Łabandzi Śpiew: Iceland

piątek, 23 maja 2025

Hekla - Turnar (2025)

Hekla Magnúsdóttir shares her name with the tallest volcano on Iceland. There's no connection to her music, I just like these geographical-musical facts. The artist herself released her third album this year and frankly speaking, it's gotta be my favourite one of the two which is backed up by the fact that Hekla received a lot of attention recently.

Hekla is a theremin player. I wouldn't be able to hear that I think, the music on the album sounds like it could well be made out of samples and synthesizers, but there is something special about playing such an outstanding instrument. Does it always sound so... dark? Mysterious but mostly ominous? No wonder that her Bandcamp account advertises the album as a "paranormal plane of haunting dread". I can hear the elements of ethereality and cosmic psychedelia, but I feel mostly darkness pouring out of each of the compositions. But maybe it's just the state of my mind. Still, I feel the strength of this music lies in the fact that everyone will be affected in a slightly different way. The only common thing is how beautiful the album is.

Turnar costs 9 EUR (7 GBP).

Check: Í Ösku og Eldi

Country: Iceland

Genre: dark theremin ambient

Label: Phantom Limb

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Sólveig Matthildur - Constantly in Love (2019)

wtorek, 9 listopada 2021

Kælan Mikla - Undir köldum norðurljósum (2021)

I remember getting to know Kælan Mikla when they came to Poland to support King Dude three years ago. Since then, they managed to release an almost perfect album Nótt eftir nótt, threw more exciting live gigs, create solo albums and now, they're back with a new album, Undir köldum norðurljósum, that is easily as good as the last one.

There's a lot of those darkwave's dark discotheque vibes all over the release (just have a go at Ósýnileg!): the synth backgrounds burst with lively sounds while still generating the gloomy and mesmerizing atmosphere. This is only empowered by the whispering vocals singing in Icelandic, the mystic and mysterious readings quickly get out of the scale. Especially in my favourite Sólstöður with its witch-like tribal screamings adding to the exciting horror vibes (it comes with absolutely zero surprise that the track's title translates to "Solstice"). The album's title, on the other hand, means "Under the Cold Northern Lights" but, truth be told, it doesn't feel that cold; maybe there's a hint that it is freezing outside, but here, in the vicinity of hot, dancing bodies and in the warm darkness they bring, it is hot and steamy.

Although their sounds differ much, Kælan Mikla seem to be close with the French icons of Alcest: they toured together and now they collaborated in the studio as well with Hvítir Sandar being more guitar-oriented and Alcest-like atmospheric. The three witches from Iceland will be back on tour when the day get longer again, and, fortunately, are coming to Kraków once again, this time as the main course - can't wait!

Undir köldum norðurljósum costs 10 USD.

Kælan Mikla - Nótt eftir nótt (2018) EN

Check: Ósýnileg

Country: Iceland

Genre: synthpop darkwave

Label: Artoffact Records

wtorek, 7 kwietnia 2020

WatchCamp March with Alice Baldwin, Gant, Mighty Bear, Stygean, акульи слёзы (2020) EN

Alice Baldwin - Please Tell My Mum to Burn Me

One f the last singles from the irreplaceable Moderna Records label. This time it's neoclassical composer Alice Baldwin and this touching piece played entirely on piano. The single costs 1 EUR (1,5 CAD).

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Gant - Tales of a Sacred Night

True, it's more an EP than a single, but because of its length it appears here. The Mexican duo playing dark post-punk or darkwave, a bit of musical minimalism, a bit of attractive, dangerous atmosphere. The album costs 4 EUR (6 CAD).

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Mighty Bear - Álfaskeið

Absolutely my favourite drag queen - dark and gothic, visually fantastic, but also musically speaking, after some avant-pop songs, there's this new single that goes more towards attractive but dense and synth-filled soundscape. It costs 1 USD.

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Stygean - Not Blind

Lo-fi and dark shoegaze from the Malaysian artist, with very unclear vocals but instead being extremely melodic. Very promising piece. The single costs whatever you want to pay.

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акульи слёзы - малостьt

A new single from the Russian artists. Fantastically nostalgic dream pop / shoegaze with both depth and melody. The single costs 1 USD.

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VAR - Kafbátur EP (2016) EN

piątek, 26 lipca 2019

VAR - The Never-Ending Year (2019) EN

The uniquely moody rock with elements of post-rock coming from Iceland. VAR from the remote island are back with their new album The Never-Ending Year. I couldn't miss the chance to post about them, especially after the awesome gig in Wrocław back in spring.

First thing that catches the ear on the album is the language VAR use. Up to this point, they'd rather sing in Icelandic, now it's English only. I find this change for worse, but at least the broader audience can appreciate how atmospheric the band's lyrics are. And didn't affect the mood generated by Júlíusa Óttara Björgvinssona's high-pitched vocal which momentarily adds some fantastic melancholy with Mew's vibes.

It doesn't matter if it's accompanied by guitar post-rock compositions or art rock lead by piano keys (as in Fearless), the new tracks are great but at the same time more into melodic pop. Still, some of them preserve the atmosphere of the previous works and those are my favourites, as for example the single song Moments, Where to Find You or wonderfully finished ballad Highlands.

The Never-Ending Year costs 10 USD.

