Iceland review - 2016, Page 14

12 ICELAND REVIEW
THE NUMBERS GAME
Samaris is a trio of fresh-faced Icelanders who have been producing sensual, clever
electronic music since 2012. Whilst picking up where their 2014 release Silkidrangar
left off, the band has made some noticeable changes with their third installment, Black
Light. Gone are the Icelandic lyrics, based on Norse poetry. Black Light is entirely in
English, but still sounds definitively Icelandic. ‘T3mpo’ sounds like a warm Reykjavík
summer evening. There is a concerted effort to reduce the sometimes-jarring clarinet
interludes of previous material, and Jófríður’s sweet, accented vocals are now firmly
center stage. This is no more evident than on the gorgeous lead single ‘Wanted 2
Say,’ or the trip-hop inspired ‘R4vin.’ The only downside? The annoying song titles
written in numb3rs. BY EDWARD HANCOX.
SHADOWS FROM THE PAST
Spies, Lies and Family Ties, a documentary by Helgi Felixson, is a powerful family
story from the West Fjords. By interviewing his grandparents’ contemporaries, and
with the extensive use of photos and letters, the director digs into his family’s past,
veiled in secrecy. The film delves into events leading up to the arrest of seven peo-
ple sent to a British prison in 1941 for allegedly providing shelter to a suspected
German spy. This is a tale of clashing cultures, family feuds, and woes of war. The
director’s grandfather, whose wife was German, became a community leader, only
to suffer troubled ties with his extended family, seemingly-false accusations during
World War II, and ultimately imprisonment in the UK. The war left his reputa-
tion ruined and the family divided, resulting in silence that lasted for generations.
BY VALA HAFSTAÐ.
REVIEWS
Our critics take a look at three recent Icelandic releases: electronic group Samaris’ third album, Black
Light; Helgi Felixson’s wartime documentary Spies, Lies and Family Ties; and Aðalsteinn Ingólfsson’s
homage to surrealist painter Erró, Erró: A Lifescape.
CULTURAL CURIOSITIES
HOMAGE TO ICELAND’S GREATEST POSTMODERNIST
In Erró: A Lifescape, acclaimed Icelandic historian and art critic Aðalsteinn Ingólfsson
masterfully encapsulates the life and influences of renowned Icelandic surrealist
painter Guðmundur Guðmundsson, better known by his pseudonym, Erró. The text
consists of a series of essays and interviews with Erró himself, as well as his contempo-
raries, friends and rivals, creating a holistic portrait of the artist’s compelling journey
from obscure Icelander to internationally-renowned artist. Exhaustively researched
and expertly translated by Philip Roughton, this massive volume is an ideal book
for art connoisseurs and appreciators alike, and is especially suitable for readers
wanting an in-depth exploration of the heritage of Icelandic art and cultural scene.
BY ELLIOTT BRANDSMA.