Reykjavík Grapevine - 18.05.2018, Page 2

First 04: Eurovision Fever Strikes Again 14: The Reykjavík 16: Every Party Running16: Rural Politicking17: Mayoral Face/Off
24: Örvar Smárason
Goes Solo
32: Bagdad Brothers
Storm The Scene
34: Sólveig Matthildur
35: Harry Knuckles
46: Horsing Around
In The North
48: The Westfjords Are
Another Iceland
50: What To Do In
Kirkjubæjarklaustur
ON THE COVER:
Immigrants running for
office in the Reykjavík
City Elections
COVER PHOTO
Hörður Sveinsson
ABOUT THE PICTURE
We shot the candidates
one by one on a Friday
afternoon, while asking
them to show us their
stump speeches to
capture the mood.
With their depth of
knowledge, optimism
and passion, we see
that we'll spoiled for
choice at the ballot box.
Alice Demurtas is
from Sardinia, but
moved to Iceland in
2012. She worked in
fashion journalism
for four years before
moving on to culture
and news.
An avid reader of
anything by Zadie
Smith, Alice can’t
function without
coffee. She also loves
to fall asleep to the
sound of crinkly
paper.
Elín Elísabet is an illus-
trator and cartoonist
born and raised in
Borgarnes. At the
tender age of 15, Elín
moved to Reykjavík
and hasn’t looked
back, except for the
annual springtime
impulse to move
someplace quiet
and keep chickens.
Elín likes folk music,
stationery, seal vid-
eos, the country of
Ireland, and eggs.
John Rogers an
Englishman who first
joined us as a music
writer, later graduat-
ing to Managing
Editor. A constant
traveller, a lover of
art, culture, food and
nightlife, he edits
our Best of Reykjavík,
Best of Iceland and
Iceland Airwaves
sister publications.
His first book, “Real
Life,” was published
in 2014.
Hannah Jane is
based out of Iceland
by way of NYC. An
alumni of Columbia
University, Hannah
has lived on five con-
tinents and speaks
three languages
fluently, which is
very impressive. Her
visionary work is
known for expand-
ing the definitions of
emotion, introspec-
tion, and above all
else, taste.
Juliana Iluminata Wil-
czynski is a Brazilian-
American university
student. Her love of
the Icelandic lan-
guage led her to
Iceland for the first
time in 2016. Some-
how at age 21, she
kinda sorta lives in
five countries at the
same time. She loves
obscure linguistics
facts, samba, and a
good bloody mary.
Sveinbjörn Pálsson
is our Art Director.
He's responsible for
the design of the
magazine and the
cover photography.
When he's not work-
ing here, he DJs as
Terrordisco, hosts
the Funkþátturinn
radio show, or sits
at a table in a Rey-
kjavik café, drinking
copious amounts of
coffee and thinking
about fonts.
Phil Uwe Widiger,
Intern Phil has
already lived in three
different countries
at the age of 24. He
is currently studying
his master’s degree
in journalism. He
loves everything
connected to music,
spirituality and
culture in general.
Say “hi” next time you
see him meditating
at some black-metal
concert.
Alexander Jean
Edvard Le Sage De
Fontenay has such
a long name we had
serious misgivings if
we'd have space to
fit in his writer biog-
raphy. When he's not
keeping our readers
informed about the
latest rumblings in
underground music,
he's making huge
waves DJing under
his Bervit and Ear
Doctor monikers.
Lóa Hlín Hjálmtýsdót-
tir is a national treas-
ure. One of Iceland's
leading illustrators,
when she's not
drawing she's the
front-woman of
Icelandic electro-
pop supergroup FM
Belfast. Her comic
strip Lóabratorium
appears every issue
on page eight, and
is also available as
a daily dose on her
Twitter.
Democrazy!
Once again, it’s elec-
tion time. On May
26th, Iceland will be
voting for new city
and town councils.
W e ’ v e h a d
our share of elec-
tions in the past
y e a r s — w e ’ v e
held 18 elections over the past 19 years.
That makes these elections the 19th.
There have been so many that we
joke about it, calling it the “Icelandic
democrazy.” And sure, it’s funny—if you
don’t think about the reasons behind
this constant cycle of new elections.

This year we have 16 parties running,
with a total of over 600 people running
for office. There are around 130,000
living in Reykjavík—it would be
the per-capita equivalent of 36,000
running for office in New York City.
But who’s running for office in these
elections? Does more candidates trans-
late us getting into better politicians?
Not really. We’ve never had this many
immigrants running for office, but at
the same time, we have never had as
many openly xenophobic parties trying
to seize power. And I’m being gener-
ous when I only number three parties
as xenophobic. Some have been flirting
with this rhetoric in quite a shameful way.

This is alarming. We at Grapevine
want a new City Council—not the old
xenophobic conservatives, but new
voices that can take us into the future.
So we’re proud of this issue’s cover
story. No other media outlet in Iceland
has given immigrants such a strong voice
in the run-up to the elections. You can
read about the immigrants running for
office on page 19. And please: vote. VG
FROM THE EDITOR