This Is Summer, Deal with It!

THIS IS SUMMER, DEAL WITH IT!

Hunting for Monsters in East-Iceland • Morðingjarnir and Amiina - Saw Wielding Maniacs Inside the Belly of the Beast - a Voyage to Heart of the Music Industry with Mark Chung

+ info. A Complete City Guide and Listings: Map, Dining, Music, Arts and Events Issue 05 // May 9- May 22 2008 02 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Year 6 | May 09 – May 22

The Reykjavík Grapevine Opinion Vesturgata 5, 101 Reykjavík www.grapevine.is The wild in wilderness 08 [email protected] An opinion by Marie-Alexandra Hertell www.myspace.com/reykjavikgrapevine Published by Fröken ehf. Striking Gold 08 An opinion by Gabrielle Guðbjartsson Editorial: +354 540 3600 / [email protected] Advertising: +354 540 3605 / [email protected] Articles Publisher: +354 540 3601 / [email protected] The Media Watch Dog 06 Interview with Arash Mokhtari of Quick Response The Reykjavík Grapevine Staff Publisher: Football Mania 10 Hilmar Steinn Grétarsson The Grapevine predicts the upcoming football season [email protected] Editor: Concert Reviews 18 Sveinn Birkir Björnsson / [email protected] Sólstafir / / Morðingjarnir / Grapevine’s Summer Party Assistant Editor: Steinunn Jakobsdóttir / [email protected] CD Reviews 19 Staff Writer: Valgerður Þóroddsdóttir / [email protected] Walking Reykjavík 24 Contributing Writer: A photo journey through town Haukur Magnússon / [email protected] Ian Watson / www.ianwatson.org Destinations 25 Art Director: Icelandic Towns Gunnar Þorvaldsson / [email protected] Photographer: Gunnlaugur Arnar Sigurðsson Features [email protected] Layout: The Fallacy of Excess: Inside The Music Industry With Mark Chung 12 Hjalti Axel Music exec spills guts Marketing Director: Jón Trausti Sigurðarson / [email protected] Academy of the Arts – Graduation Exhibition 14 Sales Director: School’s out Aðalsteinn Jörundsson [email protected] Morðingjarnir, meet Amiina 16 Support Manager: The two bands you’d never expect to see together. Oddur Óskar Kjartansson / [email protected] Distribution: Þórir Gunnar Jónsson / [email protected] Outside Reykjavík Proofreader: Jim Rice Stumbling Around Glaciers 26 Ice climbing in Sólheimajökull Press releases: [email protected] Chasing Monsters in East-Iceland 28 Submissions inquiries: On the trail of the Lagarfljót Worm [email protected] Subscription inquiries: +354 540 3605 / [email protected] info. General inquiries: [email protected] Listings B2 The Reykjavík Grapevine is published 18 times Food Reviews B10 a year by Fröken ltd. Monthly from November through April, and fortnightly from May til October. Grandmother’s Records B12 Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without the written permission of Thomas Humery B14 the publishers. Although the magazine has en- deavoured to ensure that all information inside the magazine is correct, prices and details may be subject to change. The Reykjavík Grapevine can be found in Reykjavík, Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Selfoss, Keflavík, Ísafjörður, Kárahnjúkar and at key locations around road #1 and at all major tourist attractions and tourist information centres.

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From the Editor’s Chair

This turned out to be the most difficult issue of the that last night, the computer we used to lay out the coming to my rescue at the ultimate hour. Stei- Grapevine that I have ever worked on. As I write issue decided that enough was enough and com- nunn, who kept me going when everything this, it is eight in the morning, and I’ve not slept for mitted suicide, leaving us stranded for more than seemed lost. Hjalti for the bravery he showed in 24 hours, so you’ll excuse me if I keep this brief. four hours as we scrambled to retrieve the data face of an overwhelming task. Jim, who stepped The issue goes off to print in three hours. Under from the hard drive. On top of that, our regular up at the last minute. Gulli, the man who salvaged usual circumstances, we would have put this suck- proofreader took ill and we had to find a last min- the unsalvageable. Alli who slaved in the kitchen er to bed around midnight yesterday... or would ute replacement for her as well, luckily another so the rest of us could eat. Tec wiz Oddur who T H I S I S SU M M E R , DE AL WIT H I T ! that be today. But, this proved to be anything else young(-ish at least) man stepped up to the plate found the hidden files. I always forget someone, than a usual press time. It seems as if the printing and bravely steered us through our regular com- but you people know who you are. It makes me gods conspired against us. To begin with, we were ma and apostrophe crisis. And the worst is yet to proud to work with such a great group of people.

H u n t ing for Monsters in East-I celand • Morðingjarnir and Amiina - Saw Wielding Maniacs down one regular journalist who is on vacation. come. The coffee machine broke down. At times Thanks guys! Insid e the Belly of the Beast - a V o yag e to Heart of the M u sic Ind u stry with Mar k Chung

+ info. A Comple te City Guide and Listings: Map , Dining, M u sic, Arts and Events Issue 05 // May 9- May 22 2008 Our loyal graphic designer was also on vacation, like these you seek solace in the fact that so heavy To you, dear reader, I say, enjoy the issue. There but he was replaced with the heroic efforts of a burdens are only placed on those with extremely was a lot of hard work put into. Blood, sweat and young man who tried his best to learn our wicked broad shoulders. tears really. But I choose to look at it as our bad Cover photo by: ways on the fly; and almost succeeded, if not for I would like to thank all these people for luck for the summer just ran out. GAS On cover: Summer 2398 CIN grapevine 5x39 joney.ai 5/7/08 12:08:20 PM 04 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Letters Sour Grapes

Say your piece, voice your opinion, send your letters to [email protected].

Dear editor, South African-born woman who has been living in Iceland for 12 years and has Icelandic citizenship. Whilst I have some sympathy from the truck drivers and Growing up in South Africa during the Apartheid era, others who earn their living on the road, the high-jacking of I made the decision not to judge people on their race or reli- the fuel price protests by the 4x4 travel club undermines the gion but rather on their personalities. For the most part I have legitimate concerns of the professional drivers. The travel been well received by the Icelanders that I have met socially club are recreational drivers, basically demanding a state and professionally. At the moment I am working at a salt fish subsidy to pursue a hobby. Furthermore, for all that Iceland- factory in the West of Iceland and enjoy working with people ers are rightly proud of their natural environment, the 4x4 from Poland and Bosnia, as well as some of the Icelanders. travel club, compiled of members who enjoy travelling to Unfortunately for the past three years I have been subjected visit some of its most breath-taking sites, fail to reflect on the (I don’t use the term victimized, as I don’t want to be a vic- damage their very pursuit entails upon the environment they tim) to racial slurs and verbal abuse at the hands of three so treasure. These are the same 4x4 drivers who leave their Icelanders whom I work with. I am a polite person and treat engines running as they drop-off and collect their children people as I would like to be treated but if I don’t like someone from kindergarten – literally without thought as to the conse- then I still try to work with that person and show them basic quences for the air quality surrounding their own and other courtesy, without resorting to name calling or backstabbing. infants. Unlike the aforementioned three individuals, who for some reason have decided that I can’t do anything right. Complaints and protests in Akureyri by private drivers are The factory manager and the owner have tried to re- particularly gnawing, given that there is a perfectly adequate solve the issue by getting representatives from Alþjoðahus – and free – bus service. 8 months pregnant, I am a frequent to come and talk about communication between Icelanders user, often accompanied by my 2 year old. It is laziness and and foreigners in the workplace but it had no effect on them. a sense of entitlement that is keeping drivers behind the The push finally came to a shove with me confronting two of wheels of their own private vehicles. them resulting in one walking out of her job and her husband giving notice because as is the case with bullies, when con- Before the 4x4 drivers throw their toys out of the pram again, fronted they can´t do anything besides shouting and becom- they might consider exchanging their vehicles for ones that ing verbally abusive. The remaining woman seems to have consumes less fuel and emit less pollution, especially for changed her attitude and I sincerely hope that she has. short, urban journeys. Or they might get out of their cars, I will be leaving my current place of employment at the walk 200 hundred metres and take a bus, thus avoiding the end of the month but I hope things may improve for the for- fuel spike altogether. eigners for who will continue to work there and that they can do their work without being refered to as ‘’Helvitis útlendin- gar/Pólverjar’’. Dr. Rachael Lorna Johnstone Finally, I love living here and enjoy the privileges of having an Icelandic passport. I truly hope that Iceland can Dear Rachel, find a solution to the problem of racial prejudice, as it does go both ways, before we see incidents as in Denmark hap- The incredible tastelessness of the 4x4 traveling club has pening here. kept me up at nights with laugher. In fact, I am rolling on the floor as I type this. Don’t expect other people to bail you out Natalie from your own stupidity, I guess that is the lesson we all need to learn here. Dear Natalie,

I am sorry to hear how some people’s stupidity seems to Dear Editor, make the incapable of feeling for another person and show minimum human decency. Your boss should have fired them I would like to be one of the first people to congratulate on the spot if they are incapable of treating a fellow workers the local Reykjavík administration for their strategic mas- with the respect they deserve. terstroke of employing truck drivers to keep the civil peace Stay strong, whilst the Police were partaking in their recent anarchic demonstrations. The truckers did a remarkable job to keep Editor such a rowdy bunch of cops at bay and I sincerely hope that the Police can resolve their dispute soon (maybe they Hello don’t get enough Kleinur’s and coffee on the current bud- I am a girl. I am 30 years old. I wonder your culture. It is now get?). But I, for one, am happy to sleep comfortably at night difficult to visit your country. Can I get Lapa Peysa and Vi- knowing that the truck drivers are keeping the normal folk kings. Thank you. of Reykjavík safe... Emel Turan, Turkey

10-4 Stephen Taylor-Matthews Dear Emel

Dear Stephen, By lapa peysa, I suppose you mean lopapeysa, Icelandic I agree. These police officers have made a mockery of pro- woolen sweater. They are readily available in almost any tests in Iceland. Hopefully, this matter will be put to rest soon souvenir shop. The Vikings might prove to be more of an and the police reprimanded for acting like bafoons. obstacle. Most of them turned to farming in the 11th cen- Editor tury. Reportedly some moved to Greenland but we have not heard from them since they left. But if you find any , do let Dear Editor me know.

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As a project manager for Quick Response, Arash Mokhtari conducts therapeutic sessions with journalists. Photo by GAS

The Media Watchdog

Arash Mokhtari is a project leader for Quick Sweden. We want journalists to use this as a tool and war, or Islam and terrorism, but this is a very “What we essentially do is Response in Sweden, a journalistic watchdog to improve their work. When we notice that the simple way to.... I mean, this may not be very seri- organisation that is focused on the portrayal of same journalists or organisations are repeatedly ous journalism, but it is a simple way to show that we follow the eight biggest immigrants in the Swedish Media. Mokhtari was writing stories that focus on ethnicity or immigra- you can talk to people of different backgrounds recently in Iceland where he addressed a confer- tion, rather than the actual news, we will sit down about clothes and fashion, it doesn’t always have newspapers in Sweden ence for journalists about immigration issues in with the journalists to talk to them and ask why to be about religion or war or terrorism. News re- the media. A Grapevine reporter sat down with they write the way they do, why it was important flect identification, who we identify with, and in and we research how im- Mokhtari for a quick lecture on journalistic eti- for the story to include the ethnicity of the suspect certain cases you can see that the person who quette in a multinational society. when the ethical guidelines for the Swedish Jour- writes the article does not identify with the peo- migration, integration and nalist Association explicitly state that you should ple that are maybe not born in Sweden, or doesn’t Let’s start with you telling me a little about not include information on persons if they are not look like an ethnic Swede. These are the things xenophobia are covered in Quick Response, and how it came to be. relevant to the news story itself. We also visit the we discuss. Quick Response is an organisation of journalists newspapers and give lectures. Quick Response was founded in 1998. Have those newspapers.” that study how the media portrays immigrants Is there a difference between different news- you seen a lot of change in these ten years? and the integration issues and xenophobia. We papers? Or is there a difference between dif- We don’t really do any quantitative measures per are journalists who investigate other journalists ferent types of newspapers? Is the evening se, there are other researchers that do that. We or journalism, so to speak. It came to be in 1997 press worse than the morning press? work more qualitative. Right now, the Swedish me- during the European Year Against Racism. At the This is a question that we often get. But honestly, dia is very consumed with the murder of a young time there were a lot of misconceptions in the we have not been able to detect a noticeable dif- girl in Sweden. So we are looking at how they de- media regarding immigration, the numbers didn’t ference. We follow both morning papers and eve- scribe and cover the murder. Do they describe it add up, and there was a lot of things that people ning papers, and what we see is that sometimes as having cultural motives, or do they describe it thought were wrong. So we contacted many dif- the morning papers are worse than the evening as the act of a madman. We focus more on the ferent organisations, and asked if there was an in- papers and vice versa. You cannot make the dis- quality. But we also follow what other researchers terest in an organization like Quick Response that tinction between the two types of newspapers. are doing, so if a researcher publishes something could respond to the failures of the media when What we see is that the difference is mostly be- that relates to what the media is doing well or do- they happen. We became a part of the Red Cross tween the different journalists. Even the public ing bad in this matter, then we interview them and Youth, and we were a part of that until 2007, when service media, that is supposed to the best and publish that on our website. we became a part of the Red Cross. is run without any profit demands, they often Does Quick Response suggest or formulate So you are a journalist, and studied journalism? make mistakes as well. We use articles that we ethical guidelines for newspapers or the me- Yes, I am a journalist and I work as a project leader think are interesting to discuss; we copy them and dia to follow? for Quick Response. My co-worker does more edi- distribute them when we give lectures. We show No, we simply work within the ethical guidelines torial work, and she is a journalist and an ethnolo- examples of how the media can be used as a tool of the Swedish Journalist Association, the same as gist. So we have different studies behind us. I also to exclude certain groups of people, or include all journalists should follow. When we see other studied film theory where I was researching how certain groups of people. That is, the media plays journalists break these guidelines, we discuss with men and women are portrayed in films, and then an important role in how successful integration is them why they were broken. We do not enforce how women exclusively are portrayed and the in the society. any guidelines beyond that. I don’t think it would power structure behind that. I was able to transfer When I think about it, I would tend to fo- work if we came up to journalists and told them that experience into what I am doing now, with cus more on the negative aspects, but what they were doing a bad job and shouldn’t be writ- immigration issues. There are certain norms, and are some of the positive examples that you ing they way they are doing. We only try to make then there are people who don’t fit the norm. could mention? sure they follow the ethical guidelines they have How does it function? What is it that you ac- What we have seen in the last ten years that is pos- agreed to themselves. According to the Swedish tually do, are collecting data, or statistics or itive is that people with an immigrant background ethical guidelines, a journalist should not mention writing articles? are more visible now in the media in different the origin or nationality of a person unless it has What we essentially do is we follow the eight big- kinds of articles. It used to be that immigrants a direct relevance for the news story. If you under- gest newspapers in Sweden and we research how were only visible in news stories about crimes or stand the news story without knowing the nation- immigration, integration and xenophobia are cov- discrimination or exotic cultures. But now you ality of the person in question, then it should not ered in those newspapers. We collect the news, will see that people with immigrant backgrounds be mentioned. Obviously there is also the Swedish and we often have eight different types of stories are interviewed about their opinions on popular law to consider as well. There is a law against hate on the same event, depending on what paper is culture or the weather. They are included more to- speech in Sweden. You are not allowed to write writing about the event. Sometimes the papers day as regular persons, rather than being different ‘kill all blacks’ in Sweden for example will write that the suspect was from Tunis, but the from the norm. That is positive. That is normalisa- So the majority of the work is discussing the same news story will be written in a totally differ- tion. People are presented as normal people in a issues with journalists? ent way in another newspaper, it will perhaps fo- way. I’ll show you an example. This is a clipping Yes, discussions and lectures for journalists. cus more on the crime, rather than the suspect’s from one of the Swedish daily newspapers. This So you could describe this a therapy ethnicity. We write articles on this subject for is a Muslim woman who has been stopped in the session almost? our website, www.quickresponse.nu. When we street and asked what she is wearing. In Sweden Yes, almost. Consultation and Therapy. update our website, we send out a newsletter to we have between 350 – 400.000 Muslims, and they journalists, politicians and other stakeholders in usually only make the news in relation to Islam By Sveinn Birkir Björnsson Ad Grapevine 245x195 (EE) 20/09/07 17:44 Page 1

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Striking Gold

How likely is it that a foreigner moves to Iceland, making an effort to make their products inviting to People just need to get used to this idea. builds a sufficient amount of capital, starts a busi- all types of families inhabiting the community. ness and becomes a success? In my opinion, it’s GG: With the Icelandic economy’s current not that likely at all. Even though the Icelandic GG: Why did you decide to start Frístundir position, do you think it’s a good time to start market is not completely saturated and there are Ísland? a business? plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurship, just finding a decent paying job alone can be a daunt- LJ: When I first came to Iceland information LJ: People will always want activities for their ing task. However, there are always those with the on activities for children was very limited. Ev- children. My middle daughter, Thea, has always courage to swim upstream. As it turns out, Lete- erything was in Icelandic and finding courses for been committed to handball and no matter what tia Jónsson, Director of Frístundir Ísland (www. the kids was trial and error. So the idea came to the financial commitments are my family will al- fristundir.is), has no qualms about striking gold in me to centralise the information for parents and ways do what it takes to support her. this Icelandic mine. make it extremely accessible....accessible by way of crossing municipalities and by being available GG: What is your advice for other foreigners Jamaican born and raised in England, Jónsson in multiple languages. starting their own business? moved to Iceland in 2004 along with her husband and two and a half daughters (she was very preg- GG: Have you had any problems starting the LJ: You have to have thick skin and you can’t nant at the time as she recalls). At the time she business based on the fact that you’re a for- take no for an answer. You have to have the type felt very isolated and without sufficient informa- eigner? of personality of someone who is not afraid to tion on involving herself and her children in social persevere. You have to keep trying and you must activities – hence the birth of Frístundir Ísland. LJ: Nothing overtly obvious. If I spoke Icelandic keep on. more fluently, contacting clients would be easier Frístundir Ísland is a brainchild of Jónsson’s that and the process would flow more smoothly. I am GG: What will it take to make Frístundir Ís- has been in the works for the past two years. a people person and if my language skills were land a success? When Jónsson moved here in 2004 she experi- present things would fall into place much quick- enced the difficulty in finding a variety of activi- er. LJ: It’ll take clients buying in and believing in Gabrielle Guðbjartsson moved to Iceland in 2006. ties for her three daughters. The concept of Frís- the idea. This is also about integration, bringing She will one day run a Fortune 500 company. tundir Ísland is that all children’s activities (from GG: Do you foresee any obstacles in the people in and making this business accessible to age 0–18) available in Reykjavik and the surround- way? all groups in Iceland. ing municipalities are centralised and in one specific location. This is so that parents have a variety LJ: Well, the idea is very new for people. When Jónsson not only has a strong mindset for the of options in front of them to make an informed I present the idea to a client, they think it’s bril- business world, but she’s also thinking about the decision about their children’s extracurricular ac- liant and they love it, but I think it’s something bigger picture in terms of creating a multi-cultural tivities. The information presented on the website, that they’re simply not used to seeing here. My friendly business attracting all types of families as well as in a detailed handbook, also comes in background is in project management. Working in Iceland. All parents living in Iceland want the multiple languages including Icelandic, English in business process reengineering, I was stream- best for their children and it’s about time someone and Polish. She talks about the fact that newcom- lining and making things more cost effective so did something about it. ers like herself need to feel as if businesses are business enterprises would run more efficiently.

