Congratulations Hildur!

Hildur Guðnadóttir, Iceland Airwaves, 2006.

Winner of a 2020 Golden Globe for best score for Joker.

Composer for 2020 Golden Globe winner Chernobyl.

Winner of two Grammy awards.

I first saw her perform in Iceland with Stórsveit Nix Noltes and Evil Madness in 2006, and with Múm in Minneapolis in 2009. Hildur stood out even then, especially so with Jóhann Jóhannsson's Evil Madness, an experimental outfit that played “soundtracks for imaginary horror movies”—good training for her current career!

Tónlist

Here is the list of the various Icelandic and other Nordic/Arctic musical groups I’ve mentioned in FITK over the years:

Áki Ásgeirsson
Amiina
Andy Schauf
Apparat Organ Quartet
Árný
Árný Margrét
Atli
Ásthildur Ákadóttir
Ateria
Áuslaug Magnusdóttir
Æla

Baggalútur
Bára Gísladóttir
Bárujárn
Bedroom Community
Benni Hemm Hemm
Between Mountains
Biggi Hilmars
Björk
Björt
BKPM
Bláskjár
Borko
Bríet
Brimheim
Buff

Cosmic Call
Cyber
Daníel Bjarnarson
Ditka
DJ Margeir
Dr. Spock
Egill Sæbjörnsson
Eivør
Elin Hall
Elisapie
Evil Madness
Flesh Machine
Fókus
Frid Fufanu

Gabriel Ólafs
Geðbrigði
Ghostigital
GKR
GDRN
Greyskies
Gróa
Grúska Babúska
Guðmundur Óskar Guðmundsson
Guðni Thorlacius Jóhannesson †
Guðrið Hansdóttir
GusGus
Gyða

Hafdís Huld
Halla Tómasdóttir †
Halli Guðmundsson
Ham
Hekla
Hekla Magnúsdóttir
Hellvar/Heiða
Hildur Gunðadóttir
Hildur
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson
Hjaltalín
Hjörvar
Högni
Hraun
Hudson Wayne
Hugar
Iðunn Einars

Jakobínarína
Jana
JFDR
Jófríður Ákadóttir
Jóhann Jóhannsson
Jóhanna Elísa
Jóhanna Rakel
Jonathan
Jonfri
Joshua Wilkinson †
Júniús Meyvant
K.Óla
Kaktus Einarsson
Kalli
Kevin Cole †
Kimono
Kira Kira
Kiriyama Family
Kitchen Motors
Kjallarakabarett Kónguló
Kristín Sessala
Kvikindi

Langi Seli Og Skuggarnir
Larus Halldór Grimsson
Liva Mo
Ljáðu Okkur Eyra
Lupina
Mag og Tómas
Magnús Jóhann
Marius DC
Markús & The Diversion Sessions
Marta Ákadóttir
Mikado
Mezzoforté
Mr. Silla
Mugison
Múgsefjun
Mukka
Múm
My Summer as a Salvation Soldier
Mysterious Marta
Neonme
Nini Julia Bang
Nóra

Oculus
Ojba Rasta
Ólafur Arnalds
Ólöf Arnalds
Orphix Oxtra
Osmé
Óttarr Proppé
Pale Moon
Páll Óskar
Pellegrina
Pascal Pinon
Pellegrina
Peter Evans †
Petúr Ben
Rakel
Red Barnett
Retro Stefson
Reykjavíkurdætur
Róshildur
Rokkurró

Salka Valsdóttir
Samaris
Screaming Masterpiece
Shadow Parade
Shahzad Ismaily
Sigrún
Sigrún Stella
Sin Fang Bous
Sindrí
Siggi Ármann
Sigur Rós
Ske
Skúli Severrisson
Sóley
Sólstafir
Sprengjuhöllin
Stórsveit Nix Noltes
Sunna Margrét
Svavar Knútur
Sycamore Tree
Systur

Tappi Tíkarrass
Team Dreams
Tilbury
Toggi
Úlfur Eldjárn
Ultra Mega Technobandið Stefán
Una Torfa
Uni
Unun
Útidúr
Valgeir Sigurðsson
Vicky
Wim Van Hooste †

† = Fellow Travelers

Iceland Airwaves Flashback - 60s Style

Braveing the soggy weather Thursday night, I had yet another Sixties flashback.

