Tag Archives: Icelandic

Fufanu Debut Single Circus Life | Music News

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Fufanu Debut Single 'Circus Life' Music NewsFUFANU: ‘Circus Life’ [b/w] ‘Goodbye’
Debut Single, 6th April One Little Indian

Formerly operating as techno duo, Captain Fufanu, with the addition of live instrumentation – and the band name shortened to a more economical Fufanu (“the Captain was left behind at a rave in Cologne”) – the Icelandic group began working up a dark, metronomic take on 70s and 80s European music.

The rolling, hypnotic, seven minute ‘Circus Life’ – uploaded to YouTube in October – primed early adopters at Rolling Stone (‘Disclosure attending Bela Lugosi’s funeral’), Line of Best Fit (‘…like a mythical Ouroboros’) and JaJaJa (‘mesmerising’) – and is formally released as Fufanu’s debut single on the 6th April, backed with shuddering and drolly-titled live opener, ‘Goodbye’.

In the space of one week last November Fufanu became the most talked about new band of Iceland Airwaves, made their UK live debut at JaJaJa Festival and supported Damon Albarn at the Albert Hall – winning the approval of Brian Eno into the bargain.

They repeated the trick in January with crushing sets at Eurosonic and are back in the UK supporting *Bo Ningen in early April as below:

Wednesday 1st April London, Hoxton Bar & Kitchen*
Thursday 2nd April London, Sebright Arms

Fufanu is: Kaktus Einarsson (vocals)/ Gulli Halldór (guitar/programming).

 

 

 

Ólöf Arnalds, St John on Bethnal Green | Live Music Review

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I’ve been to a lot of strange places on a Tuesday evening but church in Bethnal Green wasn’t previously on that list. I say strange because at first glance going to a gig in a church is a slightly odd thing to do but in reality it couldn’t be a more perfect space to watch some lovely Icelandic folk. The place is by no means full but judging by the reaction of those gathered as Ólöf bounds onto the stage, along with longtime collaborator Skúli Sverrisson, they’re ready and willing to be blown away.
From the off they, and the venue, didn’t disappoint – the sound being carried around to great and beautiful effect – opener “German Fields” with it’s back and forth “You know I care. Why I see you, all the way through” sends the hairs on the back of one’s neck into a mohawk.
The show being in support of her third album, Sudden Elevation, and her first sung wholly in English, the songs from the record don’t so much disappoint but it’s the older songs, sung in her mother tongue, that really stand out. For all I know she could simply be reading out loud the back of a tin of paint or the terms and conditions for a 2 for 1 pizza voucher but it sure as hell sounds beautiful. Achingly beautiful.
Maybe that’ll be her downfall in terms of taking things to a much bigger level of fandom; that we in Britain don’t go mad for chaps singing in foreign tongues and it’s those older, foreign-tongued tunes of Ólöf’s that are the ones that stand her out from the pack.
Between songs the chatter is laced with nothing but enthusiasm – you can tell there’s nowhere else she’d rather be and that if the audience weren’t there she’d still happily be playing her songs with Skúli to anyone who’d listen. And to be honest, there’s nowhere else this audience would rather have been tonight. Simply marvellous.