The Wild in Wilderness

As I braved the howling wind with gusts that lessly let him or her deal with the consequences of hour around Skaftafell National Park. swayed my petite body like a dandelion seed, I their actions. Why does nature have to be ruined? I feel that Iceland and its inhabitants truly could hear the fervent roar of the snow-covered In many countries a common sight is a beautiful understand and allow their wilderness to remain Gulfoss waterfall plummeting beneath monstrous waterfall surrounded by a concrete mess in order like its name indicates: wild. For this same reason icicles. I guarded each step with my dear life as a for us humans to get the best view the easiest way. Landmannalaugar has rustic cottage accommoda- flimsy toothpick-like rope marked the vertigo-in- Anyone who has seen the Niagara Falls knows tions that blend into the sand coloured mountains spiring precipice. I felt pure awe and wonderment what I am talking about. This famous waterfall and is not an eyesore. Thankfully there is no five- (along with some jittery butterflies in my stomach) has been made so convenient and safe for the lazy star swanky hotel, which would ruin the feeling of as I came face to face with tons of blue water that tourist that the road passes right beside it so you immersing yourself in the lava-covered landscape. descended this magnificent cascade resembling don’t even have to get out of your car to view it. The more I travel abroad in search of inspiring na- a staircase. The sheer exhilaration of standing so Another thing I love about Iceland is that ture the more disillusioned I get. Instead of find- close to the edge was mixed with the fear of fall- here I have the freedom to visit a waterfall at ing more Icelands, I find more Niagaras. Recently ing to my death. moonlight or a geyser during the midnight sun. I upon a trip to Morocco, I was disgusted upon see- This is what I love about Iceland: the liberty have actually done both in order to avoid other ing the death of the Todra Gorge. I tried to block to do what you please. Here you have the freedom tourists and relish in the deep tranquillity of be- the image of the luxury hotel situated smack in the to die in a waterfall if you are stupid enough or ing alone amongst echoes and wind. This is also middle of the gorge from my mind and decided brave enough to get just a little too close. Natural not the norm in other countries. In Puerto Rico that this must have been such a beautiful place attractions in Iceland aren’t tampered with. This the national rainforest has a gate and closes at six. once upon a time but now relegated to corniness does not hold true in many countries in which Last summer I was taking my time hiking around and convenience. governments behave like overzealous parents or and skinny-dipping in several waterfalls when I Basically, I just want to say thank you to are so paranoid about a lawsuit that nature-loving noticed it was 7:30. It wasn’t even dark yet. When Iceland for allowing me to enjoy nature at its tourists are given ridiculous restrictions. Walls are I tried to leave, the rickety gate was closed and I pristine glory. In a country where every summer built in order to prevent curious sightseers from had to summon a guard to open it. I thought to my- the number of tourists surpasses the local popu- meeting untimely deaths. Building concrete slabs self, this is not a mall. How can nature have a clos- lation, the tourism industry could have exploited surrounding a pristine waterfall in order to “pro- ing time? I am always reminded of this experience the nature for every dime its worth. Instead pu- Marie-Alexandra Hertell hails from Puerto Rico. She tect” the spectator is an oxymoron in the same every time I explore Iceland’s jaw-dropping nature rity is preserved and that is what keeps people is a child of nature. way that a caged bird is. If a tourist behaves reck- and really appreciate the fact that I can hike at any coming back. ;^gZ^hcZZYZYWni]ZcZlXdbZg L]dhZ`cZZhVgZ[gdoZccjbW0 BZViVcYXaZVca^cZcVbVccZZYh L]d]Vh[VgZYVXgdhhi]Z[Zaah#

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>XZaVcY^X H]ZZe;VgbZgh [email protected] / photo: ÁJS 10 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Article

Soccer Mania

Saturday May 10, the Icelandic soccer season the league cup where they lost in a close match times, with all championships coming after 1950. This year we should kicks off with the first round of play in the men’s to FH. They will surprise a lot of people this year Their coach this year is the mercurial Guðjón premier league for the ninety-sixth year. The by not finishing last. Þórðarson, who has managed several English witness a mixed bag of following Monday, May 12, the ladies start their clubs. He drives his men hard, harder than most, season. The Grapevine, being both infested with 7. and will reap a title this year, with a young and goodies from Fylkir. But soccer fans and highly philanthropic, kindly pro- mostly local squad. vides you with predictions for the summer, greatly This year FRAM celebrates their 100th year of ex- their supporters will researched in the most scientific ways known to istence this summer. They founded the Icelandic Women’s premier league man. You would be wise to place your bets ac- premier division back in way back when. They’ve undoubtedly still cling to cording to this prediction. You’ll be guaranteed to won the title 18 times but the last one came in make some easy money in the coming recession. 1990. They are notorious for firing their managers 10.-7. the hopes of the nineties. every time the team concedes a goal. They will Men’s premier league: stay around the middle of the division. These four teams will battle amongst themselves, avoiding the two relegation places and hoping not 12. relegated 6. to lose games in double digits to the more skilful teams. The Þór/KA team comes from Akureyri Originally formed by the working poor shortly af- Out of the suburb of Árbær comes the continuous- and will probably be the least successful of these ter the Second World War, Þróttur is a relatively ly disappointing Fylkir, who were predicted in the four, although it is hard to tell one poor team from young club. Their home games are played at the late nineties to become the Icelandic equivalent another. national stadium in Laugardalur. Last year they of the Manchester United dynasty, but have mostly played in the first division, as they have done al- remained in the middle of the division. Their sup- 6. most every year they’ve been in competition. The porters will undoubtedly still cling to the hopes of few years they have spent in the premier league the nineties. Ambitious newcomers who won’t win the top haven’t been fruitful and this year will be no ex- teams, but might score a draw now and then. ception. 5. 5. 11. relegated A superpower in the women’s division, Breiðab- lik haven’t done as well in the men’s competition. Their strong home pitch will secure their place in Much to anyone’s surprise HK escaped relegation With almost the same squad as last year they the division. The same laws of physics apply when from the premier league last year, finishing ninth should reap similar results. it comes to the Keflavík pitch as in the men’s divi- (in 2007 only one team was relegated in order sion: the wind will put the visiting team off. to increase the number of teams to 12). Hailing 4. from neighbouring Kópavogur, their budget is low 4. and they will hardly repeat last year’s fluke per- FH subscribed to the Championship from formance. 2002-2006. This year, FH has a strong team, but not This is the only team in the premier division who strong enough to win the title. With a fiercely loyal plays on artificial turf. Historically they’ve been 10. fan base in their hometown of Hafnarfjörður, their among the top teams, claiming an upset victory fourth place finish might be a disappointment to from time to time. Grindavík is a small fishing village on the Reyk- many. janes peninsula. Their home turf has seats for ev- 3. ery resident of the town – the people of Grindavík 4. take sports very seriously. A few years back they The superpower of Icelandic women’s soccer. were battling for the top seats, mostly on account The oldest team in the league and the most histor- They’ve won the title 15 times, which is amazing of money funnelled into the club from local fisher- ically successful one, with 24 titles in all. Despite considering the premier league started in 1972. ies. The spending is less this year and they will do an enormous budget and an all-star squad, the This year they will battle the other two titans of well to avoid relegation. team was almost relegated last year, much to the the league but ultimately fall short. surprise of everyone. They will be in contention 9. for top billing this year, but still won’t win them 2. any titles. In Keflavíkl, soccer has always been the second This year will be a close race between KR and sport after basketball. They have still managed to 2. Valur to the championship, much as it has been be crowned champions four times, but that was in for the last few years. This year around KR will fin- the seventies and the eighties. Their home pitch is Last year’s champions Valur will be playing on a ish second their strongest asset, probably because the local brand new pitch this year, curiously named the players are used to the high winds that are con- Vodafone Arena. Historically this is a successful 1. stantly blowing, while visiting teams mostly look club with strong Christian YMCA ties, but their befuddled. win last year was a bit of a surprise. The team has In the last four years, Valur has won three titles. not changed much between seasons, and that The national team is mostly made up of their play- 8. complacency simply won’t be enough. ers, with wunderkid Margrét Lára Viðarsdóttir heading the attack – a player who could hold her Fjölnir is youngest team in the division founded 1. own in any division. They will repeat as champi- 1988. They hail from suburban heaven in Grafar- ons this year. vogur and have never played in the premier divi- ÍA hails from the small town Akranes and has a sion before. Last year they reached the final of long history of soccer. They’ve won the title 18 By Páll Hilmarsson Where you find souveniers from Iceland

open every day from 9.00 to 22.00

We are located right in the middle of down town Reykjavík. We sell books, music, souvenirs and lots more.

LÆKJARGATA 2A 101 REYKJAVÍK OPEN 09 - 22 EVERY DAY TEL. 511-5001 12 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Feature Graduation Exhibition –

1. Creativity, cleverness and noise filled the Reyk- ing and ask questions. For example, this work shows javík Art Museum at Kjarvalsstaðir last month the absurdity of the dogmatic division between hell when graduate students from the Iceland Acad- and heaven, heaven and hell being illusions and repli- emy of the Arts invaded the museum. For two cas. It addresses a critic of narcissism, a phenomenon weeks, 63 students graduating from graphic, of our society that is linked to our use of the media, product and fashion design, visual arts and ar- and then it tries to question the viewer to ask him/ chitecture displayed their final projects and used herself the value of a situation, but also his/her way of every bit of space, inside and even outside the looking at artworks. museum, to present their creations. The exhibi- Being a work for a graduation exhibition, my work tion was a huge success, but more than 11,000 asks also the values, the seriousness of the event it- people visited the museum to view the latest in- self, but also comes back to the whole idea of judg- novations in art and design. Grapevine contact- ment: in school, in art. ed a couple of students and found out about the Etienne de France – Art ideas behind their projects. 1. 5. “‘Góða mamma’ (Mommy Dearest) is an installation “Krossgata: (2-7) deep space / in your face - a window- and video where a giant ball of yarn is grotesquely box. placed upon a woman’s body, handicapping her as she July 1969: Michael Collins goes alone 30 times around tries to go about her daily duties in the modern, linear, the moon – 59 hours, 30 minutes, 25.79 seconds. (He masculine environment of business and managing. never felt lonely)” The ball of yarn is a feminine symbol, representing Páll Haukur Björnsson – Art among other things the domestic heritage and irrevo- 6. cable motherhood and acts as a counterpoint to all The floor lamp ‘Illuminant’ is made in our belief that 2. the square, sharp and dark shapes of its environment. all our thoughts and doings come back to us. The It also makes for an amusing visual experience, kind of lampshade is made of reflective material, and hangs sad and amusing at the same time. I also used sound from the ceiling in a fish-line. The light-bulb is placed to amplify the hindrances our protagonist encounters, in a little foot on the floor and over that is a grating including a tea-kettle adding sinister and domestic with plastic film in various colours. You choose the suspense to the whole setting.” colour you prefer and place it over the light, and the Svala Ragnarsdóttir – Art lampshade gives you back your colour. 2. Kristín Birna Bjarnadóttir – Product Design Culture and Nature Centre in Álftanes. 7. One of the main goals in the new urban planning for “This collection is a story about a woman who is sen- Álftanes is to create a living environment with all the sual, sexy and fragile so she dresses in heavy armour services that are needed for a small town like Álftanes. to be able to make it in the brutal world we live in. The The location of the Culture and Nature Centre is an ex- colours are black, silver, off-white and fleshy pink. The tension of the existing plan and is situated at the end models wore corsets and bum-rolls to exaggerate their of the main street. The entrance of the culture centre feminine curves and make their legs appear longer.” is therefore a beginning of the new urban plan. Arna Sigrún Haraldsdóttir – Fashion Design The location is also well suited to connect the existing 8. paths that wind around Álftaness to the culture cen- ‘Growing Jewellery’ is a redefinition of modern day tre. The house has therefore two entrances, one that values. It’s a clash of jewellery and gardening – cou- extends itself into the main street and takes a part in ture and organism. It is a collection of hand jewellery, the urban environment, and then another that serves which is designed for people in metropolitan cities the purpose of connecting the cultural centre to the and is an experiment in drawing nature toward man, nature of Álftanes. In that way the house is working as nature being the presupposition of life. 3. both with the existing environment and the urban Hafsteinn Júlíusson – Product Design plan. 9. Bergur Þorsteinsson - Architecture “Stuðlar are corrugated-paper modules that link to- 3. gether in a simple and easy manner to form a wall that “My exhibit is entitled ‘Nang Jáadaas’, which means is as functional in the home as in the office. Stuðlar The Woman in the Haida language. The Haida are a were developed during a workshop run by Hrafnkell First Nations tribe that have lived on and around the Birgisson, where each student was required to design Queen Charlotte islands of the northwest coast of a product for a local manufacturing company. I se- Canada for thousands of years. My project sprung lected Kassagerðin-Central Packaging and developed from my B.A. thesis, in which I explored the formal a product using the company’s basic production ma- and technical principles which govern the native art terials and techniques.” of the northwest coast. My exhibit is a triptych of il- Friðgerður Guðmundsdóttir – Product Design lustrations in this style, which display my personal 10. ‘crest’ of sorts, the women in my life and their signifi- “The development of Blackletter typefaces stopped cance to me.” in the first half of the 20th century, as they fell out of Sigurður Oddsson – Graphic Design favour for social and political reasons. In the decades 4. that have passed, the legacy of the 500-year history “Belonging to an on-going series called ‘Babel Bible’, of Blackletter has been mostly forgotten, and Blacklet- this Last Judgment is my personal interpretation of ter typefaces are rarely used, apart from beer bottle the dramatic Bible episode; playing with the classic labels and for rock-music graphics. In researching my models of representations of the episode, I present BA thesis, I discovered that in Germany, until around these scenes in a surrealistic and humoristic way and 1940, it was quite common to use Blackletter typefaces try to divert this visual tradition in order to add my for books and other large texts. I wanted to attempt to personal language and messages. make a book-typeface based on the Blackletter form, ‘The Last Judgment’, consists in seven photographs in a modern style. To try to envision where the Black- that are presented like an altar. We see the scene of letter form would have developed had it not lost its the judgment, heaven and hell, the travel of humans standing.” towards the two different places, and two angels look- Sveinbjörn Pálsson – Graphic Design ing at the viewer of the work. Through these different scenes and symbols, I want to create layers of mean- By Steinunn Jakobsdóttir Feature | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | 13 Icelandic Academy of the Arts

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6. 7. 14 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Feature

The Fallacy of Excess: Inside The Music

English-born, German-raised entre- thing that saved us a lot of time is that Russell from Sony records approached buying was going on as well, with peo- “...people remi- preneur Mark Chung first made a we never rehearsed, which is not a con- me that the idea seemed viable for us, ple replacing their old vinyl collections name for himself in the early eighties cept I recommend for young artists. We as he was the first one to want to let us with CDs. Those were ten or twenty nisced fondly about as bassist for the highly influential only rehearsed once in our time, when keep the artists after they’d had their years where, frankly, I think the music industrial band Einstürzende Neubau- we’d gotten bored by our way of doing success. business created a lot of the problems hanging with Wal- ten. Early on in the band’s life Chung things and thought it would be good to So we made the Sony Independent Net- that it’s had later on. It grew so fat and undertook the task of administering challenge ourselves by rehearsing for work Europe model and that worked rich that a lot of very mediocre-to-bad ter Yetnikoff [noto- its finances, which would eventually our next album. I’m not going to say well as a concept for five years. We had managers survived very well by just be- lead him to a fruitful career in the which album it was; it wasn’t one of the a lot of success; the indies under our ing there, and even managed to show a rious former CBS/ global music industry running his own better ones. helm broke artists at home and within profit. For a lot of people in the major publishing company as well as head- I played with the band for 14 years, very short periods of time we could turn companies, the strategy was to attach Sony Music exec] ing Sony Independent Network Eu- and for the last five we started our that into global success stories, which yourself to something that was success- rope. Among other things, it saw him own publishing company because we worked out pretty well for everybody. ful, and distance yourself from what in the preceding working with many of the musicians were unhappy with the situation we We had our failures as well, of course. was not. That was a survival strategy that dominated the FM waves of the found in the market. We built a very The way we combined the strength of that worked and kept a lot of incompe- years: “... and we last decade. Chung, who now reigns efficient company, which we soon re- the majors and the indies is that we’d tent people in the business. over his own Berlin-based publishing alized would be even more efficient if mostly let the indies under SINE do were on a boat firm, Freibank Musik, recently visited we helped some of our friends who had their thing, and then Sony would come Collapsing Old Industry Iceland on business and agreed to tell asked us why we couldn’t handle their in with their strong and efficient mar- In that sense, it was a good thing and a with a lot of hook- the Grapevine about some of his expe- copyrights as well as our own. keting department. Having a presence right thing that the bubble burst; a shake riences in the collapsing empire that in every territory of the world and hav- out on the structure level wasn’t so bad ers, and there was is the global music industry, where it’s “We Didn’t Strive to ing a structure in every country made for the music industry at all. However, taken him and where he sees it going. Dominate the Market” for a very efficient structure. I was sur- after the fourth round of firing people, all that coke and I saw an opportunity to build what I call prised by how many records you could you could tell that some really good an artist friendly publishing company, sell at that time; we sold 70 million al- people were getting let go. I realized everybody got gold How did I get started in the business? As based on efficiency and improvement bums operating a small team over five that the SINE model wasn’t working most musicians know, the bass player is of copyright collection and administra- years. anymore when I went to Sweden – at watches to take the most economic thinking person in tion of copyrights. And that was defi- one point, some Oasis album had just the band; they hardly practice and girls nitely missing in the market, so for a Conferences, Cocaine and Hookers come out and we weren’t getting the home as souvenirs can’t tell the difference between them couple of years I tried to do both the Decadence in the record industry, you second single on the radio. “Hang on. and the guitar player. Thus when you band and the business, but that wasn’t say? Well, when I joined Sony in ’96 it The Oasis single? Whaddaya mean it’s after the party...” It become a bass player, you’ve already really working because we would go was really the tail end of decadent 90’s not on radio?” I arrived at Sony’s Swed- got a grasp on the laws of supply and on tour for three months and then had era. Still a bit excessive, but when you ish office and I found the lady who was isn’t like that any demand. Every band needs a bass play- to start over, which makes it hard to went to conferences people reminisced head of radio promotion in the mail- er, while there’s plenty of guitar players develop a new business. It was easier fondly about hanging with Walter Yet- room, packing parcels. I realized she more.” around. So if you want to be in a band, to focus on one or the other, and ob- nikoff [notorious former CBS/Sony Mu- was the only radio promotion person it’s a good idea to play bass. viously I’d played in bands for twenty sic exec] in the preceding years: “... and left with Sony Sweden, and she was Now, being the economic thinking years at that point so I thought it was we were on a boat with a lot of hookers, responsible for the entire international person in my band, I was soon put in time to focus on the business side. I am and there was all that coke and every- repertoire, and the entire Scandinavian charge of taking care of business, and glad that I did, and I have to say that I body got gold watches to take home as roster, and SINE. And her assistant had business pretty soon became pretty was very lucky; after spending some souvenirs after the party...” It isn’t like just been fired the week before. Which complex in our band because we had time building the publishing company that any more; it must have been more is why she was in the postal room, actu- to find ways of making a living off a the people from [international indie in the late eighties and early nineties. ally sticking sellotape on records that rather exotic type of music. So we did a label] Play it Again Sam came along What happened is that a) the record were to be shipped to radio. So the Oa- lot of contracts and international deals and wanted to build a European inde- industry convinced the artists that CDs sis record was probably somewhere in that had to be managed. We worked pendent label. were really complicated and expen- that pile of records to be mailed out. on a country-to-country level, finding I worked on that indie label for two sive, so everybody agreed on taking a But what we did at SINE, and enough people in Japan or the UK who years and the majors were always com- royalty reduction of 25% and b) they what we’re proud of, is that we man- were interested to release our albums ing up to us to ask if we could help convinced the buying public that CD aged to introduce new artists into the there, and so on, selling a couple of them develop new artists, because it technology was so expensive that they system, artists that had maybe been thousand copies in every country. We’d seemed like we were a bit better at han- had to raise the price: when of course well known at home but lacked inter- sell about 100.000 copies of an album dling artists at an early point in their the truth was that the format very soon national recognition. And that ability, worldwide in the late eighties. careers than they were. They wanted became much cheaper to manufacture to develop new artists internationally, Was it a lot of work? Well, we were quite to give us some of their baby artists to than vinyl. The profit margins were in- has been lost by the major companies. lazy and toured very little. Another develop. However, it wasn’t until Paul credible, they blew up, and a lot of re- And that’s still the situation because Feature | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | 15

“What happened is Licensing and that a) the record registration of travel- industry convinced related services the artists that CDs The Icelandic Tourist Board issues licences to tour operators and travel agents, were really compli- as well as issuing registration to booking services and information centres. Tour operators and travel agents are required to use a special logo approved cated and expen- by the Icelandic Tourist Board on all their advertisements and on their Internet website. sive, so everybody Booking services and information centres are entitled to use a Tourist Board logo on all their material. The logos below are recognised by the agreed on taking Icelandic Tourist Board.

