http://virb.com/gjoell Virb 2.0 (@gjoell) en http://virb.com/gjoell/audio/148648 Mon, 13 Aug 2007 06:04:10 -0700 http://virb.com/gjoell/audio/148648 http://virb.com/gjoell/audio/148647 Mon, 13 Aug 2007 06:01:21 -0700 http://virb.com/gjoell/audio/148647 http://virb.com/gjoell/audio/147520 Sat, 11 Aug 2007 00:50:22 -0700 http://virb.com/gjoell/audio/147520 http://virb.com/gjoell/audio/147519 Sat, 11 Aug 2007 00:43:56 -0700 http://virb.com/gjoell/audio/147519 http://virb.com/gjoell/audio/147518 Sat, 11 Aug 2007 00:42:35 -0700 http://virb.com/gjoell/audio/147518 http://virb.com/gjoell/photos/1568188 ]]> Fri, 14 Mar 2008 15:58:17 -0700 http://virb.com/gjoell/photos/1568188 http://virb.com/gjoell/photos/1496046 ]]> Sat, 08 Dec 2007 15:15:05 -0800 http://virb.com/gjoell/photos/1496046 http://virb.com/gjoell/photos/1412252 ]]> Mon, 03 Sep 2007 08:10:54 -0700 http://virb.com/gjoell/photos/1412252 http://virb.com/gjoell/photos/1406469 ]]> Tue, 28 Aug 2007 02:28:18 -0700 http://virb.com/gjoell/photos/1406469 http://virb.com/gjoell/photos/1397775 ]]> Mon, 20 Aug 2007 16:24:32 -0700 http://virb.com/gjoell/photos/1397775 http://virb.com/gjoell/posts/text/483447
photo courtesy of NSK.
ELECTRONIC ETHICS (Red Symphony - Live) ORGAN 223008 Peter Mlakar/ Inferno 5/ Gjöll/ Digital Madness/ Stereo Hypnosis/Bacon The Icelandic Neo Collective Movement (Nýja Samvinnuhreyfingin) proudly presents the explosion of electro/ ambient/ industrial ethics in downtown Reykjavik on Easter Saturday 22nd of March 2008. The house opens: 20:00! This unique event marks the third annual State Holiday of NSK in Reykjavik. NSK is the only supra-national, universal state in the history of mankind and exists only in time, i. e. not space. NSK originated as a Slovenian art movement but exploded out of all boundaries as the world grew smaller / larger and time evaporated. NSK´s recent activities in Iceland include a concert with Laibach (223006) and the opening of an Ambassade in Reykjavik (223007). On Easter Saturday evening, the 22nd of March, from 8 - 1 o'clock, Reykjavik will experience legendary artists, together with brand new acts, activated by sheer compulsion: - PETER MLAKAR - the ultimate Satanic Technocrat from Slovenia. o Peter Mlakar is born and raised in Skofja Loka in Slowenia, - a small town with an impressive castle with spiral towers. o Mlakar is one of Slovenia's best known contemporary poets and performers and leads one of NSK´s five departments: The Department of Pure and Practical Philosophy, which topics of investigation include the question of God and the essence and meaning of sexuality in relation to the absolute and evil. o Mlakar has many alter - egos, including Peter Paracelsus (his musical identity). He has released two CDs with his macabre music/ chanting/ rhetoric's, and published such diverse writings as essays on the supernatural, - not to forget his pornographical short stories, titled ,,BLABLABLA". o o Peter Mlakar is also well known for his speeches concerning the manifestations of evil in our contemporary society. His past performances, f. ex. in Sarajevo in Bosnia, Graz in Austria and Hamburg, Germany caused sensations, panic - and sometimes genuine outrage. o In Sarajevo in 1995 he declared that he ,,love[s] the smell of blood in the snow" and suggested a brand new perfume to be produced from Bosnia's blood. o In 2004 Mlakar toured the USA together with the sound & propaganda division of NSK, - Laibach - , and his performance in their documentary, titled ,,Divided States of America", is infamous. - INFERNO 5, the legendary Icelandic Art -Brut performance band which stem from the early 80´s. Inferno 5 haven't played live for a long time but are known to cause havoc and hysteria whenever they appear. - Gjöll is a cooperation of Jóhann Eiríksson, a pioneer of Icelandic industrial music and former member of the legendary Reptilicus , (among the only industrial -output in Icelandic music during the 80s), and Sigurður Harðarson, a spokesman for Andspyrna.Org and the Icelandic Anarchist Movement. Other bands performing on Easter Saturday at the Organ club in downtown Reykjavik are Bacon ( Lynshian marching jazz swing - industrial K2) Digital Madness (hysterical industrial - cotton punk) and Stereo Hypnosis (electronica - vital) which is a father and son collaboration of Óskar og Pan Thorarensen. Óskar is alson the musical Big Magnet in the artist group: Inferno 5, and Pan better known as: Beatmakin Troopa. Expect extraordinary atmosphere, as Electronic Ethics storm our subconscious minds as never before - or after .. ]]> Mon, 25 Feb 2008 23:51:42 -0800 http://virb.com/gjoell/posts/text/483447 http://virb.com/gjoell/posts/text/214036 Brainwashed
Dedicated to "individuals who burn the flags of nations," Gjöll's debut is a concept album in five parts about a character's anger arising from the state of today's materialist society, blaming its oppressive politicians and advertisers alike. Dark and brooding, the album is heavy on atmosphere that's perforated by bleak lyrics.

