Disobedient duo BSÍ talk about their new EP triptych, DIY culture and living in the moment
The music of the Reykjavík-based duo BSÍ seems to draw from contrasting realms. In a yin-yang fashion, Sigurlaug ‘Silla’ Thorarensen and Julius Pollux Rothlaender combine various moods and thoughts that define their day-to-day life.
The band’s 2021 double EP Sometimes Depressed, and But Always Anti-Fascist is a testament to the moody nature of their creative oeuvre. In keeping with the titles, the first record alludes to the hazy downtempo of The XX’s Coexist while its more dynamic counterpart is what seems to be — a power pop soundtrack to Icelandic summer. Given the changing weather of their domicile, the seasonal concept applies.
Released in May 2025, the new EP Because Honestly sums up emotional conundrums associated with the time of the year. Just like the previous work, which Julius and Silla define as a full-length album in two parts, the latest record will be accompanied by another release, actually two.
The forthcoming EPs are set to come out in the summer and autumn of 2025 respectively. Both will involve several release parties including Swiss label No Salad Records and Berlin-based ListenCollective who also released Because Honestly. “None of these labels are record companies conventionally,” explains Julius. “The idea was to have all our DIY friends join us to promote this record. We were also thinking it would be funny to see how many labels we can put in our Spotify profile,” he jokes.
“There is so much pressure and so many expectations,” Silla reflects on their defiant EP trajectory. “We just do it our own way. Whatever works, whatever makes sense, we just do it without overthinking,” she says.
“With EPs, it feels more current and agile,” adds Julius. “We both say that it’s so annoying that so much time passes between an idea for a song and the actual release. Finishing, writing a song and then recording it. It feels like it should be much quicker: write a song – release it!”
Instant art
BSÍ’s fast-paced strategy evokes the principle behind the earliest examples of punk records, such as The Buzzcocks’ debut Spiral Scratch — the first independent EP in the history of popular music. Similarly volatile, Because Honestly is a sonic patchwork containing outtakes from rehearsals, improvisations and songs recorded at the Schaltraum/Neu studio in Berlin.
Just like Spiral Scratch, the EP doesn’t express their political views directly, though, as the band says, “The values haven’t changed.” Some songs, like “Body As A Witness”, hint at personal politics in feminist terms. Fusing emotive melody and grungy buzz, it bursts out midway through, finding a kinship with Du Blonde’s Homecoming.
Photo by Julie Sjöfn Gasiglia
“It’s a political song but political in a different way. Like personally political,” explains Silla. “It’s a song about how to work through difficult emotions and difficult experiences in life. A practice in feeling or expressing righteous rage or anger and returning the shame back to where it belongs.”
In a way, the contrasting nature of BSÍ comes with a connection to various geographic locations. Berlin-born Julius reflects on his in-between state: “Splitting time between two places feels healthy, it makes you cherish each place more but it is also a bit sad because it’s not enough time to see all of your friends.”
Like a traveller equipped with a Polaroid camera, the duo captures the moments in music and artwork. Hence, the cover of the latest EP features an instant photo taken by Silla in her studio at hafnar.haus. One day, when the band was working on new songs, a window pane broke causing the glass to shatter on the ground outside.
“There were some guys around who were trying to fix stuff and somehow that moment fitted the songs or the ideas around them,” recalls Silla. “And that’s the cover of the record.” Such an approach seemingly defines the creative course of BSÍ who are constantly on diversion. “We’re not really thinking things through,” adds Silla. “It’s just kind of whatever makes sense. It’s hard to explain the process, a little bit chaotic but organised.”
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