a royalty reduc- List of licenced Tour Operators and Travel tion of 25% and b) Agencies on: visiticeland.com they convinced the buying public that CD technology was “You haven't been in Iceland if you haven't been to us“ so expensive that Don’t miss it! they had to raise the price. When of course the truth was that the format very soon became much cheaper.” Viking feasts every night - live entertainment For booking and further information: Industry With Mark Chung Tel.: +354 565-1213 www.vikingvillage.is [email protected] business just like any other, and it has of how they’ve reacted to diminishing stuck on there to make a more valuable Strandgata 55 Hafnarfjordur revenues, reducing their staff to a level product. more future potential than any of them. where development is near-impossi- It was hard for major labels to This has become common knowledge ble. face the fact that they might have to re- lately, which is very positive. The financial people have be- duce the prices of their product, which Second, people have started come very influential and with the ma- they did later, although it took them a to realise that the wide on-line avail- jor assumption that “...since we’re doing really long time. The arrogance of the ability of content is one of the biggest a profit on J. Lo and Christina Aguilera, majors is remarkable in that respect. It drivers behind the explosive growth we should only do those releases, and also has to do with the pure human fact in the high-tech industries for the past then we can be quite profitable.” And that it’s really hard to let go of a thing decade. This has been established by a what they’re missing is that sometimes that works. You see this now with the lot of research; people will buy a new the J. Lo records don’t sell as much as film industry, they’re having the same phone, a faster computer or a better Tilveran Restaurant in the heart of Hafnar örður you would expect – and they have noth- problem of letting go of the nice DVD broadband connection to access music Fresh sh every day in a iendly atmosphere. ing to replace them with, because most business that’s giving them a lot of rev- and films on-line. What happened in the success stories start at the bottom. For enue right now. They aren’t managing past decades was that artists and small instance, I had the pleasure of working it very smart, and it’s hard to see what’s and medium sized businesses working with Travis, who sold six million copies going to protect them from the destiny out of bedrooms all over – vulnerable of their second album while their first of the record companies. businesses – have been subsidizing the one only sold thirty thousand. The situ- development of the technology sector, ation today is that bands like that prob- Subsidizing the High-tech Industry which has been highly profitable. It’s ably don’t get to release their poten- How do I see the future? The music obvious that an imbalance has hap- tially six million selling second album, industry needs to reinvent itself. I am pened, and I think that people have because the company is afraid to invest not in the business of predicting, I’ve realized that. in them. lived long enough to know that it’s Some very promising devel- pretty much impossible, but there are opments have happened lately. In How Americans a couple of things that I’d like to say. I France, Sarkozy has succeeded Killed the Singles Market think there’s a chance at the moment to in bringing together the Internet When file sharing became the norm, set things right, and one of the things Service Providers and the content Tilveran Restaurant – tel. (+354) 565-5250 – Linnetstíg 1, Hafnar örður the big labels were paying up for their that might help us in Europe is that the providers, who now say that they years of excess, and it’s well deserved. political landscape has changed. Politi- should be working together. That Especially in the case of the multina- cians have realized that what they refer they shouldn’t have one industry tionals, because they carry a big share to as the creative and cultural indus- thriving while another dies. Looking Department of Welfare of the blame for the various policies. tries – of which the music business is at it from the French perspective, if is changing adress! For instance, Americans killed an aspect of, along with film, TV, adver- they lose the creative structure there On May the 15th 2008, the department of welfare will the singles market. It worked well for tising, books, newspapers, magazines, after the years it took to market and move its residence from Tryggvagata 17 to them to make two or three singles with etc. – are crucial to them. develop, they’ll get more of the de- Borgartun 10-12. Telephone number will stay the same. an artist that they would produce very Once you add all these things to- struction of independent distribution nicely, and only make them available as gether, you realize that section of the and record companies, which will in As before, service centers around town will continue to provide information about various issues. a package on an album that was filled economy is much larger than had been turn encourage the Anglo-American The department of welfare gives information and advice about social entitlements and pro- with inferior songs that the consumer assumed, around 4-5% of the Gross dominance of global culture. They’re vides support in cases of social or personal problems for registered residents in Reykjavik. had no interest in purchasing. There’s Domestic Product. Bigger than the saying: “We have a national interest For general information about operations in the City of Reykjavik and additional information on e.g. specific housing benefits, pre-school applications or financial aid, you should contact a difference between an album that’s automotive industry, or the chemical here to preserve, which every coun- service centers in your own neighbourhood: conceived by an artist, and one that’s industry. For all these years, politicians try might have.” So they’ve signed an • Vesturgarður, service centre for the residents of Vesturbaer district, Hjardarhagi 45-47, conceived by the record company behave supported those industries, while agreement, the ISPs and the content/ tel. 411-1700 • Miðborg and Hlíðar, service centre for the residents of the city centre and the district of Hlidar, cause they want to charge the price of the culture industries have been left on culture industry, to work together Skulagata 21, tel. 411-1600 an album for two singles. They forced their own. Now they’ve realized that and address the issue of illegal file • Laugardalur and Háaleiti, service centre for the residents of the districts of Laugardalur and Haaleiti, Sidumuli 39, tel. 411-1500 the public to purchase twelve songs they’re going faster than the others, sharing and how it affects everybody. • Breidholt, service centre for the residents of Breidholt, Alfabakki 12, tel. 411-1300 that they weren’t interested in, to get and have a better chance to survive in And that sort of thinking might actu- • Ábær and Grafarholt, service centre for the residents of the districts of Arbaer and Grafarholt, Baejarhals 1, tel. 411-1200 the two that they wanted. That’s not a the next twenty years. Europe isn’t go- ally get us somewhere. • Miðgarður, service centre for the residents of Grafarvogur and Kjalarnes, Langarimi 21, consumer friendly business model, but ing to survive well in the shipbuilding tel. 411-1400 it was very profitable. One of the attrac- industry, in competition with Korea or As told to Haukur Magnússon Borgartún 10-12 tions of file-sharing and downloading China who can do it at a much cheaper 105 Reykjavík is that you just pick up the tracks that price. The steel industry is in a bad Tel: 411 9000 you want, and you don’t have to deal shape... but producing content – art, www.velferdarsvid.is with all the stuff the record company television series, books, music – is a 16 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Feature

MORÐINGJARNIR

“I hate to punch a clock in the morning, so I just want to make punk or movies, and hopefully one of the other will work out and then I won’t have to work...”

So, your second album is out, and it has re- especially for the Iceland Airwaves festival ceived glowing reviews from every critic. and Morgunblaðið (Iceland’s biggest daily Haukur: Well, I’m not going to tell you that it re- newspaper) called it the worst song ever writ- ceived better reviews that what we expected. We ten, or something similar. expected it to receive very good reviews. But it is Atli: Ah, yes. We found that to be a very remark- still fun. able comment. The punk scene has not been very prominent It was particularly remarkable because it was in Icelandic mainstream media. It has been written anonymously and did not appear in a long time since I’ve seen a punk album re- relation to any review. It just appeared in the ceive such favourable reviews in the main- middle of the page, totally out of nowhere. It stream media. Is this the beginning of a punk would have made more sense if this was writ- revival you think? ten as a review by someone. Atli: I don’t know. Music is often difficult to define; Haukur: I still wouldn’t have understood it, because I don’t really know who is doing punk anymore. I think it is the best song ever written in Iceland. Haukur: There is lot of punk bands actually, but Atli: Still, we were kind of happy with the com- most of them never make an album. ment. I think it is a very perky song, perky to the Atli: Yes, you often hear one song on Myspace, or point where it becomes intolerable. Very in-your- see a band play live one or two times, and then face. I could understand if people found it intoler- they disappear. Nothing happens. Today it is re- able, and to get such a harsh comment on it, that’s ally easy to make a record, using this new digital a lot more fun than if someone had said it was technology, so that shouldn’t be a problem. We mediocre. Being mediocre sucks. did our first record for almost no money. But we Haukur: The question is if we have created a tradi- are putting more into the second album. tion. Whether we will make a new Airwaves song Haukur: But I don’t know how truly punk we are. for the next festival or if the radio stations will just A lot of bands just make punk music as sort of keep playing this one. a joke. And really, that’s how this band started Many reviewers have noted the lyrics on the initially, until we got more serious about it. But I album especially, which are great. How do think a lot true punkers, the one’s that have safety you go about writing the lyrics? pins in their cheeks, they probably don’t think we Haukur: I write the lyrics, mostly. The music is are really punk. more of a collaborative project, but I have taken I reviewed your album in the last issue, and I responsibility for the lyrics, at least for this record. said that there was a lot of influence from (Ice- I was either just inspired by something that I want- landic punk greats) Innvortis on this album. ed to write about, but a lot of times I just grabbed Haukur: Yes, that is a little strange; you are not the the rhyme dictionary and worked from there. first person to say that. When we made our first Some of the lyrics are a very sharp criticism of our so- album, we were listening to Innvortis a lot, and ciety; they are not all as perky as the Airwaves song. hanging out with them and we thought they were Haukur: No, that’s true. really cool. Is that just a part of being in a punk band? Atli: They even played on one song on that album. Writing critical lyrics. Haukur: But now, they could all be dead to me. I Haukur: No, although we are in a punk band, I don’t see them and I don’t hear from them. And don’t think we are your typical punks per se. We now we make an Innvortis album. This was not a both went to the Commercial College of Iceland. conscious decision. Atli: I bought this sweater in Jack & Jones. It must have seeped in at the time. Haukur: The lyrics as such are not intended to fill out Haukur: Probably. But we are still a lot better the punk stereotype. I am just this clever, you see. than Innvortis. But we are not unhappy with the Atli: Every time Haukur comes in with a new comparison. songs, he has a little story constructed around it. Atli: A lot of times when we are working on songs, ‘You guys know this type, right? The drug addict, they have working titles from the bands that we he is this old, has a girlfriend that’s a lot younger think is sounds like. The Pixies Song, The Slayer and they both wear jogging pants and hang out Song and so on. Maybe we are not the best people at the bar Monaco and shoot up in the toilet.’ He to judge this. always has this little scene constructed around How did this band come about? each song. Atli: After Dáðadrengir folded, which is the band Haukur: I think the best lyrics are the oldest ones, we were all in before Morðingjarnir, we were just and the ones I wrote a quarter to midnight the day hanging around, the three of us in our practice before we went into the studio. A lot of lyrics end- space and we wanted to make some music. ed up in the trash. I don’t think I am a very good Haukur: And Dáðadrengir sure as hell were not poet. Or, I think I am a great poet, I am a very good going to be making music. poet, but I have excellent quality control. Atli: No, and Haukur is not a very good guitar It is a little tempting to relate your lyrics player, and I am not a very good bass player, but to the fact that you have been going to film Helgi is an OK drummer, so it made most sense to school and you are becoming a film maker. make some punk. If we had decided to make prog- Are your lyrics another manifestation of your metal, it would probably have been a complete desire to tell stories? failure. Or anything else for that matter. Punk was Haukur: I really like telling stories, that’s true. But I just a starting point for us, at some time, we even have never related the two, but you are right, there considered doing something else, but.. is probably a relation. But the main thing is that Haukur: We didn’t really form this band because I hate to punch a clock in the morning, so I just we think punk is the greatest musical genre in the want to make punk or movies, and hopefully one world. It is just one of many types of music that of the other will work out and then I won’t have to we like. We are more accidental punkers. But we work in a mayonnaise factory. have discussed our ideas for making a ska-record Atli: I want to add that I have known Hakur for and an industrial record, and so on. But we just more than ten years, and he is still telling me new don’t feel like it. stories. I think there is a lot to the hypothesis that Atli: Now, obviously, we have become an estab- this is nature as storyteller breaking out. He really lished punk band. is a great storyteller. Haukur: We have made two punk albums already. Haukur: That’s probably true. I really enjoy meet- Our next album is probably going to sound a lot ing new people for example, because that means better but be a little less interesting musically. I can start at the beginning and retell all the stories That is the usual arch of a punk band. More of the I know. same, only worse. I wanted to ask you about a song you wrote By Sveinn Birkir Björnsson Feature | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | 17

AMIINA

“We debated whether it should show Kerið and Lee Hazelwood’s name, date of birth and death, but then we decided to keep the scene open for speculations.”

Let’s start with the obvious first question. play with Sigur Rós in 1999 and before that we What’s going on with Amiina? played classical music together in school. María: There are plenty of things. Too many really. Sólrún: We started as the string quartet Aníma in We’re finishing a movie soundtrack and will soon 1998. That’s the beginning. go on tour with Sigur Rós. The biggest project at Edda: Four years ago we started to create our own the moment are concerts we are organising for music together. the Reykjavík Art Festival where we collaborate Are there any defined roles in the band today with Kippi Kaninus. The concerts will take place or do you just pick up whatever instrument at Reykjavík Art Museum (Hafnarhús) on May 15 you want and start playing? and 16. María: There really are no clear assignments. Usually, there are only the four of you when When we get an idea, we just work around it and you play live, but these concerts are of much each one of us picks up the instrument they think bigger scale. will fit the best. It’s a very liberating process in Sólrún: Yes, it’s a much bigger project than we many ways, but at the same time a bit restrictive, have done before. We got the idea to do a collab- because no one has the role of a leader. All of a orative project and thought it would be ideal to sudden, we’re maybe all going crazy playing so- include Kippi, as he had toured with us in Europe los. We’re not the typical band with a singer, bass, last year. The project soon expanded and more guitar and drums. There is no front and no key musicians joined us. melody, really. But that’s what we like about it be- Edda: We’ll be 16 in total. cause that way other parts become more promi- María: We have had this dream, to produce a dif- nent. ferent live set, for a long time. Our music has many Your debut album ‘Kurr’, released last year, saw layers so when it is only the four of us on stage some good reviews in the international press. we are busy trying to comprise everything. We Were the responses beyond expectations? wanted to let our music come into its own with- María: Yes and no. Before we released the album out us running around, swapping instruments. We we had played our songs for a diverse audience wanted to grab the chance to look at our music when opening up for Sigur Rós. We therefore had from a different angle, rearrange it and also cre- some idea how people felt about our music, that ate something new. We’ve done arrangements for they at least didn’t hate it. a string quartet as well as a brass section so the It must be a big plus for a young band to be concerts will be different from both our previous able to try out their material in front of such live performances as well as from the songs on a big crowd. our albums. The title, ‘Amina, Kippi and Friends María: Absolutely. I guess we can say that we in Wonderland’ is a reference to how everything started on the completely wrong end. Our first will become a little twisted. real concerts were at Laugardalshöll and our first Sólrún: Something that was once very tiny sud- concert in L.A. was at Hollywood Bowl, in front of denly becomes very big. 10,000 people. When we started to organise our You also mentioned a movie soundtrack. own tours we had gained good experience so we Maria: We’ve been composing the soundtrack for weren’t as nervous as we maybe should have. a British film called ‘Is There Anybody There?’ by Sólrún: I have to say that I find it easier to play large Irish director John Crowley. He put a lot of respon- venues. When you play in front of thousands, the sibility on our hands, to help shape the characters crowd becomes more like a big mass rather than with the music. Although the timing couldn’t have individuals. As soon as you move into a small been worse we decided to go for it because we venue where you can look at people’s faces, it be- liked the film so much. comes much harder. Sólrún: It’s a story of a ten-year-old boy and an old Hildur: You realise that there are real people watch- man, played by Michael Caine, who’s brilliant in ing you, who will have opinions about the show. his role by the way. The film deals with the way Edda: I feel much more vulnerable in those cir- they try to help each other out, dealing with life cumstances. and to live in the moment. Your collaboration with Lee Hazlewood in María: This is a beautiful and intimate film, filled the single ‘Hilli (At the Top of the World)’ got with many small details and great closeness to good coverage, especially since it was his last the characters. The film is in post-production and recording before he died. How did this col- scheduled to premiere by the end of this year. laboration come about? How did you get this project? Hildur: His manager got this idea, if Amiina and Ha- Edda: Wasn’t it thanks to Yoko Ono? zlewood wouldn’t be a weird and funny combo... Sólrún: That’s true. There is this radio show, called María: … and unbelievably, he said yes. Desert Island Discs (on BBC Radio 4), where peo- Sólrún: We never imagined that he would agree ple are asked to name records they would take so this was a pleasant surprise. He died only a with them to a desert island. She picked John couple weeks later. Lennon, Sean Lennon and also Amiina, among María: We’ve been huge fans of his so this was all others. The director heard this show and bought very surrealistic. Opposites Attract the album. I have to ask about the video to the song When this project is over, what are the plans (viewed 20,431 times on Youtube), especially for the summer? the scene in the end, where two girls scatter To us at the Grapevine, putting Amiina and Maria: After we finish the score for the film we’ll ash into the crater lake Kerið. This is supposed jump on the plane to tour with Sigur Rós for the to represent Hazlewood’s remains, right? Morðingjarnir together in a room made perfect next three months. María: The making of this video was very interest- sense. One band likes to play the saw, the other Sólrún: We’ll support them in concert but not play ing and happened quite fast. We were actually our own set this time. We decided to take a break abroad when it was filmed. wields the axe. from Amiina this summer and just have fun. Em- Sólrún: The director flew to Iceland and produced phasise on one job, instead of two. the video without us, although we were part of the María: To play two concerts each night can get re- process. ally tiring. María: We debated whether it should show Kerið Sólrún: We did that for one year. It was a great ex- and Lee Hazelwood’s name, date of birth and perience but at the same time very exhausting. death, but then we decided to keep the scene María: Considering how much time we’ve spent to- open for speculations. It of course strongly indi- gether for the past ten years it’s unbelievable that cates that we are spreading his ashes over Ice- we are still friends. land’s nature. As surrealistic as the song came to Sólrún: It’s been great fun though. be, I have to say this video is just as surrealistic. Photo by GAS Has it been that long, ten years? María: Well, it’s a bit complicated. We started to By SteinunnJakobsdóttir 18 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Reviews

CONCERT CONCERT CONCERT

Photo by GAS Photo by GAS Photo by GAS

Morðingjarnir Summer Celebration Sólstafir

Where: Iðnó When: April 24, 2008 Where: Organ When: April 23., 2008 Where: Organ When: May 6th, 2008

First off, any establishment that sells bottled beer for 700 ISK is clear- I was sure the editor of Grapevine was busting my chops when he Organ was packed good, at least considering that it was a Tuesday ly the wrong venue for a punk concert. Settings aside, this proved to asked me to cover The Reykjavik Grapevine’s Sólarsamba Concert night. Most people were obviously there to see Sólstafir so the in- be a pretty good night for music. By now, Sudden Weather Change is at Organ. Reasons being the following: my own band was playing, terest in newcomers Polymental, who started the night, was politely a firmly established indie rock outfit that plays fast-paced and multi- I was partaking in the planning the event and I manage the venue. disinterested. Their set, frankly, didn’t do much to change anyone’s layered guitar rock. I am pretty sure there is an audience for their But I could see where he was coming from: He wanted the insider’s mind. Their old school metal is skillfully executed; these guys are music, it just doesn’t include me. They are accomplished musicians look on a night like this. all great musicians, but lacks originality. Their singer showed some and occasionally show spurts of creative energy, but I have never The event drew a big crowd early on and everyone got into classic metal wailing – which was nice, but not enough to make the been able to connect to this band. positions to enjoy the evening’s opener, Swords of Chaos. The band performance memorable. Reykjavík!’s scream-charged audio assault was unleashed delivered a tight set of high-energy, best described as Battles battling Sólstafir are an institution in the Icelandic metal scene, starting next. Their performance was the usual high-octane delivery of punk Mike Patton’s grandmother in queue at Wal-Mart. Very interesting. out in 1995 with a traditional death-metal sound. Since then Sólstafir rock mayhem that audiences have come to expect and demand Next up were indie-folk darlings Seabear who cooked up a have carved quite a niche for themselves, especially in the European from this band: a barrage on all senses, including that of humour, warm brew of lo-fi pop while back-stage conversations brewed be- metal scene, their albums generally receiving glowing rewiews in in- delivered with such ferocity that you could actually hear the guitars tween bands and friendliness seemed to be the theme. Excitement ternational metal magazines. go out of tune with every hit of the strings. Their set was topped by a grew in the air, for the highlight of the night drew nearer: Maggi At Organ Sólstafir played material from a forthcoming album, great cover of Dr. Mista and Mr. Handsome’s Boogie Woogie – a sur- Kjartans, legendery old-timer of the Icelandic music scene was “Köld”, to be released in Europe this summer and in Iceland in the prising but effective choice. Midway through their set, guitarist Hau- present to perform his contribution to the 1988 Eurovision semi- fall. It is hard to describe the Sólstafir sound, without sinking into kur showed the good taste to remove what may have been the ugliest finals, Sólarsamba. some old clichés, so bear with me: their sound is unique, it is epic, pair of jeans in the history of mankind and played the rest of the set It had been 20 years since the song made its way into people’s it is orchestral and sublime. Sólstafir make long metal symphonies, in his briefs. The females in attendance collectively ovulated. hearts and it had never been performed since with Magga Gauja, hard hitting metal that is, at least in Iceland, entirely unique. With the crowd sufficiently riled up by Reykjavík!’s power trip, Maggi’s daughter who sang the song with him when she was 12 Sólstafir played 5 new songs and 2 old ones – but it was by Morðingjarnir took the stage under the national anthem, a fitting years old. I was excited to see how people would react to this rather no means a short set. The average Sólstafir song is on par with the intro song for a band that has just released an album titled Áfram strange addition to the already indie-ish line-up. As they jumped on length of a full length Ramones album. The new stuff sounded big Ísland (Go Iceland). Morðingjarnir is a band that draws influences stage, it was clear that it hit the spot. In the 15-minute medley, the – it sounded as if the next album will be a really important release from across the alphabet. Well, from the Dead Kennedys to White crowd danced, smiled and laughed like Eddie Murphy was in the – both for Sólstafir and the Icelandic metal scene. Sólstafir seem to Zombie at least. They blazed through nearly 20 songs, occasionally house and even danced the Conga! understand that the visual performance of a band is almost equally stopping to give the frenzied audience a taste of Icelandic Brennivín Kimono were up next, but since I was on stage for that, I can as important as 3 minute guitar solos and the Organ performance liquor. They left the stage and returned for an encore and then only give you our point of view: fun fun fun. was no exception. A great concert indeed. Skátar closed the night with their weird-rock antics, a set that By Sveinn Birkir Björnsson could just as well have been performed in Las Vegas at a tanning By Páll Hilmarsson convention. Their songs are as entertaining as looking at pear- shaped men in golden spandex tights. Come to think of it..

