Ske #25 - English version

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#25

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EMMSJÉ GAUTI

EDITORIAL PATRIOTISM

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JÖKULL JÚLÍUSSON “I don’t always know what I want – but I know what I don’t want.” ∙ AUGUST 2016

A "PERFECT" DAY PT. 25

EDITORIAL

There is no such thing as perfect. A thing cannot be perfect. But when a thing is sufficiently wonderful we may refer to it as perfect for the sake of emphasis – such a thing is customary. A few days ago, we experienced a day that was wonderful enough to predispose us towards exaggeration, and we are confident that if any traveler were to follow in our footsteps, then they too would feel the same. It was, in all honesty, a perfect day.

1. SKÓLAVÖRÐUSTÍGUR Shopping and Coffee 09:00

For over a year, we have tried our best to maintain the standard of our Perfect Day section by being both original in our suggestions and articulate in our writing. But there are times when we feel as depleted as a dystopian water-well and cannot muster a single creative thought. At such times we must rely on the ingenuity of others. And so for this edition we have unabashedly copied the itinerary (parts of it, at least) of two travelers, Anne and Jeff, who manage the online video blog What Doesn’t Suck. The two of them spent 48 hours in Iceland recently and had such a wonderful time of it that we though it fitting to borrow their ideas. Let us begin … Begin your day by visiting Skólavörðustígur in downtown Reykjavík (it is a street that is as lovely as it is unpronounceable).

On Skólavörðustígur you shall find great stores (Geysir, Suit) and great coffeehouses (Mokka) and you shall also be afforded a picturesque view of Hallgrímskirkja (the big church on top of the hill). As always: beware the oblivious Pokémon hunters, who seem determined to exit this life in the most stupid of ways.

2. BUGGY ADVENTURES Schopenhauer 12:00

PATRIOTISM I am deeply suspicious of wild, unbounded displays of loud patriotism – and can hardly behold an unfurled flag without my hazel brows furrowing in a wise expression of cold cynicism.

I have not always been this way, but I am this way now and shall always be this way from now on, I suppose. The reason why I am so suspicious of national fervor is because there is a whiff of primitive tribalism to it, the kind of whiff that a man picks up on after a certain amount of historical and philosophical contemplation (one’s nose begins to crinkle at all things); every waving of a flag, every singing of a national anthem and every display of homeland revelry is, in the mind of a bookish know-it-all like myself – but a dark overture of war.

Is not the world ever poised on the precipice of war? … A few weeks ago, however, these intelligent misgivings were silenced for a few hours: A feeling of national solidarity shook me to the core like an Icelandic earthquake, and I, stupid drunk atop of a 10-storey scaffold, tumbled into a familiar patriotic abyss as soon as an ingenuous sport’s commentator shrieked poignantly to Iceland’s defeat of England in the quarter finals of the European Cup. My heart beat in rhythm to 330,00 other hearts. If there was an army in Iceland, my name would now be on the register and I would now be marching through the streets of Reykjavík with a bayonet and a beret, candid in my critique of quislings and cowards.

I am a cosmopolitan – but an Icelandic cosmopolitan!

The German philosopher Schopenhauer, who was a devoted pessimist and a misanthrope, believed that following the dictates of the will would lead to a life of suffering and unhappiness. He believed that the goal of the good life was its extinction. But Schopenhauer was born before the invention of the buggy car. SKE is certain that the old German gloombag would have renounce his pessimism if ever he whizzed through the Icelandic countryside in a cool buggy. If you, too, are interested in negating the gloomy philosophy of old Arthur S. by whizzing through the Icelandic countryside then we suggest that you give Buggy Adventures a call.

Buggy Adventures offer one-to-two hour trips, custom trips, longer trips and combo tours at reasonable prices. We have been on a tour around Mt. Esja ourselves, and although we half expected a tame cruise around the environment at senile speeds – we were pleasantly surprised. The buggy reached speeds of 70 km an hour (if we remember correctly) and there were times when we genuinely feared for our own lives, which is exactly the kind of feeling one wants on a buggy tour.

3. THE ICELANDIC COUNTRYSIDE Rent-a-car 14:00

We Icelanders are alright. We have learned to speak and to write and to sing and to dance but we are not the reason why tourists come here.

We cannot move a human being to book a flight from Paris to Reykjavík on the strengths of our

STAFF EDITOR Ragnar Tómas Hallgrímsson

PHOTOGRAPHS (Solstice) Aníta Eldjárn

ART DIRECTOR Helgi Pétur Lárusson

PUBLISHER Lifandi Verkefni ehf

INTERVIEWEE Jökull Júlíusson

PRINTING Ísafoldarprentsmiðja

PHOTOGRAPHS (COVER & INTERVIEW) Allan Sigurðsson

ADVERTISING SALES Laila Awad

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ua Von Verrucktberg Síta Valrún Edda Kentish Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass Friðrik Níelsson

characters alone. We do not possess personalities that fill plane after plane of awkwardly dressed passengers.

We are not magnets but moths – who sit atop the magnets and chase diminutive Japanese monsters on their smartphones. What we mean to say is that the reason why tourists come to Iceland is to experience the Icelandic countryside – the Icelandic nature. That is our magnet. If you are interested in exploring the Icelandic countryside the best way to go is to rent a car and take control of your own destiny. You can “do” the Golden Circle in one day. Go for it.

4. CAFÉ LOKI Shark Week 19:00

There is only one thing worse than being near a shark in the ocean – and that is being near a shark when it has been slaughtered and fermented and placed atop an Icelandic plate for the purpose of consumption. The shark may be dead but its intention to kill lives on. It seems to attack the nose with the tenacity of a prize fighter and inspires the tongue to shrink in vehement disapproval. We at SKE have, over the course of our insignificant lives, watched a few videos of foreigners attempting to reconcile their sensibilities to fermented shark – and as one of those poor creatures stated: “Oooh, keep it away from your nose. (Takes a bite of the shark.) It’s not so bad. But it’s also not so great. (Winces.)” If you are interested in torturing your taste-buds with the rotten remains of cartilaginous fish then we suggest you visit Café Loki near Hallgrímskirkja. There you shall find traditional Icelandic food and we have heard that the staff is quite friendly.

5. DOWNTOWN REYKJAVÍK Stay up Late 00:00

Iceland is known for its nature. Its volcanoes. Its football team. Its Björk and its Sigur Rós. But it is also known for its midnight sun. There is actually an Icelandic rap song dedicated to the midnight sun and we shall leave a portion of that lyric here on this page in order to inspire you to stay up late and experience the midnight sun for yourself: “What better symbol for the youth than the midnight sun? / Who refuses to acknowledge the night, when she comes / Who pays no mind to incurring disfavor / Unafraid to let her rays keep up the neighbors / Under her aegis we take to the streets / In open protestation ‘gainst sleep / With speakers tall, trembling, black / We dance to the vigorous cadence of rap / There you have it. During your time in Iceland this summer it is imperative that you book a meeting with the midnight sun, and, in the spirit of aforementioned lyric – “Under her aegis take to the streets, in open protestation against sleep.”

YOU’RE IN FOR A PERFECT DAY! Three pictures relate indirectly to each segment (excepting Pikachu and Schopenhauer who are mentioned directly in the text): Ben Stiller starred in Walter Mitty which helped promote the Icelandic countryside; Tracy Morgan is known for his Shark Week references; and Jon Voight starred in Midnight Cowboy.

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WEBSITE www.ske.is

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EMMSJÉ GAUTI "Be nice to each other and listen to rap music."

WORDS RAGNAR TÓMAS They say that to rap is to be part of an honest trade, for it is to reveal publicly what is usually concealed privately, namely one’s own good opinion of oneself. And is that not the beauty of rap music: that it is an acceptable way of bolstering one’s ego? Is the art of rap not essentially a Dale Carnegie training course masquerading as an art form? Ask yourself: When one learns to rap, does not one also make gains in self-confidence, improve as a public speaker and win over new friends in the process?

