaris/xx-influ-
enced pop sound
was enough to shoot
them to the Músík-
tilraunir prize two
years ago. They’ve
added a drummer
since then, but new
single “Show Me”
retains the intimate
late-night feel that’s
characterised their
music to date. It’s a
low-key track that
sparkles coldly, from
an as-yet unnamed
album due in early
2017. JR
Moff & Tarkin
- Naked
The first cut off
Icelandic house
label Lagaffe Tales'
second vinyl release,
"Naked" showcases
the special talents
of Vienna-based
icelandic house-
muffin Magnus Felix,
or Moff & Tarkin as
his friends call him.
This is warm house , a
lilting hypnotic vocal
loop that soothes
and grooves in equal
measure. SP
Photo by
Santiago
Felipe
Listen & watch:
GPV.IS/PLAY
Words
PARKER,
SVEINBJÖRN
& JOHN
Fresh
Don’t Fight the Power. Feel It.
The exhibition is open every day from 9am-5pm. Please direct any inquiries to exhibition@on.is Tel: (+354) 591 2880 www.onpower.is/exhibition
Let’s see what some of the guests at our Geothermal Exhibition have to say on TripAdvisor about our clean energy production:
“A must see activity”, “Bucket List”, “... interactive and inspiring”, “Now I’m impressed!”
We hope to welcome you too on your trip to Iceland at the most powerful exhibition in the world.