By Gylfi Blöndal

Money Exchange - MoneyGram - FOREX Money Transfer - Tax Free www.forex.is Bankastræti 2, 101 Reykjavik 551-7755 Reviews | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | 19

CD CD BOOK

Sweaty Psalms Minni karla Love is a Mix-tape Klive Skuggasveinar Rob Sheffield

Klive is the solo project of Úlfur Hansson, bass player for the metal- Minni karla is an all-Icelandic tribute to the swamp rock legend Tony Rob Sheffield is a music-scribe for The Rolling Stone magazine, a core band Swords of Chaos. This pretty much as far removed from Joe White. That is, Tony Joe’s music, performed by Icelandic musi- prestigious member of small world of people whose whole life re- the dark world of SoC as can be. Low strung but experimental elec- cians, with Icelandic lyrics performed by various singers. The musi- volves around music. More or less. In Sheffield’s case, that proves tronica that radiates a neurotic vibe but is still atmospheric enough to cal delivery is exemplary and does justice to the tunes, but as often to be half accurate at least. He has his music, his Pavement CDs and avoid the collapse into total darkness. It is dark, but not eerie enough is when various guests are brought in to do a tribute, the singing is his mix tapes, and then there is the love of his young life, Reneé. to sound discomforting. This is a pretty powerful debut, and should hit and miss. I particularly enjoyed Þorsteinn Einarsson’s, Ragnar After falling in love they quickly marry and seven years later she keep all fans of electronica waiting for his next release. Kjartansson’s, Óttar Proppé’s and Megas’s delivery. They all have the dies. In this memoir, Sheffield recounts their story, using the mix Sveinn Birkir Björnsson vocal qualities to bring the desired character and life to the to these tapes they made as a vehicle to convey the highs and lows of their songs. Most of the other’s fall flat. Jens Ólafsson, one of Iceland’s short marriage. He’s kept them all, each song hand-picked to create best rock singers sounds way too cautious and Björn Jörundur, a a certain vibe that serves as a guide through their life together, and fine singer in his own right, is completely out of his element here. his life afterwards. A bright spot is the adaption of the Icelandic lyrics though, some of This is a touching book, but Sheffield’s most remarkable which are really good. SBB achievement is to avoid falling into melodrama or emotional por- nography. Throughout, the book is funny and heart warming, despite the heroine’s tragic fate. It is easy to fall in love with Reneé along with Sheffield as he paints a portrait of a independent and ex- troversive woman that was undoubtedly a lot of fun to hang out with CD CD and discuss music with. It is also enjoyable to read how truly unpre- tentious Sheffield is in his writing, his love of music, even some truly bad music, his wife and his vinyl. A curious side story is the demise of the cassette age. Anyone who has ever made a mix tape will probably share Sheffield’s enthu- siasm for this lost art. A generation that has grown up with the drag and drop simplicity of creating iPod playlists will surely have a difficult time understanding the mastery it takes to create the perfect mix tape for every occasion (the Break Up tape, the Fall In Love tape, etc.).

Trappa Bergmann Steintryggur Bergmann

They call themselves rhythm freaks, which is partially true. Stein- Sverrir Bergmann first made a name for himself as a musician when tryggur is all about rhythm and this album is freakishly enjoyable. he won the singing competition of the Icelandic secondary schools, Steintryggur is the collaboration of percussionist and tabla drummer with a particularly cheesy re-edition of Always by New Jersey’s sec- Steingrímur Guðmundsson and former Sugarcubes drummer Sigtryg- ond favourite son, a performance that still makes me cringe every gur Baldursson. On this album they are duly assisted by the wizardry time I think about the Icelandic adaption of its lyrics. But let bygones of Ben Frost, credited for aural terrorism, programming and record- be bygones. This is his first album, and he has brought out the big ing, and a host of guests who step in to create a unique concoction guns, but sadly, he has badly overshot the target. The opening track of various world music influences. The songs are built up around the hints at something that might rise above tear jerking pop clichés, but rhythmic compilations of the two drummers (call this the drummer’s ultimately, it proves to be a teaser. The album consists of calculated revenge) with layers of various electric rhythms, throat singing out of power-pop exercises built for radio rotation on stations for lonely a Tibetan temple, sitar, saz and oud. The opening song Melur is the housewives who cringe on to the promise of one day finding true sort of song that could make or break an art house movie, probably love. Which is sad, because Sverrir has a great voice created for heart- the best song I’ve heard all year. If you are open to new experiences, felt delivery, if only he had something to original to deliver. SBB and only invest in one new CD a year, this one should probably be it. SBB 20 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Article iceland’s best? independent music!

fréttablaðið borko- celebrating**** life

dv morðingjarnir-***** áfram ísland!

Icelandic Heroes of the Silver Screen

- sleepdrunkfréttablaðið seasons Peter Ronson He turned down a part in West Craven’s The Hills Have One Hollywood box-office smash and then retirement, Pe- Eyes to concentrate on his writing. He published a well re hjaltalín ter Ronson aka Pétur Rögnvaldsson was the ultimate one ceived book about America’s barrier islands, their ecology ***** hit wonder. He landed a role in the big budget Journey to and inhabitants, but the lure of schlock was strong. Since the Centre of the Earth in 1959, opposite such star names as the late eighties, Hansen has built himself a career in mostly James Mason, Pat Boone and Arlene Dahl, but then turned straight-to-video horrors like Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers, down all subsequent movie offers. Hellblock 13 and Witchunter. Next up? Hansen goes back to Ronson played Hans, the dependable, Icelandic guide. his roots with The Reykjavik Whale Watching Massacre, cur- Hans was tall, strong and laconic and weirdly attached to rently in pre-production. Gertrude the duck, and every watching ten year old idolised him. Squeaky clean teen-idol Boone couldn’t compete. Ron- Jóhann Pétursson son even got to deliver his dialogue in Icelandic. Jóhann Pétursson is more obscure than the other actors As Hans, Ronson had the opportunity to show his prow- in this series but nevertheless had a long acting career. It ess against prehistoric monsters or rather back projected liz- spanned nearly forty years, from 1943 to 1980, but he made ards with rubber crests and frills glued on. After the movie just three films in that time. Not surprisingly, his 2.34 metre he faced another physical challenge – competing for Iceland (7’8’’) stature had him typecast as a giant. in the 110m hurdles in the Rome Olympics in 1960. For the The first film was a Danish art house movie called record, he clocked in at 15.2 seconds and came sixth in his Hjertetyven. Then in 1950 he appeared in the kitsch fantasy, heat. Plenty of sportsmen try to break into movies (OJ Simp- Prehistoric Women, a mix of sling-shot-wielding amazons, son, Vinnie Jones, Eric Cantona) but there aren’t many who a pterodactyl that looks like a duck and the discovery of morgunblaðið take the opposite route. fire. Jóhann is Guaddi: “savage, merciless and possessed of Herculean strength...the most feared thing in the prehistoric hellvar - bat out of hellvar Gunnar Hansen world”, as the ever-present narrator tells us. He makes bone- **** Since Boris Karloff back in the 1930s, the man behind the crunchingly short work of a tiger but can’t cope with tribes- monster has often proved the opposite of his cinematic face. men with flaming torches. The whole thing is nonsense of So it is with Gunnar Hansen, the iconic Leatherface in Tobe course but kind of fun with a couple of beers. Hooper’s groundbreaking horror movie, The Texas Chainsaw Thirty years later he showed up in Carny, alongside Massacre. Leatherface is a brutish, inbred, Texan cannibal. such star names as Jodie Foster, Gary Busey and the old film Hansen is a mild mannered journalist, poet and historian noir fall guy, Elisha Cook Jr. Carny would have been familiar check out our webstore... born in Reykjavik. territory for Jóhann, as he spent many years in carnivals in Hansen is undeniably effective as the chainsaw-wield- several countries, often billed as The Viking Giant. ing killer. His workman-like despatch of one victim with a In trying to find out a little more about him, I asked lump hammer is particularly chilling, even if the final scenes, a friend who was related to an exceedingly tall man if this www.kimirecords.net in which Leatherface chases the heroine and a very fat pass- were him. No, came the reply, but he rented a room from my ing trucker in and out of the lorry and down the highway, do great grand parents in Dalvik. Only in Iceland..... kimirecords conjure up the Benny Hill theme tune. By Andrew Clark GRANDMOTHERS RECORDS!../5.#% 0!249#/.#%24&2)-!9 2%42/. +)-/./ +,)6% 35$$%.7%!4(%2#(!.'% 3+£4!2+)2!+)2! $,8!48 #,!0&/2!,!3+! $*%,6!2!580!.

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'RANDMOTHERSRECORDSCENTURY53"-EMORYKEY0!249 #ONCERTSCREAMINGCELEBRATIONSAT/2'!.-AY"RINGYOUR53"MEMORYKEYAND GETESPECIALLYSELECTEDSONGSFROMTHE'-2ROSTER!LLTHRUTHENIGHTATAONETIME ONLYPARTYPRICE ALLOFTHEALBUMSCANBEPURCHASEDTOGETHERANDPUTDIRECTLYONYOUR 53"MEMORYKEY I0OD ETC !LLOF'2!.$-/4(%232%#/2$3RECORDSARENOWAVAILABLEINFULLDIGITALQUALITYAT '2!0%7)2%.%4 22 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 18 2007 | Places

Reykjavík Then & Now

In the 1960s... The round’about was still an alien concept. And cars were considered a commodity.

In 2008... the round’about has solved any traffic problem known to man and cars are considered a birth right. Photo by GAS Article | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | 23

Backstage Pass

2nd year students of fashion design at the Iceland Academy of the Arts recently showcased their winter’s work at Apótekið. The Grapevine’s photographer was present backstage and joined the circus. (Honestly, we believe he was just there for the tits and ass) Photos by GAS.

This exciting new multimedia exhibition tells the story from an island’s dramatic birth from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean through its forty year history to the current day – and beyond, glimpsing the future 120 years hence.

The exhibition explains the Government’s decision to submit an application to UNESCO to designate Surtsey a World Heritage Site.

SURTSEY – GENESIS. EXHIBITION AT THE CULTURE HOUSE

The Culture House - Þjóðmenningarhúsið Open daily between 11am and 5pm National Centre for Cultural Heritage Hverﬁ sgata 15, 101 Reykjavik The admission fee grants entry to all exhibitions at the Culture House. Adults ISK 300. Senior citizens ISK 200. Telephone 545 1400 www.thjodmenning.is Students ISK 200. Free entry for children 16 years of age or younger. Admission is free on Wednesdays. 24 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Article

Walking Reykjavík

There’s a lot to see in Reykjavik if you open your eyes. The trick is to get away from the tourist traps on Laugavegur, walk through the back streets, and savour a bit of diversity. Depending on how hard you look you’ll observe a number of odd, sometimes depressing, but ultimately fascinating little details. In a single day you can walk much of the city and see things that you would never have noticed by car or bus. Graffiti is undoubtedly an issue that sometimes de- tracts and sometimes adds value to the scenery. It’s easy to dislike the scrawls defacing much of the city’s backstreets, but at the same time it shows that the whole place is alive and has something to say. Personally, I love Reykjavik warts and all. It’s unique, with a culture that reflects its geographical position somewhere between the Scandinavian Europe and the USA. The locals can be either kind and welcoming or abrupt and impersonal; the whole place keeps you on your toes.The following are a few photos I took as I won- dered around the capital. Hydrant Face – This is one of the many examples of graffiti in Reykjavík that brings a bit of a smile to your face along with the fire hydrant’s. Automobile – Icelanders firmly believe that the bigger the tires, the more power you wield. Beach House – These little fishing huts were used as storage for fishing equipment, now they are canvas for the graffiti artists of the city. Fish – Fish left out to rot, an Icelandic delicacy – or so I’m told. It presents a great photo opportunity as long as you are not standing downwind. Tubes – Another backstreet in Reykjavík 101, another great photo opportunity. I did wonder exactly what was coming out of the cool- ing pipes.

By Laurence Edmondson

Photos by Laurence Destinatons | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | 25

1 *ca. 390 km

9 4

6 Akureyri 3 Located on the shore of the majestic Eyjafjörður fjord on the north coast, Akureyri is the second largest town in the country and a popular weekend getaway. Activities for travellers are multiple as the town is rich with culture, history and a diverse music scene. The town centre boasts numerous bars, restaurants, cafés, art museums, 2 5 galleries and fashion shops and during weekends the whole area turns into a vibrant nightlife des- 7 tination for those in the mood to party. Options for visitors looking for a more relaxed recreation are multiple as well, and a stroll around the Kjar- naskógur wood, an 800-hectare preserved outdoor area south of Akureyri, comes highly recommended. Another possibility is a ferry trip to Hrísey, the second largest island off the coast of 8 Iceland, which will only take about 15 minutes. With a population of only 200 people, the island is extremely beautiful and rich with birdlife. Af- Photos by Thorsten Henn and others. *distance from Reykjavík in kilometres. terwards it’s ideal to go for a swim in the Akureyri swimming pool.

2 ca. 50 km 3 ca. 170 km 4 ca. 480 km 5 ca. 460 km

Akranes Stykkishólmur Húsavík Höfn í Hornafirði

A town of 6,000 people, Akranes is only a 35-min- The small village of Stykkishólmur is consid- The fishing town Húsavík, which sits at the shore The small coastal tow Höfn in southeast Iceland ute drive from the capital. ered one of the more magical municipalities in of Skjálfandi bay, has been experiencing a great is surrounded by natural beauty. Various fascinat- Two Irish brothers settled the town in 880 and the country. Surrounded by historical sites and increase in tourism in recent years. The biggest ing trips can be organized from Höfn, including today the townspeople celebrate the settlement natural beauty, the town is located on the north draw for travellers is the fact that the Skjálfandi sailing around the ice blocks on the Jökulsárlón annually with a family festival called the Irish shore of the Snæfellsnes peninsula. The small and bay is known for being an excellent whale-watch- lagoon, taking a bus trip to the Nature Reserve Days, taking place on July 6 to 8 this year. Activi- colourful houses are built around the harbour ing spot and many companies offer daily whale- of Lónsöræfi and drive up the giant Vatnajökull ties for visitors are varied and range from explor- where fishing boats are docked alongside cruise watching excursions from the harbour. Visitors glacier in a superjeep. For those fascinated with ing interesting museum exhibitions in the Garðar ships and ferries. The town is the gateway to the should also check out the Whale Museum, locat- the nearby ice cap, a new museum featuring an area, sunbathing on the town’s famous sand Breiðarfjörður islands and several companies ed by the harbour. The museum was founded in impressive glacier exhibition focusing on glaci- beach Langisandur or relaxing in the public park organise daily sight-seeing trips among the thou- 1997 and provides information on cetaceans and ology, nature conservation, national parks and Garðalundur, a spacious area with lakes, trees sands of small islands where one can spot wild Iceland’s whaling history. The Húsavík church, researches done in Vatnajökull is open daily all and a large playground for the children. birds flying around the boat while tasting freshly which is one of the oldest wooden churches in year round. caught scallops. Iceland, is also worth a look.

6 ca. 680 km 7 ca. 50 km 8 ca. 450 km 9 ca. 190 km

Seyðisfjörður Garður Ísafjörður Vík

This charming community in East Iceland is re- Located on the northern part of the Reykjanes A trip to the capital of the Westfjords, Ísafjörður, The small coastal village Vík í Mýrdal is the south- nowned for its natural beauty and artistic creativ- peninsula, the small community Garður is only a is a worthwhile journey as the town and its sur- ernmost town in the country and contains many ity. The tiny village of 700 inhabitants is located by ten-minute drive from the Keflavík international roundings offer plenty of activities for travellers. interesting sights to explore. The town’s natural the end of the Seyðisfjörður fjord and surrounded airport. The town’s trademark is the two old light- The town is renowned for being a mix of a thriving surroundings offer attractions such as green mead- by steep mountains on three sides. Small and houses down by the coast which offers a great fishing and music community and is for example ows, expansive sand deserts, glaciers and glacial colourful wooden houses and an old harbour panoramic view over the Faxaflói bay. The coast- home to the annual music festival Aldrei fór ég rivers and only minutes away from town is Dyrhó- characterise the town, which is an extremely at- line also happens to be an excellent bird-watching suður, growing in size and popularity every year. laey, a long preserved promontory stretching from tractive and lively holiday spot. During the sum- spot. As Garður is an old fishing village, a museum The nearby mountains and valleys boast many the coast and out into the ocean. The area is rich mer months, artists from all around the country dedicated to fish processing, The Garður Folk Mu- scenic hiking trips, after which you can relax at with birdlife and picturesque views and while hik- flock to town to throw exhibitions or take part in seum, was established in 1995 and features a col- a downtown café with a drink in hand and chat ing down to the town’s beautiful black sand beach culture festivals. The summer highlight is the an- lection of old boat engines, fishing gear and other with friendly locals. you can view the large Reynisdrangar rock pillars nual L.ung.A art and music festival, taking place historical items. in the near distance. on July 15 to 22 this year. 26 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Article

Stumbling Around Glaciers

“Please be extremely careful when crossing the crevasses. They can be 20 metres deep. If you fall down I’ll have troubles getting you up again,” our guide, an experienced mountaineer, warned the group before leading us to the margin of Sólheimajökull glacier. Sólheima- jökull is an outlet glacier, extending from Mýrdalsjökull ice-cap on the south coast of Iceland. It’s eight kilometres long but like most glaciers, Sólheimajökull is retreating and the movement creates crevasses and ice-caves, beautiful but a little dangerous to explore. The glacier is a popular destination for first-timers as examining its surface is usually an easy hike. We left Reykjavík in a calm weather but typical with Iceland’s unpredictability, the breeze had changed into a storm after the two-hour drive. All geared up with crampons on our feet and ice axes in our hands, we walked slowly up the ice- tongue with the wind beating us harshly. The storm grew with each step until it became almost impossible to stand still. I asked the guide if they ever took groups up in worse weather. “No, the limit is 16m/s” he replied. By now, it was more than 20m/s in the worst blows. Need- less to say, we had a hard time standing on two feet. The wind literally lifted one girl only minutes after her mother had stepped one foot through a thin snow-bridge covering a crevasse. Luckily she didn’t fall down but both were pretty shaken after the incidents. For me, battling Mother Nature while exploring ice-crystals and sculptures shaped by the moving glacier, made the hike much more fun. The storm had calmed down when we stopped near our starting point to admire an ice-cave, carved by the water melting from the glacier. The ice looked like shining marble and I asked if it was possible to go down and take a closer look. “Of course not”, was the answer I was expecting but not hoping for. The ice could easily collapse, the guide explained, leading to a certain disaster. A group of tourists had now arrived on a bus, photographing the glacier and the cave. Little did they know about the troubles we’d been through for the past three hours. Although a bit exhausting, it was though definitely a much richer experience.