I think so. Anyhow, as these words are being written, one of Iceland’s most successful Carnegie students (aka rapper), Emmsjé Gauti, is trying to finance the release of his newest album, Vagg & Velta, in a double-vinyl edition – while also recovering from his release concert at NASA, which took place on the 14th of July. We spoke to him a few days ago and asked him a couple of questions.

You are trying to finance a double-vinyl edition of your newest album on Karolina Fund. How’s it going and how does one help?

It’s going pretty well. I’ve raised around 270,000 ISK so far. There are a lot of people who misunderstand the concept of crowdfunding and think that they are donating money without getting anything in return, when really they’re paying for the product before it is released. If enough people purchase the product then it goes into production. I decided to go the crowd-funding way because manufacturing vinyl records is expensive and I wasn’t

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sure if there was a market for it. If demand is great enough then it will happen. Karolina Fund is clever.

You can also donate and receive bigger packages, from a little album pin to a private concert on a yacht.

All of it is done in order to raise money for the cost of production. If I don’t raise enough money then the album will be available online and in cd form. So there’s no chance of the album not being released.

If someone sponsors the project with a donation of 497,000 ISK then you will throw that someone a private, two-hour concert on a yacht – with booze. Where did this idea come from?

Originally, I planned on throwing a concert aboard a helicopter, but that would have been too expensive.

I also realized that it would be rather difficult to throw a concert aboard a helicopter. I started looking into luxury yachts and, as it turned out, that kind of thing is much more practicable, that is, if anyone is interested in going out to the ocean, drinking fine wine and listening to rap music.

If one reviews the list of backers so far, one finds artists like Páll Óskar, Berndsen and Kött Grá Pje. What celebrities would you like to see supporting the project?

All of them, really. It’s nice to see other artists pitching in, but in truth, a donation from your average Joe helps me just as much.

How was the Secret Solstice Festival and what stood out?

Secret Solstice was insane in my opinion. There are a few really rough edges that need to be smoothed out in order for it to become a five-star festival but I’m quite happy to see this kind of thing succeeding in Iceland. The Die Antwoord concert was the highlight of the festival in my opinion. It was my second time seeing them live. The first time I saw them I said that it was the best live performance that I had seen and I stand by those words today.

You supported Andri Snær Magnason in the presidential elections but are you satisfied with Guðni Th. (the winner)?

Yes, I’m not at all disappointed with Guðni, even though Andri Snær would be holding the office if the choice was mine. Guðni seems like a good guy with a good heart. I hope that he’ll prove himself as a man of the people and let’s pray that the office doesn’t go to his head; power often wreaks havoc on people’s crania.

Who is your favorite player on the Icelandic men’s football team?

Aron Gunnarsson. He’s a good friend with a good heart and a nice beard. He’s doing a wonderful job as captain of the national team.

When will your new music video be released?

It was supposed to be released before the record, but people in the film industry don’t understand the concept of time. “One hour” in the eyes of a filmmaker can be one day.

But it will be released in July. The video is in the hands of professionals whom I adore and whom I trust, completely, for a great final product. I’ll teach them to operate a clock when I get the chance.

Are chemtrails and lizard people still the number one threat to humanity? (Gauti stated this in an old interview with SKE) Yes, along with the sedative chemicals they put in Colgate toothpaste to control mankind.

Anything that you would like to add?

Be nice to each other and listen to rap music.

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SKE ∙

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MUSIC

THINGS TO DO Oh, the Icelandic summer! What long-awaited relief it brings to this weary population of islanders, who having languished through the dark doldrums of winter, greet the sun with gladdened hearts and gay gushes of golden beer.

For those readers who don’t speak Icelandic, “ske” means

THE OFFICIAL REYKJAVÍK PRIDE BALL – The official ball of

CLASSIC ICELANDIC SONGS

the Reykjavík Pride festival will take place on August 6th at Bryggjan Brugghús. Pop legends from the Icelandic band Stjórnin will perform. (Further information: www.hinsegindagar. is/ball)

CEASETONE RELEASE PARTY – Icelandic up-and-comers Ceasetone will celebrate the release of their album Two Strangers on August 19th in Tjarnarbíó. Check out their single The Bright Side on Youtube. It’s great.

For more information regarding concerts and events visit www.midi.is or www.tix.is. Browsing through the events page on Facebook is also a great idea.

MÚM "GREEN GRASS OF TUNNEL"

“ happen” (the word is most often employed in the phrase “ hvað er að ske?” meaning “what’s happening?”).

In order to remain faithful to our magazine’s name we have compiled a list of interesting events taking place in Iceland from the end of July to the end of August for the benefit of our readership: JÚNÍUS MEYVANT RELEASE CONCERT – Icelandic singer Júníus Meyvant will be celebrating the release of his debut album, Floating Harmonies, in Háskólabíó on August 27th. No expense will be spared.

REYKJAVÍK JAZZ FESTIVAL – The Harpa Music and Conference Hall hosts a jazz festival from August 10th to 14th.

The festival is organized by the FIH Jazz Department, assisted by the FIH cultural fund, The City of Reykjavík and the State Fund for Music.

INNIPÚKINN MUSIC FESTIVAL

ÓLAFUR ARNALDS "LJÓSIÐ"

WORDS Friðrik Níelsson

THE REYKJAVÍK MARATHON – The annual Reykjavík Marathon will take place on August 20th for the 33rd time. Here is the timetable: 08:40 Marathon, Half Marathon and Relay 09:35 10 km 12:15 Fun Run, 3 km 14:40 End of race timing Sign up on www.marathon.is

OYAMA, TEITUR MAGNÚSSON AND INDRIDI @ HÚRRA – Thursday, August 4th at 20:00.

REYKJAVÍK PRIDE OPENING CEREMONY – For over a decade, the Reykjavik Pride Opening Ceremony has been one of the festival’s most popular events. Not only is it a spectacular concert showcasing the talents of a variety of artists, but also a yearly gathering of the extended queer family in Iceland.

Pre-show complimentary Bacardi Mango from Mekka Wines & Spirits from 8:30 p.m. Opening Ceremony takes place on August 4th at the Harpa Music and Conference Hall.

ANNUAL VEGAN FESTIVAL – The Icelandic Vegan & Vegetarian Society will host its annual vegan festival on Saturday August 13th at Hellisgerði park in Hafnarfjörður. The festival will feature various vegan and vegetarian food along with entertainment (Further information: search for “vegan festival” on Facebook.)

MUSE (CONCERT) – The English rock band performs at Laugardalshöll on August 6th (the concert is officially sold out).

GAY CLASSICAL CONCERT – Many of the world’s leading composers have been gay and the Harpa Music and Conference Hall will be celebrating their achievements on August 3rd. The program includes works by Tchaikovsky, Poulenc, Britten, Bernstein, Sondheim and more. The performers are among Iceland’s leading classical musicians.

(Further information: www.harpa.is)

REYKJAVÍK CULTURE NIGHT – Reykjavík’s annual Culture Night will take place on August 20th. Culture Night is one of the largest cultural events in Iceland where thousands of locals get together in downtown Reykjavík for concerts, exhibitions and various forms of entertainment.

THULE RECORDS RELEASE PARTY – Thule records celebrates the release of "Downgarden" by Exos and "T1 / T2" by Thor on Saturday August 6th at Paloma in Reykjavik.

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The Icelandic word “innipúki” means “indoor devil.” It is a useful word for children who occasionally fish it out of their impish vocabularies whenever one of their companions refuses to come out and play: “What are you, some kind of indoor devil?” Over the years the word has become more than just a youthful slur and most Icelanders will associate it, first and foremost, with the name of an Icelandic music festival.

