Reykjavík Grapevine - 09.11.2018, Blaðsíða 34

A Dark Enigma
Gyða Valtýsdóttir steps forards with her beautiful new
solo album ‘Evolution’
Words: Alice Demurtas Photo: Art Bicnick
Album & Airwaves
‘Evolution’ is out now on Figureight.
See GYÐA live at Iceland Airwaves
2018.
There’s always a certain allure to
exploring all that is dark and mys-
terious, and even more so when
the unknown darkness holds in its
shroud the promise of pure beauty.
That’s Gyða Valtýsdóttir for you:
a dark enigma moving through
space and sound with elegant in-
tuition.
Known for her ethereal voice
and experimental ventures with
Icelandic phenomenon múm, Gyða
has been diving deeper into un-
known waters as a solo musician
for quite some time now. She’s tak-
en part in various collaborations
and, in 2017, released her first solo
collection: ‘Epicycle,’ a series of her
favourite composed pieces from
throughout history—fragments of
her musical life—reworked, and
sewn together into an album.
With her latest venture, she in-
stead embarks on a different jour-
ney, mostly on her own. ‘Evolution’
is both subtle and honest—but
most importantly, it’s pure Gyða.
Finding guidance
“The soul of the record came from
writing one of the songs: ‘Í Annarri
Vídd,’” Gyða explains. “I felt a very
strong voice outside of me when I
wrote that song and surrendering
to it; following its guidance be-
came the inspiration. I had never
felt such presence before.”
But if that presence was the
spark that lit the
fire of ‘Evolution,’
the rest of the al-
bum followed or-
ganically, forming
a process whose
sole certain refer-
ence point was its
beginning. “I didn’t know where
this album was going, but I think
there is definitely a lot of guidance
whether you call it your higher self,
or your subconscious mind,” Gyða
says. “I think that energy is inside
all of us.”
The beauty of
imperfections
In all these open possibilities, Gyða
found true freedom. She also al-
lowed herself to step away from
striving towards absolute perfec-
tion—a habit that, Gyða admits,
is inherent in those with classical
training. “You can’t expect to put
pressure on a creation to be a mas-
terpiece,” she says. “I had waited so
long for this, so to me, making this
record felt like unconditional love.
It felt right for me at the time. Even
the name of the album comes from
that: I knew this was a process I
had to go through. I had to let go of
the perfection that doesn’t allow
anything to be born.”
Beyond the cello
The result is a passionate cry for
freedom, as Gyða’s voice dances
around the intricate web of mel-
odies woven by the unmistakable
sound of her cello. “I was seven
years old when my older sister sug-
gested I play the
cello,” Gyða whis-
pers. “I remember
her saying that it
was dark and mys-
terious and those
two words really
re s on at e d w it h
me.” She chuckles, amused by her
younger self.
Years later, the cello has be-
come not only her faithful com-
panion but is also synonymous
with her music. Gyða’s darkness,
her elegance, her frai lty, her
dreaminess—it’s all there, care-
fully locked between the melodies
of ‘Evolution’ like a precious bird
waiting to take flight.
“I’m very fortunate that I chose
the cello and stuck to it. I feel like I
can generate so many things with
it,” she finishes. “For example, if
I’m scoring movies. But it goes a
little beyond cello playing.” She
pauses, suddenly pensive. “It’s my
voice.”
Music
'Evolution' comes highly recommended by Dr. Charles Darwin
“Making this
record felt like
unconditional
love.”
Opening Hours
Daily 10–17
Closed on
Mondays 16/9–30/4
The National Museum of Iceland
Suðurgata 41, 101 Reykjavík
The Culture House
Hverfisgata 15, 101 Reykjavík
www.nationalmuseum.is
+354 530 2200
@icelandnationalmuseum
@thjodminjasafn
NATIONAL MUSEUM
OF ICELAND
THE CULTURE HOUSE
WELCOME
TO THE
CULTURE
HOUSE
Points of view:
A journey through the
visual world of Iceland.
Laugavegi 28
537 99 00
sumac@sumac. is
sumac. is