Bjarki Sigurðarson’s new album, A Guide to Hellthier Lifestyle, covers a lot of ground, challenging, and immersing listeners along the way. Shapeshifting electronic landscapes grate and rumble, filtering aqueous futurism through dissonant reflections that bleed into beat-driven romps and lush ambiance. Sigurðarson explores what he calls “the psychological landscape of contemporary social issues” on A Guide to Hellthier Lifestyle, and finds a mix of horror and abstraction. It’s a rich sonic playground and a wild ride from start to finish; an album of surprises that I keep returning to.
A Guide to Hellthier Lifestyle will be released on February 7 by differance. Pre-order HERE.
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I always like starting at the very beginning. I’d love to hear about some of your earliest memories of music and sound – are there certain things that stand out to you as memorable or formative from when you were younger? What are some of your first memories related to music?
Bí bí og Blaka and Sofðu Unga Ástin Mín were sung to me as lullabies by my grandma when I was little. My mom told me recently that I was really into the intro of The Road to Hell by Chris Rea when I was about three. I vaguely remember it. I have a strong memory of my stepdad listening to Love Is All Around by Wet Wet Wet. I can sometimes relive that day.
Being with my grandpa is another vivid memory. There are songs that will always remind me of him, like Lemon Tree by Fool’s Garden and Golden Brown by The Stranglers. He worked on cars a lot in his garage and drove a bus, and I’ve always enjoyed the sound of air brakes releasing pressure. The “tssss” sound. My grandpa also used to record my grandma, which gave me a love for the playback sound of old hand recorders with built-in speakers. I was maybe five when I first heard it, and it stuck with me. I grew up with a lot of tapes and used to fall asleep with stories on cassette by HC Andersen and Dýrin í Hálsaskógi by Thorbjørn Egner.
What were some of the first impetuses that made you want to start creating and playing music? Did you grow up in a supportive environment?
I really wanted to be in a band and would pretend to play drums on empty paint cans before I slowly got a full drum kit when I was about 13. Around the same time, I started playing guitar as well. My mom and stepdad supported me by arranging lessons with Björgvin Gíslason, who was one of Iceland’s most famous guitarists. But my fingers weren’t long enough to make a transverse grip, so I went back to drums.
I started making music with a computer early on, thanks to an older brother of my classmate when I was living in Blönduós with my dad. It was lots of melodies and lots of laughs. I was a small kid in school and got bullied a bit, but I found a way to get back at them by making music about them.
A Guide To Hellthier Lifestyle explores contemporary social issues and wellness obsessions. What inspired you to tackle these themes in a concept album?
I finally made time to be alone after ten years of touring. Not much distractions, just time to enjoy fully in my own headspace. Wellness and lifestyle obsessions are sold to us every day like fire extinguishers filled with petrol. They promise to save you after setting you on fire. That absurdity became somewhat inspiring and I couldn’t ignore it.
The preparations pushed me to focus on myself and my inner circle, the people I want to grow with and have in my life as family. Cleaning up my life felt like dropping a heavy backpack of anxiety. It took a year of work which was liberating. At the same time, I was working on Look at Yourself with Thomas Harrington Rawle, a live show that explored social dilemmas and influencer culture. I’ve always been fascinated by how people behave online and the strange reality we’ve created there. That interest naturally fed into the themes of the album.
What does the album title signify to you, and how does it connect to the themes of absurdity and contemplation?
The creative process behind the album is both personal and universal. The title reflects the contradictions we live with every day. We’re told to pursue health and happiness, but the system selling it to us is the same one making us miserable. People are burning out while trying to relax. The title encourages you to step back and question it all. Why do we keep buying into these cycles? It’s a heavy topic, but there’s humor in it too because the whole situation is so ridiculous when you really look at it.
Can you discuss the role of specific frequencies in influencing consciousness and mood? How did you apply this understanding in your compositions?
There’s no magical note that’s going to unlock a new level of consciousness. That’s just marketing. But the way sound is layered and presented can feel very honest. The frequencies I used were created with unity and self-reflection in mind. They’re not about tricks or gimmicks. They’re about providing a space for clarity and introspection. For me, the process felt therapeutic, and I think that energy is reflected in the music.
Your sound design alternates between creating sanctuary and evoking unease. How do you achieve this duality, and what effect do you hope it has on listeners?
Life is a mix of comfort and discomfort, and I wanted the sound to reflect that. It’s about creating moments where you feel safe and then pulling the rug from you. It’s not meant to be cruel, but somehow let you engage and reflect. The contrast between sanctuary and unease mirrors the way we experience the world. The goal was to create something that resonates on a deeper level, even if it’s unsettling at times.
Storytelling is a core element of A Guide To Hellthier Lifestyle. How do you approach blending narrative with sound textures to create a cohesive listening experience?
Sound is its own kind of language. It just matters what is said, and who’s talking. Each texture, rhythm, and tone carries meaning, and when combined, they tell a story. The narrative comes from the way I make the sounds interact with each other, rather than being explicitly laid out. It’s like putting together pieces of a puzzle. The listener will always discover their own story in their own way. It’s not about explaining, it’s about sharing an experience.
How do you see your music bridging the physical and imaginative realms, and what challenges arise when crafting such an immersive sound journey?
This music exists in both the body and the mind. It’s something I feel physically, but it also pulls me into an internal space. The challenge is finding balance. Too much focus on one side and the other gets lost. Then I come back to it and find its meaning. My goal is always to create a space where I can be fully immersed, both in the physical sensations of sound and in the imagery it creates in my mind.
What surprised you the most when making this record?
The level of honesty it required. This record forced me to sit with a lot of uncomfortable truths about myself and the world around me. I had to confront my own contradictions and distractions in a way I hadn’t before. At some points, I could feel the whole world and everyone in it. That was humbling.
Are there specific contemporary issues or sonic techniques you’re eager to explore in future projects?
I want to explore silence and how we avoid it. We live in a world that constantly demands more, more noise, more stimulation. And that is also fascinating. But taking something away creates a different kind of impact. Like the kickdrum. im also interested in more unpredictable textures that feel raw and human. There’s always something new to discover, especially when you focus on the things people tend to overlook.
And to close, as always, what are your favorite sounds in the world?
The sound of waves crashing. Fire crackling as it burns birch. The low hum of a fridge. The click of a camera shutter. Real, uncontrollable laughter. Sounds that are something bigger than the moment itself.
Foxy Digitalis depends on our awesome readers to keep things rolling. Pledge your support today via our Patreon or subscribe to The Jewel Garden. You can also make a one-time donation via Ko-fi.
What a fun read. Super interesting guy and proper questions 👌