Reykjavík Grapevine - 01.02.2019, Síða 8

On November 26th, Iceland proved to
the world once and for all that their
cuisine is way more than just fermented
shark and firm yoghurt. With one hot
meal, the country shook the world,
wowing tastebuds internationally and
grabbing the gold medal at the 2018
Culinary World Cup. Suck it, Denmark.
Iceland 4eva
The competition entailed preparing
a three-course dinner for 110 people.
Deciding upon a cod starter, lamb
entrée, and skyr for desert, the all-star
team served up what is essentially the
most Icelandic meal ever created that
doesn’t include a Prince Polo or Bren-
nivín.
Under the leadership of president
Björn Bragi Bragason, the team was
composed of a diverse group of culi-
nary artists deriving from such eateries
as Fiskfélagið and Jamie’s Italian. “We
are incredibly pleased with this result,
as we have been preparing for this for
18 months,” Björn said in a statement
after the team’s big win. “Despite some
unexpected events that arose, we have
proven here today that the Icelandic
national culinary team is amongst the
best in the world.”
Culinary controversy
The unexpected events Björn is refer-
ring to amount to a minor culinary
scandal. Only months before the
competition, the team discovered that
one of their sponsors was Arnarlax,
a fish farming company. Many chefs,
understandably, were morally opposed
to the ecologically devastating practise
and fourteen chefs promptly resigned
from the team.
Eventually, though, the club ended
their relationship with Arnarlax and
calm was restored. And thank Cod for
that.
Valhalla’s Kitchen
Could it be an act of cod?
8 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 02— 2019
LÓABORATORIUM
Food Olympians always get to have a dessert
Listen, watch & hear
more tracks:
gpv.is/play
dj. flúgvel
og geimskip -
Our Atlantis
A wise person once
said: “When you’re
tired of dj. flúgvel
og geimskip,
you’re tired of
life.” DFOG’s new
album underlines
everything we
love about her
music, from the
off-kilter scales
to the broken
beats, heavy bass,
euphoric chant-
alongs, unexpected
production
flourishes, and
meandering tales
of strange new
inner and outer
worlds. Find her on
a European tour
with noise mavens
Lightning Bolt this
spring. DFOG 4
life. JR
Tinslit -
Hvítur Köttur
The first single by
this mysterious
and romantic
electronic pop
group is a beautiful,
swirly waltz full of
analogue synths,
cello and a deep
melancholic male
voice. Featuring the
dreamy voice of
JFDR as accent in
the latter half, the
tune is sweeping,
enchanting and
transports the
listener into other
worlds, both large
and small. RX
Kuldaboli - Ég elska
þig eilífa stríð
Translating as “I love
you, endless war,” this
heavy techno EP has
slow, dark, almost
robotic singing.
Verging on tacky at
times, it keeps its
cool by virtue of its
dark and ominous
vibe. The lyrics are
repetitive mantras
like “Should I tell
you a secret?”—but
they never tell us the
goddamn secret.
Not for everyone, but
interesting stuff. VG
Tucker Carlson’s
Jonestown
Massacre -
Groan Portion
If you thought
The Microphones
and Mount Eerie
were lo-fi, think
again. The latest
in the stream of
new releases from
the post-dreifing
collective is this
9+ minute epic—a
mixture of violent,
grating field
recordings and
mellow acoustic
guitar action. We
have no idea what’ll
come next, and
we’re loving it. JR
Une Misère -
Damages
Since their
formation in 2016,
Une Misére have
been unstoppable.
Not only did they
play the biggest
metal festival in
the world, but the
band was also
recently signed
to Nuclear Blast,
one of the most
renowned labels
in metal. Their new
single displays
their groovy
hardcore-infused
heaviness while
leaving a slight
aftertaste of “I’ve
heard that before.”
PW
THE
GRAPEVINE
PLAYLIST
The must-hear tracks of the issue
Há
lk
ur
ök
WORD OF
THE ISSUE
Throughout Iceland’s wintertime
weather reports, you will frequently
see the word “hálka.” This refers
to the icy conditions, usually
brought on by freezing rain,
that will cover sidewalks and
roads in Iceland. Travelling
by foot or car over hálka
is likely to result in slip-
ping, falling, veering
off the road and
crashing: disas-
trous results
a l l a r o u n d .
Hálkurök is a compound word using
hálka and “rök”, the Icelandic word for
logic or reasoning. Therefore, hálkurök
is the Icelandic word for a slippery slope
argument; responding to one thing by
implying the danger of a bigger, more
harmful thing will naturally follow (e.g.,
“Ban fireworks? What’s next, banning
Christmas and dancing?”). It’s an
interesting and particularly Icelandic
translation of an internationally-known
phenomenon, and that’s what makes it
the word of the issue. AF
WHAT HAVE
WE WON?
Words:
Hannah Jane
Cohen
Photo:
Einar
Bárðarson
First
www.tulipop.com Skólavörðustígur 43, Reykjavík