Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.11.2017, Side 2

Iceland Airwaves finished last week-
end with a folksy bang and an artis-
tic flair. Those who wanted to see the
folk band Mumford & Sons had to dive
into the first storm of the winter, just
to listen to those friendly guitar riffs.
Those who wanted something else
got the idealistic storm of Hatari shot
straight into their souls, forcing them
to ask themselves the ultimate question:
“Why did you sell yourself so cheap?”
The festival is still going strong af-
ter 18 years, and it’s surprisingly fresh
in this postmodern age where the true
superstars of our times are some nerds
on YouTube we’ve never heard about.
As an Icelander, I’m proud to live in a
country that showcases all of the incred-
ible Icelandic talent in live performances
at the festival. I am convinced that Ha-
tari will make some international rip-
ples with its dark-wave nihilistic punk.
And there is more talent yet to be dis-
covered. This means that a festival like
Iceland Airwaves is still relevant and in-
credibly important for Icelandic culture.
The most successful aspect of the
festival was, surprisingly, its planning.
The app for the festival made it easy to
look at the schedule ahead of time and
figure out how to catch all the bands that
you most wanted to see. It even warned
users about any lines they might en-
counter at venues, so everybody could
plan accordingly. This revealed that
this festival is in good hands, and we at
Reykjavík Grapevine salute you all, and
say thank you for a crazy fun time.
You can read our reviewers' Airwaves
highlights on page 35.
First
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THE GRAPEVINE
PLAYLIST
Listen, watch &
more tracks:
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2
Words:
Valur Grettisson
Photo
Magnús Andersen
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Hatari - X
Everyone’s favourite
authoritarian-synth-
bondage-theatre-
punk oddities Hatari
recently dropped
their debut EP. The
opening track is a
pulverising slice of
gothic pop with a
rasping industrial
edge, and it proves
that Hatari’s big
tunes don’t rely on
their high concept
stage show. JR
Úlfur -
Arborescence
NYC-based solo
artist Úlfur dropped
a new LP this
month. Previ-
ously best known
as an electronic
experimentalist, the
opening title track
of ‘Arborescence’
is an impressive
orchestral blast;
after that, much
of the record is
low-key folk music.
It’s an engaging and
restrained collec-
tion. JR
HRNNR & Smjörvi -
OK BíDDU
After a long wait,
rap weirdos HRNNR
& Smjörvi have
blessed us with
‘OK BÍDDU.’ While
the bizarre lyrical
genius and humour
of the two will
tragically be lost
on those who don’t
speak Icelandic, the
song still stands
as a soul-feeler of
its own. That said,
Smjörvi’s line, “Pos-
sums better watch
out. Who’s gonna
think outside the
box? Not me,” is a
winner. HJC
Sing Fang, sóley &
Örvar Smárason -
Go To Sleep Boy
This indie roy-
alty power-trio
continues to drop
a shimmering new
song each month of
2017 as promised,
like the duglegur
krútties they are.
You can catch them
live this December
when they’ll play the
project as a whole
live at the Sigur Rós-
curated Norður og
Níður festival. JR
Biggi Hilmars -
Detached
Best known for his
work as a composer
for film, television
and commercials,
Biggi Hilmars is
also the creator of
lush orchestral pop
music. ‘Detached’ is
a swooning ballad
taken from his new
album ‘Dark Horse,’
and comes with a
suitably cinematic
video. JR.
Issue 20
12: Iceland Votes; Confusion Reigns
16: The Laugavegur Fortune Teller
18: Integrating Through Language
24: Egill's Trolls
32: Auður Melts Us
35: Airwaves In Review
44: Matur og Drykkur
45: Messinn Expands
46: Laugarvatn Getaway
Iceland Airwaves:
Bangs & Flairs