"Part I" is a deep drone surrounded by a few rhythmic elements and an occasional high-pitched tone while appropriately despondent lyrics are spoken in the group's native Icelandic, some of which roughly translate as "Will my voice be worth anything/When there is nowhere an abyss to be seen?" Except for a change at the end, the music is relatively static and made me anxious for something to happen.

Something does happen in "Part II," which introduces a heavy beat that bounces between channels throughout the track as the character's anger builds into scratchy vocals delivered like paranoid propaganda. It's an enjoyable rhythm with unique timbre, although occasional alterations to the beat would have extended its vitality. A swirling maelstrom erupts on "Part III" as the anger transforms into bitter rage. The vocals are buried under harsh distortion, now and then puncturing the dark clouds as the tornado swells and rumbles, culminating in an effectively grueling howl. "Part IV" isn't as loud, but it's just as creepy. A low drone swims in the background under cascading high frequencies while the narrator whispers his revelations from an inner spiritual journey in a chilling manner, aided in part by the low volume of his voice and the deliberateness of his enunciation. "Part V" is a somewhat schizophrenic instrumental, running with the storm of "Part III" for over ten minutes before ceding to a magical, starry nightscape that erases much of the negativity that precedes it.

In accordance with the theme, the group includes a lot of rune imagery in the accompanying booklet but insist that it's only a reminder that creations in the digital age are temporary when compared to those from previous ages, and not as some romantic notion of life in Viking times. Although it gets off to a sluggish start and some songs suffer from a lack of dynamics, this album still has a lot of powerful dark energy worth many repeated listens.

vital weekly
extreme music seems like a flowering part of the culture in the northern parts of scandinavia. norway was in the forefront of the early black metal, just like sweden was pioneering the death metal-scene from the late eighties forward. also in the territories of harsh electronic music, scandinavia has been well going, thanks to the swedish industrial legendary label cold meat industry. icelandic project gjöll (featuring members from different grindcorebands such as forgardur helvitis) demonstrates with this debut release out on ant zen recordings that the island from the very north of scandinavia also knows how to push the boundaries of the musical sound. the album titled "way through zero" is a conceptual work that focuses on the dark sides of human nature. what we are dealing with here is the sound of one man's mental state developing from depression to aggression until, the force of self-awareness tries to defeat the man's soul of darkness. the musical expression of the album describes this mental development in a quite impressive way. "way though zero" are divided into five parts. all parts are untitled since they more likely describe the different steps of mental development. first part opens with deep rumbling low frequency drones first of all reminiscent of coil's explorations into harsh electronics on the album "constant shallowness leads to evil", and the warning printed on the "constant shallowness...."-disc saying "may cause drowsiness - do not play while driving or operating machinery" could well be used on this 7-minutes opening track. second track works more energetic with ritually mid-tempo rhythm textures and freezing sounds like the outbursts of an electronic processed didgeridoo. the feeling of something waiting to explode lies underneath the surface of this second track. and things certainly happens as third part of the album takes over. symbolising the shift from subdued depression to driving aggression, pure hatred comes to expression and hell breaks loose as harsh waves of evil drones penetrates. on the first two tracks the voice of a man getting more and more frustrated lied somewhere in the sonic expression. on this third track the voice changes from angry to furious as the voice are sucked into aural machinery reminiscent of swedish power electronics-maestro brighter death now. after this exercise in sonic extremity fourth track sneaks slowly up. subtle, almost inaudible drones of isolation symbolises the mental state of pensiveness. a whispering voice assists to build the feeling of tranquillity. fifth and final track, with its 19 minutes being the longest track, returns back to the more dramatic expression with buzzing noise drones bouncing back and forth in approx. 12 minutes until atmospheric ambient sounds of suppression brilliantly describes the man's desperate attempt to break the circle of viciousness. whether he succeeds to break loose is questionable, since the ambience nicely balances between a feeling of relief and endless depression. judged by the sonic expression the ending of the story is open for the listener to interpret. never the less this is an excellent thematic exploration into the dark sides of human souls. a quite unusual album in the ant zen-sphere, because of its sonic introspective character. highly recommended! (nmp)