“Innipúkinn” is an apt title for a music festival that takes place indoors during Merchant’s Weekend (Verslunarmannahelgi) given that during that weekend a large percentage of Icelanders take to the countryside in order to drink beer and attend large outdoor festivals (where music isn’t necessarily the focal point). The fifteenth edition of the Innipúkinn festival will be held from July 29th to August 1st at Naustin (the two main venues being Húrra and Gaukur á Stöng). Innipúkinn is perhaps the most democratic of all Icelandic festivals seeing as all of the bands divide the profits from ticket sales between themselves equally (it is a non-profit festival). The lineup for this year’s festival is impressive:

KALEO "ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS"

Friday

Auður Hildur Hjaltalín Hormónar Misþyrming Singapore Sling Snorri Helgason Valdimar

MAMMÚT "SALT"

Saturday

Axel Flóvent Friðrik Dór GKR Helgi Björnsson & Boogie Trouble JFDR Karó Kött Grá Pje Royal

Sunday

Agent Fresco Aron Can Emmsjé Gauti Gangly Glowie Grísalappalísa Herra Hnetusmjör

FORGOTTEN LORES & SKYTTURNAR "AK ÖFGAR"

REYKJAVÍK SMART BIKE WORDS Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass No man has ever successfully fulfilled the role of tourist without motion. Essential to the concept of “tourism” is the idea of motion – the requirement that the tourist must change position or place. This being the case, the art of tourism involves, in no small part, the careful selection of the proper vehicle for motion depending on the place in question. If a tourist visits a new city then it is incumbent upon him to select the proper form of motion. Say, for example, that a tourist visits Reykjavík. What then? SKE suggests that it will play out like this: If the tourist is unseasoned then he may choose to explore Reykjavík by car.

But he would be mistaken. The car is for the countryside, for long drives along meandering highways – for quick getaways from financial institutions. The car is not the answer. If the tourist is slightly more experienced then he may choose

to explore the city by foot. But there is a limit to the distance that he can cover on foot; the meager horsepower of his human legs can only take him so far.

Walking is not the way. If, on the other hand, the tourist is a veteran then his mind may begin to gravitate towards the prospect of the bicycle (the poet’s vehicle) – but then he shall recall that Reykjavík is a hilly city and abandon the idea entirely. What then? What kind of motion is wisest in Reykjavík city? We shall tell you: the electric bike. If you are intending to do Reykjavík right then we suggest you visit Reykjavík Smart Bike in downtown Reykjavík (by the Parliament) and rent an electric bike for a reasonable fee. Why? Because the electric bike is nimble, easy to operate, fun and – most importantly – capable of covering great distances without significant strain upon the operator’s body.

Take your photos using a steam powered phone In Iceland, all electricity is generated from renewable sources; falling water, the heat of the earth and the force of the wind.

Welcome to the land of renewable energy. landsvirkjun.com/visitus

SKE ∙

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JÖKULL JÚLÍUSSON INTERVIEW RAGNAR TÓMAS ∙ PHOTOGRAPHS ALLAN SIGURÐSSON

SKE: If one believes that a person’s conduct in life decides that person’s destiny in the next life, that is, that a person’s conduct decides which body his or her soul embodies in the next life (a.k.a. reincarnation based on the principles of karma) – then one is forced to conclude that Jökull “JJ” Júlíusson, the lead singer of Kaleo, previously suffered the worst imaginable agonies in his former life; that he was held captive in a North-Korean dungeon for years on end; that he suffered through 100 years of solitude and 50 years of heartache – and that he endured said agony in an especially humble and noble manner. In truth, reincarnation based on the principles of karma is the only way to explain JJ’s existence to the unattractive, talentless public. How else would one go about justifying the fact that one and the same person is at once attractive in his appearance, likeable in his manner, intelligent in his speech and is, furthermore, in possession of a voice that that requires but the slightest vibration to cause every woman’s knee to tremble. Some reasonable explanation must lie behind such a genetic stroke of unlikely fortune … I met JJ in my home in the westside of Reykjavík a few days ago and tried to better understand this humble Icelander.

(Fellating the bottle neck of my beer one fine Saturday afternoon, the doorbell rings as if the grating voice of God were bidding me to rise. A bit tipsy, I escape the gravitational pull of the sofa and press the button on the entrance phone.

I open the door leading out to the stairwell and look down towards the main entrance. There stands a man, around 1.80 cm tall, in a white v-neck t-shirt, sporting a curl in his hair like an Icelandic Presley. I recognize the man as JJ. He says hello and walks into the apartment alongside of his day-to-day manager, Rachel. I offer them beer and coffee but Rachel declines my offer entirely while JJ asks for some water. I let the tap run, throw on some jazz music and take a seat across from the two of them, who are sitting on the sofa. While Rachel tumbles into her phone like Alice into the rabbit hole, I turn on the Dictaphone.)

JJ: It was awesome. We used to perform there regularly.

After the concert we strolled over to the local pub and met up with our friend Gaukur, who is a harmonica player, and an American who plays the double bass. We kept playing into the early hours.

music seriously as a career. That wasn’t always the case.

I had applied to the University and had finished my high school diploma. Since then I’ve jumped at every opportunity I’ve gotten in music. It’s a privilege, doing something that you love.

(I ponder this series of events, which communicates a sincere passion for music.

It’s like the basketball player who plays a league game and then heads directly to the street to shoot a hundred free throws … I think back to the time that I saw Kaleo perform for the first time.)

SKE: You were going to study philosophy at the University, right?

SKE: The first time I saw Kaleo perform was at this Thai place in Keflavík, probably around 2012.

JJ: I’m often working with a particular concept when I’m writing songs and I try to read up on the material – whether it’s slavery or the history of Native Americans in the US. There’s this kind of research that comes with it.

(In the video Kaleo does the song Way Down We Go and JJ sings the words: “We get what we deserve.” My mind drifts to the notion of karmic reincarnation.)

JJ: No!

SKE: That’s hard to top.

SKE: I think the owner of the place requested Vor í Vaglaskógi around four times.

SKE: You’re a pretty talented lyricist. The lyrics to Pretty Girls, for example, are simple but beautiful and free of clichés.

Icelanders aren’t always the best English lyricists. Did that particular lyric take long to write?

SKE: You just returned from the countryside, right?

JJ: Yes, shortly after I returned to Iceland I went east with my family. The boys and I (Kaleo) decided to shoot a video to the song Save Yourself in Fjallsárlón (a glacial lagoon), right next to Jökulsárlón, while I was there. The idea for the video came to me last year while we were shooting at Þríhnúkagígur (a volcano) and I thought: “What can we do next?”

JJ: Exactly, and so I thought: “I suppose that I can go to Jökulsárlón, hop on an ice floe and just play.” And we did.

We drove to the lagoon, found a suitable ice floe, set up our instruments, sound checked and played.

SKE: Nice.

JJ: Yes, hopefully it will turn out well. The weather had been perfect all day, but then at the exact time that we finally got ready, alongside of two string instrumentalists, it started to rain.

But hopefully that will play into the character of the song. The string instrumentalists, of course, couldn’t play, but the four of us did. It was pretty amazing that everything worked out – almost surreal. Afterwards we went directly to Akureyri and played this kind of secret gig at Græni Hatturinn. You could say that it was a wrap up party for the film crew.

SKE: What was the mood at Græni Hatturinn like?

(This was just before the song hit the radio waves.

I recall leaning up against the restaurant’s big glass windows and watching the inebriated audience sway back and forth to the sound as if in a state of deep hypnosis. A lot has changed since then, I imagine.)

SKE: What’s the biggest change in your life since then?

JJ: Hmmm … A lot has changed. I’ve started taking

SKE: So you hadn’t really foreseen it?

JJ: No, it was a distant dream then.

JJ: Yes, that’s right – I even applied twice.

SKE: Why philosophy?

JJ: I’ve always been interested in philosophy and history.

SKE: Are you a big reader?

JJ: At the time, I would take trips to a cottage in the countryside. I think I wrote the song over three different trips to the cottage – composing something new during each trip.