Tour provided by Reykjavík Excursions: BSI Bus Terminal 101 Reykjavík Tel.: +354 562 1011 www.re.is

Fly and discover

NUUK GRÍMSEY Greenland

Air Iceland destinations ÍSAFJÖRÐUR VOPNAFJÖRÐUR

AKUREYRI

EGILSSTAÐIR

NERLERIT INAAT Greenland KULUSUK Greenland NARSARSSUAQ Greenland REYKJAVÍK

FAROE ISLANDS

WESTMAN ISLANDS Get your action-packed day tour brochure

/SIA.IS/ICE 34752 04/07 airiceland.is at hotels, airports or any travel agent. / tel. 570 3030 ÍSLENSKA Article | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | 27

Unexpectedly Awesome

Chances are that your handy rough guide doesn’t mention this. From the road, it appears that someone has transplanted colourful buildings from the city centre and placed them in the middle of a homogenous suburb of identical housing tracks and eerie new shopping centres. For the planners of Árbærsafn, the Reykjavík City Museum, this was exactly the idea: to preserve a piece of 19th Cen- tury Iceland right in the midst of the ugly, overdeveloped suburb.. Currently on display is the “Disco and Punk- Different Cul- tures?” exhibit, which documents the frustrating history of the two subcultures in Reykjavik from the 70’s onward. Almost unheard of elsewhere, the disco and punk scenes bonded uniquely over their exclusion and small size. Árbærsafn has divided the highly interac- tive exhibit into two sections: a teenage punk’s room and a tennage disco’s room. In the punk section, one can find flyers from old punk shows, records, and pictures of the once-punk Bubbi Morthens with hair. The garage is complete with brand-new band equipment that guests can use. The disco section includes a representation of the 70’s disco club “Hollywood,” with a light up dance floor and blaring Bee-Gees. The panels are in Icelandic, so English speakers should be sure to take the tour. A replicated turf house (turf houses were banned in the city in 1894) is the Mona Lisa of Árbærsafn. Inside are preserved rooms with artefacts such as paintings made with human hair, old stoves, a loom and family portraits. I found it disturbing when my guide showed me that the entire family of six slept in the same room. But when he told me that the family invited a respected guest to take the bed with the oldest daughter, I was mortified. Detailed explanations of turf-placement and sheep-dung cooking techniques were fascinating. Coming soon to the museum is an early locomotive and fire engine section, featuring cool models of old Reykjavík and the Great Fire of Reykjavík of 1915.

Admission: 600 kr

Text by Chandler Fredrick

Photo by GAS

Fly and discover

NUUK GRÍMSEY Greenland

Air Iceland destinations ÍSAFJÖRÐUR VOPNAFJÖRÐUR

AKUREYRI

EGILSSTAÐIR

NERLERIT INAAT Greenland KULUSUK Greenland NARSARSSUAQ Greenland REYKJAVÍK

FAROE ISLANDS

WESTMAN ISLANDS Get your action-packed day tour brochure

/SIA.IS/ICE 34752 04/07 airiceland.is at hotels, airports or any travel agent. / tel. 570 3030 ÍSLENSKA 28 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Article

Chasing Monsters in East-Iceland

MULDER: A prehistoric animal living in a lake is like creature. As a cryptid 1, it would likely be clas- and witchcraft. The Finns battled the Worm in the “There are sightings that not without precedence. Last August they pulled a sified as a lake monster of the ‘many humps’ vari- lake for a long time. When they emerged, they Bull shark from Lake Onaga in Massachusetts. ety, rather than a ‘long neck’ type like the Loch said they could not overpower the beast, but that cannot fully be explained FARRADAY: An anomaly. Which proves nothing. Ness monster, which more resembles a swimming they had managed to tie its head and its tail to the It only serves as fodder for pseudo-scientists with brachiosaurus. The ‘many hump’ characteristical- bottom, where the worm would stay bound to the by reason,” Hallgrímsson nothing better to do than chase fairy tales. ly arches its body in a series of humps above the end of days, incapable of harming anyone. MULDER: It’s been reported for centuries in doz- water level, hence the name. Some stories claim Both of these legends are common urban contends. “My opinion is ens of countries. From the monster in Loch Ness, The Worm is capable of blowing poisonous fumes myths that have been retold in different versions Nessie, to the Ogopogo in Lake Okanagan. and wrecking death and havoc at a whim. Other around the world at different times. It is easy to that these are paranor- SCULLY: And Lake Champlain, Lagarfljót, Iceland... stories claim that the beast stretches from one end trace the origin of these stories to mythological From The X-Files, episode 3x22 - Quagmire of the lake to the other, full 30 km in length. The figures, whether it is Sigurd the Volsung fighting mal activities, much like (1996) monster appears in annals regularly, and is usu- the dragon Fáfnir, retold in Wagner’s Niebelungen ally considered to foreshadow great misfortunes Ring; the mighty Thor fighting the Midgard Ser- people who claim to see Like most small towns in Iceland, Fellabær (pop. or natural disasters, such as earthquakes, or vol- pent; or Beowulf fighting the sea monster. 350) seems to be little more than a random collec- canic eruptions. Some truly bad stuff. But how did ghosts, elves and hid- tion of houses surrounding a gas station. The vil- it all start? 22 – The Number of the Beast lage lies on the banks of lake Lagarfljót in East-Ice- In 1983, contractor Valdimar Benediktsson led a den people. That is why land and, with the neighbouring town Egilsstaðir, The Myth group of men assigned to furrow telephone cables it was built primarily as a retail and service centre Lagarfljót is glacial river that runs 140 km from in the ground in East-Iceland. When the farms on some sightings can’t be for the farms in the area, back when farming was Eyjabakkajökull – one of surging outlet glaciers one side of Lagarfljót were done, the cable had still considered a viable career choice. I lived there of Vatnajökull – to the Atlantic Ocean towards to cross the river to continue on the other side. A explained, and why only for the better part of my childhood, and when I the northeast. The river water used to be opaque specially strengthened cable had been ordered was seven-years old I encountered the local mon- whitish-green resulting from the glacial flour for this task, wrapped in a thick hose made of some people can see the ster, a terrifying serpent-like beast that lives in the river carries, but recent damming develop- steel wire and engineered so that it wouldn’t wind the lake. I was scared shitless, but I escaped un- ments at the river’s base have resulted in a more or kink, but lie straight on the bottom of the lake Worm. As a scientist, I harmed. Last month, I returned for some serious brownish hue. On its way to the ocean, the river from one bank to the other. journalistic research on the beast, and preferably becomes placid and forms a 53 squarekilometres “When we initially went out on the lake to have at least not been to get a photo. I partially succeeded. lake 2, also known as Lögurinn. This is where the perform depth measurements, we noticed a mys- beast is believed to live. terious mass that was lying under a hollow bank able to fully explain this” The Lagarfljót Worm The legend of the Lagarfljót monster is a at considerable depth on the eastern side of the The first sighting of the monster, or The Worm as common one, known around the world in various lake. The mass seemed to be organic and moved the locals know it, was reported in 1345. There are versions. In its essence, it is the old fairytale about around as we performed the measurements,” numerous sightings recorded since, many of them the dragon protecting the gold. As the story goes, Benediktsson explains when we meet him in his in the 20th century and mostly by people who a young girl living at a farm by the lake received giant machine shop in Egilsstaðir. have generally proven to be reliable. And sober. In a gold ring as a gift from her mother. She asked 1963, Sigurður Blöndal, head of the National For- what she should do with the ring, and her mother rest Service, witnessed a long streak that moved told her to place it in a chest underneath a worm 1 Cryptozoology is the scientific study of, and search for, cryp- along the water, rising and falling above the wa- (in some versions it is a slug), and then the gold tids – animals that fall outside of contemporary zoological ter level. As a man of science, he has never been would grow with the worm. When she checked on catalogs. This also includes animals that fall outside of the able to fully explain what it was he saw. In 1998, a the gold a few days later, the worm had grown so taxonomic records due to a lack of empirical evidence, but group of students and a teacher in Hallormsstaðir much that the chest could barely contain it any- for which anecdotal evidence exists in the form of myths, School, located along the river, witnessed a simi- more. Frightened by the sight of the giant worm, legends, or undocumented sightings, such as the Loch Ness lar mysterious stationery long snake-like streak in she grabbed the chest and hurled it into the lake, monster and the Bigfoot. Some people believe it to be a the river. The sighting lasted for over ten minutes. where the worm kept on growing. pseudo-science. According to most accounts, the monster re- The Worm soon became a menace that ter- 2 Which, coincidence or not, is almost exactly the same area sembles other known lake monsters, such as rorized the region. Helpless against the beast, the that the Loch Ness lake covers, at 56.4 km2. Due to their the Ogopogo in Canada, and the Champ in Lake farmers in the area called on the help of two Finns depth, the bottom of both lakes are also considerably below Champlain, NY. It is described as a long, worm- (Saami shamans) to contain the beast with spells sea level. Article | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | 29

Opposite page, left: Helgi Hallgrímsson, right: Valdimar Benediktsson. This page: The Worm as displayed by a local artist. Photos by GAS.

“That fall we started the project. I had a however, are actual occurrences that need expla- paranormal activity, I think we would be better off character surrounding Lake Lagarfljót. Whether very capable group of men working on this, and nation. People see a lot of things in the lake, and by forming a good relationship with it. I think we it is superstition or a serpent-like monster, all has we had been working on furrowing cables all when there is no obvious explanation for what it need to treat it with proper respect and we should not been laid to rest. As Valdimar Benediktsson summer around East-Iceland. We used boats and is, people will use the Worm as an explanation.” certainly not use its legacy to make a profit.” stated, “I would like to see if there is ever going prams with special cable trestles to do the job. As it happens, Lagarfljót is full of natural to be full explanation of what people have been When the job was done and we tested the connec- phenomena that might require explanation. The The Brotherhood of the Worm seeing all this time. I find it hard to believe that tion through the cable, it turned out it was broken. bottom is a rich source of methane gas, which is Skúli Björn Gunnarsson heads the Gunnar Gun- people would lie about witnessing something in We had the instruments to locate the failure, and formed when plants and biodegradable matters narsson Institution in Skriðuklaustur, a cultural Lagarfljót for centuries.” I not sure I fully agree it turned out to be where we had witnessed the rot in the oxygen deprived conditions. The gas is institution that preserves the legacy of author with him. Perhaps some things should not be fully mysterious mass earlier.” trapped under thick layers of silt on the bottom Gunnar Gunnarsson. He does not share Hall- explained away. There is added value in travelling When the cable was pulled up, it became and when the silt breaks, the gas rises from the grímsson’s concerns. He has led a group of stake- through East-Iceland in the off chance of witness- clear that something was out of the ordinary. “This bottom in large quantities and when it does, it can holders in the area that have formed an unoffi- ing the monster. cable that was specially engineered so it wouldn’t blow columns of water up in the air, raise giant cial companionship called The Worm’s Shrine. kink was wound in several places and badly torn bubbles, thrust up a lot of material from the bot- The group mostly consists of people who work By Sveinn Birkir Björnsson and damaged in 22 different places,” Bendiktsson tom, and even break the light in a different way in tourism or related fields. Gunnarsson explains says. “I believe we dragged the cable directly over than the air around it, forming optical illusions. that historical and cultural tourism is a growing the belly of the beast. Unless it was through its Ice from the surrounding mountains, tree industry, and every area must capitalize on its mouth.” trunks and vegetation from the neighbouring for- particular distinction. est, Hallomrsstaðarskógur, and other physical ob- “This is a company of people who want to The Hidden Worm jects are also known to find their way into the river maintain testimony and preserve the heritage of Helgi Hallgrímsson is 73 years old. He is a biolo- and gather in big tangles where the currents shift the Worm,” he says. “We want to market it with gist, educated at the University of Göttingen in and where the river meets the lake. These tangles dignity. It would be easy order a container full of Germany and in Edinburgh, Scotland. As an ex- can easily take a mysterious shape or the form cheap artefacts and pass it on as Worm memora- pert on Lagarfljót, he is a reliable as they come. of a mythical creature. Hallgrímsson says these bilia. That’s not what we want to do. We want to He has spent years researching and studying the phenomena could explain many of the reported approach this with respect and create a unique lake and the river and recently published a book sightings. But not all. He believes that the myth of experience for visitors.” on the subject. We met with Hallgrímsson in his the Worm can be divided into three categories. 1) Gunnarsson admits that many inhabitants in home to learn the basics of Lagarfljót wormology. Legends drawn from urban myths of dragons and the area feel that this should be approached with He talks slowly, and occasionally pauses to smoke witchcraft. 2) Natural phenomena such as gas and caution. “They feel that we need to be careful,” he his pipe. “Centuries ago, when people first started vegetation, which are facts. 3) Paranormal phe- explains. “There is a certain fearful respect for the referring to the Worm, the word had a wider defi- nomena, sightings that are beyond the scope of Worm here. Why do people believe that there is nition. It was used in much the same way as we scientific understanding. little fish in the lake? You could operate a trawler use the word ‘monster’ today,” he explains. “There “There are sightings that cannot fully be ex- here; there is so much fish. Why do people believe are different descriptions of the thing. It is usually plained by reason,” Hallgrímsson contends. “My that the waves and the currents on the lake are depicted as being long and narrow, but sometimes opinion is that these are paranormal activities, stronger than anywhere else? Why do people here FLIGHT PROVIDED BY: it is described more like a dragon.” Hallgrímsson much like people who claim to see ghosts, elves believe that fish caught in the lake are inedible? says that the Worm often draws comparison to and hidden people. That is why some sightings People’s belief in the Worm is still quite tangible. the Loch Ness monster, which is obviously the can’t be explained, and why only some people Many have seen mysterious objects on the lake. most famous lake monster of them all. “There are can see the Worm. As a scientist, I have at least Not all of them have been fully explained,” he some similarities between Lake Lagarfljót and not been able to fully explain this” I ask how this points out. Loch Ness. Both lakes are long and narrow, about opinion adheres to his scientific training, if this is equal in size, and both are very turbid, so visibility something he believes as a biologist. “I think there Worms: a User’s Manual is very limited.” are a lot of things that we can not explain by sci- It is easy to imagine how seemingly inexplicable www.airiceland.is In Hallgrímsson’s opinion, we should draw a ence. I’ve not found any conclusive explanation natural phenomena could have been attributed to distinction between the urban legends surround- for life for example. I don’t believe this to be all a mystical being or a monster in more primitive ACCOMMODATION PROVIDED BY: ing the Worm, and actual accounts of Worm sight- just a big coincidence.” times. Superstition can be a powerful force and Egilsstaðir Guesthouse ings. “We should be careful not to confuse the two. After some consideration, and a few puffs easily maintained when there is something unex- 700 Egilsstaðir The legends are just that, legends. The sightings of the pipe, he adds: “If I am right, and this is a plained to support it. But there is still a mystical Tel: 4711114, www.egilsstadir.com 30 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Parting Shot

Backstage fashion show buffet. Chips and Coke. Photo by GAS

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Services Swimming pools: weekdays 06:30- Bus Terminal All major tourist spots in Reykjavík also Trade Unions 22:30, weekends 08:00-20:30 although offer brochures, maps and information Useful Numbers some may be open an hour longer. BSÍ, Vatnsmýrarvegur 10, for travellers. The Icelandic Federation of The State owned ÁTVR liquor Tel: 562 1011, www.bsi.is Labour, Sætún 1, Tel: 535 5600, Emergency number: 112 stores: Mon-Thu 11-18, Fri 11-19, Sat www.asi.is Police: 444 1000 11-18. Flybus Useful Information The Federation of State and Mu- Medical help: 1770 Banks in the centre are open Mon-Fri nicipal employees, Grettisgata 89, Dental emergency: 575 0505 09-16. Busses run daily from the BSÍ Bus Where to Learn Icelandic as a Tel: 525 8300, www.bsrb.is AA: 551 2010 Terminal to Keflavík International Foreign Language The Association of Academics, Information: 118 Laundry Service Airport in connection with all depart- Borgartún 6, Tel: 581 2090, Telegrams: 146 ing flights. Departures daily from 04:45 Icelandic on the Internet, www.bhm.is HI Hostel, Sundlaugarvegur 34, to 15:00/16:30 (every 15 - 60 minutes). www.vefskoli.is Efling, Sætún 1, Tel: 510 7500, Tax Free Refund Tel: 553 8110, www.hostel.is For Flybus time schedule see: www. Mímir Continuing Education, www.efling.is Úðafoss, Vitastígur 13, flybus.is Skeifán 8, Tel: 580 1800, www.mimir.is The Commercial Workers’ Union, Iceland Refund, Tel: 551 2301, www.udafoss.is Námsflokkar Reykjavíkur, Kringlan 7, Tel: 510 1700, www.vr.is Aðalstræti 2, Tel: 564 6400 Samferda.net Fríkirkjuvegur 1, Tel: 551 2992 Union of Public Servants, Gret- www.icelandrefund.com Fjölmenning, Laugavegur 59, tisgata 89, Tel: 525 8340, www.sfr.is Getting Around A reasonable choice for the budget Tel: 511 1319, www.fjolmenning.is Post Office traveller. You log on to the website The Icelandic College of Engi- Useful Websites Public Transport www.samferda.net, choose your neering and Technology, Höfða- Post offices are located around the destination and hopefully find a travel bakki 9, www.visitreykjavik.is (The official city as well as in the countryside. The only public transport system in buddy to share the cost. Tel: 577 1400, www.thi.is tourist website of Reykjavík) The downtown post office is at Reykjavík is the bus. Most busses run Iðnskólinn í Reykjavík, www.gayice.is (Information about Pósthússtræti 3-5. For a full list and every 20 minutes and price per fare is Cultural Centres and Skólavörðuholti, Tel: 552 6240, the gay scene in Iceland) info on opening hours visit www. 280 ISK for adults and 100 ISK for chil- Tourist Offices www.ir.is www.fjolmenningarsetur.is posturinn.is. Stamps are also sold in dren. Complete route map at: www. The University of Iceland – De- (The Multicultural Centre) bookstores, gas stations, some grocery bus.is. Tel: 540 2700 The Intercultural Centre partment of Continuing Education, www.hostel.is stores and tourist shops. Busses run from 07:00-24:00 on week- The Intercultural Centre throws oc- Dunhagi 7, Tel: 525 4924, (Hostel International in Iceland) days and 10:00-24:00 on weekends casional cultural events and confer- www.endurmenntun.is www.vinnumalastofnun.is Embassies and Consulates ences but its main purpose is to be an Language School Lingva, (Public employment services) Rent a Bike information and counselling centre The University of Iceland, at Sturlu- www.gulalinan.is (The yellow United States, Laufásvegur 21, and serve as an advocate for the rights gata. Tel.: 561 0351, www.lingva.is pages) Tel: 562 9100 Borgarhjól, Hverfisgata 50, of immigrants in Iceland. www.leigulistinn.is (Rent a flat) United Kingdom, Laufásvegur 31, Tel: 551 5653, www.borgarhjol.net Hverfisgata 18, Tel: 530 9300 Religious Movements www.ja.is Tel: 550 5100 HI Hostel, Sundlaugarvegur 34, www.ahus.is (Icelandic telephone directory) Russia, Garðastræti 33, Tel: 553 8110, www.hostel.is Icelandic Travel Market The national church in Iceland is the Tel: 551 5156 Tourist Information Centre, Bankastræti 2, Tel: 510 5700, Evangelical Lutheran Church. Masses Where to Get … China, Víðimelur 29, Aðalstræti 2, Tel: 590 1550, www.kleif.is are generally held on Sundays at 11:00. Tel: 552 6751 www.visitreykjavik.is Information on day tours, accommoda- Service in English is at Hallgrímskirkja Work and residence permit: The tions, car rental and everything else every last Saturday each month, Directorate of Immigration, Skógarhlíð For a full list visit Ministry for Foreign Taxi you need to know when travelling in starting at 14:00. The Roman Catholic 6, Tel: 510 5400, www.utl.is. Affairs: www.mfa.is/diplomatic-mis- Iceland. Church also has masses in English and Insurance and benefits: The State sions/icelandic-missions/ Hreyfill-Bæjarleiðir, Iceland Visitor Polish. Social Security Institute, Laugavegur Tel: 553 3500 or 588 5522 Austurstræti 17, Tel: 511 2442, Other religious movements in Reyk- 114-116, Tel: 560 4400, www.tr.is Internet Access BSR, Tel: 561 0000 www.icelandvisitor.com javík are for example: Icelandic citizenship: Unless you For disabled travellers: A travel agency offering travelling The Muslim Association of Ice- come from a Nordic country, foreign Most coffeehouses have wireless Reykjavík Group Travel Service, package trips and custom-made tours land, Ármúli 38 citizens have to have had an unre- Internet access. Brunastaðir 3, Tel: 587 8030, www. as well as car rental, day tours and Ásatrú Association, Grandagarði 8 stricted residence permit in Iceland for Computers with Internet connections randburg.com/is/reykjavik_group_ accommodations for visitors. Bahá’í, Álfabakka 12 at least seven years in order to get an are available at: travel_service/ Tourist Information Centre The Church of Evangelism, Icelandic citizenship although some Ráðhúskaffi City Hall, Aðalstræti 2, Tel: 590 1550, Hlíðasmári 9 exceptions exist to that general rule. Tjarnargata 11 Car Rentals www.visitreykjavik.is The Icelandic Buddhist Move- Applications are at the Ministry of BSÍ Bus Terminal, Offers information for tourists as well ment, Víghólastígur 21 Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs, Vatnsmýrarvegur 10 Átak Car Rental, Smiðjuvegur 1, as providing internet access, book- Reykjavík Free Lutheran Church, Skuggasund, Tel: 545 9000, Ground Zero, Vallarstræti 10 Tel: 554 6040 ing service, a phone centre, money Fríkirkjuvegur 5 www.domsmalaraduneyti.is The Reykjavík City Library, ALP, Dugguvogur 10, Tel: 562 6060 exchange service, tax refund and Pentecostal Assembly, Hátún 2 Unemployment benefits: Director- Tryggvagata 15 Avis, Knarravogi 2, Tel: 591 4000 selling the Reykjavík Tourist Card. The Roman Catholic Church, ate of Labour, Public Employment The National and University Eurocar, Hjallahraun 9, Reykjavík Tourist Card gives admis- Hávallagata 14 Service, Tryggvagata 17, Tel: 515 4800, Library, Arngrímsgata 3 Tel: 565 3800 sion to city busses, various museums, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- www.vinnumalastofnun.is Tourist Information Centre, A.G Car Rental, Tangarhöfði 8-12. Reykjavík swimming pools, The Family Day Saints, Ásabraut 2 Icelandic social security number Aðalstræti 2 Tel: 587 5544 Park and Reykjavík Zoo, The Culture Jehovah’s Witnesses, (kennitala): National Register, Bor- Icelandic Travel Market, Atlas Car Rental, Dalshraun 9, House and the National and University Sogavegur 71 gartún 24, Tel: 569 2900, Bankastræti 2 Tel: 565 3800 Library. Seventh-Day Adventists, www.thjodskra.is Berg Car Rental, Tangarhöfða 8, The Icelandic Tourist Board Suðurhlíð 36 Driver’s license: Applications at Opening Hours Tel: 577 6050 Lækjargata 3, Tel: 535 5500, Zen Buddhism in Iceland, police stations.(Those who have a Hertz, Flugvallavegur, Tel: 522 4400 www.visiticeland.com Reykjavíkurvegur 31 foreign license don’t need an Icelandic Bars and clubs: According to regu- All information needed before travel- Independent Church, one for the first six months.) lations bars may be open until 01:00 Airlines ling in Iceland. Háteigsvegur 101 Tax card: Tax office, Laugavegur on weekdays and 05:30 on weekends. Nordic House The Russian Orthodox Church in 166, Tel: 563 1100, www.rsk.is Shops: Mon-Fri 10-18, Sat 10-16, Sun Air Iceland, Reykjavíkurflugvöllur, Sturlugata 5, Tel: 551 7030, Iceland, Sólvallagata 10 Social Service: Information and closed. The shopping centres Kringlan Tel: 570 3030, www.flugfelag.is www.nordice.is The Cross, Hlíðasmári 5-7 service is provided by district service and Smáralind as well as most super- Air Vestmannaeyjar, Tel: 481 3255, The Nordic cultural centre organises centres in Reykjavík. To locate the markets and tourist shops have longer www.eyjaflug.is various cultural events, conferences service centre in your neighbourhood opening hours. and exhibitions. see: www.reykjavik.is grapevine.is

