Reykjavík Grapevine - 30.06.2017, Page 2

First
For decades now, the Icelandic nation
has successfully been using something
called a toilet. Some call it a bathroom.
But if you want to be really posh, you can
say you’re going into the water closet.
To be honest, Icelanders haven’t been
using the water closet for that long.
Toilets were invented some thousands
of years before Christ, and were pretty
advanced by around 2800 BC. So, even
Jesus used this practical invention.
In the early 20th century, some Ice-
landers used something simply called
a “piss hole.” But the progress was fast,
and before we knew we had toilets that
resemble those of today. The first large-
scale city planning for Icelandic toilets
was in 1927, in Reykjavík. We can thank
Dr. Guðmundur Hannesson for the pro-
gressive vision that everyone would some-
day use something called a toilet. Iceland-
ers at least consider this not only a part
of being civilised, but of being hygienic.
To be fair, many Icelanders have
pooped al fresco since Dr. Guðmundur’s
day. There are of course exceptions to
the norms of civilization and hygiene,
like on long hikes. But I imagine that
the good doctor spins in his grave every
time a tourist jumps out of their car to
poop beside the highway, or in the gar-
den of some innocent family in Húsavík.
This is in fact a mystery for Ice-
landers—how tourists can’t just hold
it in between gas stations. At first we
thought it was comical. We even un-
derstood the situation. Some of us
have been in grave trouble in big cit-
ies where a toilet is hard to find.
But let’s just be clear about this: Stop
it. It’s disgusting, and humiliating for all
involved.
If Jesus could use toilets, you can too
(this is the origin of the phrase "holy
shit"). And if you really hate Jesus, just
think about the guy who gave us the
toilet: Guðmundur Hannesson. He de-
serves better from you, for God’s sake.
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The Reykjavík Grapevine
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COVER PHOTO BY
Þórsteinn Sigurðsson
IG: @xdeathrow
We Need To Talk About The Water Closet
- An ode to Guðmundur Hannesson
THE GRAPEVINE
PLAYLIST
Exos - Hverfult
Iceland’s undisputed
techno godfather
returns to his dub
techno roots in this
pared-down banger.
Kraftwerk bleeps
meet Basic Channel
stabs in this homage
to the genre. SP
SEINT - So Glad
Somewhere be-
tween 90s Massive
Attack-esque trip-
hop and cutting-
edge trap, this one
wears its influences
on its sleeves, all
‘Mezzanine’ moods
and vocals between
Aron Can and Arabic
prayer muezzins. SP
Grúska Babúska -
Refurinn
Positioned firmly on
the twee end of the
spectrum, it starts
out mellow and
clicky with pretty
vocals but soon gets
overtaken by fierce
D’n’B drums. The
music video stars an
adult woman losing
her shit in beautiful
icelandic nature. SP
Valby Bræður -
Peningar
Valby Bræður rep
two things: Hafnar-
fjörður and $$$. In
this song—their first
in six months—they
go for money. “Pen-
ingar” is a catchy
banger showcasing
the bros’ traditional
old school flow. Get
down. HJC
einarIndra -
Take Me Down
Our new favourite
sad midnight laptop
musician einarIndra
keeps dropping
sensuous slowcore
electronica tracks
as if they’re coming
off a conveyor belt,
always with imagina-
tive production
flourishes that make
him stand out. JR
Biogen - Autofloat
The distinguished
TRIP techno label is
releasing a cache
of recordings from
the late Biogen,
‘Halogen Continues’.
The album covers
much ground, from
acid and breakcore
to ambient outings
like this one. SP
kef LAVÍK -
Arabíska Vor
“Arabíska Vor” is chill
but dancey—the
perfect tune for
when the after party
is winding down. Sit
down, put on some
earphones, and let
the buttery vibe
take you to a differ-
ent place: an Arab
spring. But hopefully
not, uh, THAT Arab
Spring. HJC
Listen, watch &
more tracks:
gpv.is/play
EDITORIAL
2
In This Issue
Words:
Valur
Grettisson
Photo:
Art Bicnick
P:10 ICELAND CONTINUES TO SMITE
P:12 A FORMER CIA AGENT SPEAKS
P:31 YES ARON CAN
P:40 MARTEINN
P:44 ART UP NORTH
P:52 FAROES SPECIAL
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