I wrote the verses first, then the intro and during the last trip everything just kind of clicked. The lyrics came rather easily.

I’d say that the songwriting process is quite long at times, but that doesn’t mean that I’m spending a lot of time writing each song. You come back to a song when the mood takes you and then you let it sit for a while.

SKE: How’d you learn to speak English so well?

JJ: I’ve always had an ear for English and the more that I read and think the better I become. It’s the same with Icelandic: The language can be so beautiful if approached correctly.

I hope that I have some kind of touch, even though it’s nothing compared to some. But it’s nice to hear. What matters most is sincerity; lyrics don’t necessarily have to be complicated.

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SKE: What’s the worst interview that you’ve done? There was this one interview that I saw online in which the interviewer doesn’t really ask any questions. She just kind of airs these random opinions as you guys sit there rather awkwardly.

SKE: Sometimes that’s the best way to go, the Men in Black route … a friend of mine, who worked as a journalist for many years, told me that there is always one question that one should ask during each interview and it’s this one: How would you describe yourself?

JJ: As you probably know you can go into an interview in a rather composed and self-confident frame of mind, but as soon as the interviewer is unprepared or awkward then the mood can be quite uncomfortable.

JJ: Well, that’s a difficult question: How does one see oneself and how do other people see you?

(JJ laughs.)

(This is philosophy. Subjective Idealism.)

(The song All the Pretty Girls begins with the words: “All the pretty girls like Samuel.” In the comment section on Youtube there is a comment by a guy named Samuel Joseph which is quite funny. He writes, “Samuel here … I can verify that none of the pretty girls like me.”)

JJ: The interviewer makes thing comfortable or uncomfortable.

(I nod my head and convince myself that I have succeeded in creating a comfortable atmosphere. Here we are, on Ránargata, in a relaxed environment. There’s jazz music playing and I began the conversation by offering both coffee and beer. JJ smiles and starts reminiscing.)

JJ: There once was this American journalist who showed up back stage before a concert and took some pictures, and told us that she would return after the show for an interview.

After the gig, we were partying back stage with some people from the record label and we were drinking Icelandic brennivín (Iceland’s signature distilled beverage). It was not long before this journalist was so drunk that we were forced to call her boyfriend. I don’t know how we managed to get his number but I think he ended up taking her to the hospital.

She was completely out. That was among the most memorable of interviews.

SKE: And this interview was published?

JJ: Yes, it was published and she had a lot of interesting things to say!

(We laugh. I’m currently drinking my second beer and decide to slow down a little bit; I don’t want this interview to end in the same manner.)

JJ: She thanked us and didn’t mention what had happened.

She may have been in denial – as if nothing had happened.

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JJ: I’d describe myself as a determined and ambitious individual who is prepared to follow his own convictions.

I don’t always know what I want – but I usually know what I don’t want. There are all kinds of people who try to steer you in this or that direction in life, and it’s important that you follow your own insight. I think that’s one of my strengths – knowing what I don’t want. Slowly but surely this puts you on the right course. It takes time and not everyone in the industry has the patience for that kind of thing.

SKE: So you’ve had to trust in yourself?

JJ: Yes, it’s all up to you.

No one’s going to do it for you, no matter your career choice. I’m realizing this, more and more. Your record won’t be great if you find the right producer. The producer can

help and it’s good to surround yourself with the right people, but it begins and ends with you. You must be certain of your own principles and power. That’s the most important truth of all.

SKE: Interesting.

JJ: Yes. I’ve put things into the hands of others in the past and that’s the worst thing that you can do, at least for me: to let the record company or someone else guide you – which is something that happens as more eyes are leveled upon you.

SKE: Have you experienced that kind of pressure yourself?

JJ: No, because I fought for that freedom right from the start.

I wanted to do things my way. I wanted the freedom to let the creative process happen naturally. I compose very diverse songs, from rock to blues to folk or what have you. That’s the way that the songs are born and I let them come. It’s important that I remain free to maintain this flow.

SKE: So you negotiated with the record company on those terms?

JJ: Yes, I let it be known from the very beginning that I would not be composing songs in one particular genre, just because it suits the formula. I have no interest in that kind of thing.

It’s paying off now, in retrospect. I have more freedom.

(The conversation takes a turn to America.)

SKE: How do you like Austin, Texas?

JJ: I like Austin. The four of us moved into this giant house in the suburbs of Austin, which the record company rented for us one and a half years ago. The house is about 45 minutes away from the city. You could say that it was a new chapter for us. We haven’t spent much time in Austin, in actuality.

We didn’t really get a chance to acclimatize to the city and being 45 minutes away from the city itself didn’t help. Austin is a great city and quite different from other Texan cities. It’s kind of hippy-ish, with avant garde currents in culture and music.

SKE: So there was no real routine to life in Austin?

JJ: No – and we are moving to Nashville. We recorded our album there (Kaleo’s debut album is called A/B and it’s been doing well on charts all over the world), for the most part, and we’ve spent more time there. Nashville is, in my opinion,

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SKE ∙

11

the Mecca of music today. It’s known for its country music, of course, but there’s a lot of good rock music there as well.

SKE: What’s been your favorite concert?

JJ: We started playing, the three of us, at the Danish bar in downtown Reykjavík, when we were around 17-18 years old.

We would split five thousand króna (around 40 bucks) for a three-hour gig. There’s no one concert that sticks out. As a musician, I enjoy the diversity. I’ve played at confirmations, at funerals and at weddings – and also in front of 10,000 people at festivals. I really enjoyed our first headline tour last winter. It was nice to see more people showing up and singing along.

SKE: A friend of mine asked me to inquire about your workout routine. How do you manage to stay in such good shape?

(There‘s a Youtube video of Kaleo performing No Good live and JJ’s arms are in the foreground for most of the video.

One fan describes the performance as “arm porn” in the comments section.)

began the day at Denny’s.

Then I went to Taco Bell at noon and McDonald’s at three – and I vomited and vomited later that evening. It was a kind of cultural shock.

(Allan, our photographer, rings the doorbell. I leave the Dictaphone on the living room table and Rachel and JJ chat while I get the door.)

JJ: That’s the thing, which is why we’re so lucky with food here in Iceland. We have the best ingredients in the world.

I enjoy shopping here every day. But the nice thing about American is that you have a wide selection of organic food.

JJ: Yes, it’s going well. Not too shabby, here on Ránargata ...

(I change the subject.)

SKE: You’re single, right?

JJ: Yes.

JJ: I exercise and watch what I eat. My body is my instrument and so I have to take good care of it. The boys in the band may emphasize other things, but for me it’s necessary to vent.

I go to the gym for an hour every day and everyone who is touring with us knows this. They see that it happens – that JJ gets some time at the gym. It’s also necessary to get some time for myself. We are in each other’s space all day long, every day. It’s my form of meditation.

SKE: Is that on purpose?

JJ: No, not at all. I’m looking, you now. I’m getting older – or I feel like I’m getting older, at least …

(JJ laughs.)

SKE: I can relate. I usually exercise for a good half hour at the Vesturbæjar swimming pool every day.

JJ: Yes, it’s great. I also watch what I eat. I have a hard time eating meat in America. It’s so processed. Not good for the stomach. But here in Iceland it’s all fresh and wild.

SKE: What do you eat in America?

JJ: I try to eat organic. Fish. Vegetables.

SKE: I used to be a fast-food junkie when I lived in Florida.

Then I moved back to Iceland and didn’t return to America until three years later – at which point I had decided to satisfy my addiction. My friends picked me up at the airport and we

12 ∙ AUGUST 2016

JJ: I think it’s a feeling that most people in their twenties recognize. I want to start a family. I think of this time in my life as a kind of harvest time, you know? There’s little time for anything else besides music but I’m getting to a place where I can manage my time better. Personally, I wouldn’t mind touring less.