ISSUE FIVE: MAY 09 - MAY 22 YOUR FREE COPY

Stuffed with stuff

On Saturday May 10, the Icelandic soccer season kicks off with the first round of play in the men’s premier league for the ninety-sixth year. The Grapevine predicts the upcoming football season. Page 10

We were quite lazy and toured very little. Another thing that saved us a lot of time is that we never rehearsed, which is not a concept I recommend for young artists. Einstürzende Neubauten’s Mark Chung gives us the lowdown on the music industry. Page 12

I think a lot true punkers, the one’s that have safety pins in their cheeks, they probably don’t think we are really punk. Punk favorites Morðingjarnir sound a little unsure of themselves. Page 16

Their performance was the usual high-octane delivery of punk rock mayhem that audiences have come to expect and demand from this band Reykjavík played Iðnó Page 18

“I find it hard to believe that people would lie about witnessing something in Lagarfljót for centuries.” Monster survivor Valdimar Benediktsson on the Worm in Lagarfljót. Page 28

OK. So you figure the name’s supposed to invoke irony. I mean, the five releases that so far make up Grandmother’s Records catalogue don’t sound like anything any grandmothers I know would approve of. Haukur Magnússon investigates the curious collective Grandmother’s Records Page 29 Info | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 info. Music, Art, Films and Events Listings · Eating, Drinking and Shopping · Map plus Grandmother’s Records · Reykjavík Arts Festival · Sam Amidon at Organ

above Photographer Thomas Humery exhibits portraits at The National Museum (B14) B2 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Listings

Art The Modern Conjurer

The focus will be on folklore and sto- yet somewhat scary creatures and is Hinriksson’s seventh solo exhibition, ries of conjurers in Jóhannes Atli Hin- fetishes to project conflicts and the opens on May 16 at 17:00. riksson’s exhibition ‘Tenebrae’ at 101 circulation of life. Hinriksson’s instal- Gallery. Myths, sarcasm and various lation in 101 gallery this time is made May 16 – June 27 clichés derived from the pop-culture out of plastic bottles, metal, paper and 101 Gallery, Hverfisgata 18a have plaid a large role in Hinriksson’s other recyclable material that suit the previous installations. He uses bizarre modern conjurer The exhibition, which

If you would like to be included in the Fríkirkjan Church Iðnó Grapevine listings, free of charge, Laufásvegur 13 Vonarstræti 3 contact the Grapevine by email at Fri May 9: Hörður Torfa concert. Tick- Sun May 18: Ólafur Arnalds release [email protected]. ets at www.midi.is concert. Starts at 20:00 Sat May 10: Whitesun Jazzconcert with Kaffibarinn Bláir skuggar. Starts at 20:00. Tickets at Bergstaðastræti 1 www.midi.is Sat May 10: DJ Magic Music Sun May 11: Whitesun Jazzconcert Sun May 11: Alfons X with Sigurður Flosason and Gunnar Sat May 17: DJ Casanova Gunnarsson. Starts at 16:00. / Whitesun Wed May 21: Óskar Guðjónsson 12 Tónar Jazzconcert with Kristjana Stefánsdót- Thu May 22: DJ Leopold Skólavörðustígur 15 tir and Sigurður Flosason quartet. Fri May 23: DJ B-Ruff Fri May 9: Live performance by Klive. Starts at 20:00. Tickets at www.midi.is Sat May 24: Dansa Meira: performance Bar 11 Mon May 12: Whitesun Jazzconcert by Már and Nielsen. Laugavegur 11 with Sigurður Flosason quartet. Starts Laugardalshöllin Fri May 9: DJ Óli Dóri at 20:00. Tickets at www.midi.is Laugardalur Sat May 10: DJ Biggi Maus Hallgrímskirkja Church Fri May 16: Concert: Jet Black Joe with )3(*2 Fri May 16: DJ Gulli Ósóma At Skólavörðuholt Reykjavík’s Gospel Choir. Tickets at Sat May 17: DJ Matti X-FM Sat May 10: Photographic Exhibition. www.midi.is 8<,,9*3<) Fri May 23: DJ Biggi Maus Hallgrímkskirkja - The Friends of the Wed May 21: John Fogerty concert. Sat May 24: DJ Gulli Ósóma Arts Society of Hallgrims church Tickets at www.midi.is Fri May 30: DJ Gulli Ósóma Mon May 12: Hallgrimskirkja Motet Mon May 26: Bob Dylan concert. Tick- Sat May 31: DJ Matti X-FM Choir and soloists: Vesper by ets at www.midi.is Fri Jun 6: DJ Matti X-FM Rachmaninov. Tickets at church Nasa Sat Jun 7: DJ Gulli Ósóma entrance. Starts at 17:00. by Austurvöllur Barinn Háskólabíó Thu May 15: Guðbjört & Caitlin Laugavegur 22 At Hagatorg benefit concert. Performances by Fri May 9: DJ Casanova and Helgi Már Thu May 15: The Icelandic Symphony Birgitta Haukdal, Bryndís Jakobsdóttir, Sat May 10: DJ Kári Orchestra: Swingle Singers Ragnheiður Gröndal, Helga Dýrfinna, Sun May 11: DJ Kotelett Sat May 17: The Icelandic Symphony Afrek and Myst. Wed May 14: DJ Tryllti Hjörtur Orchestra Sat May 17: EGÓ concert. Tickets at 3POFWL|YZ!G Thu May 15: The Eastern Square Thu May 22: The Icelandic Symphony www.midi.is Fri May 16: Hugsandi Danstónlist Orchestra Organ Sat May 17: Breakbeat.is presents: Sat May 24: Concert: Wayne Shorter Hafnarstræti 1-3 Leopold, Ewok and Kalli jazz quartet. Part of Reykjavík Art Fri May 9: Pop-Quiz at 6 pm: Sveinn Wed May 21: Unity Night (Hip Hop Festival. Tickets at www.midi.is Birkir Björnsson Grapevine Editor We don´t serve night) Hressó will host. Happy Hour from 5pm-7pm Broadway Austurstræti 20 followed by a Grandmothers Records Ármúla 9 Fri May 9: Performance by Dalton fol- Party & Concert: Retron, Skátar & foreigners... Sat May 17: Flex Music and FM957 lowed by DJ Maggi Kira Kira, Kimono, Sudden Weather present: Eric Prydz. Also performing Sat May 10: Performance by Johnny Change, Klive, Dlx Atx, because to us - nobody is foreign. are: Sean Danke & Scheizer Goodman and the Rest Clap for Alaska and DJ Elvar Auxpan. Only 45 min. drive from Reykjavík is Eyrarbakki, a beautiful village by (Live), Barcode Crew and Ghozt. For Sun May 11: Troubadours Alexander Sat May 10: Concert: Sam Amidon the south coast, where foreigners have been feeling at home since more information see: www.midi.is and Örvar andValgeir Sigurðsson from Bedroom the 9th century AD. So welcome to Rauða húsið, a restaurant that Fri May 23: Johnny Logan concert: Thu May 15: Performance by trouba- Community makes you feel at home. Tickets at www.midi.is dour Helgi Valur Wed May 14: Saving Iceland Benefit Tel: (+354) 483-3330, Brons Fri May 16: Menn ársins followed by Concert Eyrarbakki - South coast Pósthússtræti 9 DJ Maggi Thu May 15: Monitor Party Every Thursday: DJ Lucky Sat May 17: Tepokinn followed by DJ Fri May 16: Pop-Quiz at 6pm: Óli Palli Every Friday: History Sound System Bjarni will host. Happy hour from 5pm-7pm Every Saturday: DJ Gauti Thu May 22: DJ Bjarni followed by concert with Hjaltalín, Café Paris Fri May 23: Dalton followed by DJ Benny Crespo’s Gang, Retro Stefson, Austurstræti 14 Maggi DJ Peter Parker Fri and Sat: DJ A. Ramirez Sat May 24: Hvar er Mjallhvít followed Sat May 17: Hinsegin Ball (Gay Dance) Classick Rock by DJ Maggi Wed May 21: Concert: Worried About Ármúli 5 Thu May 29: Beerfest, performance by Satan (UK) and guests. Fri May 16: Concert: Bastard, Helshare, Tryggvi Vilmundar Thu May 22: Weirdcore 4 Gone Postal and Embrace the Plague. Sat May 30: Menn ársins followed by Fri May 23: Pop-Quiz at 6pm. Happy Starts at 22:00. DJ Maggi hour from 5pm-7pm Listings | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | B3 In cooperation with: Photo: Agnes Geirdal Agnes Photo: Art Master’s program in Coastal Simplicity in a Complicated Environment and Marine Management

Photographer Björn Árnason recently his pictures that reveal strong forms, exhibition will be open until May 28. The master’s program in Coastal and Marine Man- opened his first solo exhibition inside bright colours and curious shapes agement prepares students to engage with one of the trendy hair salon/gallery Gel at in the environment regular passers April 26 – May 28 the most compelling and important subjects today: Hverfisgata. In his exhibition he dis- by wouldn’t necessarily notice when Gel Gallery natural resource management and utilization. plays photographs shot in many plac- strolling around the city. The photo- Hverfisgata 37 es around Reykjavík for the past year graphs are all for sale for 20,000 ISK or Students examine the management methods used or so. Simplicity is the key element in 40,000 ISK, depending on the size. The by the world’s coastal nations, such as integrated coastal and marine management, which aim at maintaining the sustainability of coastal communi- Prikið Tunglið Christianisation. Bankastræti 12 Tryggvagata 22 SURTSEY - Genesis ties and resources. Fri May 9: DJ Andri followed by DJ Anna Fri May 9: DJ Impulse and DJ Eyvi Multimedia exhibition that tells Sat May 10: DJ De la Rósa Sat May 10: Eric Prydz pre-party. Open the story of an island’s spectacular Further information: www.hsvest.is Sun May 11: DJs Anna Rakel and Kári deck night birth from the depths of the Atlantic Wed May 14: DJ Kvikindi Sun May 11: DJ Kalli and DJ Lelli Ocean in 1963, traces its history Applications deadline: June 5th 2008 Thu May 15: DJ Óli Hjörtur Sat May 17: DJ Platurn & Jagúar to the present day – and beyond, Fri May 16: ‘80s night: Herbert Guðmunds- Sat May 31: Ghozt & Brunheim glimpsing its future 120 years hence. son followed by DJ Árni Sveins The exhibition explains the grounds Sat May 17: DJ Danni Deluxe for the Government’s decision to Tue May 20: Euro Trash Week begins. nominate Surtsey to UNESCO’s BV`^c\d[VCVi^dc Wed May 21: DJ Maggi Art World Heritage List. Thu May 22: Eurovision night. DJ Rósa Across the Oceans performs. The exhibition is dedicated to =Zg^iV\ZVcY=^hidgn Fri May 23: Franz and Krístó followed 101 Gallery Helgi Hálfdanarson’s (b. 1911) by DJ Danni Deluxe Hverfisgata 18 translations and original writings. ^c>XZaVcY Sat May 24: Eurovision finals/Tetriz Thu.–Sat. 14–17 and by appointment Helgi Hálfdanarson is Iceland’s night with performances by DJ B-ruff www.101hotel.is/101hotel/101gallery/ most prolific literary translator of >XZaVcY»hZmigVdgY^cVgn]^hidgn and Fingaprint May 16–June 27 all time. His extraordinary life’s [gdbhZiiaZbZciidegZhZciYVn Q-Bar Tenebrae work includes the feat of translating Ingólfsstræti 3 Installation by Jóhannes Atli Hinriksson and publishing all the plays of XZaVcYHjÂjg\ViV)&&%&GZn`_Vk`IZa#*(%''%%lll#cVibjh#^h Sat May 17: Beach Party with DJ Karíus An exhibition by Halldór Ásgeirsson www.this.is/birta & Baktus. and Paul Armand Gette. Part of Fotografí Sat May 24: Eurovision theme Night Reykjavík Art Festival. Skólavörðustígur 4a with DJ Manny The Einar Jónsson Museum www.fotografi.is Tue May 27: Open Mic Night with Musi- Eiríksgata May 3–June 6 cians Elín Ey & Myrra Tue–Sun 14–17 Chaos Fri May 30: 60’s Theme Night with DJ www.skulptur.is Photographs by Stígur Steinþórsson Kvikindi Permanent exhibition: Gallery 100º Sat May 31: 80’s Madonna Theme Night The work of sculptor Einar Jónsson. Bæjarháls 1 featuring Diva De La Rósa The Culture House www.or.is/Forsida/Gallery100/ Reykjavík Art Museum (Hafnarhús) Hverfisgata 15 Open weekdays from 08:30 – 16:00 Tryggvagata 15 Open daily 11–17 May 16–June 27 Thu May 15: Concert: Amiina, Kippi www.thjodmenning.is Croatian Contemporary Art and Friends in Wonderland. Part of Ongoing exhibitions: Video-installations, photography Reykjavík Art Festival. Tickets at www. The Medieval Manuscripts – Eddas and and performance art by five Croatian midi.is Sagas artists. Part of Reykjavík Art Festival. Fri May 16: Concert: Amiina, Kippi On view are the ancient vellum Gallery StartArt and Friends in Wonderland. Part of manuscripts that preserve the Laugavegur 12b Reykjavík Art Festival. Tickets at www. Northern classical heritage: unique Tue-Sat 13 – 17 midi.is sagas, poems and narratives which Free entrance Mon May 19: Inselhopping: A collabo- are often our sole written sources of www.startart.is ration between performance artists information on the society, religion May 1–May 13 Egill Sæbjörnsson and Percusemble and world view of the people of Filmmaker Tjörvi Guðmundsson Berlin. Part of Reykjavík Art Festival. Northern Europe from pagan exhibits photographs and videos of Tickets at www.midi.is times through the tumult of Viking street children in Ukraine Expansion, the settlement of the May 1–May 13 Atlantic Islands and the period of Exhibitions by Rafn Hafnfjörð and B4 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Listings

ARMY.IS WANTS YOU! The Icelandic Army shop at kolaportið fleamarket

Event Reykjavík Arts Festival.

