Music News In Brief: Sin Fang, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Exos, and more!

Sweet thang Sin Fang released his fourth full-length album on September 16. The album, titled ‘Spaceland’, blasts listeners into the synthetic sunset; into a space of love lost, dark euphorias, and personal confessions. The album features cosmic collaborations with Jónsi, Sóley, Jófríður Ákadóttir and Farao. On the album’s release page at Morr Music, Sin Fang explains that this album was made in the headspace “when he felt like he was ‘dying all the time.’” The sound itself is much more uplifting than Sindri describes, though, oscillating between bass-heavy beats and high, ethereal vocals.

Speaking of outer space, Icelandic rap duo Geimfarar dropped a new song on their SoundCloud called “Hvíti Galdur.” It’s got that high hat/low bass that you can step to on the street and at the bar alike. The two stay true rapping only in Icelandic, which makes the song a listening delight for all parties involved. Whether you catch their quips or just need something to play at work, like while typing the music news in brief, for instance… A little white magic for the dark days to come.

Seems everyone wants to resist the seasons ahead. Wesen gets CGI-tropical with it in their new single and video “Beach Boys.” Lead singer Júlia explains to IMX that “the lyrics were written while I was feeling very angry about digital communications […]. Thus both the song and the video concept were born: being angry with technology on the beach.” The makers stayed true to their vision: the two are pictured on a desert island, physically and symbolically isolated. Then Júlia flies around on a cell phone-cum-magic carpet singing “I don’t have any meaningful comments, I’m unable to talk…”

Jóhann Jóhannsson doesn’t need words for his latest release. As we reported last issue, the contemporary composer has been busy scoring the new Blade Runner movie, but apparently not too busy to focus on creating a new solo album. ‘Orphée’ was released September 16 via Deutsche Grammophon; it is his first solo album in six years. The track “By the Roes, and by the Hinds of the Field” came accompanied by a video release as well. The whole video is cast in glimmering nostalgia by an array of blinking lamps. Its uncertain time period is reminiscent of Jóhann’s own sound, new yet nostalgic.

While we’re on the topic of “greats,” Exos is on a world tour. He’s spent the summer playing in the bigtime spots like Berghain in Berlin and Output in New York, as well as some more exotic locations like Cuenca, Quito, and Guayaquil. Do you even know where Guayaquil is? Well you can ask him yourself, when he comes back to Reykjavík for two shows in September (before taking off to Tbilisi). Exos is one of Iceland’s most experienced and respected figures in techno. On September 24 he joins another mastermind of the genre—Moritz von Oswald—for a guaranteed mind-bender of a night at NASA. Welcome back, Exos, you know what they say: there’s no place like house.