Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.11.2018, Síða 29

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29In a packed Reykjavík alehouse
two black-clad, masked figures
appear onstage with a minimal
setup of a computer, a keyboard,
and a couple of mics. This equip-
ment is accompanied by a tab-
leau of props, including knives,
scissors and small animal fig-
urines. The music that follows
is raw, unruly and experimen-
tal, backed by a minimalistic
but steady electronic beat. The
pair occasionally flash secretive
hand gestures, covering their
eyes as they sing about killing,
cutting, death and sorrow. They
are Madonna + Child, a myste-
rious duo known for their alter-
native approach to music and
performance.
The horror
The duo behind Madonna +
Ch i ld insist on remain ing
anonymous. “Faces don’t mat-
ter,” they declare. “And they
shouldn’t. We are both Madon-
na, and both Child.” When asked
why they make music, they say:
“Because why not?”
Music is Madonna + Child’s
way of welcoming people into
their world. Before each gig, they
drink coffee together and collect
the things needed for the con-
cert. “Everything is always lost,”
they say. “We’re usually running
around the city for hours be-
fore our gigs.” They mournfully
reminisce about having to fetch
windchimes in Breiðholt an
hour before a soundcheck, and
combing through Reykjavík for
matching socks. “Nobody sold
the socks we wanted,” they say,
with a grin. “We ended up in a
horrible place called Kringlan.
Oh, the horror.”
A productive year
Madonna + Child had a notewor-
thy performance last January
supporting Panos From Komo-
do at Rauða Ljónið, a tucked-
away pub at the Eiðistorg mall.
They wore vision-obscuring cat
masks, and were joined by a cat
dancer for “Kisulagið,” their
kind-hearted ode to an undis-
ciplined cat. “We kept bumping
into the walls, each other and
nearly everything else,” they
smile. "It made it hard to play
the keyboard."
This offbeat approach has
gained them a cult following.
In July of last year, a cassette re-
lease of their debut album ‘All
Around You’ quickly sold-out.
After some Airwaves off-venues,
they opened for Icelandic music
legend Megas at a sold out show
in December. “One half of the
people were very confused and
didn’t understand what was go-
ing on, while the other seemed
to like it,” they recall. Perhaps
Megas himself received a simi-
lar reaction, back in the day.
Black hole future
The masked duo are planning to
bolster their live performances
by adding visuals to their set-
up. “We’re working on a chore-
ographed dance, which we will
reveal this year,” they eagerly
announce.
Plans for a Japanese release
of their debut album are in the
works, and a new vinyl/cassette
entitled ‘Sisters’ is due soon.
“We’re also planning an album
based on the German children’s
book ‘Der Struwwelpeter’,” they
say. “It demonstrates the disas-
trous consequences of misbe-
haviour to naughty children.” It
appears that Madonna + Child’s
cult congregation is set to grow
and grow.
MADONNA + CHILD
SAT 10th, 23:20, Hressingarskálinn
“Faces
don’t
matter,
and they
shouldn’t.
We are both
Madonna,
and both
Child.”
Masked duo Madonna + Child on cats, socks & Megas
Words: Alexander Jean de Fontenay Photo: Hörður Sveinsson
Killing It