Five-year-olds expressing their world nual festival will open at the Reykjavík Art atre, exhibitions, dance and opera. For a through photographs, gumbé rythms by Museum on May 15 with a collaborative full schedule see: www.artfest.is. Super Mama Djombo, world premiere of project between the string quartet Amiina a new dance piece and art events inside a and electronic musician Kippi Kaninus May 15 – June 5 moving gallery space are examples of the and 11 other musicians. The next days Various venues many happenings taking place around will see numerous exhibition openings Reykjavík and the countryside during and other fun performances but the pro- Reykjavík Arts Festival this year. The an- gramme offers a variety of concerts, the-

Upcoming concerts Nína Gautadóttir Guðmundsdóttir www.listasafn.is May 15–June 30 May 3–Sep 7 May 16–June 29 bach to beatles Flooding Magical Beings From the Folk Tales of Art Against Architecture with the THURSDAY, MAY 15TH @ 7:30 PM swingle singers Conductor ::: Bernharður Wilkinson Video installation by Rúrí. Part of Iceland Exhibition examining the difficult Choir ::: Swingle Singers Reykjavík Art Festival. Drawings from Jón Baldur Hlíðberg relationship between art and maximus musicus Gallery Ágúst 4 Mar–7 Sep architecture with artists Elín - a family concert SATURDAY, MAY 17TH @ 14 PM Baldursgata 12 A Date with Collectors III Hansdóttir, Franz West, Finnbogi Conductor ::: Bernharður Wilkinson Aaron Copland ::: Fanfare for the Common Man Wed–Sat 12–17 ll of the exhibition pieces are connected Pétursson, Monica Bonvicini and Ludwig van Beethoven ::: Symphony nr. 5, 1st mvt www.galleriagust.is with music in one way or another Steina. Part of Reykjavík Art Festival. Maurice Ravel ::: Bolero May 16–June 28 Hitt Húsið - Gallery Tukt The National Museum Sigvaldi Kaldalóns ::: A ride through the highlands S M A R T Pósthússtræti 3-5 Suðurgata 41 Solo Exhibition by Andrea Maack. www.hitthusid.is Open daily 10–17 two lords of the trombone THURSDAY, MAY 22ND @ 7:30 PM Part of the Reykjavík Art Festival. Apr 26–May 17 natmus.is/ Conductor ::: Christian Lindberg Gallery Fold Exhibition by visual art students from FB Permanent exhibition: Soloist ::: Charles Vernon Rauðarárstígur 14–16 i8 Gallery May 16–Aug 31 Christian Lindberg ::: Chick ‘a’ Bone Checkout Jan Sandström ::: Tango de los Hönsens Mon–Fri 10–18 Klapparstígur 33 Reflection Pyotr Tchaikovsky ::: Symphony nr. 1, “Winter Daydreams” Sat 11–16 Tue–Fri 11–17 Photographic exhibition that Sun 14–16 Sat 13–17 and by appointment showcases Icelandic masters of the lady and bird THURSDAY, JUNE 5TH @ 7:30 PM www.myndlist.is www.i8.is field including: Bára Kristinsdóttir, The music of Barði Jóhannsson and Keren Ann Zeidel May 3–May 25 May 16–June 28 Bragi Þ. Jósefsson, Einar Falur 20 horns Blómastillur Brazilian artist Ernesto Neto exhibits Ingólfsson, Ívar Brynjólfsson, Katrín and a soloist FRIDAY, JUNE 20TH @ 7:30 PM Exhibition by Pétur Gautur large-scale experiential installations. Elvarsdóttir, Pétur Thomsen, Spessi Conductor ::: Stefan Solyom Soloists ::: Radovan Vlatkovic Gallery Kling & Bang Part of Reykjavík Art Festival. and Þórdís Erla Ágústsdóttir. Richard Strauss ::: Eine Alpensinfonie Hverfisgata 42 Living Art Museum Part of Reykjavík Art Festival. Richard Strauss ::: Horn Concerto nr. 2 Thursday - Sunday from 14-18 Laugavegur 26 May 16–Sep 15 Richard Strauss ::: Till Eulenspiegel Free admission Wed, Fri–Sun 13–17 In the Mist this.is/klingogbang/ Thu 13–22 Photographs by Thomas Humery tickets sold at www.sinfonia.is May 16–June 22 www.nylo.is The Nordic House or tel. 545 2500 Uncertainty Principle Ongoing exhibition: Sturlugata 5 All concerts take place in Háskólabíó. Exhibition by Sirra Sigrún Nylo celebrates its 30th anniversary Tue–Sun 12–17 Sigurðardóttir. Part of the Reykjavík May 16–June 30 www.nordice.is/ fl group is the main sponsor of the iceland symphony orchestra Art Festival. Exhibition documenting Icelandic May 1–May 30 WWW.SINFONIA.IS Gallery Turpentine performances featuring an ongoing Art Without Borders Exhibition Ingólfsstræti 5 performative dialogue with artist Karl The Numismatic Museum Tue–Fri 12–18 Holmqvist. Documents from Icelandic Kalkofnsvegur 1 Sat 11–16 performance artists Magnús Pálsson, Open Mon–Fri 13:30–15:30. www.turpentine.is Rúrí, Hannes Lárusson, Bjarni H. Free admission. “They put on such a Current Exhibition: Þórarinsson, Ásmundur Ásmundsson, Permanent exhibition: beautiful meal for us. Hildur Ásgeirsdóttir – Jónsson Sara Björnsdóttir, Egill Sæbjörnsson, The Central Bank of Iceland and the We had the most Gel Gallery and Ásdís Sif Gunnarsdóttir can National Museum of Iceland jointly amazing freshest ﬁsh I've Hverfisgata 37 be viewed. A special performance operate a numismatic collection ever had in my life. Mon–Fri 13–18 featuring Icelandic artists will also consisting of Icelandic notes and It was all so perfectly Sat 11–16 take place. coins. cooked too...Beautiful!” Sun 14–16 The Lost Horse Gallery Reykjavík 871 +/- 2 Jamie Oliver’s Diary www.myspace.com/gallerigel Skólastræti 1 Aðalstræti 16 Apr 26 – May 29 Open on weekends from 13–19 and by Open daily 10–17 Björn Árnason photographic appointment on weekdays. Permanent exhibition: exhibition. www.this.is/subaqua/losthorse.html The Settlement Exhibition Gerðuberg Cultural Centre The National Film Archive of Reykjavík Art Gallery Gerðuberg 3–5 Iceland Skúlagata 28 Mon–Thu 11–17 Hvaleyrarbraut 13 Open from Tuesday through Sunday Wed 11–21 www.kvikmyndasafn.is 14-18 Thu–Fri 11–17 The National Film Archive of Iceland Current exhibition: Sat–Sun 13–16 screens old movie classics and Magnús Tómasson, Pétur Már www.gerduberg.is masterpieces twice a week for 500 ISK Pétursson and Tolli May 3–Sep 7 per ticket. Reykjavík Art Museum Between Mountain and Shore The National Gallery of Iceland – Ásmundur Sveinsson Sculpture Exhibition of Landscape paintings Fríkirkjuvegur Museum from popular-artist couple Tue–Sun 11–17 Sigtún Michael Guðvarðarson and Ósk Free Entrance Open daily 10–16 Listings | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | B5 '(#'#¶'*#*#'%%-

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Music Bedroom Community at Organ

American folk singer Sam Amidon was released in February this year. Val- formal release concert, the gig at Organ and Bedroom Community’s ringleader geir, who’s one of Iceland’s leading pro- will be their first concert in Iceland to- Valgeir Sigurðsson will kick off their ducers, recording acts such as Björk, gether. The party starts at 22:00. %.#%*#.-"%.#%*#%- scheduled Europe tour with a concert múm, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and Co- at Organ on May 10. Amidon is signed coRosie, released his first solo album, May 10 to the Bedroom Community label and ‘Ekvilibríum’ last year. Both albums Organ, Hafnarstræti 1-3 recorded his album ‘All is Well’ in Val- have seen great reviews locally and geir’s studio Gróðurhúsið. The album internationally and although it’s not a &%nZVghidYVn### ###^hi]Z[Vbdjh HÚSAVÍKHÚSAVÍK Free entrance. Guðmundsson. Exhibition by sculptor Einar Már lViZg[gdcigZhiVjgVci www.listasafnreykjavikur.is Reykjavík City Theatre Guðvarðarson, his sister Jóna ^c=hVk` Current exhibition: Listabraut 3 Guðvarðardóttir, ceramic artist, and The Shape of Line May 16–June 5 her daughter Hildur Ýr Jónsdóttir, A new retrospective of works by Five jeweller. Ásmundur Sveinsson. The exhibition In 2006, hundreds of children at the Gljúfrasteinn focuses on abstract works from 1945 age of five were given instant cameras – Halldór Laxness museum lll#\Vba^WVj`jg#^h onwards. to use for a period of one week. The 270 Mosfellsbær Reykjavík Art Museum goal was to encourage children to Open daily except Mondays from – Hafnarhús view their world through the lens of 10 –17. Tryggvagata 17 a camera and to capture moments Kópavogur Art Museum The Forget-Me-Not Burger – Simply Magical! Open daily 10–17 and on Thursdays in time or space that they felt were – Gerðarsafn from 10 - 22 special in some way. Some 250 Hamraborg, Kópavogur Free Entrance. photographs have now been selected Open daily 11–17 except Mondays May 16 & May 18 for publication and 50 photographs www.gerdarsafn.is Experimental Marathon Reykjavík will be exhibited in the foyer of the The Icelandic Museum Hafnarhús turns into a major theatre. Part of Reykjavík Art Festival. of Design and Applied Art laboratory where leading artists, Reykjavík Maritime Museum Lyngás 7–9, 121 Garðabær architects, film-makers, and scientists Grandagarður 8 Opening hours: Tues.–Fri. 14–18; Sat. will create an environment of www.sjominjasafn.is and Sun. 16–18. invention through various experiments Will reopen on May 31 www.mudesa.org and performances (in English). Reykjavík Museum Exhibitions devoted to Icelandic May 29 (Árbæjarsafn) design. Screening of the documentary Steypa, Kistuhylur 4 The Icelandic Settlement Centre which explores the relationship Open daily from 10–17 Brákarbraut 1–15, Borgarnes between inspiration, creativity, www.arbaejarsafn.is Opening hours: May to Sep 10–20; Sep culture and environment through a Current exhibitions: to May 11–17. collaboration of seven of Iceland’s Building Techniques in Reykjavík www.landnam.is most acclaimed young artists. 1840-1940; Disco and Punk – Different Permanent exhibitions: Reykjavík Art Museum cultures?; Christmas is Coming; The Settlement of Iceland: The Saga of – Kjarvalsstaðir History of Reykjavík – from farm to Egill Skalla-Grímsson Flókagata city; Memories of a House; Living and Current theatre productions: Open Daily 10–17 Playing Brák – a monologue by Brynhildur Free entrance. The Reykjavík Museum of Gudjonsdottir 18 May–31 Aug Photography Mr. Skallagrímsson – a monologue by Dreams of the Sublime and Nowhere Grófarhús, Tryggvagata 15, 6th floor Benedikt Erlingsson in Contemporary Icelandic Art: Weekdays 12–19 Listasafn Árnesinga / LA Art This exhibition includes many new Sat–Sun 13–17 Museum works of photography and video art Free entrance Austurmörk 21, Hveragerði by Iceland’s most outstanding artists, www.ljosmyndasafnreykjavikur.is Open daily, 12–18 building on their disparate ideas about Feb 23–May 25 www.listasafnarnesinga.is nature as a phenomenon. Places: From a Visual Diary 1988-2008 May 18–July 20 18 May–20 July Photographic Exhibition by Einar Falur Exhibition of works on paper I Hate Nature Ingólfsson. produced by Magnús Kjartansson Martha Schwartz exhibition Apr 9–June 3 (1949–2006) between 1982 and 18 May–31 Aug Photographs by Jirka Ernest 1988. Curated by Jón Proppé. Part of Where Am I? Sigurjón Ólafsson Museum Reykjavík Art Festival. An exhibition in which children and Laugarnestangi 70 Suðsuðvestur adults can contemplate their planet, Open Tue–Sun 14–17 Hafnargata 22, Keflavík their country, and the landmarks of Permanent exhibition: Thu.–Fri. 16–18 their environment. Works of sculptor Sigurjón Ólafsson. Sat.–Sun. 14–17 18 May–31 Dec www.sudsudvestur.is Jóhannes S. Kjarval – Key Works Apr 5 – May 4 The current exhibition in Outside Reykjavík Darri Lorenzen exhibition Kjarvalsstaðir’s east gallery features Reykjanesbaer Art Museum key works from the museum’s Hafnarborg Duushús, Duusgata 2-8, 230 collection along with works on loan Strandgata 34, Hafnarfjörður Reykjanesbær from the Labour Unions’ Art Gallery Mon.–Sun. 11–17 Open daily 13–17:30 and from the collection of Ingibjörg www.hafnarborg.is www.reykjanesbaer.is Guðmundsdóttir and Þorvaldur Apr 26 – May 25 May 18–Aug 15 B6 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Listings

BOSTON Music LAUGAVEGI 28B Indoor Inselhopping

On May 19, the collaboration between posers, but Sæbjörnsson’s involvement �� musician/performance artists Egill will be to sculpture the environment in �� Sæbjörnsson and percussion ensemble which the performance takes place, as Percusemble Berlin will come into light well as create a corresponding chore- �� at the Reykjavík Art Museum. Last year, ography for the performers. The event the ensemble commissioned new piec- is part of Reykjavík Art Festival. Tickets �� es from Icelandic, German and Irish at www.midi.is �� composers with the idea to create an �� environment that might re-define the May 19 �� traditional framework of a concert and Reykjavík Art Museum, Tryggvagata 17 �� bring something new to the audience. �� The programme, entitled ‘Inselhop- ping’ consists of works by these com- ��

�� Wanwood May 17–May 27 �� Reliefs, floor pieces and vertical Works by visual artists Paul Harfleet. �� structures by Hannes Lárusson, Part of Reykjavík Art Festival. Guðjón Ketilsson, and Helgi Hjaltalín. Skaftfell Part of Reykjavík Art Festival. Austurvegur 42, Seyðisfjörður Vatnasafn / Library of Water www.skaftfell.is �� Bókhlöðustígur 17, 340 Stykkishólmur May 17 www.libraryofwater.is Journey �� Open daily from 11–17. A collaboration between 3 art centres, Permanent exhibition: realised especially for the Reykjavík Roni Horn installation. She has replaced Art Festival. stacks of books with glass columns containing water gathered from Iceland’s glaciers and glacial rivers. Jónas Viðar Gallery Kaupvangsstræti 12, Akureyri Films Fri.–Sat. 13–18 www.jvs.is/jvgallery.htm Akureyri Art Museum 21 Kaupvangsstræti 12, Akureyri Smárabíó, Háskólabíó, Sambíóin Tue.–Sun. 12–17 Selfoss www.listasafn.akureyri.is Brúðguminn May 17–June 29 Háskólabíó, Regnboginn Facing China Bubbi Byggir í Villta Vestrinu Paintings and sculptures by nine (Bob the Builder: Built to be Wild) prominent contemporary Chinese Smárabíó, Laugarásbíó, Borgarbíó, artists. Part of Reykjavík Art Festival. Sambíóin Keflavík, Sambíóin Selfoss DaLí Gallery Definitely, Maybe Brekkugata 9, Akureyri Laugarásbíó Mon.–Sat. 14–18 Drillbit Taylor www.daligallery.blogspot.com Sambíóin Álfabakki, Sambíóin Keflavík, GalleriBOX Sambíóin Akureyri Kaupvangstræti 10, Akureyri Fool’s Gold www.galleribox.blogspot.com Sambíóin Álfabakki Kunstraum Wohnraum Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Home gallery) Sambíóin Álfabakki, Laugarásbíó, Reg- Ásabyggð 2, akureyri nboginn, Borgarbíó, Sambíóin Selfoss Open by appointment. Tel.: 462 3744 Horton (Hears a Who!) Mar 16 – Jun 22 Smárabíó, Háskólabíó, Sambíóin Ragnar Kjartansson exhibition Selfoss HOW TO DRIVE IN ICELAND Safnasafnið / Icelandic Folk Art In the Valley of Elah Museum Sambíóin Álfabakki A relatively large percentage of foreign tourists in Iceland travel around the country by car. Svalbarðsströnd, 601 Akureyri Iron Man Conditions in Iceland are in many ways unusual, and often quite unlike that which foreign drivers Open 9–18 Smárabíó, Sambíóin Álfabakki, Sam- are accustomed. It is therefore very important to find out how to drive in this country. We know www.safnasafnid.is bíóin Kringlan, Laugarásbíó, Sambíóin that the landscapes are beautiful, which naturally draws the attention of driver away from the road. But in order to reach your destination safely, you must keep your full attention on driving. HVÍTA HÚSIÐ/SÍA - 08-0390 May 17–July 8 Keflavík, Sambíóin Akureyri, Sambíóin Branch Collection Selfoss Exhibition by Hildigunnur Birgisdóttir, Made of Honor LIVESTOCK ON THE ROAD SINGLE-LANE BRIDGES Bjarki Bragason and Anna Líndal. Part Smárabíó, Sambíóin Álfabakki, of Reykjavík Art Museum. Háskólabíó, Regnboginn, Borgarbíó In Iceland, you can expect There are many single-lane Eiðar – Art Centre Over her Dead Body livestock to be on or alongside bridges on the Icelandic the road. It is usually sheep, roads. The actual rule is that Fljótsdalshérað Sambíóin Kringlan, Sambíóin Keflavík, but sometimes horses and even the car closer to the bridge May 17–July 1 Sambíóin Akureyri cows can be in your path. This has the right-of-way. Journey P2 is common all over the country, However, it is wise to stop Works by visual artists Hrafnkell Sambíóin Kringlan, Sambíóin Keflavík, and can be very dangerous. Sometimes a sheep is and assess the situation, i.e. attempt to see Sigurðsson and Lennart Alvés. Part of Sambíóin Akureyri on one side of the road and her lambs on the what the other driver plans to do. This sign Reykjavík Art Festival. Shine a Light other. Under these conditions–which are indicates that a single-lane bridge is ahead. Sláturhúsið – Culture Centre Sambíóin Álfabakki common–it is a good rule to expect the lambs or Fljótsdalshérað Stóra Planið the sheep to run to the other side. Kaupvangur, 700 Egilsstaðir Sambíóin Kringlan Open Mon to Fri 14– 18, Sat and Sun Street Kings Further information on www.drive.is 14–16 Smárabíó, Háskólabíó, Borgarbíó, www.slaturhusid.is Sambíóin Keflavík Listings | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | B7

Superhero Movie info and to register for the workshop Smárabíó, Borgarbíó, Sambíóin Kefla- visit www.capoeira.is. vík, Sambíón Selfoss Mjölnir, Mýrargata 2 The Hunting Party Experiment Marathon Reykjavik Sambíóin Álfabakki, Sambíóin Kring- May 15 – August 24 lan, Sambíóin Keflavík, Sambíóin The centrepiece of this year’s Reykjavík Akureyri, Sambíóin Selfoss Art Festival is the project Experiment The Ruins Marathon Reykjavik at the Reykjavík Regnboginn, Sambíóin Akureyri Art Museum (Hafnarhús). This is the The Spiderwick Chronicles most broad reaching art event that Laugarásbíó the Reykjavik Art Museum has under- Tropa de Elite taken since its inception and will bring Regnboginn together over forty renowned artists Undrahundurinn (Underdog) and scientists from the international Sambíóin Álfabakki, Sambíóin Akureyri community. The Experiment Marathon What Happens in Vegas Reykjavik is a two-fold event: a vibrant Smárabíó, Háskólabíó, Regnboginn laboratory conducting its work before Nim’s Island (May 14) the public eye during the opening days Harold & Kumar Escape from of the exhibition, and installations in Guantanamo Bay (May 14) diverse media on display throughout Never Back Down (May 14) the summer. The exhibition and entire Love in the time of Cholera (May 22) enterprise are curated by Hans Ulrich Obrist in collaboration with artist Óla- Whale Watching Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May 22) fur Elíasson. A catalogue will accom- Flawless (May 23) pany the exhibition and will be distrib- from Reykjavík Sex & the City (May 30) uted internationally. The Forbidden Kingdom (May 30) Reykjavík Art Museum, Tryggvagata 15 Take part in an adventure at sea Deception (June 6) Diamantina Deep with an unforgettable trip into the Speed Racer (June 6) May 20 to May 23 As part of the Reykjavík Art Festival, world of whales and sea birds. the international Berlin based artist Conveniently located in Reykjavík’s Movie Theatres group ‘Hypno Theatre’ presents a Old harbour, a three hour tour can unique mix of music, puppet perfor- bring you up close to whales in Regnboginn, Hverfisgata 54 mance and visual art in Hjörleifur their natural habitat. 101 Reykjavík, Tel. 551-9000 Jónsson’s children show ‘Diamantina Háskólabíó, Hagatorg Deep’. This is a story of the marvellous 107 Reykjavík, Tel. 525-5400 adventures of the young Indian Sea Free entry to the Information Laugarásbíó, Laugarás Turtle Purbayan Ranjan Biswas and Centre for our passengers. 104 Reykjavík, Tel. 565-0118 his incredible curiosity. The audience Smárabíó, Smáralind accompanies the turtle on a journey 201 Kópavogur, Tel. 564-0000 where his quest is to find out what lies Call us on 555 3565 Sambíóin, Álfabakki 8 at the bottom of the sea. The theatre 109 Reykjavík, Tel. 575-8900 group will travel the country from May or visit www.elding.is Sambíóin, Kringlan 4-12 20 to May 23. For more info see: www. 103 Reykjavík, Tel. 575-8900 artfest.is Sambíóin Akureyri, Ráðhústorg Contemporary Dance Theatre 600 Akureyri, Tel. 461-4666 May 23 to May 25 Nýja-Bíó, Hafnargata 33 The Iceland Dance Company and The 230 Reykjanesbær, Tel. 421-1170 Norwegian Company of Contemporary PIPAR • SÍA • 80693 Selfossbíó, Eyrarvegur 2 Dance will collaborate for the Reykjavík 800 Selfoss, Tel. 482-3007 Art Festival and stage the dance piece ‘Ambra’ at the Reykjavík City Theatre. A total of 21 dancers will appear in the performance, which is choreographed Events by Ina Christel Johannessen, who is considered one of Europe’s most exciting choreographers today. Original Reinventing Harbour Cities music is composed by two Icelandic May 10 female musicians, Kira Kira and Hildur On Saturday, May 10, the second I. Gudnadottir, along with their German part of the conference ‘Reinventing counterpart Dirk Desselhaus. The show Harbour Cities - Urban Planning and starts at 20:00 and tickets at www.midi. Art in Public Space’ will be held at the is Nordic House from 10:00 to 17:00. The Reykjavík City Theatre, Listabraut 2 conference is organised by CIA.IS in Open House at the Intercultural cooperation with the Iceland Academy Centre of the Arts and the Nordic House and Every Friday night is aimed to open discussions about The Intercultural Centre plays host to urban development and the role of intercultural meetings every Friday at art in public spaces. Among the guest 22:00. The concept is to bring foreign- speakers will be Martin Biewinga, ers and Icelanders together, and to give Louise Mielonen and Vito Acconci. them the opportunity to get to know For more information visit www.cia.is/ other people and to share experiences. news/conference.htm. The meetings feature plenty of activi- The Nordic House, Sturlugata 5 ties that allow attendees to stir things Micro-Dance Festival up into a nice cultural broth. Entrance May 10 is free. This year, the sixth annual Micro- The Intercultural Centre, Hverfisgata 18 dance festival will be dedicated to the Israel-Palestine Cinema mental and spiritual aspects of danc- First Tuesday of each month ing and will therefore not take place The Iceland-Palestine Association hosts >XZaVcY^X in the material realm. Last year, the a screening of films related to the Israel- festival took place in the time-space Palestine situation. The screenings are between 15:00 and 3 minutes past at Café Cultura inside the Intercultural 15:00. Everybody in the world was a Centre, at 20:00 the first Tuesday of 6gi participant. Seeing how the only limit each month. For more info see: www. for the size of this year’s festival is the palestina.is ÆÆÆ human imagination there’s no telling The Intercultural Centre, Hverfisgata 8 how massive it might get. The festival I]Z:hhZcXZ will be held at 15:00 at Kaffivagninn in Grandi. d[VCVi^dc Brazilian Samba Workshop May 10 and May 11 Capoeira enthusiasts in Iceland have organized a Brazilian Samba workshop which will be held at Mjölnir 6giXZaVcY^XVgi poeira is an exciting Brazilian form of art that combines fight, dance, rhythm GVjVg{ghi\jg&)!cZVg=aZbbjgWjhhiVi^dc!iZa#**&%)%% and movement. Teacher Vilnius will @g^c\aVcH]dee^c\BVaa!iZa#*+-%)%%Ælll#bncYa^hi#^h teach the basics of Capoeira and samba for 5.000 ISK per day. 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DISCOVER THE ORIGINAL EASTERN TASTE IN THE WEST

