Reykjavík Grapevine - 14.10.2018, Blaðsíða 29

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Different dining in
Hannes Hafstein’s
historic home
A hidden gem a
few paces off the
beaten track
HANNESARHOLT
GRUNDARSTÍGUR 10 · 101 REYKJAVÍK
HANNESARHOLT.IS
FOR OPENING HOURS AND RESERVATIONS
CALL +(354) 511 1904
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the democratisation of the music
industry. “We’re not dependent on
radio any more, so we don’t need
to fit in,” he says. “In the past, I
wou ld h ave t o
make classical mu-
sic and get played
on classical radio,
or make pop music
and get played on
pop radio, but now,
anything has the
same chance in the
music business no
matter what genre
you call it.”
He attributes
his success to this
radical shift in ac-
cessibility. “The
current state of
the music indus-
try, with Spotify,
makes it much easier for people
to discover someone like me,” he
says. “We act like we have made
some sort of revolution, but we live
in the right time and are doing the
right thing, and suddenly people
can discover it—and it’s something
they wanted the whole time.”
Mindset
Bowie
In ‘re:member,’
Ólafur also seeks
to subvert the clas-
sical label further
at his live shows. “I
am using classical
instruments and I
am playing piano
but if you come
to a live show of
mine you will see
a show. You will
not just see me
onstage playing a
Steinway,” he says.
“The whole thing is approached like
pop music is.”
He counts David Bowie as his
biggest inspiration for live per-
formances. “Of course I am not
remotely on the same level,” he
laughs, going on to explain how this
mindset “helps people connect with
[the music], and that makes it big-
ger onstage, in a way.”
Arena style
The concert lineup will include
Ólafur’s grand piano, the two self-
playing pianos, a string quartet
and a drummer who will also do
electronic percussion and synths.
“Aside from that, we have an arena
style light show,” he says. “It’s very
different from my previous shows.
It’s bigger. It’s louder.”
This album will mark a turn-
ing point for Ólafur. It’s more
ambitious than anything he has
attempted before, and in complet-
ing it and the subsequent tour, he’s
hoping to cement his status as a
musical innovator. “I am trying to
make an impact with this,” he says.
“I am putting everything into it.”
29The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 14— 2018
Sigurður Guðjónsson
Tumi Magnússon
Unnar Örn
Þórdís Aðalsteinsdóttir
Þórdís Jóhannesdóttir
Curators:
Aðalheiður Valgeirsdóttir & Aldís Arnardóttir
Skaftfell - Center for Visual Art
Seyðisfjörður, East Iceland
www.skaftfell.is
OPEN DAILY 12.00-18.00, WEDNESDAYS UNTIL 20.00.
June 16. - Sept. 2. 2018
SKAFTFELL GALLERY
K A PA L L
C
A
B
L
E
Zen master Ólafur, awaiting inspiration
“It’s so easy to
write it off as
piano music...
I have a need
to take each
project out of
the box. I needed
to become
something
bigger than that.”
The House at Eyrarbakki
Árnessýsla folk museum is located in Húsið, the House, historical
home of the Danish merchants built in 1765. Húsið is one of
the oldest houses in Iceland and a beautiful monument of
Eyrarbakki´s time as the biggest trading place on the south coast.
Today one can enjoy exhibitions about the story and culture of
the region, famous piano, shawl made out of human hair and the
kings pot, are among items. Húsið prides itself with warm and
homelike atmosphere.
Opening hours:
May 1st - September 30th
daily 11.00-18.00 or by an agreement
Tel: +354 483 1504 & +354 483 1082
husid@husid.com I husid.com