Grapevine New Music Picks: Sk-Ar, Sandrayati, Geigen, and Kurt Unuela ft. Dave Gahan

Are you freezing your butt off? We were too but then we found these new releases and now we’re hot, sweaty, and dancing! Make sure to check them out as they warm the heart, too. Stay cosy, everyone! Don’t forget to follow our New Music Picks 2021-22 playlist. We can’t wait to start one for 2023!

Sk-Ar – Við erum i Geimnum

Sk-Ar (aka artist Skúli Arason) is back with ‘Við erum í geimnum,’ his second album of 2022. What a busy bee! Much like April’s ‘Við sjóinn,’ ‘Við erum í geimnum’ (‘We are in space’) plays with different textural ambient sounds to create a cohesive landscape of meditative calm. This is contrasted (or complimented?) by a section of acoustic instrumentation on the last track of the album, “Tunglið er í sólinni,” which is particularly beautiful. More of that please. Take this album with you into the busy festive season, and pop it into your ears whenever you need some space and peace. JG

Sandrayati – Petals To The Fear

Sandrayati wrote “Petals To The Fear” a while ago, as her New Year’s resolution, or her will to be more open and free. Sandrayati refers to the single as a “little prayer,” and hopes it can shine some light for anyone struggling these days. Get ready for a sensual experience. Great job Sandrayati! We hope she will have some shows in town next year. IZ

Geigen – Galactic Vibrations

For those of you who have been living under a rock for the last month, techno violin duo Geigen have been the name on everybody’s lips, as the result of their critically acclaimed show ‘Geigengeist,’ made in collaboration with Iceland Dance Company. The last showing of ‘Geigengeist’ will take place tonight, and while we encourage you to go and experience it in person if you can, for those of you who can’t make it, you can at least take solace in the new record from Geigen, released this week by Heavy Knife (read our interview with founder Þórði Inga Jónsson aka Lord Pusswhip here!) ‘Galactic Vibrations’ is the first studio album from the pair, and it does an impressively good job of pinning down the energy and expressivity of Geigen in the flesh. JG

Kurt Uenala ft. Dave Gahan – Manuscript

Kurt Uenala has just released a new EP titled ‘Manuscript’ in collaboration with Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode. Uenala and Gahan are no strangers to working together, and ‘Manuscript’ turned out to be a real synergic symbiosis of the duo’s work during the pandemic. Iceland should be proud Uenala has chosen to call it home! IZ

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