• Music

    Cathrine Legardh, Sigurdur Flosason – Stilhed & Storm

    July 6, 2023 - By 

    Nordic jazz tends to be very warm in my experience.  This collection of original tunes by Danish singer Cathrine Legardh and her sparring partner on this album, alto saxophonist Sigurður Flosason, make an album with songs of love, live and even dogs.  It’s a mellow listen, something hotter than cool jazz, but measured in its playing.  A gorgeously relaxing disc. One additional note: I’ve picked up a few titles from the label that released this disc, Storyville Records.  They handle new music and reissues with great care and are a label absolutely worth supporting.

  • Music

    Ragnar Ólafsson – Urðarþráður

    October 23, 2022 - By 

    I had the pleasure of meeting multi-instrumentalist Ragnar Ólafsson in Bulgaria when he was performing with the Icelandic post-rock group Árstíðir many years ago. Every now and again, I see his name pop up and I came across this gorgeously-sung single track he released in May of this year. From his Bandcamp site: Urðarþráður means “the thread of Urður. The name refers to one of the three primary norns (witches) in Norse mythology, responsible for shaping the course of human destines. Uður is believed to sit at the foot of Yggrasil, the tree of the world, spinning the thread of…

  • Music

    Valgeir Sigurðsson – Kvika

    May 2, 2022 - By 

    Icelandic composer Valgeir Sigurðsson is a classical composer who has developed into the country’s leading light in terms of modern classical music. From his Bandcamp site: “Valgeir has become a master of sound to get lost in. Through his layering of his collaborators’ instrumental and vocal parts and a nuanced balance of electronic and organic sound, KVIKA is a perfect collection of moments that last only as long as they need before taking us elsewhere. After his award winning album Dissonance, it is a measure of his artistic inclinations that he looks to a shorter form of music making. Where…

  • Music

    Jóhann Jóhannsson – Drone Mass

    April 12, 2022 - By 

    Though it’s been four years, the loss of Jóhann Jóhannsson due to an overdose has left a massive hole in contemporary classical music, drone, experimental music, post-rock and so many other genres his work touched on. This opus, performed by the legendary Paul Hillier and backed my ACME, is as close to heaven as some of us might ever get.  The vocals are haunting, mournful, but sound totally in place since we begin the Western Holy Week as celebrated by Catholics and non-apostolic churches.  Bleak and beautiful.

  • Music

    Atli Örvarsson – Wolka

    January 15, 2022 - By 

    Iceland is one of those countries who seem to produce musicians at an incredible rate in comparison to the size of its population.  Atli Örvarsson is one of a handful of gifted soundtrack composers to hail from the island nation, and is the first one I can think of who doesn’t originally come from the capital, Reykjavik.  He is now a Los Angelino pursuing a career in composition, and is becoming well-known for his scores. The standout track for me on this album is one titled Anka & Robert, which reminds me of a meaty slab of post-Industrial ambient.  The…

  • Music

    Reptilicus & The Hafler Trio – Designer Time

    March 5, 2021 - By 

    Continuing on the Industrial (and post-Industrial) theme, this album was sent as a promo album to me while I was a buyer for Aron’s Records, the best record shop in Los Angeles before Amoeba steamrolled the competition (and are now, apparently, either no more or barely hanging on in L.A.). I had known a bit about the Hafler Trio because I was selling some of Andrew MacKenzie’s cassettes and limited edition releases on CD and vinyl, and business was quite good.  I was partial to his music, but this combination with Reptilicus, who would become an important force in Icelandic…