Reykjavík Grapevine - 19.07.2019, Qupperneq 31

Music 31The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 12— 2019
DJ
Check the Grapevine’s iPhone and
Android app ‘Appening Today’ for Z’s
latest DJ dates
Óskar Þór Argrímsson—who per-
forms as Z—is one of Reykjavík’s
most eclectic DJs. His sets can
contain anything from unfamiliar
Eastern scales to brass band ren-
ditions, cover versions of classics,
oddball curios and futuristic
electronica. We asked him to line
up a few of his all-time favourite
Icelandic tracks.

Björk - Stonemilker
I hadn’t listened to Björk for a long
time and found ‘Vulnicura’ when
flying home from South Africa. I’d
been travelling for 30-odd hours,
and was at a weird place in my life.
I ended up listening to this song on
repeat, finding emotions that I had
been escaping for years. The nice
lady next to me handed over some
tissues that came with her gin and
tonic because my eyes were leak-
ing. I will never forget how Björk
spoke to my soul on that flight.
ADHD - Bacalau
ADHD is a phenomenon that I’ll
never understand—and really
don't want to. To come close to
understanding, you need to expe-
rience them live. They’ll take you
on a journey unlike any other. Last
time I saw them I had an out of
body experience the whole time.
I went from seeing colours not
known to man, to a tractor driving
in the Highlands in a blizzard. This
song is somewhere in the mystic
middle.
Ellý og Vilhjálmur Vilhjálms
- Vegir Liggja til Allra Átta
There’s something in the drum
groove of this song that's so
pleasing. Then, it breaks down to
a violin and bass and everything
becomes foggy. When we return
to the song, Ellý comes on again.
There have never been two voic-
es that compliment each other so
well. The perfect road trip song.
Megas & Spilverk
Þjóðanna -
Heimspekilegar
Vanga–veltur Um
Þjóðfélagsstöðu
I'm not sure why there isn't a statue
of Megas in Reykjavík. It’s hard to
pick just one of his songs, because
they’re all so good. My friend, Sig-
gi, and I often ended up after a long
night listening to the album this
one is from. It paints a beautiful
picture of the darker side of Rey-
kjavík, and gives life to the people
on the streets.
Hildur Guðnadóttir -
Pump Room
Hildur Guðnadóttir has become my
favourite composer of the last few
years. This song was made for the
TV series ‘Chernobyl.’ I read some-
where that she sampled sounds
from a nuclear power plant in Lith-
uania. She’s so clever in manipu-
lating sound. I’ve listened to this
album on repeat since I watched
the show, and it has taken on a life
on its own in my head.
Venter - Ben Frost
I have no clue what Ben Frost is
saying with his songs—all I know
is he always seems to please a
strange part in me. This is my “get
your shit together” song. Somehow
there are no limits—the gods have
an open line to you, and everything
is possible. It's like the Icelandic
winter, dark and cold.
Æla - Your Head Is My
Ground
Aggressive, strange and vulnerable
is probably the best way to describe
Æla. They’re my all time favorite
live band, and they used to go ber-
serk everywhere they went. There
was something so charming about
a man that started most shows in
a tuxedo, got violently drunk, fell
off his chair a few times and ended
up in a snow white dress. I hope
that they start playing again—the
world needs more Æla.
TRACK BY TRACK
Listening To The Gods
Out-of-body musical experiences with Z
Words: Óskar Þór Arngrímsson Photo: Art Bicnick
gpv.is/music
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“This is my
‘get your shit
together’
song. The
gods have
an open line
to you, and
everything is
possible.”
Grandagarður 7, 101 Reykjavík
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AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
2019