Last week, I was in Iceland. This week Iceland came to me at the Walker Art Center’s McGuire Auditorium in the form of the musical collective known as Múm. It was a very strange affair, even by Icelandic standards: imagine the gentlest, trippy-est flower-power band in the summer of love. The experience that constitutes a Múm concert doesn’t really have songs but, rather, vague refrains, not exactly coherent musical parts, just groups of sounds. And lots and lots of la-la-las. I was in la-la land! At one point Örvar, the lead singer, mentioned that "… we’re really playing a quiet concert tonight… it's OK to go to sleep… " If not for the excellent percussion work by Samuli Kosminen, I might have done just that.



I’d seen the opening act, Hildur Gunðadóttir play at the Airwaves in 2006 with Storsveit Nix Noltes and also with Johann Johannsson's project Evil Madness. Those were better shows. The second act, Sin Fang Bous, was fronted by 'Sindri', whose singing attained, at times, a Garðar Holm quality.


Here is a video from the show I attended:

Getting Your Feet Wet- Iceland Airwaves 2010- Wednesday

Start off the day with breakfast at Prikið with their "Rock & Bacon" with the ominously-named The Assassin of a Beautiful Brunette (10:00)

Spend your afternoon at the Vesturbæjarlaugin outdoor swimming pool (D.J. at 18:00- although its more fun to talk to the regulars in the hot pots).

Rökurró has an off-venue appearance at 12 Tonar (17:30) that should be sublime:



Nasa has an interesting slate of established Icelandic bands with Mammút topping the bill. If your taste is more toward Electronica, Faktorý (formerly Grand Rokk) will have a ton, with Johann Johannsson's Evil Madness at 23:30:



Don't burn out on the first day!

The Sun’s Gone Dim…

… and the sky’s gone black.

Jóhann Jóhannsson, 19 September 1969 – 9 February 2018.


Photo by Timothée Lambrecq, Reykjavík Grapevine

Oh man, this one hits hard.

Of all the Icelandic musicians I've had the joy of seeing perform, Jóhann was the most challenging. I saw him perform in Iceland—three times in two days—each group was completely different in personnel and material. Apparat Organ Quartet was the most visually stunning, four keyboardists playing vintage electronic instruments in front of a big crowd in the Art Museum:

The following night Jóhann performed with a string quintet at Fríkirkjan,  doing the premiere of his IBM 1401, A Users Manual, album. Later that night he joined his buddies in Evil Madness improvising “soundtracks for an imaginary horror films.”

He came to Minneapolis in 2009, featuring compositions from Fordlandia:



He came back to Minnesota in 2016, with a show featuring songs from his album Orphée as well as a greatest hits "medley" with another string quintet:




There are numerous videos of his work on YouTube; you could spend days exploring them all. The best tribute I found to Jóhann was from Seattle-based KEXP radio, with links to his excellent performances on their shows.

BTW, he was an award-winning film composer, as well.

Jóhann Jóhannsson Documentary

A call for materials pertaining to the late Icelandic musician/composer for an upcoming documentary prompted me to revisit some of the images I have of the man.

I first became aware of him in the avant-garde Apparat Organ Quartet at the 2006 Iceland Airwaves:

It was the start of a beautiful relationship. I became aware of his other musical pursuits: composer of music for plays and films, previous work with pop groups (Unun), and experimental hi-concept electronica.

He was gracious enough to actually come to Minneapolis, just for me it seemed (the show was sparsely attended):


Southern Theater, June 30, 2009

And again, only sixteen months before his death:


Cedar Theater, October 18th, 2016

I think the most fun he had when I saw him perform was when he was with the group Evil Madness performing “soundtracks for imaginary horror films”:


Iðno, Reykjavík, October 21, 2006

Collectively Speaking...Icelandic Style

Hildur Gudnadóttir with Evil Madness

The musical explosion which was the recent Iceland Airwaves Music Festival is only now starting to settle in my impressionable brain.

What keeps floating to the surface is the work of two musical/art collectives, Kitchen Motors and Bedroom Community. Each had memorable individual performers, and each had equally worthwhile collaborative efforts. The solo artists; Egill Sæbjörnsson, Ólöf Arnalds, and Siggi Ármann, each projected a very personal musical impression, refreshing in this era of "wanna-bes". Siggi, in particular, created an intense emotional field, captivating in its purity and simplicity. Ólöf and her armadillo-shell lute brought out some kind of primal response in me, her music was new and a thousand years old at the same time. Egill, with his persona (video Elvis?) was quite unlike anything else I've experienced.

