Reykjavík Grapevine - 05.01.2018, Page 21

21The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 01 — 2018
Live Act Of Year: Hatari
Following their show-stealing concerts during Iceland Air-
waves, Hatari hardly need any introduction. This electronic
synth-pop trio, clad in fascist-uniform-meets-BDSM attire,
has won us over with their piercing gazes and their stoic,
stony faces. Onstage, they seem to embody the long-lost
conscience of a corrupt society that encourages self-indul-
gence, unethical individualism and a disturbing repression
individuals’ sexuality. In short, our very own modern world.
As much an art project as a traditional band, Hatari
bark out political tirades in a gritty, raw voice, juxtaposed
against pulsing, synth-led art-pop. You can love them or
hate them, but there is something mesmerising about Ha-
tari’s performances that taps right into our primordial fas-
cination with the most sordid aspects of humanity. All that,
and you can dance to it too—and remember that your soul
is not immune to the grime they relentlessly unveil.
THIS BIG PICTURE
Högni thinks big on his debut solo album, ‘Two Trains’
Words: Grayson Del Faro
Högni Egilsson is known internationally
for his work with bands like Hjaltalín and
GusGus. He’s even better known in Iceland
for his work in other industries such as
composing for film and theatre, and even
for teaching methods of creativity to com-
puter science students at the University of
Iceland. But you may know Högni as the
creator of Grapevine’s Album of the Year—
his debut solo album, ‘Two Trains.’
It’s a complex, epic album in its sym-
phonic swells, but Högni has a simple way
of describing its creation. “Initially it was
about progress,” he explains. “It started
with a reflection—or maybe an allegory—
for some sort of metamorphosis. It’s sort
of about raising your conscious awareness
towards something of a bigger picture, not
a micro-story.” The album took six years to
complete, so in a sense there was no choice
for Högni but to look at the big picture.
A NEW DAWN
Högni thinks of the album as a history les-
son in a larger sense. The album takes its
name from the two trains that were used
in Iceland to help build Reykjavík’s harbor
in the early 20th century. Högni paints a
pciture of the allegory: “We’re at the dawn
of a new century, a new millennium. At
this time a century ago there was a big, big
transformation in society. The whole 20th
century broke out from old systems of
power—consumerism and all those things
were born. In 2011 when I started working
on this, those ideas were floating around
me. Something was happening.”
He’s not wrong—a lot has happened
in the world since 2011. “We’re in a super
interesting hinge of history right now, in
a technical aspect and just in life,” he says.
“We’re almost on the verge of inhabiting
another planet. Then there are all these
things like AI and all that shit. How are we
going to deal with all these scary matters
that are threatening our existence?”
Högni’s favorite track on the album is
“Óveðurský” (“Tempest” in English) which
describes a coming storm. “It’s about the
fear of change,” he says. “For every trans-
formation to occur there is always some
aspect that is threatening.”
CHALLENGING
DICHOTOMIES
Due to Högni’s openness about his bipo-
lar disorder, it’s easy to assume that that
‘Two Trains’ is a simple metaphor for
the illness. However, the record itself is
so multifaceted that it challenges such
a straightforward analysis, opening up
many dichotomies whilst simultaneously
moving beyond them. “I was fascinated by
the dichotomy of the inner versus the out-
er—the technical, objective aspects versus
the emotional, subjective aspects of life,”
says Högni. “The subjective world, versus
the world that we see. Even what we listen
to in music is a witness to the invisibility of
life—how these frequencies that we hear
lure us into a world we want to be in.”
He describes this binary as the “the eter-
nal struggle that art deals with,” and sees
progress being made in this arena. He con-
cludes, thought-provokingly, “The inde-
scribable magic of art and performance is
a real motor for life and imagination. The
future and progress and all these things
are intertwined. That’s how technology
and society intertwines and binds together
through these things in a magical, myste-
rious way to create this big picture we call
life.”
WHY DID I SELL MYSELF
SO CHEAP?
An open letter from Hatari
Dear consumer,
The poem is a dead art form. The
consumer product now available to
you, Neysluvara EP©, and the HA-
TARI© franchise are intellectual prop-
erty of Svikamylla LTD, hereinafter
named Svikamylla. Possible side ef-
fects due to excess consumption of
or listening to Neysluvara EP© may
include loss of hearing, sensation-
seeking behaviour, neurological and
cardiovascular system disorder in chil-
dren and adolescents, use and depen-
dence on other harmful substances,
hopelessness, palpitations, high blood
pressure, political inertia, nausea and
vomiting, convulsions and, in extreme
cases, even death. The nights you have
left are numbered. Svikamylla and its
collaborators, including members of
HATARI©, did not wish to give The
Reykjavík Grapevine an interview at
this time, and will not be held account-
able for any episodes of sudden and ir-
rational anxiety, rage, or uncontrolla-
ble urges to dance or organize in large
groups experienced by consumers of
HATARI© products. The funeral of the
word is held to the groans of adulter-
ers, moguls and scammers. Svikamylla
and its collaborators, including mem-
bers of HATARI©, will not be held ac-
countable for any listener/consumer
who thinks he/she can imagine the
end of capitalism. Your life is a burned
out stub in a whirling ashtray. You look
back and think: Why did I sell myself
– This disclaimer will drastically limit
all liabilities of Svikamylla and mem-
bers of HATARI© in ways that are not
permitted under applicable law, and
exclude any liabilities that may not
be excluded under applicable law. You
look back and think:
Why did I sell myself so cheap?
Regards,
HATARI
“The inde-
scribable
magic of art
and perfor-
mance is a
real motor
for life and
imagina-
tion.”