Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.11.2017, Qupperneq 32

Music
Björk has announced that
her more tech-savvy listen-
ers can buy her forthcom-
ing album ‘Utopia’—set for a Nov. 24
release—with cryptocurrency. Cur-
rencies such as Bitcoin, Litecoin and
Dashcoin will be accepted and buyers
will receive a bonus of 100 Audiocoins,
which can be used to purchase music
online. Björk is a proponent of crypto-
currencies and hopes that the move
will inspire more people to use them.
The innovation was carried out in col-
laboration with Blockpool, whose CEO
Kevin Bacon (nope, not the one from
‘Tremors’) said this is the first time a
popular musician has allowed fans to
buy music using cryptocurrency.
Electronic music and experimental
arts festival Sónar Reykjavík has con-
firmed the first artists who’ll perform
at the 2018 edition. The acts unveiled
so far are Danny Brown, Nadia Rose,
Bjarki, Jlin, Högni, Lena Willikens,
Cassy b2b Yamaho, Bad Gyal, Volrup-
tus, JóiPé x Króli, EVA808 and Vök.
More international and local artists
will be announced in the coming
weeks to complete the lineup, which
will feature around fifty artists and
DJs over three days. The last three
editions of Sónar Reykjavík have sold
out, and tickets are on sale now at
sonarreykjavik.is.
There are always some choice new
releases around Iceland Airwaves, and
our pick of the bunch is by goth-pop
trio Hatari, who chose this moment
to unleash their first EP ‘Neysluvara’
(“Consumer”) online. For a band with
a reputation built on their theatrical
live presentations, it’s an interesting
hurdle to cross—but the well-pro-
duced and crisply designed EP proves
there’s more to Hatari than their stage
show. It seems they’re a band intent on
continuing to surprise everyone. Check
it out on Spotify, or pick up a hard copy
from 12 Tónar.
MUSIC
NEWS
Upside Down
Auður, up front and behind the scenes
Words: Steindór Grétar Jónsson Photo: Art Bicnick
'I'd Love'
Single and video out now
In his music video for ‘I’d Love,’
Auður’s world gets literally turned
upside down. He awakens, enters
a mysterious room and begins to
sing—the space around him starts
spinning, flipping him upside down,
compelling him to find his footing.
The ambitious video was directed
by the singer-songwriter himself,
with noted music video creator Elí
co-directing, while
Kristinn Arnar Sig-
urðsson oversaw pro-
duction design. “Even
though I thought
up the concept, it
wou ld have been
impossible without
them,” says Auður.
“It took us a while to
build the set. After
a day of shooting, I
wasn’t happy with the
shots, so we reshot
everything. It was
a l e a r n i n g e x p e r i e n c e . ”
Auður, real name is Auðunn
Lúthersson, started out compos-
ing for others—most famously,
writing the music for Emms-
jé Gauti’s smash hit ‘Strákarnir.’
This earned him a spot at Red Bull
Music Academy and now Sony is
sending him to Japan to write mu-
sic for J-pop stars. “I have no idea
what I’ve gotten myself into, and
that’s really exciting,” he says.
“It’s different from Iceland, where
everybody writes their own music.
It’s liberating. But of course I try
to keep the best stuff for myself!”
Creative release
Auðunn admits that his dual role—
writing for others, while starring
in his solo project—can be tricky.
His album ‘Alone,’ released last
February, was a solo effort in the
strictest sense, thematically rooted
in his sadness during a time when
his girlfriend lived abroad.“It was
a whole album about being lone-
ly, made alone, in one key, with
one microphone,” he confesses.
Since then, he’s opened up
to collaboration while working
out of the 101derland st udio.
He feels his new music and up-
coming album will bear witness
to this. “It’s funny to see other
artists front my music,” he says.
“It doesn’t bother me, but it’s a
weird experience. Working in
101derland, co-writing and col-
laborating has opened things up
for me. I’ve grown and developed
by getting creative input and
hearing different viewpoints.”
Auðunn also performs come-
dy with Improv Ice-
land, and was one of
the select few who
got accepted to the
Iceland Academy of
the Arts acting pro-
gramme last spring.
Soon after starting
his studies, he re-
alized he couldn’t
give his all to both
disciplines—so he
quit. “I followed my
heart in commit-
ting myself to mu-
sic,” he says. “I have no doubt that
it was the right decision. The Auður
project gives me creative release,
and I enjoy combining the art-
forms, directing music videos and
preparing elaborate live shows.”
Mindfulness chocolate
Before Airwaves, Auðunn teamed
up with chocolate makers Omnom
to create his own variety of choc-
olate bars with caramel pebbles.
“I’m interested in how the sens-
es work together,” he says. “I’ve
heard a lot of musicians talk about
seeing colours in music, and I'm
excited about connecting music
to taste. Sometimes, I’ll be at Sub-
way while a Beach Boys master-
piece is playing on the radio. And
I’ll just think “whatever,” while
eating my tuna sub. But it’s better
to take a moment of mindfulness
to focus on what you’re tasting
and how it pairs with music.”
Unfortunately, the chocolate is
not available in stores, only at Auður
events. “They’re gonna trade bars
of this on the dark web,” he jokes.
Gaukurinn
bar & live venue
TRYGGVAGATA 22
10/11: One Morning Left (FIN), While My City
Burns, Aaru
11/11: Above Aurora (POL), World Narcosis,
Vonlaus, Nornahetta, Andavald
15/11: 80’s Dance Party
16/11: RVK Goth Night: The Gothsicles (USA),
Gbit, DJ Mole IX, DJ Vetrarsorg
17/11: Sham 69 (UK), Fræbbblarnir, Q4U,
Leiksvið Fáránleikans, Roð
18/11: Abominor, Nexion, Læknishljómar,
Úlfúð
19/11: Singer/Songwriter & Acoustic night
22/11: Drag-Súgur Birthday Roast
23/11: Lonely Traveler (soul covers)
24/11: Drag-Súgur – 2Y Anniversary Show
25/11: Benefit concert for Syria
29/11: COCKTAIL PARTY
30/11: Drag-Súgur Drag Lab
1/12: "House of Strike" drag show
2/12: Alchemia & support
6/12: "Naughty Christmas" with Bergmál,
Hanna Eiríksdóttir, Rebekka Sif,
Jólabjöllurnar
7/12: Band Nútímans & support
www.gaukurinn.is
STANDUP COMEDY
in English every Monday
KARAOKE PARTY
every Tuesday
Free entry and starts at 21 both nights
We are very queer
friendly, open and
diverse. And we have
Vegan cocktails.
HAPPY HOUR
every day
from 14 to 21
Huge variety of CONCERTS,
DRAG SHOWS twice a month
and all sorts of other events!
gpv.is/music
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Guitar-smasher and heartbreaker
"It was a
whole album
about being
lonely, made
alone, in one
key, with one
microphone.”