But hopefully with a lot of hard work I’ll get to that place.

JJ: Hi! Allan: Hi … how’s it going?

(While Allan sets up his equipment, JJ and I continue chatting.)

SKE: I wanted to ask you about fans. Have you had some awkward run-ins with fans?

JJ: Sure. The concept of “fans” is strange in itself. It’s not natural that someone comes up to you who knows a lot about you – and that there’s this kind of “reverence” going on. It’s hard to act naturally in those situations, but so long as one doesn’t take it too seriously it’s okay. It also depends on whether or not people have been drinking. But, of course, I try to be genuine and sincere. It’s an honor, that people take the time to say hello and chat.

SKE: What did you think of Nelson changing his entrace song from Hjálmar to Kaleo?

JJ: Gunnar called me and asked for permission and I told him that it would be an honor. I’m a big fan of his, just like I’m a fan of the Icelandic football team. I’m hoping to make it to his next fight because I’ve never been. We have a few mutual friends and I’m a big fan.

(We continue talking until Allan is ready. JJ poses in different places around the apartment while I step outside to the veranda for a beer. It’s summer. The weather is nice. The Gods smile in the direction of our island. When I return inside, JJ is sitting by the kitchen table with a leather jacket on.

I think about another comment on Youtube, below a live performance of All the Pretty Girls. JJ introduces the song by saying “We are Kaleo – and we are going to do All the Pretty Girls.” Somebody by the name of Chase Teron writes: “Yes, Kaleo, yes you are.” When JJ and Rachel leave I notice that he left his leather jacket in a bag in the living room. I’m thinking of selling it on Ebay.)

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SKE ∙

13

DESIGN

MOSI Tulipop Mosi piggy bank. Mosi supports UNICEF. Tulipop was created by two good friends, Signý Kolbeinsdóttir and Helga Árnadóttir. The aim of Tulipop is to design creative and beautiful products for children, which also appeal to people of all ages. www.tulipop.is

EAGLE Inga María Brynjarsdóttir Phone case for iPhone and Samsung.

Inga María Brynjarsdóttir was born in 1980. She graduated from the Iceland Academy of the Arts in 2004. www.muses.is

KOLLUR Varma Well-made wool sweater (available in gray and white / blue and white).

Varma is the clothing brand of Glófi, Iceland's largest producer of wool products.

GARDENPARTY

www.varma.is

Sveinbjörg 100% Turqoise Wool blanket made from high-quality fine wool that doesn't prickle.

Sveinbjörg was founded in 2007 by artist Sveinbjörg Hallgrímsdóttir. Sveinbjörg's design is inspired by nature. www.design.sveinbjorg.is

搀甀渀欀 礀漀甀爀 搀漀渀甀琀 吀䠀刀䔀䔀 䰀伀䌀䄀吀䤀伀一匀 䤀一 吀䠀䔀 䜀刀䔀䄀吀䔀刀 刀䔀夀䬀䨀䄀嘀촀䬀 䄀刀䔀䄀

WOOL SCARF Volki Wool scarf made from 100% pure Icelandic wool.

伀瀀攀渀㨀 㜀 䄀䴀 ጠ ㄀ 倀䴀⨀ ⨀䰀愀甀最愀瘀攀最甀爀 愀渀搀 䠀愀最愀猀洀爀椀

BERGDÍS Aberg

Volki is the art- and design studio of Olga Hrafnsdóttir and Elísabet Jónsdóttir. Volki focuses on Icelandic materials and Icelandic production.

Beautiful, crocheted necklace perfect for the summer.

Aníta Berglind Einarsdóttir (aberg) designs handcrocheted jewelry and accesories.

www.hrim.is

www.kaupstadur.is

䰀愀甀最愀瘀攀最甀爀 ㌀ 簀 䠀愀最愀猀洀爀椀 㤀 簀 䬀爀椀渀最氀愀渀

14 ∙ AUGUST 2016

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15

FASHION

PINK BEACH WORDS SÍTA VALRÚN ∙ PHOTOGRAPHS VIVIANE SASSEN I’ve had a major soft spot for Pharrell Williams since the Provider video, you know, where he’s on his bicycle without his shirt on.

It kills me.

Everything that Pharrell does is cool. It doesn’t reallly matter what it is. That’s how crushes work.Your crush can wear something absurd, which, under any other circumstances, would have made you shake your head in vehement disapproval, but because it’s him – your crush – it works. And is even quite sexy.

I think Pharrell is a unique fashion icon. Everybody loves his style. Remember when he rocked that Curious George hat by Vivienne Westwood?

16 ∙ AUGUST 2016

I don’t think anyone else could have gotten away with it.

Anyhow, Pharrell has been a long-time collaborator of Adidas. Early this summer he designed a collection for Adidas called Pink Beach that features artwork by Pharrell that comes in print and embroidery. The collection’s central “piece” is the Love Frequency jacket: a sport’s jacket with the code “528HZ” embroidered on the back, signifying the frequency of vibes that heal the mind, body and soul.

The collection also features bikinis, tops, leggings, shorts and shoes. There are these rather quite clean sneakers reminiscent of the classic Adidas’ Stan Smiths, but remade to suit the beach life.

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A RARE, ONCE-INA-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY Around, on and deep within the awesome Langjökull ice gap glacier.

Into the Glacier offers various tours to the World's largest ice tunnel. The ice tunnel and caves are located high on Iceland’s second largest glacier, Langjökull.

Daily departures from Klaki base camp, Húsafell center and Reykjavík.

You can choose from various tours and book online at www.intotheglacier.is Tel: +354 578-2550

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POTPOURRI

TWO PENNIES The only advantage of being an artist is the knowledge that there is an inversely proportional relationship between the quality of one’s art and the successfulness of one’s life; if one loses one’s job, one’s spouse, goes bankrupt and begins a slow tumble through a deep rabbit hole of depression and darkness, one can at least console oneself with the knowledge – and the expectation – that one’s art shall improve (of course, I am predicating this principle, merely, on an enduring prejudice inspired both by ignorance and wishful thinking #oh-how-I’ve-suffered!). Has any artist who has only experienced comfort, contentment and normalcy managed to transform that luxury into meaningful, lasting art? I am doubtful. There is no moral to this essay, other than the idea that it is wise for every man (human) to cultivate his artistic side. That way when life kicks him in the teeth, he shall find solace in the fact that that pain has potential – that his suffering is actionable. If that is the only upside of art, it is yet a worthy one.

Q&A MARGRÉT LÁRA VIÐARSDÓTTIR Hello there, Margrét. What’s up?

Mainly that the Icelandic men’s football team is extraordinary.

If you were to describe yourself as a piece of IKEA furniture in an elaborate brochure – what would said description sound like?

Solid and pure in style. Won’t let its owner down.

What kind of senior citizen do you plan on being?

I plan on being like my grandmother and namesake, Margrét Sigurjónsdóttir: a positive, happy person who lives entirely for her children.

Also, I plan on playing a lot of golf on foreign courses while enjoying life to the utmost.

You turned thirty in July. What was that like?

It was great. It was a good occasion to invite friends and family to a good party. Life has taught me that growing old is a privilege.

If you had to pick your own tombstone epitaph, what would it be?

That’s a terrifying question, well … “Where the heart beats” would be my choice.

Are you satisfied with Guðni Th. our newly elected president?

Yes, I believe that Guðni will make the Icelandic people proud, here at home and abroad. He seems like an honest and smart man.

Is there a purpose to life? And if so, what is said purpose?

Life most definitely has a purpose. We are all

different but each of us has something good to offer. Life is a lesson, through and through, if we are prepared to listen to each other and respect each other’s opinions.

We’re often faced with adversity, but those of us who face adversity head on will find that it makes us stronger. Let us love, respect and buoy each other’s spirits.

What’s the secret to the success of the Icelandic women’s football team?

