The first Grapevine Playlist of 2018 rounds up a few releases that sneaked out over the holiday period, from weird industrial horror-rap to feel good new year anthems.
Hatari x CYBER – Hlauptu
A standout from the recently released Myrkfælni #2 compilation is this collab between horror rap girl group CYBER and theatrical synth-punks Hatari. It might seem like an unlikely combination at the outset, but it works perfectly, with the evil synths and alternating rap/falsetto/ranting vocals melding together like the two bands were made for each other. JR
Daði Freyr – Seinni Tíma Vandamál
Icelandic pop darling Daði Freyr ended the Icelandic year with the final song on the popular end-of-year TV show, Áramótaskaupið. This annual programme makes fun of the political and cultural scandals of the preceding twelve months. Daði Freyr’s song is about the anxiety of the Icelandic nation, and how we could just chill and have fun, because everything is going to be fine anyways. Or as we say in Icelandic: “þetta reddast.” VG
ALVIA – Level Loco
Alvia Islandia is one of the winners at the Grapevine Music Awards, receiving a Shout Out prize from the panel for her DIY methods, strong presence in the scene and on the stage, and her alternative take on rap. Case in point: her new single “Level Loco” is produced by atmospheric krautrock/shoegaze duo Russian Girls, giving the track an unexpectedly dreamy flavour. JR
Sin Fang, Sóley & Örvar Smárason – Team Dream Party Kids
This dream team fulfilled their team dreams in 2017, creating a song for each month of the year. The tracks varied from ambient, lovelorn slowcore to catchy, hazy alt-pop. This season finale is one of the latter, with all three singers combining on an epic torch song. The album, ‘Team Dreams,’ is out now. JR
RVKDTR – Hvað Er Málið
Feminist punk-rappers RVKDTR released a new song just before the arrival of the new year. It’s both slick and rough, taking on the tough questions like “What’s the deal with your boyfriend? He’s always saying hi.” The striking video sees RVKDTR playing with stereotypes such as “bimbo” and “skinkur”—and if we’re not mistaken, one of most powerful businesswomen in Iceland, Ingibjörg Pálmadóttir, has a short cameo drinking bubbly with the band. VG
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