Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.11.2018, Blaðsíða 32

Music

There have been some great
new Icelandic releases lately.
Skaði released an album
called ‘Jammið’ via FALK Records, avail-
able as a cassette or download.
Rapper Herra Hnetusjmör (that’s Mr.
Peanut Butter, to you) has released a
new collab EP featuring many of his
KBE Records brethren called ‘Hetjan Úr
Hverfinu’ or (‘Hero of Yr Hood’). Hunky
RnB crooner AUÐUR got ripped and
dropped first his shirt, then a new LP
called ‘Afsakanir.’ Most fun of all, dj.
flugvél og geimskip has released a
psychedelic computer game in which
you must kill snakes with a pomera-
nian hammer. Try it at djflugvel-
oggeimskip.com. JR

Our “You Should Have Heard This” 2018
Grapevine Music Award winner Sólveig
Matthildur—also featured on the
cover of this issue as one third of
Kælan Mikla—is about to be heard by
a lot more people. Sólveig will embark
on the 14 date “Dystopian Boy” tour
through Europe this November and
December, including performances in
London and at the 2018 Iceland
Airwaves festival. Gig-goers in
Germany, France and Spain will get
the chance to hear her gothic alt-pop
and to pick up a rose-red vinyl copy
of her 2017 debut solo album while
they’re at it. JR
On Halloween night, beloved black
metal studio Studio Emissary—the or-
ganisers of the late Oration Festival—
posted a cryptic photo on Facebook.
Under the caption, “This is happen-
ing,” a new festival was announced:
Ascension MMXIX , which will be held
from June 13th to 15th in Mosfells-
bær. The reveal was a complete sur-
prise to the black metal community,
as Studio Emissary’s owner, Stephen
Lockhart, had famously declared last
year that he was done with festivals
after the last iteration of Oration. Ste-
phen and Studio Emissary declined
to give Grapevine any information
on Ascension. An unnamed source,
though, did say that the music will
be just as dark as Oration, but more
varied. HJC
MUSIC
NEWS
Never Quit
Benny Crespo’s Gang’s long-anticipated
second album is here
Words: Tara Njála Ingvarsdóttir Photos: Timothée Lambrecq

LP & Airwaves
‘Minor Mistakes’ will be released on
vinyl and online soon. Catch them live
Bryggjan Brugghús for Airwaves on
November 10th.
Benny Crespo’s Gang, the dynamic
Icelandic rock quartet, formed in
2003, and their self-titled debut al-
bum was released in 2007. They’re
worshipped by rock enthusiasts
in Reykjavík, and known for their
energetic and wild performances.
Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir is the
singer of the band and is also well-
known for her solo project Lay Low.
“Rock was mainstream then, now
rock is more side stuff,” she says of
the band’s debut, more than a dec-
ade ago. “It’s fun to feel that shift.
They’re not playing rock so much on
the radio.”
The gang are embracing this
evolving musical landscape, and
now—eleven years later—their
sophomore album, “Minor Mis-
takes,” has finally arrived.
Band democracy
Helgi, Bassi and Magnús met while
in high school in Selfoss. When asked
about the birth of the band, Lovísa
lights up. “Funny story,” she says. “I
was Magnús’ girlfriend—which I’m
not anymore—and they needed a
keyboard for a practice. I showed up
to the practice and played with them.
I was just in. I don’t recall ever being
officially invited to be the band.” Hel-
gi adds: “You just were a part of the
band from our first practice.”
Their music is written collec-
tively. “The four of us bring an equal
amount to the table,” says Lovísa.
“We own the songs together and
write them mostly together. Some-
one will bring a riff and then some-
one else will add onto
it and it grows. Often
we disagree and we
just have to find ways
to decide on things,
which makes it fun. We come from
different directions but still we kind
of like the same things.”
Helgi adds: “Sometimes we have
to take democratic decisions.” Lovísa
chimes in, half-smiling: “Which may
be why this album has taken such a
long time.”
Don’t call it a comeback
Their meticulously created second
album has been long anticipated.
“You could almost say that each
note, each sound has an exact in-
tention,” says Lovísa. But their fans
have stayed loyal and excited. Ben-
ny Crespo’s Gang have played every
single Airwaves since they started,
except in 2015.
Some years, it was the only show
they played. “It’s kind of like our an-
nual celebration,” says Helgi, chuck-
ling. “People have written about us
when we play again like we’re mak-
ing a comeback—but we’ve never
quit.” Lovísa emphasises: “Never
quit.”
Atmosphere and attitude
The gang have been working on
‘Minor Mistakes’ since the release
of their debut offering. “There have
been times where we are listening
to demos and notice that it’s been a
few years since we last opened the
file,” says Lovísa. “Then sometimes
there came a lag in passion to fin-
ish the album. We would meet and
make something new, and realise:
‘We have to finish this, it’s great!’
Then another six months would pass
and we hadn't done anything.”
Their trademark within the craft
is to weave chapter changes into
their songs. Some of the songs have a
different styles intertwined. “We de-
cided right away that on this album
would concentrate on the melodies,”
says Helgi. “I would say that there are
catchier lines on this one.”
The new single “Another Storm”
is indeed catchy, “poppy,” and ex-
act, but they certainly haven’t lost
their attitude, and the
music still shakes up
your gut. Some songs
on ‘Minor Mistakes’
have been performed
at concerts in the past years, but oth-
ers have been hidden away until now.
For an immersive experience of a
Reykjavík rock legend, see them live
at Airwaves 2018.
gpv.is/music
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