Reykjavík Grapevine - 16.06.2017, Qupperneq 2

First
A co-worker of mine, originally from the
UK, told me once that Icelanders were
basically functional alcoholics. But he
added that we were impressive as so. I
wasn’t sure if i should be offended or a
little bit proud. This analysis is of course
dead wrong. But there is some truth in
it. We are ’holics—some kind of nihilis-
tic fanatics, if you want to label it. Take
our dating culture as an example. We go
at it like oily angsty teenagers who just
discovered alcohol and porn, like our
journalist Hannah Jane Cohen, writes in
her analysis of dating culture in Iceland
starting on page 27.
When it comes to shopping, the
whole nation turns into fast zombies
with glassy eyes and wallets full of credit
cards and coupons. In the week after
Costco opened, Icelanders spent more
money there than in all of the nation’s 32
Bónus supermarkets combined. Iceland-
ers got hammered in Costco and are still
binge drinking and running around the
store like the apocalypse is near, asking
themselves the old philosophical ques-
tion: How many coffee bags can I fit in
my garage?
You would think a nation like this
would need some tough armed law en-
forcement to stop its citizens from liter-
ally eating each other alive. Well, that’s
the idea they’re trying to sell the nation.
The Icelandic government’s new posi-
tion is that we need guns to protect us
from some vague threat. But here is the
beautiful paradox of this island: we are
very peaceful. We are even impressively
helpful in times of need. And we really
don’t like it when police officers show
their guns off. Mostly because we can’t
buy our own in Costco. But we also re-
alise one thing: you can’t buy peace or
love. But it’s really easy to sell fear.
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Art Bicnick
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WEB EDITOR
Elías Þórsson
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LISTINGS DIRECTOR
Hannah Jane Cohen
hannah@grapevine.is
COPY EDITOR
Mark Asch
EDITORIAL INTERNS
Anisha Chandar
Alice Demurtas
Johanna Eriksson
ILLUSTRATORS
Inga María
Brynjarsdóttir
Lilja Björg Jökulsdóttir
Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
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Alexander Jean
Fontenay
Anton kaldal
Björn Halldórsson
Ciaran Daly
Elías Þórsson
Davíð Roach
Grayson Del Faro
Hannah Jane Cohen
Johanna Eriksson
Nanna Árnadóttir
John Rogers
Nanna Árnadóttir
Óli Dóri
Paul Fontaine
Ragnar Egilsson
Ragnheiður Eiríksdóttir
Shruthi Basappa
Steindór Grétar Jónsson
Valur Gunnarsson
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Anna Maggý
Art Bicnick
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Claus Sterneck
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Hrefna Björg Gylfadóttir
Trausti Valsson
Jakob Axel Axelsson
Johanna Eriksson
Junia Líf
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Ragnar Egilsson
Sunia Ibanez
Timothée Lambrecq
Varvara Lozenko
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MODELS
Gabríel Jaelon Culver
Melkorka Katrín
Love, Guns And Shopaholics
THE GRAPEVINE
PLAYLIST
Joey Christ - Joey
Cypher
This one is all about
the video. Four of
hip-hop’s young
champions—also
including Aron Can,
Birnir and Herra
Hnétusmjör—go on
a fun romp through
newly opened
Costco, giving us an
update on their lives
over an infectious
beat by the godlike
Young Nazareth. The
fun-dumb hook will
sit in your head for
days. SP

Flóni - Tala Saman
Autotune-rap croon-
er Flóni’s debut shot
to second place in
the Spotify charts
in Iceland, making it
the highest placed
Icelandic track of
the week. It’s a glow-
ing testament to the
simple, infectious
summer melody,
and a sincere new
voice. SP

Kosmodod - Afterlife
Known primar-
ily as the producer
behind Samaris,
Kosmodod’s solo
work expresses a
different side of his
palette. "Afterlife"
is a 90s-retro elec-
tronica epic with
a motorik rhythm,
dark synth stabs
and squelches,
and a blurry video
that, along with the
track’s generally
stoned vibe, feels
like a flashback to a
festival blackout. JR

Sólstafir - Silfur-
Refur
Sólstafir continually
impresses. Over the
years, their sound
has developed into
pure black metal
with an experimen-
tal psychedelic
vibeand “Silfur-
Refer” shows the
boys are still push-
ing the envelope.
With a country-rock
mixed with gothic
synths mixed with
pure power chords
sound, it’s dark—
for sure—but still
weirdly sing-along-
worthy. HJC

Rjóminn - Paradís
“Paradís” is the most
offensive example of
Icelandic bubble-
gum-rap ever.
Seriously. That said, I
admit that I listen to
this song on Incog-
nito Mode when I am
alone in my room.
Dumb on the level
of “Call Me Maybe”,
you’ll both love it
and hate it. I know
this sounds harsh
Rjóminn, but you're
on this playlist for
a reason. So keep
on doin’ you. I will
always be a secret
fan. HJC
Listen & watch:
gpv.is/play
EDITORIAL
2
In This Issue
Words:
Valur
Grettisson
Photo:
Art Bicnick
P:18 MIND THE (GENDER) GAP
P:24 HOT BIRDING NEWS
P:31 SECRET SOLSTICE
P:40 CYBER
P:44 REAL COLLECTIVE
P:52 FOOD & TRAVEL
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