Iceland has long produced artists with a unique take on the world, and one of my favorites is Sindri Már Sigfússon. He goes by the moniker Sin Fang when not fronting the Icelandic collective Seabear. Sigfússon has returned with Sin Fang’s third LP, Flowers, which is set for a mid-February release on Morr Music.
Read More »Sin Fang: Look At The Light (Video)
Iceland’s Múm has returned with a new album called Early Birds, out July 17 on Morr Music. In anticipation of the release, they’ve given us a video for “Hvernig Á Að Særa Vini Sína” (directed by Máni M. Sigfússon). The song, translated to English, reads “How to Hurt Your Friends.” It’s highly imaginative, a bit distractive, and somewhat disturbing. Within you’ll find two individuals, one man and one woman. He destroys things. They both randomly lose teeth. It’s weird.
Read More »Múm: Hvernig Á Að Særa Vini Sína (Video) 
Sóley, a member of the Icelandic troupe Seabear, is prepared to drop her sophomore release, We Sink, October 4 on Morr Music. A keyboardist and backup vocalist by trade, first thoughts on her solo project is that she was made for the spotlight. “I’ll Drown” is the first track we’ve heard from the forthcoming LP and it joins the experimental pop sounds of Seabear and Sin Fang with the unique, quite spirited vocals of Sóley Stefánsdóttir. Read More »Sóley: I’ll Drown MP3
Sindri Már Sigfússon is on a roll. In 2009, his Clangour under Sin Fang (then Sin Fang Bous) received a top 10 place. 2010 saw his full Icelandic group, Seabear, crack the top 5 with We Built A Fire. Sindri is back with his follow up to Clangour. The album is called Summer Echoes and it drops March 15 thanks to Morr Music. As his projects go, the video for “Because Of The Blood” includes psychedelic mixed-media elements. And he dons a beard of doilies. Read More »Sin Fang: Because Of The Blood [Video]
Ólafur Arnalds is a Icelandic neo-classical artist whose work is at the forefront of the clash between classical and indie music. After debuting in 2007 with Eulogy for Evolution, the Arnalds is now set to release its follow-up LP, …And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness. The first single is “Þú ert sólin” and it translates roughly to “You Are The Sun”. Stacked up next to Eulogy for Evolution, Arnalds continues his to impress with a song both emotive and uplifting. “You Are The Sun” is an ample title, conveying the warmth of sun rays on a cool spring morning. It doesn’t have the power he packed into the frantic closers of Evolution, “3326” and “3704/3837” respectively, but it matches them in creativity, brilliance and sheer genius. Read More »Ã“lafur Arnalds: Þú ert sólin [mp3]
When it comes to Sindri Már Sigfússon, be it visual or audible, you know the result will be uniquely experimental… Read More »Seabear: I’ll Build You A Fire [Video]
A favorite from last year was Sindri Már Sigfússon’s solo project Sin Fan Bous; an album titled Clangour. Prior to striking out on his own under this moniker, Sigfússon had a different solo project, one called Seabear. It evolved into something else, something larger and more complex – a seven-piece group of fellow Icelanders. Read More »Seabear: Lion Face Boy [mp3]
Iceland’s Bloodgroup creates dark electronic pop, or so they say. It’s so dark and so electronic, the pop sensibilities are practically lost, or at least buried beneath layers of electronics beats and synth loops. However, they do loop in a wonderful little string part put together by Ólafur Arnalds. Here they perform live during Iceland Airwaves for Seattle’s (and the world’s) best radio station, KEXP. The tight space doesn’t constrict the videographers from expertly capturing the performance, which you’ll soon see. Read More »Bloodgroup: My Arms [Video]
I always pictured Mum as one of those great post-rock groups with leanings toward electronic bleeps and bloops and lightly orchestrated melodies with dark sound-scapes, all of it instrumental. After all, Yesterday Was Dramatic, Today Is Okay was pretty much just that, and it is the only album from Mum of which I’ve heard. Their new one, Sing Along To Songs You Don’t Know is quite different – at least at first. And I just haven’t quite gotten over the shock of less electronics and… well, the full inclusion of vocals. Read More »Mum: Sing Along To Songs You Don’t Know
When it comes to music, Iceland is known to be a little out there. Experimentation is nothing new, and the country’s own Sin Fang Bous is no different. The solo project of Sindri Mar Sigfusson, Sin Fang Bous’ debut experimental pop album, Clangour, deserves great praise. A fascinating thing it would be to catch Sigfusson live, and that’s exactly what you here in the Pacific Northwest can do as November dawns on us. Sin Fang Bous is hitting the states with Icelandic pals Múm, who are coming here to support their new record, Sing Along To Songs You Don’t Know. Read More »Sin Fang Bous to Tour the Northwest with Múm