VAR - Vetur (2017) EN

Check: Moments

Country: Iceland

Genre: post-rocking art rock

poniedziałek, 3 czerwca 2019

Sólveig Matthildur - Constantly in Love (2019) EN

Mysterious in the picture and nice and lovely in person, the Icelandic artist is a member of the brilliant Kaelan Mikla whose last band is the coldwave of the highest quality and whose concerts are to be remembered for a long time (as it was with the one in Kraków this spring). Meanwhile Solveig released a solo album and it must be said that Constantly in Love is quite different in atmosphere from the band's works.

The album should be put on to admire its poetic side amongst others. The whole thing is a camo-ed poem with its own beginning and finish and while it is about love, something that may sometimes be trivial, it does so in such an intriguing, challenging and well thought-through way that it hardly can not be appreciated. Not to mention the smart usage of the titles, finger-licking good.

And it's played as a combination of songwriting pop with gothic new wave. On one hand, Solveig, her vocals and lyrics are always in the focus, which can't be a surprise, on the other, the Icelander's intriguing voice and synth melodies with shallow basses are certainly the influences from her musical background. Also, the album includes a remix version of Your Desperation by the coldwave project Hante who loves collaborating with Kaelan Mikla.

Constantly in Love costs 10 USD.

Check: Utopian Girl

Country: Iceland

Genre: coldwave pop

wtorek, 20 listopada 2018

Kælan Mikla - Nótt eftir nótt (2018) EN

The girls of the Icelandic Kælan Mikla like touring in Poland so they are perhaps quite well-known in here. This autumn they released their new album, Nótt eftir nótt, on which they reach perfection in creating synthwave that is catchy but also very dark.

Both the gender and the number of the artists make me think about witches and I'm fairly sure they wouldn't protest when called this. Both in the gloomy atmospheric intro as in the following, surprisingly very catchy tracks, one can find inspirations coming from magic and the horror. The mystery part is also supported by the Icelandic language as Kælan Mikla prove that it's possible to sing in it not only in the jónsi-like falsetto.

Although the language doesn't make space for much understanding (maybe except for the title of Nótt eftir nótt recorded with the help of Bang Gang), it doesn't influence the urge to hum the Icelanders' hits, led by Nornalagið and te single entitled Hvernig kemst ég upp? But the lyrics must be also good as the band is known for being established a couple days before a poetry slam, one that the girls naturally won.

Nótt eftir nótt costs 10 USD.

Check: Hvernig kemst ég upp?

Country: Iceland

Genre: Occult darkwave

wtorek, 28 sierpnia 2018

Mighty Bear - Einn (2018) EN

Sometimes it's enough to take a look at an artist's image and you are sure it's gonna be the next thing. This is the situation with Mighty Bear, new phenomenon of the Icelandic experimental scene. The artist combines the queer environment with mysterious, a bit dark electropop and spectacular performance.

After releasing two singles, it was time for a short EP called, naturally, "Einn" (or "One"). She proves right the impressive description of her music: "strutting onstage in a ghostly, glamorous mask to a soundtrack of intense but ethereal beats". The compositions here are rich but indeed, they have more from the not very fast, dim atmosphere of the island than from the orthodox clubbing music. The foreground is left for the beautiful vocal.

It renders Sigur Rós' Jónsi's vocals but perhaps all high-pitched voices in Icelandic sound similar for an unaccustomed ear. But there's little doubt that it's the part that, alongside the visual side, brings uniqueness to the project. There's also little doubt that Mighty Bear is going to be another big thing from the Island of Fire.

"Einn" can be yours for 2 USD.

niedziela, 7 maja 2017

VAR - Vetur (2017) EN

My patience paid off, after the beautiful January EP, the Icelanders from VAR showed us a lunger (much longer) album. And it was worth waiting.

The album is recorded in both English and Icelandic. And it is still a bit more dreamy and beautiful in this second language (great, known from the EP "Á kaf" or "Loka aftur augunum"). But truth be told, also "Friendship" has its charm. The whole album, as could be expected, is full of magic. Apart from slow pace and epic guitars in backgrounds it is achieved by strings and subtle electronic effects. Sometimes the northern peace is broken by loud guitars ("Valshamar") but even in those moments the magic is still there.

The album should have a warning reading "Here be elfs".

"Vetur" is available for 10 USD.

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środa, 11 stycznia 2017

VAR - Kafbátur EP (2016) EN

I can't believe it myself but VAR is the first band from Iceland, the very centre of the musically driven universe, that is going to appear on the blog. And although there's not much in their discography, they make a really good start.

I can hardly beat around the bush much longer and avoid writing that the band gets a lot from their famous compatriots whose name starts with "S" ends with "S" too and has "igur Ró" in the middle. It goes especially for their new EP - while listening to "Kafbátur" you can hardly believe that it's NOT a forgotten demo by Jónsi and co. Equally spiritual vocals and noise that turns into beauty while we watch. I wonder what do VAR think about it, I believe it's not easy for them, in every other country their music would be a real thing full of magical uniqueness. But in Iceland.

The band is made of five artists, the best known being Myrra Rós (yeah, I wonder if she's going to name her son Sigurd). Let's hope that "Kafbátur" (meaning "a submarine") is just a vanguard of an upcoming full-length album. It's time.

The album costs 3 EUR.