Iceland: Solo Musicians Mixtape (#6C) Stream & Download

This mixtape – the last in a series of three centered around Icelandic music – focuses on singer-songwriters and solo musicians, and explores just how far one person’s creativity can be stretched.


Over the course of three days, we will be rolling out a three-part, comprehensive mixtape covering many bases of the Icelandic music scene, to supplement our feature about The Real Icelandic Music Scene. The feature digs beneath Iceland’s obvious musical exports like Sigur Rós, Múm, and Björk, and finds out what everyday life is like for the average Icelandic musician.

This mixtape – the last in a series of three – focuses on singer-songwriters and solo musicians, and explores just how far one person’s creativity can be stretched.

We contacted a number of Icelandic record labels and independent musicians to exclusive permission to host MP3s just for this mixtape. You will not find the majority of these MP3s available for free anywhere else on the internet… so enjoy!

Curated by Vivian Hua, Editor-in-Chief of REDEFINE

 

Download Mixtape (100.3 MB)

 

  1. Sin Fang – “Always Everything” (Morr Music)
    Sin Fang is Sindri Már Sigfússon – also of Seabear fame — and this song is one of the few from this series of mixtapes that has celebrated some international recognition.

    www.myspace.com/sinfangbous

     

  2. Loji – “Blue Ray” (Kimi Records)
    Quoting a portion of his last.fm bio should prove sufficient to capture the manic electronic playfulness of Loji’s music: “… and Loji is Logi from Sudden Weather Change and Logi is Loji from Sudden Weather Change and Loji is Logi from Sudden Weather Change and Logi is Loji from Sudden Weather Change and so forth”

    www.myspace.com/lojihos

     

  3. Þórir Georg – “Er Sem Er”
    Þórir Georg has two solo projects — this and My Summer As A Salvation Soldier. This track is stripped down and shows the beauty of the Icelandic language.

    www.facebook.com/thorirgeorg

     

  4. Dad Rocks! – “Kids”
    Like pulling Yoni Wolf of WHY? fame into a less abstract, more acoustic world, Dad Rocks! Is an Icelandic musician who spends part of his time in Iceland and part of his time in Denmark.

    dadrocks.tumblr.com

     

  5. Snorri Helgason – “Freeze-out”
    Snorri Helgason’s folk pop just feels sincere, and “Freeze-out” is a celebration of this sincerity.

    www.snorrihelgason.com

     

  6. Hafdís Huld – “Köngulö”
    Former GusGus member Hafdís Huld has crafted a song that sounds a bit like a tropical conga line (a funny sonic word coincidence, as “Köngulö” is apparently a spider).

    www.hafdishuld.com

     

  7. Ólöf Arnalds – “Innundir Skinni”
    Anyone who has seen Ólöf Arnalds perform knows that she radiates warmth. She is the sonic equivalent to a brisk, sunny afternoon.

    www.myspace.com/olofarnalds

     

  8. Ólafur Arnalds – “Tunglið” (Erased Tapes)
    What’s this? A back-to-back showing of music by first cousins Ólöf and Ólafur Arnalds! But where Ólöf is ukelele-toting, Ólafur is a delicate classical composer.

    www.myspace.com/olafurarnalds

     

  9. Benni Hemm Hemm – “Retaliate” (Kimi Records)
    “Retaliate” is the single from Benni Hemm Hemm’s EP of the same name — his first English language album. The completeness generated from layers of vocals, especially towards the end of the song, would feel the same in any language.

    www.bennihemmhemm.com

     

  10. My Summer As A Salvation Soldier – “Ham On Rye”
    Named after a Charles Bukowski book which follows an unloved nobody with the world against him, this track certainly resolves positively, but contains universal feelings of worthlessness and powerlessness.

    www.myspace.com/mysummerasasalvationsoldier

     

  11. Lay Low – “Why Do I Worry”
    In contrast to the previous track, “Why Do I Worry,” by bluesy singer-songwriter Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir has an almost Zen-like quality of acceptance.

    www.laylow.is

     

  12. Sóley – “Theater Island” (Morr Music)
    Another output from a member of Icelandic indie rock band Seabear, “Theater Island” is simultaneously nostalgic and ambiguously fantastical; it’s like an amusement park pulled out of childhood memory, transplanted onto a deserted island.

    www.myspace.com/ssoolleeyy

     

  13. Just Another Snake Cult – “Forget Everything I Have Said” (Brak Records)
    A combination of insane synthesizers and singer-songwriter staples — and in this case, perhaps influence from The Beach Boys — Just Another Snake Cult frequently sounds something like Cryptacize, only with male vocals.

    snakecult.tiredmachine.com

     

  14. Prinspóló – “Niðrá Strönd”
    Prinspóló is the solo project Svavar Pétur Eysteinsson (Skakkamanage, Létt á bárunni), who apparently likes to write love songs on empty stomachs and in damp basements. This track certainly feels stark.

    www.prinspolo.com

     

  15. Pétur Ben – “Something Radical” (12 Tónar)
    This track by Pétur Ben shows the singer-songwriter demanding an intellectual call-to-arms in a raw, almost Anarchist way. No filter, and plenty of emotion.

    www.myspace.com/peturben

     

  16. Björk Viggósdóttir – “Before Sundown” (Hljóðaklettar)
    In addition to making minimal electronic compositions, Viggósdóttir also is a contemporary installation artist. The sound sculptural qualities of her music seems to fit with this slowly-transforming darkness.

    bjorkviggosdottir.wordpress.com

     

  17. Loji – “I Lost My Job” (Kimi Records)
    It’s true that this is the second of Loji’s tracks on this mixtape. Just couldn’t resist, though.

    www.myspace.com/lojihos

     

Ω

Written by
Vee Hua 華婷婷

Vee Hua 華婷婷 (they/them) is a writer, filmmaker, and organizer with semi-nomadic tendencies. Much of their work unifies their metaphysical interests with their belief that art can positively transform the self and society. They are the Editor-in-Chief of REDEFINE, Interim Managing Editor of South Seattle Emerald, and Co-Chair of the Seattle Arts Commission. They also previously served as the Executive Director of the interdisciplinary community hub, Northwest Film Forum, where they played a key role in making the space more welcoming and accessible for diverse audiences.

Vee has two narrative short films. Searching Skies (2017) touches on Syrian refugee resettlement in the United States; with it, they helped co-organize The Seventh Art Stand, a national film and civil rights discussion series against Islamophobia. Reckless Spirits (2022) is a metaphysical, multi-lingual POC buddy comedy for a bleak new era, in anticipation of a feature-length project.

Vee is passionate about cultural space, the environment, and finding ways to covertly and overtly disrupt oppressive structures. They also regularly share observational human stories through their storytelling newsletter, RAMBLIN’ WITH VEE!, and are pursuing a Master’s in Tribal Resource and Environmental Stewardship under the Native American Studies Department at the University of Minnesota.

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Hollowman
Hollowman
12 years ago

This is an awesome collection. Great idea!

Adamsonny
Adamsonny
11 years ago

Love the collection…beautiful idea…beautiful people. Now I’ll spread the word. Love Iceland.

Written by Vee Hua 華婷婷
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