Nova muzika sa Islanda

Nije bitno sta sviraju vec gde sviraju...

 
Ólof Arnalds is an Icelandic singer/multi-instrumentalist whose solo debut garnered widespread acclaim. [produced by Sigur rós‘ Kjartan Sveinsson]. MOJO proclaimed Ólöf as „Reykjavik‘s answer to Kate Bush“. Ólöf‘s voice has been singled out for high praise as „otherworldly“ by The New York Times, „stunning“ by SPIN, „remarkable“ by the NME, „ethereal“ by Vanity Fair and „impossibly lovely“ by Paste.
September 14 sees the release of Ólöf‘s sophomore album, Innundir skinni. Produced once again by by Kjartan Sveinsson along with her accompanist, Daviór Jónsson, Innundir skinni features contributions from Björk, Skúli Sverrisson (Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed), Shahzad Ismaily (Tom Waits, Bonnie “Prince” Billy), and many more Icelandic luminaries.


Pascal Pinon, an Icelandic four-piece who make delicate acoustic folk – you know, the kind that usually gets snapped up by large phone companies to give their adverts a sense of kooky wonderment. Formed by twins Jófríður and Ásthildur, Pascal Pinon were signed by the Berlin label Morr Music and were nominated for newcomers of the year at the Icelandic music awards. Morr Music plan to release their debut album in the rest of Europe in early 2011.

 

For A Minor Reflection
These four 20-year-old lads (and two ladies with cellos) are performing a slow-burn song of epic loveliness on a pebbly beach beneath a breathtaking cliff face. And yes, they've toured with Sigur Ros and have been compared to Mogwai.


Reykjavík's Retro Stefson are six young kids formed out of the ashes of an ill-fated rap group started by lead singer Unnstein Stefansson (their name derives from the fact that three of the band's members share the same surname). Born in Portugal to an Icelandic father and Angolan mother, Unnstein takes inspiration from world music for the Retro Stefson sound, mixing low slung bass lines with tightly wound funk guitar. Kimba is taken from their forthcoming album, and the video and song manage to mix Prince, Talking Heads, cowbells, guitar solos and gorgeous knitwear into one luscious-looking scene complete with a waterfall backdrop.



This eight-piece from Reykjavik are pretty big in Iceland, having topped the charts with their debut album Sleepdrunk Seasons. Combining strings, horns and bassoon, Hjaltalín create a mélange of melody, anchored by singer Hogni Egilsson's slightly frayed vocals. Touchstones may be obvious – a dash of Arcade Fire here, a soupçon of Sufjan Stevens there – but there's something beautiful about the way in which they craft a song. Sweet Impressions is taken from their new album, Terminal.