Reykjavík Grapevine


Reykjavík Grapevine - 03.02.2017, Blaðsíða 26

Reykjavík Grapevine - 03.02.2017, Blaðsíða 26
25The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 02 — 2017 Once the darkest and dullest month on the Icelandic calendar for music and culture, February was forever transformed in 2013 with the arrival of Sónar Reykjavík, that annual shin- ing beacon of modern sonic delight. The festival will take place in Harpa for the fifth time February 16-18, and the final acts have just been an- nounced. BEA1991 is the new stage name of the Dutch musician formerly known as BEA, who is playing SónarComplex. She makes groovy, hazy electronica that’s smooth as silk. Also playing that stage is her countryman Kai Hugo, aka Palmbomen. He’s a producer who makes dreamy electro with Italo disco basslines. We highly recommend both those artists. In other Sónar news, the members of Moderat will take part in an exclusive Q&A session ahead of Fri- day's live performances and their own show at SónarClub. Two of the artist performing at Sónar, Sindri Már Sigfússon of Sin Fang and Seabear fame and the múm member Örvar Smárason, have teamed up with Morr Music label- mate sóley for a new electro-indie super project. Though not an official “band,” and currently without a name, the group have committed themselves to releasing one song together every month over the next year. All the songs will then be compiled and released as an album after twelve months. The first song dropped last week, and it bears the impenetrable title “Ran- dom Haiku Generator.” But don’t let the artsy title scare you, because the song is at its core a bittersweet and beautiful power ballad, though with the experimental electronic edge the people behind it are known for. Each of the three singular voices manages to shine through, and the song is like an artfully woven sonic carpet. With the whole record business in disarray and everything up in the air when it comes to releasing and distrib- uting music, it’s nice to see Icelandic artists experimenting with the form in such a playful way. We now have at least one thing to look forward every month, and for that we are thankful to Sindri Már, Örvar and Sóley. SHARE: gpv.is/str02 “I still have two weeks, don’t I?” smiles múm founding-member Örvar Smára- son, coming out of a daze as he quietly contemplates his imminent first-ever solo performance. He’s right: when we talk, Sónar Reykjavík is a fortnight away. But as the festival draws nearer, Örvar still has little idea of what his show will consist of. He booked the slot almost as a way of cajoling himself, he explains. Dead- lines are a good way to force oneself into action, lending a welcome sense of urgency and focus. But there must be a seed of an idea, right? “There’s always a sound in my mind, I guess,” he admits. “But I’m still real- ising what this is going to be. I don’t know if I’ll be singing or not. I’ve been writing these songs using computer- generated voices to help write vocal lines. They were just supposed to be a tool, but now I’m stuck with them... I need to figure out if I like them. But I ordered a vocoder online, that’s due to arrive today. So maybe I’ll sing the computer lines...” His voice peters out, and his eyes relax focus into the middle distance. Örvar has slipped back into the world of his imagination. Weird stoner music It seems almost strange that, in his twenty-year career, Örvar has never really made any solo music. He re- calls one collaborative teenaged tape release, which he describes as “weird stoner music,” and some early experi- ments that were lost forever when his first computer was thrown away. But since then, múm has been his primary creative focus. “We’ve been lucky to have all these different kinds of projects,” he says. “We work on classical music, or do weird DJ sets, or radio theatre. There hasn’t been much need to do my own stuff. But sud- denly, I felt the need to do it.” Bringing those imagined sounds into the real world isn’t always easy. “I’m right down at the bottom of the creative process,” says Örvar. “It brings you to a deep, dark place sometimes. I’m right there, right now. I can’t see the way forward yet.” Not completely human Örvar, like many creatively inclined people, goes through the mill when he’s beginning something new. Creativity is difficult, and can be personally chal- lenging. “There comes a point where everything you touch seems like shit,” he laments. “A few months ago I had a moment where I was writing songs, and I needed to pick my kids up. I sat down in my car and realised I couldn’t even drive. I was lucky I’d walked to the car without falling over. I get tense and not completely human… I forget everything and when I leave the house I need to go back in three times because I’ve put on different shoes, or something.” But it’s also intentional, to some degree. Despite the difficulties in- volved, there’s a part of Örvar that’s revelling in the writing process, and intentionally trying not to let any ideas settle. “It’s fun to be in that moment. But ideas never come out as you imag- ine they will,” he explains. “Like when múm performed with Kronos Quartet at Airwaves, we had two years of think- ing how it would be. You could be see- ing it front of your eyes, imagining it for hours while you’re walking or doing the dishes… but it’s never like that.” “Maybe I should just spend less time thinking, and more time actually doing things,” he smiles, drifting off into the echoes in his mind once again. See Örvar’s performance at Sónar Reykjavík on February 16th. Words DAVÍÐ ROACH & ÓLI DÓRI Photo ALBUM COVER Straumur, Iceland's premier indie music radio show, airs on X977, Mon. at 23:00. Daily music news in Icelandic at straum.is Words JOHN ROGERS Photo ART BICNICK It’s been a few years since you’ve tried to hit that catchy high note from Ásgeir’s pop favourite “King and Cross”—five years if you’re singing in Icelandic, three if in English. On January 24 the 24-year- old debuted “Unbound,” a single off his forthcoming album, ‘Afterglow’. Just like his first album, ‘Afterglow’ is a family affair. The lyrics of “Unbound” were written by his brother Steini and other lyrics on the album were written by his father, the poet Einar Georg Einarsson. NPR said the single is a move “toward laptop electronics, something like the shift Bon Iver made and that James Blake has been pio- neering.” It’s still catchy, and you still won’t be able to hit those high notes. ‘Afterglow’ will be released by One Little Indian Records on May 5. Speaking of strong debuts, East of My Youth, the dark pop project of Herdís Stefánsdóttir and Thelma Marín Jónsdóttir, just released a self- titled debut EP. Their second single, “Only Lover,” was quickly picked up as “Song of the Day” on KEXP shortly after release three years ago. Since then the girls have danced around the world, making festival appearances at Eurosonic, SXSW, and, of course, Iceland Airwaves, picking up interna- tional attention along the way. Their six-track EP is now available to stream or buy on iTunes and Spotify. And while we’re visiting the land of debut EPs, meet another recent inhabitant: Danimal. Danimal is the project of Daníel Jón, a local kid- who’s-not-a-kid-anymore; having played in bars around Reykjavík since age sixteen, the twenty-five-year- old singer-songwriter released “People Like Me,” a single and video off his forthcoming debut EP. MUSIC NEWS Find today's events in Iceland! Download our free listings app - APPENING on the Apple and Android stores Random Sónar Generator STRAUMUR Mind Echoes Örvar Smárason “right at the bottom” of the creative process
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