Grapevine Playlist: Minimalistic Sam Smith, Salóme Katrín & More

Looking for some new tunes? Presenting the legendary Grapevine playlist.

Sam Smith- “To Die For (Ólafur Arnalds Remix)”
Ólafar Arnalds’ remix of Sam Smith’s single serves up a minimalistic take on the heartbreaking ballad. Slow, instrumental, and stripped of the beginning’s audio sample, it sounds like less of a remix than the original. A soft piano introduces Smith’s golden vocals. Cellos come in, honing on the tragic undertones while an electronic arpeggio plays in the background. It picks up before falling back to melancholic slowness at the end. SPO

GusGus – “Out of Place”
Legends of the Icelandic electronic scene, GusGus are back with a characteristically trancy new single. With multi-layered synths and smooth dreamy vocals, this track has an effortless feel to it. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself drifting off at your desk at work whilst listening. PA

Jean-Philippe Rameau & Víkingur Ólafsson – “The Arts and the Hours”
The perfect track for these anxiety-inducing times, Vikingur Olafsson’s virtuoso piano playing will soothe even the most jangled nerves. Víkingur’s arrangement—transcribed from Rameau’s last opera ‘Les Boréades’—is the enchanting centrepiece on Víkingur’s soon-to-be-released album, which will pay homage to two French greats of the classical world—Rameau and Debussy. PA

Sturla Atlas – “Hvert sem er”
Sturla’s all grown up! 101 Boys’ first breakout star is back with his fifth release and first solo outing since 2017. His nose for pop hooks and his silky smooth voice are still there but the tounge-in-cheek gangsta rap references are gone, and the trap beat has been replaced with an uptempo electropop beat, reminiscent of The Weeknd’s recent offerings. Somber but driving full steam ahead, just like you and me, baby. It’s a bunker banger. SP

Ásta- “Sykurbað”
Our regular readers know that we absolutely love Ásta. Now, the eponymous song from her 2019 debut album is here with a particularly high production video, starring the singer herself. It’s arguably the best track from the album, featuring a chord progression that spans the fretboard, and Ásta’s distinctly angelic voice. This lady is seriously talented. SPO

Velvet Villain – “I Wanna Know”
This is my kind of music. A thick, heavily distorted riff and a persistent beat on an acoustic drum kit sets the tone for the whole song, which is warped, frustrated, and raw. Remember The White Stripes? It’s a lot like The White Stripes. SPO

Salóme Katrín – “Don’t Take Me So Seriously”
Post-dreifing starlet Salóme Katrín has an important message in her debut single. The acoustic indie ballad is an easy-going and straight-forward imploration: “Don’t take me so seriously. I’m not being real.” Could this mean that the music she releases forthwith will be sillier? We hope so. SPO

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