The larger ensembles, Kira Kira, Stórsveit Nix Noltes, the formidable Jóhann Jóhannsson and the exquisite Valgeir Sigurðursson all fronted large groups with unique, experimental or newly imagined music, all at a very high levels of musicianship and composition. Two of the "odd men out" in these organizations are actually American, old-time folkie Sam Amidon and the Julliard grad Nico Muhly. In some respects, theirs' is the more traditional music, but still tempered by their Icelandic cohorts' contributions. Muhly is a serious composer, already with an impressive cv.

All of this music is fully realized, incredible and enjoyable. You may have noticed that I haven't yet mentioned the two 500-pound gorillas of the Icelandic music scene, Björk and Sigur Rós. Something great has been emerging from that rock in the North Atlantic, a cultural magma whose effects have yet to be fully measured.

Iceland Airwaves Update - Day Four

Let´s get really crazy shall we? Start with the warmest day yet (sunbathing at the pool) and if 6 hours of music is not enough for you, how about starting things off at 17:00 in a century-old church (Fríkirkjan) by the pond with



Jóhann Jóhannsson of Apparat Organ Quartet fame. With his computers, piano, and a proper string quartet, he mixed classical and techno in a stunning fashion. An attentive crowd was transported into musical bliss. An hour later, I walked out into the twilight exhausted- and the night hadn't even begun! After a brief supper, (and a strong cup of coffee) it was back to Iðno for the Kitchen Motors (an artistic collective) night.



20:00 Siggi Ármann, a sensitive singer, verging on the precious, touched the small crowd with his sincere, emotional style.



20:45 Ólöf Arnalds, a young woman with an incredible voice and an accomplished instrumental style sings and plays tender ballads on guitar and charenga, a small lute-like instrument. Beautiful.




21:30 Kira Kira. The hall filled up with groups of friends and couples seated on the parquet floor, the atmosphere became more like a love-in. The five piece combo was led by an irrepressible woman on multiple instruments and computers. A lot of potential, the set was marred by technical problems.



22:15 Borko A quirky blend of samples and guitar rock, sounding a bit under-rehearsed.

23:00 Evil Madness. Jóhann Jóhannsson again, this time in a computer group (with a cellist) inspired by horror-movie soundtracks. Perfectly executed and scary. And people were dancing to it...This guy really gets around. GREAT STUFF! 00:00 Stórsveit Nix Noltes, a ten piece band of accomplished musicians playing eastern European-inspired music in a dynamic performance. Super high energy, the dancers got really into it. I'm running out of superlatives! Great ensemble playing and an excellent guitarist.

I finally give up at 01:00, my head still reeling. Earlier, I had talked with a music promoter from Brighton at the church and then met her again at Iðno. Later at Iðno I was speaking with a very nice young man about inkjet printing and inks. He asked if I liked Icelandic music, of course I started raving about Sigur Rós and Björk. He gave me a small smile and said "I am the lead singer of Sigur Rós."

And so he was.

Volta

Got the new Björk album today. Impressions written while listening for the very first time-


Earth Intruders:

The current military madness has not escaped Björk's consideration- her assumption of the role of a leader of a ruthless army makes its point with marching cadences and an overlay of pulsing rhythm...


Wanderlust:

The flowing melody and brass choir fight against programmed beats, the beats win...


The Dull Flame Of Desire:

Andrei Tarkovsky's love poetry set to B's music. The massed brass chords again are magnificent, but have to struggle against nervous, mechanical beats. "Antony's" contrapuntal vocalization is meant to be emotional, but merely shows his lack of sensitivity to the phrasing of his partner's superior technique. This would be a stunning track without him and no drums...


Innocence:

Basically a funkier reworking of Alarm Call, the drums make sense in this arrangement, however...



I See Who You Are:

The Japanese song, a celebration of the flesh "before we become corpses", benefits from the ample space in the arrangement. It would fit right in with Vespertine...


Vertebrae By Vertebrae:

Soundtrack music from some parallel dimension Alfred Hitchcock movie? (Actually the brass was sampled from Drawing Restraint 9) Not exactly a sing-a-long...


Pneumonia:

Stunning brass arrangement by Nico Muhly, an emotional vocal performance by Björk. Beautiful...


Hope:
B's internal dialog about the nature of evil and suicide bombers, over a Indian-style background...


Declare Independence

Hard core Techno-Industrial. Not for the timid. While it was playing sirens went by my window. I dug that...


My Juvenile

What should have been a poignant farewell falls apart with another awkward duet between Björk and "Antony"...



Overall impression: This is a deeply flawed album. There is some good stuff there, but it is usually buried under self-conscious programming and arrangements. Buyer beware.