Reykjavík Grapevine - 07.04.2017, Qupperneq 26

Mozart In Slow-Mo
Apocalyptic themes, detail and texture

Words: Steindór Grétar Jónsson Photos: Art Bicnick
‘Dissonance’
Album out April 21.
The opening strings on Icelandic
composer, producer and perform-
er Valgeir Sigurðsson’s new album
‘Dissonance’ feel poised and col-
lected, almost glacial in pace,
building gradually as the ten-
sion envelops the listener. Some
context from the composer sheds
light on the unconventional begin-
ning. “The title piece is based on
a few bars—a few seconds actu-
ally—from Mozart,” says Valgeir.
“I took the bars and stretched the
40 seconds out to 23 minutes. The
movement is the same as Mozart
envisioned, only much slower.”
Valgeir’s description shows the
traits that have made him a prom-
inent figure in the Icelandic music
community. Originally trained as
a classical guitarist, he soon be-
came a sought-after studio col-
laborator: a polymath who could
produce, engineer and compose,
as well as playing a range of in-
struments. A run of collaborations
with Björk, starting with ‘Selma-
songs’, led to various credits on
four of her albums. His other cred-
its include Bonnie “Prince” Billy,
Brian Eno and the score for envi-
ronmental documentary ‘Dream-
land’. This array of
projects all emanate
from his custom-
built Greenhouse
Studios, located in
a suburb of Reyk-
javík, and the Bed-
room Community
record label this
thriv ing creative
h u b s p a w n e d .
Dissonance
Valgeir’s solo work
could be categorized as classical,
but the use of electronic technolo-
gy makes it difficult to pigeonhole.
‘Dissonance’ is his first solo album
since 2012's ‘Architecture of Loss’,
and features large-scale works
drawing inspiration from apoca-
lyptic themes, while also display-
ing his eye for detail and texture.
String Quartet No. 19, complet-
ed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
over two centuries ago, was ahead
of its time when it was composed,
and seems ripe for reimagining.
“The introduction sounds disso-
nant and ‘un-Mozart,’ in a way, in
complete contrast
to everything else
from that period,”
says Valgeir. “The
story goes that the
sheet music was
sent back from the
printer because it
had to be a mis-
take. It builds up
fast, creating dis-
sonance, then dis-
solves into beautiful
chords. It sounds
l i k e S h o s t a k o v -
ich or something—unusual and
strange, for the time it came out.”
The viola da gamba, an antiquated
instrument that preceded the mod-
ern violin and cello, plays a vital role.
Valgeir layered his collaborator Liam
Byrne's string performances, rout-
ing the signals back out to amps,
speakers and effects before record-
ing the entire thing back to tape.
The intricacies of the recording
process present some obvious
hurdles in terms of performing
the piece live, which Valgeir will
do at Sónar Barcelona in June.
“What do I do with a com-
plicated piece like this?” muses
Valgeir. “I’d need a 60-, 70-strong
symphony to play it. But of course I
can't go on tour and expect to have
a symphony waiting in every city.”
Instead, he plans to do most live
shows with only Liam, the viola da
gamba player. “It will sound differ-
ent,” he says. “It's an experiment.”
Sónar is known for presenting
both popular and unconventional
music, but Valgeir’s compositions
may not be what audiences first
associate with the festival. “Sónar
is a good platform for experimen-
tal music, but the show could just
as well belong in venues for acous-
tic music,” says Valgeir. “I never
make music with the audience in
mind. If I like it, I can only hope
that it finds its way to the listener.”
No Nights Dark Enough
As “Dissonance” dissipates, the
ethereal strings of “No Nights Dark
Culture Feature
“The introduc-
tion sounds
dissonant and
‘un-Mozart,’ in
a way, in com-
plete contrast
to everything
else from that
period”
Valgeir Sigurðsson in
Harpa, pondering.
NO BUN
NO FUN