There are a lot of factors. First, we have a great cast of players. Both young up-and-comers along with older, more experienced players. We’ve played together for a long time and so the team spirit is great. We possess a lot of technical skill. Also, we’ve got great coaches and a great team supporting us. We’ve got a good strategy that we believe in and trust.

Now that “Our Boy’s” Euro adventure is over, how do you feel?

I feel great. The boys did a great job. They made our country proud, both on and off the field. All in all, it was great promotion for our country. I’m really proud of the team and everyone supporting the team. Now it’s important to use the momentum and turn out in large numbers in the Netherlands for the women’s Euro in 2017.

If you could choose the title of this article – what would it be?

Let’s go, Iceland!

(Margrét Lára is a celebrated Icelandic Footballer, who has scored more goals than Zlatan Ibrahimovic in EUFA competitions and who will be leading the Icelandic women’s football team in the 2017 Euro Cup, which will take place in the Netherlands.)

PODCAST OF THE MONTH

REPLY ALL Reply All is a podcast about the internet. But not really. As readers will divine from the reviews at the bottom, the podcast is more about beautiful, and sometimes difficult, stories – all of which relate to the internet in one way or another. PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman host Reply All and a new episode is aired every Wednesday.

SKE whole-heartedly recommends episode #56 entitled Zardulu. In “Zardulu” Reply All explores the strange story of an enigmatic video wizard hoping to take over the world with an armada of trained rats. It’s mind blowing.

“It’s an amazing show. The entire staff’s secret favorite show … not even secret actually.” – Jad Abumrad, Radiolab “Despite the name, Reply All isn’t a podcast about technology – it’s a podcast that tells gorgeous, painfully human stories that happen to have bits of technology sprinkled in.” – Nick Quah, Vulture “The best podcast on the internet, simply put. Reply All is the child of two geniuses, PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman.” – Slate France “Reply All claims to be a show about the Internet, but regular listeners know that’s just a ruse.” – The Atlantic

18 ∙ AUGUST 2016

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SKE ∙

19

SECRET SOLSTICE 2016

The House at Eyrarbakki

THE HOUSE AT EYRARBAKKI Árnessýsla folk museum is located in Húsið, the House, historical home of the Danish merchants built in 1765. Húsið is one of the oldest houses in Iceland and a beautiful monument of Eyrarbakki´s time as the biggest trading place on the south coast.

Today one can enjoy exhibitions about the story and culture of the region, famous piano, shawl made out of human hair and the kings pot, are among items. Húsið prides itself with warm and homelike atmosphere.

Opening hours: May 1st - September 30th daily 11.00-18.00 or by an agreement Tel: +354 483 1504 & +354 483 1082 | husid@husid.com | www.husid.com

20 ∙ AUGUST 2016

Gelato

Gelato is the italian word for icecream. Perlan makes it’s own italian gelato for you to enjoy with the spectacular view overseeing the city in any direction.

C

A

F

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FOOD TIPS

GEIRI SMART WORDS RAGNAR TÓMAS When I visited Geiri Smart for the first time, Hverfisgata was under construction (Hverfisgata being the street running parallel with Laugavegur). They had bored into it with various and large machinery and made of it a wasteland of concrete and stone. What was once a seedy thoroughfare in an otherwise classy city had been temporarily downgraded into a prospective film set for a zombie apocalypse (especially on overcast days).

I half expected the chaos of Hverfisgata to put a proverbial dent on my dining experience – but I was mistaken; my mind, drawn as it is to the eternal friction of opposites, enjoyed how the apocalyptic landscape contrasted with the divine atmosphere of Geiri Smart. (Strolling in from the street brought the nicety of the restaurant’s interior design into relief from the concrete wilderness outside its doors.) Geiri Smart is, undoubtedly, among the best designed restaurants in Reykjavík: Everything, from the furniture to the flooring, from the silverware to the art, harmonized like fine-tuned instruments in a Karajan-conducted symphony (I fell asleep to a documentary last night).

When we arrived, my lady friend and I, a waiter greeted us by the entrance. He was dressed in a smart (pun intentional) uniform that matched the uniforms of the rest of the staff, suggesting that either there was a dress code – or they were living out the concept of Sartre’s Bad Faith (perhaps both).

22 ∙ AUGUST 2016

Whatever the case, it added a layer of professionalism to an already impressive stratum of class.

The waiter escorted us to a table with a view of the street and handed out some menus. D’Angelo’s Black Messiah was playing on the speakers, which happens to be one of my favorite records. Needless to say, it had an endearing effect. The chef later told me that the restaurant’s official playlist had yet to be designed. I suggested that they stick with D’Angelo.

After perusing the menu, we decided on the “Now Playing” five-course meal, in which diners are encouraged to “trust” the chefs to “get creative for them.” It is nice, at times, to

be relieved of the burden of creativity – take it from a failed writer like myself.

Seeing as each dish was paired with a glass of wine, and seeing as I ordered the Cat’s in the Cradle cocktail (Pisco, Lemon, Eggwhites and Angustura Bitters) prior to the meal – I became quite drunk. The food was wonderful, served in small but savory portions, and the presentation was artful.

I especially enjoyed the cod, which was served with black garlic, fermented potatoes, onions and lovage. The charred sea trout was quite good as well and the dessert was fantastic: Créme fraîche ice cream with blackberries, licorice, beetroot caramel and chocolate crunch.

If you are interested in fine dining in downtown Reykjavík, Geiri Smart will not disappoint. The restaurant’s mission statement reads: “Making allowances for eccentricities in chic sophistication is the essence of Geiri Smart Restaurant.” My Icelandic lady friend could not make sense of the words but I told her that they made sense.

They do. *Geiri Smart means “fashionable Geiri” in Icelandic and it is the name of a famous Icelandic song (Sirkus Geira Smart) by the band Spilverk þjóðanna.

At Public House Gastropub we put an emphasis on serving fun dining along with some quality ambience.

We use Icelandic ingredients but we add some japanese flair to our dishes because we like to have fun with our food and drinks.

TRY OUR PHGP TASTE OF ICELAND

I‘M TRAPPED Slow cooked LAMB SHANK doughnut | Apricot jam

LOL Cured PUFFIN with liquorice | Cherries | Blue cheese sauce

SENBAI Thyme smoked ARCTIC CHARR on a senbai cracker | Dill mayo | Chimichurri

TATAKI REINDEER TATAKI with Icelandic blue cheese | Smoked sour cream | Amazu ponzu

PUBLIC HOUSE GASTROPUB Laugavegur 24 | Tel. 555 7333 publichouse@publichouse.is #publichousegastropub publichouse.is

SKE ∙

23

MUSINGS

THE ONCE GREAT GEYSIR WORDS THOMAS JEFFERSON SNODGRASS There are certain places and things which one feels obligated to mention in discussing a nation and its history – even though there is nothing more of interest to be said about them. One such thing is the Great Geysir, an erupting hot spring discovered in the south of Iceland in 1294. There was a time when the Great Geysir would erupt with frequent regularity, sometimes ejecting great columns of water and steam as high as 120 meters – a height which currently exceeds Iceland’s tallest building – but these were its glory days and have long since passed.

Today, the Great Geysir is of no more interest than a common rain puddle. This owes to the fact that he is dormant, which is, undoubtedly,

the most unfavorable career choice that a geyser can make. When considering the circumstances of his dormancy, however, a compassionate man cannot help but to take pity on the once Great Geysir, for he is now merely the has-been neighbor of the geyser du jour – Strokkur. Not only is the once Great Geysir forced to watch his successor lap up all the glory – but must also bear the embarrassment of ignorant tourists mistaking Strokkur for himself. The once Great Geysir is a reminder that all things will eventually pass into obscurity so as to make way for new things, which in turn will also pass into obscurity to make way for newer things still.

