Reykjavík Grapevine - 15.06.2018, Page 8

In 2018, having previously established
themselves as a force to be reck-
oned with at the Euro 2016 tourna-
ment, Iceland went to the World Cup
finals for the first time in the coun-
try’s history. With a pre-tournament
period plagued by injuries to star play-
ers and lukewarm results in friendly
games, expectations were low. But it
quickly became apparent that Iceland
weren’t at the tournament to make
up the numbers: they came to smite.
The first game, against Lionel
Messi’s fading Argentina side, could
not have been better. The Iceland team
defended heroically against Lionel’s
wily ways, eventually lashing home via
Alfreð Finnbogason for
a famous win. Croa-
tia and Nigeria were
rattled by Iceland’s
combative style, and
were duly swept aside
as we romped into
the knockout stages.
W h a t f o l l o w e d
is an unforgettable
passage in footballing
history. When Iceland
faced Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portu-
gal, it was a grudge match, after the
forward’s snide remarks at Euro 2016
about Iceland’s “small time mental-
ity.” But even Iceland’s most fervent
supporters didn’t expect the team to
give Portugal such a mighty thrash-
ing. There were face moths, #Ronal-
doTears, and goals galore. HÚH!
Iceland duly smited the German
side, and then beat
Brazil in a memora-
ble final that ended
with Gylfi Sigurðs-
son smashing in the
final penalty with such
immense force that
it opened a rip in the
space-time continuum.
The earth was sucked
inside, and reappeared
in another dimen-
sion. And that’s how you’re able to
read this report before the tourna-
ment even takes place. Wow!
Words:
John Rogers
Photo:
Art Bicnick
WHAT HAVE WE WON?
The 2018
World Cup
The Vikings smite all
8 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 10 — 2018
LÓABORATORIUM
Ví
ti
First
An Icelander winning stuff, yesterday
WORD OF
THE ISSUE
Listen, watch & more tracks:
gpv.is/play
Fufanu - Hourglass
Fufanu are a
genre-skipping
band that have
released krautrock
epics, new wave
tracks, alt-techno,
and indie-rock.
Their new track is
another swerve—it’s
a languid, mournful
song that you might
not even recognise
as Fufanu initially.
It comes from the
first ‘Dialogue’ EP in
a promised series
that the band
declares is “an
exercise in exploring
our multiple sonic
personalities.” JR
List Einn - Mantra
List Einn’s debut
single opens with
a groovy bassline
that immediately
makes you move
your ass to the
dancefloor. It offers
a few surprises,
however—after the
funky beginning,
the song develops
into a melancholic
electro-ballad,
perfected with
a catchy melody
and repeated
lyrics—making it an
irresistible mantra
of self-realisation PW
Countess Malaise
feat. Lord Pusswhip
- Do You
The Countess and
Lord are back with
some goth realness
for us peasants to
get down to. Make
sure your subwoofer
is working, because
this song demands
it to be performing
at its best. Close
your eyes, and let
Countess Malaise’s
sermon and Lord
Pusswhip’s beats
consume you. JW
HRNNR - Ég held það
bara! ft. Smjörvi &
Dadykewl
Ég held það bara’
might genuinely be
the best Icelandic
rap video of all time.
Featuring godzilla
and lots of green
screen ‘flying’,
it—as well as the
song itself—proves
that all you need to
create something
iconic is imagination,
bitch. HRNNR always
impresses with
his bizarre as hell
rap and this is no
exception. Bump it in
your Prius. HJC
We Made God -
Beyond The Pale
Seven years after the
band’s sophomore
album “It’s Getting
Colder”, the Icelandic
post-rockers return
with a new record.
There is still the same
gorgeous despair
in their music,
framed by a cold
yet atmospheric
guitar sound, and
an emotional vocal
delivery. If you ever
needed a soundtrack
for a ten-month long
winter, this is it. PW
When 'Airy Met Fairy -
When I'm Old
Lovers of múm,
sóley, Cocorosie
and all things krútt
might enjoy this new
single from Thorunn
Egilsdóttir’s project;
determined haters
of said genre might
find themselves
throwing their
coffee cup at
the wall from all
cuteness. Either
way, the video,
which features a
mysterious gold-
painted figure, is
worth a look. PW
THE
GRAPEVINE
PLAYLIST
The must-hear tracks of the issue
VISIT THE
WEIRD AND
WONDERFUL
WORLD OF
TULIPOP
Let’s say you’re playing a
friendly game of football
in Akranes and your
buddy Þórgrímur
wanders a little too
close to the oppos-
ing team's goalie. The
ball is on the other
side. He’s behind
the defence. You
hold your breathe.
The whistle blows.
“HELL,” cries the
referee. Say what?
Yes, the Icelan-
dic word for a sports
p e n a l t y l i t e r a l l y
translates to ‘hell’.
Yes, that hell , as
in that red, warm, burning place that
starts with the unbaptised and virtuous
pagans and ends with Judas encapsu-
lated in ice and Satan himself. For plebs,
this seems a bit extreme, but for sports
fans, it’s totally accurate. Watching
your team get a red flag is fucking hell.
H J C
“Even Iceland’s
most fervent
supporters didn’t
expect the team
to give Portugal
such a mighty
thrashing.”