INDIAN LUNCH INDIAN DINNER 1090.- INDIAN - PAKISTANI CUISINE 1290.- From 11:30--15:00 AUSTURSTRÆTI 4, Tel: 551 0292 , www.shalimar.is From 15:00--22:00 B10 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Reviews

Photos by GAS Santa María Sushibarinn

Don’t you just love it when you discover a new restaurant, one with Address: Since opening its doors, Sushibarinn has become the talk of the Address: fair prices and good food? The kind that leaves you feeling surprised Laugarvegur 22a town among Reykjavík sushi-lovers, and for good reason as their Laugavegur 2 and satisfied. Well that’s how I’m feeling now upon my return home 101 Reykjavík rolls are among the best in the city. 101 Reykjavík from Santa Maria. 552 7775 The whole setting inside the small bar makes for a good fusion 552 4444 This Mexican-style bistro, located at Laugavegur 22a, has just re- between oriental tradition and the somewhat more familiar settings cently opened its doors. The aim, the owner told me, was to create an Reviewed by of the West. All the staff wear traditional Japanese robes and the Reviewed by affordable place where one can find real Mexican food, the kind you Sverrir Hjálmarsson stylish and warm interior gives you a feeling of being somewhere Sverrir Hjálmarsson come a cross in an ordinary Mexican household. And that’s precisely else than in Reykjavik, Iceland. This feeling became even stronger what they’ve done. when I was greeted by an English-speaking chef with a German ac- First it should be noted that the prices are among the lowest cent. While we waited for our food I enjoyed taking in the scenery, I have encountered in a restaurant in Iceland. Not one course was especially the view coming from a TV-monitor in one of the corners. priced above 1000 ISK. Now many of you are probably thinking that It was showing what I’m sure must be the Japanese version of Power cheap prices equal poor food. Well a lot of times you would be right Rangers, only this one is much better. in that assumption, but not this time. For starters we had miso soup and seaweed salad. I had never tried The sheer amount of authenticity that characterises the courses miso soup before and to be honest I didn’t like it. But my companion at Santa Maria is enough to make you wrong. The real taste of Mexico, for the evening assured me that it was very good and since she has the way it’s meant to be, is what you’ll get. You won’t come across the more experience than me in this field I’m going to take her word for watered down, American versions we’re all so used to, and that is it. The seaweed salad on the other hand was deliciously fresh and what separates Santa Maria from all the dull and often disappointing exotic. Our next course was the “best for one” dish which consisted “Tex-Mex” places we have so many of in Reykjavik. of twelve different kinds of sushi. We got Nigiri rolls, small rolls, insi- But on to the food. For starters, my date and I decided to share de-out rolls, battleship sushi and so on. The mix changes from day a course of Molletes, which are bread buns with Mexican beans, to day depending on the availability of fresh ingredients. Next the melted cheese and Pico de Gallo. It turned out to be a light, enjoyable waiter brought us six pieces of salmon uramaki (inside-out rolls). and surprisingly hot course. As for the main courses, we had Enchi- As expected they were delicious. Last but not least we were served ladas de Mole and Tacos Dorados de Pollo. Now for those of you who minke whale tatake which came with ginger, mustard and dipping aren’t fluent in Spanish, that translates to enchiladas with mole sauce sauce which had a liquorice taste to it. It was so good that I’m sure and fried corn tortilla with chicken. If you haven’t tried mole sauce that if we gave it to Paul Watson he would abandon his ridiculous before you should absolutely have the enchiladas. The sauce is one crusade and become a whale hunter. of Mexico’s oldest secrets, made from six different kinds of chillies, It has always been a dream of mine to visit Japan, but until that hap- various spices and chocolate. There’s just nothing like it. Both of the pens I’m going to make the most of the little piece of Japan found at dishes came with salad, onions, sour cream and cheese. And just in Laugavegur 2. I hope you will too. case you’re wondering, they were both absolutely delicious. Santa Maria is a wonderful addition to the restaurant flora and fauna in Reykjavik. The food is excellent and the service is warm and personal. Whatever the occasion, Santa Maria comes highly recommended. DAYt ours Spectacular Breathtaking Unforgettable Glacier & Hot spring walks

www.mountainguides.is Phone: +354 587 9999 ...withTaste a little bit e of spanish thrown in! There are over 70 courses on our Tapas menu so drop by and indulge in our excellent Ieland food in the greatest of atmosphere. Great Tapas from kr. 550.-

HFF´s Mortgage Loans Same terms anywhere in Iceland Loans for up to 80% of the bid price or construction cost Maximum loan amount ISK 18 million

Interest Rates 5.75% on general loans 7jn^c\V=dbZ¶CZZYVAdVc4 5.50% on loans with a prepayment clause I]Z=djh^c\;^cVcX^c\;jcYd[[ZghlVa`"^chZgk^XZViîhbV^c d[XZ^cGZn`_Vk^`!BdcYVnhi]gdj\];g^YVnh!-Vb¶)eb# DjgVYk^hdghVgZgZVYnidVhh^hindjlî]XgZYîZkVajVi^dch!adVc Veea^XVi^dchdgVchlZgVcnfjZhi^dchndjb^\]i]VkZgZ\VgY^c\ ]dbZejgX]Vh^c\VcY$dg]dbZadVch# NdjXVcVahdXVaajhVi*+.+.%%dgidaa"[gZZVi-%%+.+.# I]Z=djh^c\;^cVcX^c\;jcY¶;dg:kZgndcZ Tel:551-2344 [email protected] Address: Vesturgata 3b lll#âh#^h 101 Reykjavík 7dg\Vgic^'&!&%*GZn`_Vk` IZa/*+.+.%%!Idaa"[gZZ/-%%+.+. Iceland’s very first Tapas-Bar B12 | Reykjavík Grapevine | Issue 05 2008 | Article

Grandmother’s outfit Skátar on stage at Organ.

The Story of Grandmother’s Records

OK. So you figure the name’s supposed to drawers and cupboards are filled with crap, helped where help was needed. Which is what invoke irony. I mean, the five releases that so when the TV only has eight channels and you this entity has evolved into, and perhaps always Grandmother’s Records far make up Grandmother’s Records catalogue want to watch the ninth. And how good it feels was, a co-dependent mutual self-help organiza- don’t sound like anything any grandmothers I to visit your grandmother at a time like that, and tion. You do things yourself, and if you want our is by all means an acci- know would approve of. Noisy, skronky blasts of have a chat with her. And how Everything (sic) help and to learn from our experiences, you can puerile satisfaction do not delight them much. becomes OK after a chat like that. And when we come to us.” dental gathering of like- So you don’t know what they’re about, and you needed a name for the label, we immediately And those friends are having a party tonight see their album covers, you hear their records thought of Grandmother’s Records.” So, it turns (given that you read this on this issue’s street minded folk, one that has and you stumble into their concerts at well past out that it isn’t ironic. Not really. date of 05.09.2008) where they will celebrate the midnight; these are smart, hip young(-ish) kids Grandmother’s Records is by all means an ac- fact that their catalogue is now available on-line been growing organically in shiny pants that don’t seem take themselves cidental gathering of like-minded folk, one that via Grapewire.net. And everyone’s invited. The or anything else seriously. So of course the has been growing organically and joyfully since party will feature some schizophrenic perfor- and joyfully since that name is an ironic gesture. “Ha ha ha, delight- that first release. Says Markús: “When we, the mances and a DJ set by Iceland’s premier noise fully noisy records for grandmothers!” members of Sofandi, started making our record, artist, which says a lot about the collective first release. But therein lies a conflict, because Markús we knew we would have to pay for it out of our which is releasing its sixth long-player shortly, a Bjarnason, singer and keyboard player of own pockets. We fully realised that our music début by the mighty RETRON. staple Grandmother’s acts Skátar and Sofandi wasn’t going to appeal to most people. We had and apparent ideologue-slash-creator of the competed in the Battle of the Bands and listed And if you read this in time, you should pay concept underlying the whole Grandmother’s our category as Baroque music, which meta- them a visit. For your début might be the next Records business, comes across as an urgently morphosed into “Bar rock” in the newspapers. one on the label. They really want everyone to honest young man. Whether in conversation We lost the contest, and nearly got kicked out of join. or in concert, he feels like he is constantly try- it for acting “weird” backstage. So we knew, and ing to bare his soul to you, as if he’s had some we recorded that album with a passion and re- Grandmother’s catalogue: shocking revelation that the whole world needs leased it ourselves, on our own label. Our friend to hear, and he intends to make it listen by any Stína did the cover, and our friend Krissi did the Sofandi – Anguma (2001) means necessary. He also has a surreal sense of layout. This is the way we have worked since. Sofandi – Ugly Demos (2001 – originally re- humour, which colours the Grandmother collec- “When our friends in Graveslime wanted to leased by Thule Musik) tive’s output and activities considerably. release their record, it was self evident that Graveslime – Roughness and Toughness (2003) In a red-eyed five a.m. e-mail, he explains to they should do it on Grandmother’s. Because Skátar – Heimsfriður í Chile (2004) me what the Grandmother’s Records moniker it was never anything but a name, an umbrella Skátar – Ghost of the Bollocks to Come (2007) means, and why: “The last track of Anguma, So- over a group of friends that liked hanging out RETRON – TBA (2008) fandi’s first record [and the label’s first release] in rehearsal studios and attempting to make has lyrics about the period in life where all your music. And so they did it all themselves, and we By Haukur Magnason

Energy for life through forces of nature

www.bluelagoon.com Experimental Museum

The annual Reykjavík Arts Festival is just for Iraq’, focuses on the state of the war in Iraq through classical, melancholic, ironic, or radi- behind the corner and as usual, the Reykjavík where participants will be able to illustrate their cally ecological images”. Art Museum will present a packed programme strategies towards possible solutions for the war. As an opposition to Sigurjónsdóttir’s The focus of the project for the occasion. One of the festival’s high- Scientist and hydrogen expert, Þorsteinn Ingi exhibition, American landscape architect lights is the Experiment Marathon Reykjavik, Sigfússon, will do the performance ‘The Taming and visual artist Martha Schwarts will display is experimentation in all an exhibition and program of various events, of the Proton’ while artist Marina Abramovic will an aluminium-installation in the courtyard of organised by the Reykjavík Art Museum and the take the audience on a soul exploration journey Kjarvalsstaðir. Her installation is titled ‘I Hate its forms and numerous Serpentine Gallery in London. On Friday, May in an experiment with German psychosexual Nature’ and “alludes both to the artist’s experi- 16, the museum at Hafnarhús will transform into therapist Dr. Ruth and Hans Ulrich Obrist. ence of nature as explored in the exhibition international artists and a laboratory for the next three months where The list also includes electronic musician and Dreams of the Sublime and Nowhere and to the over forty leading local and international artists, record producer Brian Eno, who will presents debate over environmental protection versus scientist will do curious architects, film-makers and scientists will create sound installations, Hungarian artist Attila exploitation” an environment of invention through a series Csörgo and Luc Steels, a professor of Artificial And there is more. The North Gallery of Kjar- exhibitions and experi- of installations, screenings, performances and Intelligence at the University of Brussels. valsstaðir, will see an exhibition for the whole experimental films. family, related to the nature theme of the afore- ments. The Marathon is curated by Hans Ulrich Nature as a Phenomenon mentioned exhibitions. Entitled ‘Where Am I?’ Obrist, Director of International Projects and Interesting exhibitions will also open at children and adults will be able to contemplate Co-Director of Exhibitions and Programmes for Reykjavík Art Museum’s second largest venue, their planet, their country, and the landmarks of the Serpentine Gallery in London; in collabora- Kjarvalsstaðir, during the Art Festival. In the their environment through various games and tion with artist Ólafur Elíasson. They’ve done collaborative exhibition ‘Dreams of the Sublime puzzles. everything in their power to promote art and and Nowhere’, surator Æsa Sigurjónsdóttir science to the public in a diverse and entertain- brings together a group of Icelandic artists of All these exhibitions will stay open through the ing way with numerous intriguing experiments, different backgrounds and generations (Ragnar summer and entrance is always free. For more exhibitions, performances, workshops and Kjartansson, Icelandic Love Corporation, Ólafur info visit www.listasafnreykjavikur.is panel discussions exploring the connection Elíasson and Spessi, among others) to explore between art and science. To enrich the whole the place of the “sublime” in Icelandic visual experience, the audience is supposed to take arts. Different ideas of nature and natural part in the events. phenomena in photographic and video art will The focus of the project is experimenta- be presented. The exhibition features early tion in all its forms and numerous international twentieth-century black-and-white landscape artists and scientist will do curious exhibitions photographs to multi-media installations with and experiments. To name just a few, a project the aim to “showcases diverse visions and organised by Mexican artist Pedro Ryes, ‘Ideas interpretations of the “sublime” and “nowhere”,

EXPECT HANG OVERS...

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Interpreting the Icelandic Psyche

“My pictures are silent descriptions, staging mel- year. Nevertheless, this documentary aspect wasn’t with the same approach some landscapes and “I was attracted to Ice- ancholy, fragility and nobleness of the ordinary enough. I thought that I should put something more views more or less connected to the young people’s life,” says French photographer Thomas Humery. in my pictures, something more ambiguous and in occupations or hang-around places. At the end, my land because of its iso- On May 16, he will open his first solo exhibition in a way out of time. I started to compose my portraits project is more a personal interpretation of the Iceland at the National Museum. Entitled ‘In the like old paintings from the Dutch period with this Icelandic psyche than a geographic or sociologic lation and its supposed Mist’, the exhibition features landscape photos and strict protestant aspect. From that point, I was in- study,” Humery concludes. portraits, documenting young Icelanders and their terested to continue this approach between docu- strong conditions. I was surroundings. ments and references in another Nordic context The exhibition will be open from May 16 until mid Humery, who has exhibited around Europe and in a larger scale,” he explains. September. projecting in my mind and contributed to various magazines and news- Asked why he chose Iceland for his next papers for the past decade, including Libération, project, Humery says: “From France, Iceland is a The National Museum of Iceland a lot of images, feelings L’Officiel Voyage, Monocle and Glamour, has bit mysterious and what is mysterious is of course Suðurgata 41 worked on the Icelandic photo series for approxi- very attractive. But more seriously, besides the idea www.natmus.is and intuitions, wrong or mately nine months. He visited Iceland five times of young people in the stiffness, where they are pa- during that period and got locals to pose for a series tient during the long winter, turned to their inner By Steinunn Jakobsdóttir right. So my project in that depict young people in their own daily envi- world and rebirth during a fleeting summer, I was ronment. Humery says that he is mostly influenced seduced by the fact that the people are very con- Iceland was to produce by 19th century photography, portraitists Ingres nected to each other and very social. It was pre- and Verspronck and painters Van der Weyden and cious for me to meet all these different people and portraits of young people Bronzino. In his portraits, he works with simple set- to be able to produce a large gallery of portraits.” tings and lets the expressions on his subjects’ faces He continues: “I was attracted to Iceland be- with different back- reveal their thoughts and feelings. To tell a story of cause of its isolation and its supposed strong condi- the young people’s lives he mixes the portraits with tions. I was projecting in my mind a lot of images, grounds, paraphrasing family-houses, public buildings and outdoor-areas. feelings and intuitions, wrong or right. So my proj- Humery’s project began in 2005 when he took ect in Iceland was to produce portraits of young the “Portrait of a young part in a residence program in Finland. “I went dur- people with different backgrounds, paraphrasing ing the winter and was interested to take pictures the “Portrait of a young man/woman” that we find man/woman.”” of young people during that tough period of the as a topic in the history of painting. I have added

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Reinventing Reykjavík

On Saturday May 10, the second half of a two-day Creating a New Image the aim of this conference. That’s why we invited international conference ‘Reinventing Harbour “I think it is necessary to bring in foreign knowl- professionals from different groups, like creative “Public space is always a Cities – Urban Planning and Art in Public Space’ edge and foreign expertise, look at foreign ex- people working for landscape architects and ar- takes place at the Nordic House. Organised by amples and different approaches,” says Christian chitects of course political matter, because CIA.IS (Centre for Icelandic Art) in cooperation Schoen, director of CIA. He sees a growing in- As the city expands, mistakes have been with the Iceland Academy of the Arts and the Nor- terest in the field of urban planning and names made and what the city seems to need the most it belongs to everybody dic House, the aim is to open public discussion the discussion on the future of Vatnsmýrin area today is a clear development policy. Empty build- on urban planning. The future of Reykjavík as a (where Reykjavík’s domestic airport is located) as ings on Laugavegur and Hverfisgata are depress- and everybody should modern harbour city will be debated and the role an example. He’s satisfied with the international ing symbols of how the policy-making is stuck be- that artists and designers can play in urban devel- planning competition for the area and how the tween the private and public sector without any know about what’s going opment discussed. proposals were introduced to the public, although clear solution of how the centre should develop. The conference brings together groups with all future development plans are still very uncer- Schoen points out that what is obviously lacking on. We’re talking about interest in Reykjavík’s development, emphasizing tain, due to political disputes. He emphasizes that is a sustainable master plan for the future. “We’re that the city’s reconstruction is a shared responsi- the public should be involved and have a say in talking about identity and city planning, not short- our future and our kids’ bility of policymakers, corporations, urban plan- how the city develops: “Public space is always a term interests of investors. The Concert and Con- ners, artists, and individuals. The goal is to try to political matter, because it belongs to everybody ference Centre down by the harbour is in my view future. It is a long pro- find common interests between people working and everybody should know about what’s going a fantastic landmark-creating opportunity, but in the private and public sector as well as local on. We’re talking about our future and our kids’ that is not enough. It is important to think of the cess and we should really residents, artists and architects and to offer a future. It is a long process and we should really whole structure and that, of course, is of public forum for opinion making. Speakers will come spend good portion of time on discussing how to interest”, he adds and continues: “We need to ask spend good portion of from across the globe and include Jürgen Bruns- develop our city.” ourselves: How do we see the future of the city in Berentelg, CEO of HafenCity Hamburg; Vito Ac- In recent decades Reykjavík has seen great say 2050? What do we want to create? What kind time on discussing how conci, an architect and designer from New York; economic growth and the cityscape has rapidly of image? Today, I don’t see the answers.” and FREEE, an art collective from London. The changed. Introduction and consultation with lo- to develop our city.” organisers, Christian Schoen and Shauna Laurel cals though is often missing. “To have a public dis- www.cia.is/news/conference.htm Jones from CIA, stress that all these different as- cussion is the first step. That means that everyone pects are important and will hopefully lead to cre- involved in the city-making process has to take ative discussions that can help improve the city. the public’s opinions into consideration. That’s

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