HAPPY HOUR! YOU KNOW WHAT TIME IT IS

PRIKIÐ

BANKASTRÆTI 12

MONDAYS – THURSDAYS FROM 16:00–20:00 BEER–500 ISK

VEGAMÓT

VEGAMÓTASTÍGUR 4

THURSDAYS – SATURDAYS FROM 22:00–01:00 BEER: 750 ISK WINE: 750 ISK

STOFAN CAFÉ AÐALSTRÆTI 7

ALL DAYS FROM 16:00–19:00 BEER: 650 ISK WINE: 650 ISK

KALDI BAR LAUGAVEGUR 20B

ALL DAYS FROM 16:00-19:00 BEER: 650 ISK

SLIPPBARINN MÝRARGATA 2

ALL DAYS FROM 15:00–18:00 BEER: 500 ISK WINE: 500 ISK

BAR 11

ON STATE OF MIND WORDS RAGNAR TÓMAS The world is only half the story. Not even half, I suppose. A quarter, maybe. But I don’t think they get it. I don’t think they will ever get it: the notion that the world is contained within their minds – all of it. That without the mind the world is but a disordered mass of phenomena – stillborn, unfruitful, abortive … I am no sage – and I am mostly lacking in laudable academic credentials – but I think that it is wise, above all, that we MIND the “STATE” of our MINDS: Be careful what we allow to enter; egotism, dogma, hatred, vengeance – these are the locusts of our race, which, hatching within the intellect’s indiscriminate soil, inflict havoc upon our world. Ask yourself: Did not their dark offspring swarm in Baton Rouge, in Nice, in Dhaka, in Baghdad, this July? Did not the world bleed from the poison of a few diseased minds, which decayed, gradually, into violent disarray? And did we not fail to salvage these minds; did we not fail to uproot the weeds; to teach them that THE WORLD IS THE MIRROR OF THE MIND – and that the explosives ignited within the mind detonate in the world, eventually? … Perhaps. But it is of no use descending into remorse or cynicism. It is of no use wallowing in that common swamp of misery and pessimism – for those sentiments will find reality in the world, too. Instead, let our thoughts reflect a different reality. A more noble reality. I am certain that a peaceful world awaits us – a good world awaits us – somewhere off in the distance. But we must begin by laying its foundation within our minds.

Within the minds of our children. Undoubtedly, they will denounce us as a pack of pig-tailed Pollyannas, feeding their optimism with foolish conceits, and so be it. Let us remain determined to begin with ourselves; if the world is the mirror of our minds, then let it reflect, from this point onward, the light of love, empathy and hope."

24 ∙ AUGUST 2016

HVERFISGATA 18

THURSDAYS - SATURDAYS FROM 21:00–00:00 BEER 500 ISK

KAFFIBARINN BERGSTAÐASTRÆTI 1

ALL DAYS FROM 15:00–20:00 BEER: 650 ISK

BARBER BAR LAUGAVEGUR 66-68

ALL DAYS FROM 16:00–19:00 BEER: 650 ISK WINE: 650 ISK

LOFTIÐ

AUSTURSTRÆTI 9

WEDENSDAYS - SATURDAYS FROM 16:00–21:00 BEER 600 ISK WINE 700 ISK

EXPLORE

LEARN

DISCOVER

Can’t catch the Nortern Lights?

Don’t worry, we have already done it for you!

Visit us and enjoy our multimedia exhibition

OPEN EVERY DAY FROM 09.00–21.00

Grandagarður 2 - 101 Reykjavík - Near the old harbour Tel: (+354) 780 4500 - www.aurorareykjavik.is @aurorareykjavik

@aurorareykjavik

@aurorareykjavik

SKE ∙

25

POTPOURRI

ICELAND

STAY IN THE LOOP

BY

SKE doesn't want you to be out of the loop during your time in Iceland. Here is some useful information, which could serve as an ice-breaker during your conversations with the locals.

Elections:

The historian Guðni Th. Jóhannesson was elected president of Iceland on June 25th (40% of voters favored Guðni). Guðni is the country's sixth president and will officially replace incumbent Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson on August 1st, 2016.

Sports:

The Icelandic international men's football team made it all the way to the quarter-finals of the 2016 Euro Championship.

The team lost only one game (a 5-2 thrashing against the hosts, France). This was the first time that the team qualified for a large tournament and upon returning back to Reykjavík it received a proverbial “hero’s welcome.“ During the tournament, sports commentator Gummi Ben became somewhat of a legend following his enthusiastic shrieks during the team’s victories against Austria and England.

News:

The body of a French tourist was discovered by a Sveinsgil ravine in the southern Icelandic highlands on July 14th following an extensive search and rescue mission. The Frenchman had been crossing a river on an ice ridge, along with another man, when he slid and fell into the river. More than 200 rescuers took part in the effort. SKE urges everyone to be careful.

Politics:

12 Icelanders competed at the CrossFit Games in the US this July. The reigning champion, Icelander Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir, was crowned the Fittest Women on Earth for the second time. Her compatriot Ragnheiður Sara Sigmundsdóttir came in 3rd and two-time champion Annie Mist Þórisdóttir came in 13th in place.

Following the revelation of the Panama Papers leak in April of this year, then Prime Minister of Iceland, Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson, stepped down amid vehement protests (Gunnlaugsson failed to disclose a 50% share in an offshore company, which was also a creditor of Iceland's fallen banks.) He was replaced by the former Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, Sigurður Ingi Jóhannsson (who is a member of the Progressive Party like Gunnlaugsson).

Shortly thereafter, the newly formed government announced that parliamentary elections would be held next fall. The Progressive Party now seems to be backpedalling from its promise of a fall election, which many feel is no surprise given how poorly they are polling.

Tourism:

Iceland Airwaves:

CrossFit:

Iceland expects to welcome 1.7 million tourists this year, which is more than five times the population – and up from just 500,000 in 2010. Following the economic crash in 2008, tourism has become the country's most important industry. While beneficial to the economy, this rapid increase poses serious questions regarding infrastructure.

The annual music festival Iceland Airwaves will take place in early November. Among those artists that will be performing are The Internet, Júníus Meyvant, Of Monsters and Men, Ylja, PJ Harvey, The Hearing, Digable Planets, Let’s Eat Grandma. For further information visit the official website.

EL .COM

26 ∙ AUGUST 2016

1%

POPULATION GROWTH IN ICELAND FROM 2015 TO 2016

122,460

POPULATION OF REYKJAVÍK

7,9%

FOREIGN CITIZENS OF ICELAND AS OF JANUARY 1ST 2016

4,1%

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN MAY 2016 (THE LOWEST IN THE MONTH OF MAY SINCE 2005)

1,030

NUMBER OF ICELANDERS WHO EMIGRATED TO DENMARK IN 2015

332,529

POPULATION OF ICELAND AS OF JANUARY 1ST 2016

(COURTESY OF STATISTICS ICELAND)

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GUEST WRITERS nations, traditional identities and other features that defined who we were at birth. A stable and safe sense of who you are is no longer guaranteed by your birth into a country, family or class. The time of kids born to be Nordic Christian sailors – or Iberian shepherds, for that matter – has long passed.

Congratulations: You are now socio-economically mobile.

DARE TO BE FOOLISH WORDS ALLART VAN DER WOUDE Welcome to these some-hundred words where I attempt to change your life completely. This attempt might seem stupid and that is – for the sake of complete and deliberate irony – what I intend it to be. It’s ironic because I want you to be more stupid. More precisely, I invite you to be a fool – and entirely aware of it too. With the slightest intelligence you can see that attempting to create a better world is an uphill battle.

I ask you to abandon this intelligence and roll up your sleeves.

Now, for this to make sense, I will first have to offer a brief historical background. Around here in the West, in the past half a century, we’ve apparently lost religion, clear borders between

But when you’re free to move wherever you want, the world at once becomes an astonishingly large place. If you can do or believe anything, where in the Lord’s name do you start? That’s the bittersweet side of our times: We’re left entirely to our own devices to decide what is true, what is good, who to vote for.

