Reykjavík Grapevine - 06.01.2017, Síða 40

40The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 01 — 2017
The ultimate & final say on 2016's best musicMusic
relatable feeling of the year is
laid over this banging production,
only greatness can come of it. STR
GKR - Slæmar Fréttir
“Meira” does it big and “Morgun-
matur” has had its time to shine,
but it’s the first track from GKR’s
EP that I kept going back to. It’s not
a breakfast cereal rap—it’s a dark
rap with a beat that keeps you light
on your toes. It’s the brand of rap
that I grew up with, something that
stirs feelings of anger and disil-
lusionment (even without having
any fucking idea what he’s saying).
For me, on this one GKR says some-
thing without having to say it. PY
Góðkynja – Andi
Andi means “spirit” in English,
and there is a whole lot of that in
the best cut from Andi’s glorious
debut album. Bright and breezy
synth chords bounce off each other
in a track that morphs outwards
and inwards over the course of its
short running time. STR
JFDR - White Sun
“White Sun” is a song based
around a haunting looped key-
board melody. But also, it’s about
other kinds of loops: the cycle of
the seasons, the opening and clos-
ing of relationships, and the cos-
mic waymarkers of the calendar.
By weaving the theme of the track
into both its lyrics and structure,
Jófríður displays the kind of imagi-
nation that catapulted her to the
forefront of Iceland’s music scene
in 2016—and onto the cover of
Grapevine, in November. JR
Jón Þór - Frúin í Hamborg
“Frúin í Hamborg” is an indie-rock
anthem taken from a four-song
EP with the same name. Jón Þór is
channeling the likes of Pavement,
Blur, Weezer and Built to Spill,
with great results. STR
Kilo - Magnifico
If you’re reading this, there’s a
chance you don’t speak Icelandic.
In that case, Icelandic rap might
not be your cup of tea—or at least,
a type of tea you worry you won’t
understand. Thank God then, for
the arrival of Kilo’s magnificent
masterpiece “Magnifico.” This
is a proper full-on hip-hop party
anthem that even the stodgiest
tastemaker couldn’t deny is effing
catchy. It’s the song you’ll catch
yourself humming in the car. It’s
the song you’ll catch yourself danc-
ing on a table to. Whether or not
rapping about snapbacks and kicks
is your thing, you can indulge your
00s-gangsta side a little here. HJC
Kosmodod - Komets
I was living in Berlin when I was
introduced to time travel. The man
who built the machine housed it in
an out of commission U-Bahn tun-
nel just beyond Frankfurter Tor.
We wore electric yellow vests and
entered the hollow tunnel entrance
without trouble. It breathed secre-
cy. He asked me what song I wanted
to listen to while I traversed space-
time, and I told him “Komets” by
Kosmodod. PY
KRELD - Way Low
It might not appear on many end-
of-year lists, but Sykur mainstay
Kristján Eldjárn quietly began an
exciting new collaborative solo
project in 2016. “Way Low” was the
first track to be released, and it’s a
slow, pulsing masterclass in down-
tempo electronica. His live sets at
Airwaves showed that he’s sitting
on a treasure trove of equally good
material. One to watch. JR
Ólafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm
- 23:52
When Ólafur stretches his legs a
little—as he does in his techno
project Kiasmos, and on this col-
laborative album—his intuitive
sense for melody combines with
a playful imagination. “23:52” is a
looping synth instrumental that’s
imbued with an expansive sense of
wonder. It builds beautifully, and
echoes around the mind long after
the five minutes are over. JR
Pascal Pinon - 53
‘Sundur’ was perhaps Pascal Pi-
non’s most intimate album to
date, which is saying a lot. The first
single, ”53,” is a searingly personal
song that describes the suicide of a
friend’s mother, and then proceeds
to try and sooth away his pain with a
gentle, empathic, cooing chorus. JR
Samaris - Wanted 2 Say
‘Black Lights’ by Samaris is our Al-
bum of the Year, on the basis that it
was so full of good tracks that re-
warding just one didn’t feel right.
That said, first single “Wanted 2
Say” set the bar high for what was
to come. It was their first song to
be sung in English, and with its
uptempo rhythm and catchy cho-
rus, it opened new doors for one of
Iceland’s top bands. JR
Snorri Helgason - Einsemd
Snorri released his first album in
Icelandic last year and ‘Einsemd’
is one of its strongest tracks. Por-
traying solitude in a bright light,
it captures perfectly the “grass is
always greener” mood many feel
whilst in relationships. A refresh-
ingly honest track. JB
Spítali - You
“You” is a high-quality house
number with a romantic ambi-
ence. It grinds and builds higher
and higher over the course of its six
minutes, with hard-hitting drums,
80s synth pads and fractured vocal
snippets that hypnotise you on head-
phones and dance floors alike. STR
JR: John Rogers, PY: Parker Yama-
saki, SP: Sveinbjörn Pálsson, JB:
Jón Ben, HJC: Hannah Jane Cohen
STR: Straumur (Davíð Roach & Óli
Dóri)
SHARE: gpv.is/lst01
Grapevine's End of
the Year Playlist
Austurstræti 16 Tel. 551 0011 apotek.isAPOTEK KITCHEN+BAR
ICELANDIC
GOURMET
MENU
Freshly caught seafood and free range lamb
– with a modern twist
6 COURSE
DINNER MENU
STARTS WITH A “REFRESHING“ SHOT
OF THE NATIONAL SNAPS BRENNIVÍN
FOLLOWED BY A BITE-SIZED TASTE OF PUFFIN
OCEAN PERCH
Slow cooked ocean perch, beetroot purée, spicy
butter, serrano ham, beetroot
MINKE WHALE
Shallot vinaigrette, crispy Jerusalem artichokes
SEA TROUT
Yuzu mayo, tru­e mayo, crispy quinoa, apple
PLAICE
Samphire, green asparagus, blood orange, lime beurre blanc
RACK OF FREE RANGE ICELANDIC LAMB
Lamb fillet, leeks, pickled onions, browned celeriac, baked
carrots, spinach and dill cream
Dessert
SKYR FANTASIA
Skyr fromage, Skyr mousse, strawberry & lime gel,
lime sponge cake
8.900 kr.
ReykjavíkFrakkastígur 16
ORGANIC
BAKERY