When I first heard Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson’s “Dreki 2. Brölt,” I wasn’t sure what to think, but I found myself listening to it repeatedly. The more I read about Gunnarsson’s Landvættirnar fjórar project, my interest in this strange, fascinating story grew. I highly recommend reading the liner notes for the album HERE.
“Dreki 2. Brölt” is an inquisitive communion using minimalist percussion and simple, engaging wind instruments. The ensemble performing “Dreki 2. Brölt” move as a singular unit, blurring lines where one sound ends and another begins. Cohesion to an idea burns through each aural sketch. It is music that feels unearthed from a sacred place in a different time. This feeling is echoed in the microscopic visuals of Sam T. Rees’s video. Life’s building blocks seem alien in focus, much like this music, but as we focus on the disparate sounds, we recognize that all of this is simply part of us.
Landvættirnar fjórar will be released by Carrier Records on October 28. Pre-order HERE.
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