We’re subject to a paralyzing freedom and don’t quite know what to do with it. It’s a bit like buying toothpaste. For years your parents did the shopping and got it; you simply squeezed the toothpaste onto your toothbrush while contemplating the mayhem that is young adulthood. You move out at some point, sneaking the leftover toothpaste with you to your faraway nest, and then, one day, it runs out – and you’re put to the task of providing for yourself. You head to the supermarket, into the dental care aisle, and are faced with an entire wall of toothpastes, some of them appealing, but most of them, essentially, the same. How can you ever pick the right one?

What happens if you pick the wrong one? Do you even need toothpaste?

This admittedly silly analogy serves to explain why many of us, especially young folks, have great trouble choosing to stand for something. You’re brought up in a place that feeds you ideas and ideologies, but as soon as you have to stand on your own feet and make your own decisions, all the possible mistakes become overwhelming. It’s not self-explanatory to be vocal, to be involved in politics: Nowadays an open political stance is no longer hip. Why would you even get involved in politics, or believe in something larger than life, or even attempt to find something sincere? Yes, politics are inherently crooked. Yes, religion seems like an irrational thing of the past. Yes, indeed, things are always about money and power. You might feel clever taking a “critical” distance and staying at home contemplating the lack of right choices, or you might choose to be a fool and believe that you can make a difference in the world. This is where I return to my initial plea for stupidity.

This stupidity isn’t the opposite of intelligence. Instead, it’s a stratagem to fool yourself into being able to do something with your life. Choose something and see where it leads you.

Choose to help refugees thinking you can actually make a difference – that you can create justice. Choose to help out the elderly, to make wisdom grow in circles rather than straight lines. Choose to set up a community project just to add an ever so small piece of goodness to the lives around you. You can either endlessly ponder all the possible mistakes, all the invalid or unrealistic hopes and expectations, or you can actually take a small step in the a direction of the unknown. The world’s most inspiring figures and collectives all started off with something that moved them and inspired them to start something small and humble. If it’s worth thinking, it’s worth believing, and eventually worth doing. Even though the “wise” and the ”clever” might find no point in all of it anyways: Let them while away their time never being wrong.

Now, do you remember the deliberate irony I started off with? It was the irony in my seemingly foolish belief that this article can make a difference. Half of the folks who were bored enough to start reading this text could probably not be bothered to finish reading it. You, on the other hand, made it through to the end. That’s where I proclaim my victory: I’ve held your mind for five minutes and maybe left a word or thought that grows into something. Having read my words, I sincerely hope you’ve become excited by the prospect of being less clever.

Go on and head out: Make something happen.

(Allart van der Woude is one of the organizers behind the Travelling Embassy of Rockall, which has set up its headquarters in Vesturbugt, by the old harbor in Reykjavík (not far from Mýrargata).

This summer, Rockall will host a series of events, lectures and concerts at Vesturbugt. For additional information visit www.rockall.is) 28 ∙ AUGUST 2016

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EDDA'S CORNER

ROOTS & ROOTS This Article is not about Football WORDS EDDA KENTISH I’m half Icelandic and half English. When I speak English, I speak like a Brit, leaning heavily towards RP pronunciation (you now have permission to imagine that I’m writing this at my writing desk wearing a top hat and sipping tea). I speak Icelandic like a native, and at light speed for that matter.

I even have a genuine, for-emergency-use-only Icelandic accent for my English that I dust off for special occasions and when I need to play the dumb tourist abroad (sorry, but it’s true – that does happen).

So, it should come as no surprise then, that when people ask me where I’m from, I have a hard time coming up with an answer. Culturally, I suppose I’m Icelandic through and through. And yet ... And yet. I’ve had the privilege of bilingual upbringing and bi-cultural insight into life, so I can’t really say that I’m only Icelandic, end of story. I think someone more articulate than me described it along the lines of being a child of two worlds, but really not belonging in either place.

While bordering on the obnoxiously melancholy, there is truth to these words.

Therefore, I’ve naturally become increasingly more fascinated by heritage, genealogy, family history etc. etc. ad libitum (I have a call in at my doctor’s about that).

This is how I see it. When you’re young in Iceland, it’s relatively simple. The country where you live is where you’re from.

You can even narrow your origins down to a particular neighborhood, and there is this obscure, yet extremely important, rivalry with the surrounding post codes. No one knows why – it’s just how it is.

When I had a boyfriend in North Iceland, back in my teens, this root-related rivalry was extremely important: tribal to the extent that a bar-brawl with unfortunate souls from neighboring post codes who carelessly wandered in to the local (read: only) watering hole was not merely a side-effect of under-age drinking, but a rite of passage and even an

expectation. That’s how much a post code can mean.

When I met my now husband, it took us about five minutes of casual conversation to determine that his post code and my post code were far enough from one another that the chances of us knowing the same people were relatively slim. (We met through a mutual friend. The irony. And yes, I’ve looked up how we’re related on Iceland’s now infamous, yet mislabelled, “incest app.”)

Now, I delude myself by thinking this root obsession is more civilized and righteous.

It’s all about getting to know where you’re from, instead of who you know.

I recently spent a week in London. The purpose of the visit was a family birthday bash, but my ulterior motive was to go hunting for fresh ground to stomp and try to feel at one with a city so close, but so far removed at the same time. Damn roots getting all tangled in transatlantic moves!

You see, I’ve been to London

more times than I can count. I’ve heard stories about where my dad, aunt and uncle were brought up, and mysterious rumours that my grandmother ran around with famous people in her day. That she even made some of them famous. None of these rumors have exactly been verified (and drink had been taken when they were divulged the first time), but after going through a box of letters on a visit a few years back and seeing a head shot of Laurence Olivier inscribed with a personal message hidden among less conspicuous newspaper clippings, I felt that perhaps there was something to the family stories.

I returned from London not much the wiser, but fulfilled in a way I hadn’t been in a long time on my travels. I saw new places and neighborhoods, steered well clear of Oxford Street, had G&Ts in a pub in Kentish Town (yes, that’s a real place!), and became much more confident in myself as a part Londoner than I have ever been before. There’s something to be said for self-reliance and exploration.

I don’t know much more about my family, but now I know how I function in my second home, where post codes are so much more complicated than the three digits we get to live with up here at the border of cold and freezing.

I guess my point is (she said and tilted her top hat), I may be a child of two worlds, but I will damn well carve out a place for myself in both of them.

(Edda Kentish is a professional seller of things through the medium of words and has spent the better part of her thirty-odd years mastering the English language.

She has an incurable interest in good rock music, Harry Potter, British baking shows and quirky home design. She is rubbish at hoovering but is somehow married despite that obvious flaw.)

REYKJAVÍK LOVE Out of ale, looking pale, Reykjavík dreamin’ Soon as I step on Laugavegur, I’m seeing tourists streamin’ Fiendin’ for smoked lamb and alcohol The life of a Rey-K playah with bad weather and we’re all tall Only in Rey-K where we diet not eat – to live and die In Rey-K we wearin’ turtlenecks not hoodies (that’s right) Dressed in white sneaks and wool – tour guide is what we do Showing tourists the amazing nature as we cruise Famous ‘cause we making it!

Worldwide: let ‘em recognize from the west side of Reykjavík Brunchin’ and lunchin’ for the sake of it!

It’s Icelandic so you know there ain’t no translatin’ it!

American rapper Tupac Shakur would have turned 45 this summer. In order to honor his memory we altered his famous lyric from California Love in order to reflect a slightly more Icelandic reality. #pouroutsomeliquor 30 ∙ AUGUST 2016

Say what you say – But give me that mic-stand from Geir (Ólafsson) And watch me serenade the streets of Rey-K From Vesturbær to L-Town (Laugarnes) Grafavogur to Sel-Town (Selás) Rey-K is mainly atheists who are hellbound!

Give me love!

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