Reykjavík Grapevine - 24.08.2018, Blaðsíða 39

The Artist’s
Vision
MIMRA aims to retain creative control over her
music
Words: Christine Engel Snitkjær Photo: Art Bicnick
Music, films, and books can eas-
ily come across as light-hearted
entertainment that ser ves to
ma ke u s forget ou r ever yday
worries. Recording studios, film
companies, and publication hous-
es often rigorously control the
creative process to meet this ideal
and make the material appeal to
the largest audience possible—
typically, at the cost of the orig-
inal ideas of the artists behind
the works.
For musician MIMRA, how-
ever, it is important that artists
be true to themselves. She is at-
tracted to music that reflects the
artistic vision and freedom of the
artist who created it.
“It never ceases to touch me
when artists are true to them-
selves and what they deliver,” she
says. “I love the freedom of music,
in that sense. It is a structure
that you dance around make your
own.”
Complete artistic
control
MIMRA, aka María Magnúsdóttir,
is a Reykjavík-based singer, com-
poser, and producer. She studied
music and song throughout her
adolescence and released her first
album at age 24. She went on to
get a Master’s in Popular Music
from the Goldsmiths University
in London. It was for her Master’s
project at this institution that
she created her 12 track album,
“Sinking Island,” on which the
title song, “Sinking Island,” can
be found. Without the influence
of a recording studio, María was
left free to record and produce
her songs.
“I recorded the song and album
there using Ableton Live, which
allowed me to self-produce the
content,” she relates. “I was in
complete control of the creative
process.”
Another way in which the song
“Sinking Island” became com-
pletely her own is through her
unusual use of percussion—to
achieve the sound, María clapped
on her own body, as well as little
objects such as chain keys and
pieces of wood. The result is a
haunting mixture of taps and
beats that beautif ul ly lay the
groundwork for the piece.
Shooting the video
The song “Sinking Island” is a re-
flection on María’s break-up with
a l o n g - t e r m
p a r t n e r a n d
r e p r e s e n t s
b r e a k - u p ,
death, and re-
birth. After the release of the
song, María decided to ma ke
a music video that would take
the song to a new level. Created
together with Guðný Rós Þórh-
allsdóttir, Birta Rán Björgvins-
dót tir, and A rnór Einarsson,
María trusted that an artistic
col laboration would make the
material sing.
“I wanted to make a piece of
art that would bring together
different disciplines,” she states.
“And sometimes, adding video to
a song can take the material in a
different direction and give it a
whole new life.”
Reminiscent of Agnes Obel’s
song and music v ideo “River-
side,” the video takes the viewer
through luminous forests, soar-
ing heights, and ethereal waters.
In its artistic expression, the
song comes across as the work of
a singular vision. “It is a collab-
orative effort, but the song and
the video feel like one—like they
belong together,” María reflects.
Artistic Influences
Although María identifies her
music as electro-acoustic folk
pop, she emphasizes that her
music does not easily fit into one
genre. “The type of music I make
really depends on the music I am
listening to at that moment,” she
says. “MIMRA is an old Icelandic
name that means taking differ-
ent directions. It’s reminiscent of
how I want to go many places with
my music. People want to be able
to place you. And I don’t mind
being labelled but I don’t know if
people can label my music.”
W it h d i f ferent songs t hat
cha nge i n content a nd st yle,
however, one thing
always remains the
sa me: Ma r ía con-
t rol s the creat ive
content behind all
her music, and she aims for this
fact to remain a constant.
Share this: gpv.is/music
And what a vision it is!
“It never
ceases to
touch me
when artists
are true to
themselves
and what
they deliver”
39The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 15— 2018
Einskis-mannslandNo Man‘s Land
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