An important figure in Iceland's new music scene at the turn of the millennium, Jóhann Jóhannsson was mostly known as the co-founder of the production company-cum-record label Kitchen Motors until he released his first solo album, Englabörn, on the British label Touch. Words melt upon listening to this exquisite music, so simple yet indescribable. Written for a play by Hávar Sigurjónsson, it was reorganized for this release to stand on its own. It still wears an incidental gown, but its 16 short tracks do hold together ...
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An important figure in Iceland's new music scene at the turn of the millennium, Jóhann Jóhannsson was mostly known as the co-founder of the production company-cum-record label Kitchen Motors until he released his first solo album, Englabörn, on the British label Touch. Words melt upon listening to this exquisite music, so simple yet indescribable. Written for a play by Hávar Sigurjónsson, it was reorganized for this release to stand on its own. It still wears an incidental gown, but its 16 short tracks do hold together nicely. Jóhannsson aimed for beauty in simplicity. Scored for string quartet, keyboards (piano, harmonium, organ), glockenspiel, electronics, and percussion, the music consists of slow melodies drowning in melancholia. Sad and profound, it could have sounded affected but on the contrary what comes through is honesty and a sense of light despair that has nothing theatrical about it. One thinks of Godspeed You Black Emperor! after the storm, Tibor Szemzó's use of strings (long fading chords in "...Eins Og Venjulegt Fólk" and many other places), or Boris Kovac's string quartets and stage music. Above it all reigns an immaterial Nordic aura, something the listener can instantly recognize as Icelandic in essence -- in the tiny trickles of glockenspiel, the solemnity of the sustained harmonium chords, the fragility and beauty that give this music its porcelain doll looks. Englabörn is tremendously cute on the outside, but the emotions it carries have little to do with sweetness. The listener comes out of it with a heavy heart, drenched, happy but surprised by the manipulative power the music had on him or her. Highly recommended. ~ François Couture, Rovi
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