Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.05.2017, Qupperneq 2

Here’s the thing: terrorism is a form of
politics. It’s a disgusting and extreme
form of politics, but it’s nothing more
nor less than politics. In the case of
radical Islamic terrorism, the goal is to
divide societies, to evoke fear and to get
the message to the West that they’re a
force to be reckoned with. The message
is that they are at war with us, because
of the fundamental difference of our so-
cieties. It’s a fascist ideology that posits
radical Islam is somehow superior to
other religions or types of society. It’s
not, of course. Terrorism today is in the
same place the IRA and ETA ended up in
the late 90s. It’s just a bunch of common
criminals with bombs, and some pa-
thetic, impressionable lone wolves who
are fed up with being unknown losers.
     
But the thing is, there’s another group
with the exact same political goals as
the terrorists. And they live among
us in the west. They’re the people that
want to “modernise” Islam. The same
people who cry fascism every time
someone points out the holes in their
racist rants. Robert Spencer is one of
these guys, and he’s coming to Iceland
to speak at a conference held by Vakur,
as Grapevine reported at the beginning
of May. He has an Islamophobic blog,
and it doesn’t take long to see that his
politics are the same as that of the ter-
rorists. Even Anders Breivik was a fan.
Although his methods are peaceful—
for now—his goal is to divide societies,
to evoke fear, and to get the message
across that Islam is a force to reckon
with. The message is that Islamists are
at war with us because of fundamen-
tal difference of our societies. Robert’s
fascist ideology states that Christianity
is somehow superior to any other reli-
gions or types of society. If you feel like
I’m repeating myself, it’s because Rob-
ert wants the same things as the jihad-
ists. That’s the aim and the lifeblood of
his pathetic politics. And Europe really
doesn’t need more jihadist supporters.
Hafnarstræti 15,
101 Reykjavík
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ART DIRECTION
Rut, Elín, Sveinbjörn
STYLIST
Sigrún Ásta Jörgensen
The Same Goal
THE GRAPEVINE
PLAYLIST
ÍRiiS - Nornin
(The Witch)
“Nornin” (“The
Witch”) is a bold and
dramatic elec-
tronic track from
newcomer ÍRiiS, who
sounds partial to a
bit of Kate Bush. The
attention-grabbing
video brings to mind
Lars von Trier’s ‘An-
tichrist’, with naked
figures crawling
around a mono-
chrome landscape.
Early days, but one
to watch. JR
Jónsi - Simple Gifts
“Simple Gifts” is
a Shaker spiri-
tual that’s been
reinvented by Jónsi
for the soundtrack
of ‘The Circle’, a new
film starring Tom
Hanks and Emma
Watson. His upbeat
version features a
symphony of elec-
tronic sounds, and a
heavily treated cho-
ral vocal take. Hear it
now on Pitchfork. JR
Vök - BTO
Vök’s low-key,
dreamy aesthetic
sounds like it’s been
powered up for their
new album, ‘Figure’,
which was released
on April 28th. New
single ”BTO” melds
a warm undertow
of synths to pulsing
bass, slick guitars,
and a catchy
melody. The video, by
Magnus Anderson, is
streaming at now-
ness.com. JR
Birnir - EKKI SWITCHA
The hype surround-
ing rapper Birnir can
only be compared
to that which sur-
rounded now mas-
sively popular artists
like GKR and Aron
Can. With only two
songs released, he‘s
opened for Sturla
Atlas and Gísli Pálmi,
and his new banger
“EKKI SWITCHA” will
show you why. With
a chilled out old
school vibe, even
you non-Icelanders
will be singing along.
HJC
Black Pox - Leyndo
Following in the
footsteps of the
worldwide chill-but-
turnt rap scene,
Black Pox’s new
song “Leyndo” is like
if Future only took
a quarter Xanax,
downed a double
espresso, and
turned off the auto-
tune. It’s a perfect
mix of proper rap
flow with a trappy
beat. The song is
only around two
minutes—a teaser
presenting an artist
to watch. Well, Black
Pox, we’re watching.
HJC
Listen & watch:
gpv.is/play
EDITORIAL
2
In This Issue
Words:
Valur
Grettisson
Composite Photo:
Creative
Commons / ISIS
P:10 TOURISM VS. MUSIC
P:12 VAPE OUTLAWS
P:28 THE DARK SIDE
P:36 SUMMER OF SÓLEY
P:38 GLOWIE
P:52 ALT GOLDEN CIRCLE
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