Reykjavík Grapevine


Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.04.2017, Qupperneq 35

Reykjavík Grapevine - 21.04.2017, Qupperneq 35
Music Stay Weird Four emerging acts take over Húrra at the Weird Kids Party Words: John Rogers Photos: Xindan Xu Iceland’s music scene is a lot more diverse than many people imag- ine. It’s easy to understand why: the dreamy, spaced-out sounds of múm, Sa- maris and Sig ur rós, the restless, emot iona l p op experiments of Bj örk a nd t he slow-motion elec- tronica of recent exports Gangly and aYia do paint a certain picture, especially when combined with the glaciers-and-volca- noes, ice-and-fire brand that Iceland has taken on in re- cent years. It often comes as a surprise to people to find out that Reykjavík has bands playing everything from reggae to black metal, rap and country music. Case in point: the recent Weird Kids Party, held at everyone’s fa- vourite downtown music venue Húrra. Four very different bands per- formed, none of them coming close to conforming to the Icelandic mu- sic template. First up was Rex Pistols, the new proj- ect of Iceland-based Canadian Rex Beckett, who performed live for the first time since the end of her previous band An- timony in 2016. Rex took to the stage w ith heav y mas- cara running down her face, as if she’d been bawling in the dressing room just moments ear- lier. Her set consisted of a hand- ful of synth-pop songs, bringing to mind the gothy pop of Depeche Mode, with some New Wave ele- ments. A cover of “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” proved to be a high- light, the tempo taken way down to a languid stagger—Rex’s doleful, off-key vocals changed the track from a desperate, punky thrash to a numb and mournful ballad. Spark and glitter T h ree-piece UmerCon su mer upped the pace with a set of post- rock-inflected indie rock. Front- man, guitarist and singer Ýmir Gíslason has an intriguing stage presence, his tall frame sometimes hanging from the mic, or staring goggle-eyed into the crowd, shift- ing between falsetto singing and rough, impassioned yelling. Their set was raw, but their potential clear. Sacha Bernardson & The Mer- maids dialled down the emo and ramped up the glitter, with Iceland-based Frenchman Sacha bounding onto the stage grinning in a blue jumpsuit. He was soon joined by The Mermaids, an all-girl choir who added depth and rich- ness to Sacha’s skewed pop songs. There was a certain joyousness to this set—Sacha is a charming per- former, at once serious, gleeful and self-effacing. His songs wear their influences on their sleeve, from twinkling ‘Vespertine’-era Björk, to the artistic leanings of the Nor- dic indie scene, and the campy glamour of European electro-pop. It was colourful, positive and en- gaging, and met with rapturous applause. The finale came courtesy of a strikingly confident solo set from Iceland-based Dane IDA | IDK, who fluctuated between sensuous techno and experimental sample- based electronica, interspersed with passages of lush falsetto vo- cals. Ida moved around the stage with a natural presence and grace, clearly relishing the performance. Her sense of enjoyment in express- ing herself was contagious, and the music exciting, sparky, and teem- ing with promise. These Weird Kids brought a welcome sense of creativity and artistry to the stage of Húrra, and proved that if you scratch the sur- face of music in Iceland, you’ll find all kinds of hidden depths. LISTEN & SHARE: gpv.is/dmw06 35 The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 06 — 2017 “Sacha Bernard- son & The Mer- maids dialled down the emo and ramped up the glitter.” IDA | IDK has got it going on Suðurgata 41 101 Reykjavík www.thjodminjasafn.is tel +354 530 22 00 Hverfisgata 15 101 Reykjavík www.safnahusid.is tel +354 530 22 10 National Museum of Iceland The country’s largest museum of cultural history from settlement to present day. The Culture House Manuscripts, fine art, natural specimens, curiosities and archeaological findings form the exhibition Points of View. National Museum of Iceland The Culture House The exhibitions, shops and cafés are open daily 10 - 17 Closed on Mondays 16/9 – 30/4 ArtisAn BAkery & Coffee House Open everyday 6.30 - 21.00 Laugavegur 36 · 101 reykjavik Ásmundarsafn Sigtún +354 411 6430 artmuseum.is Open Oct.–April 13h00–17h00 Open May–Sept. 10h00–17h00 Ásmundur Sveinsson Þorvaldur Skúlason 29.10.2016– 01.05.2017 Augans börn Children of the Eye

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Reykjavík Grapevine

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