Gothtronic
gjoll is an industrial project from iceland founded by reptilicus member johann eiriksson. gjoll can be translated as noisy, clamant, thunderous and raging and is also a river in the norse mythology comparable to the river styx. the cd tells a story of a man's anger evolving. the story is told in 5 parts .each of the parts is showing a mental state of a man who feels oppressed by today's western consumer society. the first part is a deep droning and slow track with a pulsing bass in which the person feels pessimistic and powerless, and has therefore a strong dark atmosphere that it will keep you tight to your chair. the second part shows his rising anger towards the powers that oppress him. this track has a deep rhythm which is almost tribal and comas violently from your speakers. the lyrics here are brought in anger. part three is a violent track with distorted vocals and a metallic drone. it shows the pure hatred that absorbs his soul and drives him into madness. in part four a process of analysing and rethinking takes place: he realizes that the only way to fight his oppressors is to change one's perception. this is an ambient track with high frequency sounds which painfully penetrates your ear within an almost peaceful atmosphere. part five is a 17 minutes long waving track that sounds very stately. way through zero is a strong cd with pulsing sub basses, synth layers, driving rhythmic sequences, noisy drones, high frequency sonic attacks and silent melodic phrases. the sound is really deep and very warm this makes it very comfortable listening to although it can be quite extreme sometimes. all this makes this album worthwhile listening to. gjoll dedicates this album to those people who burn the flags of nations. the message is: "think for your self and choose for yourself". well, now it is up to you if you like this album or not. i only can say if you appreciate "lithiumpath" by skin area you absolutely try this cd. (remco)


Terrorizer 143
comprising of drone, spares electronics and harsh vocals this icelandic duo cut a bizarre path through the duration of 'way through zero' it is both calming and intensely angry at the same time. the anger comes from sigurour haroarson (of gringcore band forgarour helvitis) whose impassioned cries in his native tongue conflict and compliment the varying electronic ebbs and flows of johann eirkissons' drone creations. not to be taken lightly.

igloo
gjöll's way through zero is a revolutionary document -- an aural manifesto that seeks to focus man's restlessness and emasculated anger into a perceptive coup d'etat of the mind. gjöll, the duo of jóhann eiríksson and sigurður harðarson, have built a conceptual record, setting the foundation in the noisy norse mythos where gjöll is the river at the edge of the underworld. it is the source of discontent which courses through the mind of man. the five parts of way through zero follow the course of rage and disenchantment that flows through the hearts and minds of dispossessed men, building from sporadic ambience to chaotic rage to a climatic realization of internal power. "part 1" of the monologue begins with the mutterings of a lost soul, a man cast adrift on the river that run through the abyss. tones warp and wave in the background and a piece of gutted machinery keeps constant company with the lost traveler as he is drawn through an empty landscape. "part 2" erupts with a hollow-core symphony -- wind whistling through metal tubes and ducts -- as a mechanized drummer pounds the rhythm of our heartbeat. the voice becomes more strident as adrenaline-fuelled discontent gives him voice. we are through hiding in the sand, through turning the other cheek as we are beaten daily by our oppressors. we are not cogs or numbers or identity-less nodes on a vast network. we are voices, we are spirits with our own light. we feel, we react. we fight back. "each and every one / of your institutions / is the length of my shadow / and each shadow corrosive / teaching me hate / on sunny days." a moaning howl of noise cascades through "part 3," the volcanic eruption of fury and resentment. too long has the discontent been held captive by the institution, by his oppressors. spikes of noise erupt through the waves of sound, a coruscating energy of destructive fury. "if there is a hell / you have created it." while not a full-bore winterkäalte assault, "part 3" finds its pitch in claustrophobic fury. this is the man broken, vitriol spilling out of his cracked frame. but gjöll's journey isn't a "burn it all down" anarchistic screed; rather, it is an examination of the mental breakthrough that occurs at this point of self-immolation. in the vacuum following "part 3," tiny sine wave tones sing with a whispered voice in a questioning duet. who gave the oppressors their power, their strength? "there is no power / unless you recognize it / no threat / unless you admit it / no peace / but the one you create." and, with such realization, the wave returns for "part 5," but it a course of energy that is focused and directed. it is the movement of self-actualized power and lacks the frantic energy underlying it in "part 3." finally, the wave is subsumed beneath an ambient field of twinkling notes, the infinite canopy of stars that are available to us when we throw off the self-made yokes of our oppression. "i am an oasis / in the desert / that is myself." way through zero is a self-help tape, really. a cleansing journey from hopelessness and helplessness to the vast freedom of internalized godhead. we leave the abyss behind us when we break through the final veil. we see only the stars when we are free and we hear only their song. break on through to the other side, my friends. let gjöll lead you there. (mark teppo)


]]> Sat, 08 Sep 2007 14:08:12 -0700 http://virb.com/gjoell/posts/text/214036 http://virb.com/gjoell/posts/text/214028 Vital weekly GJÖLL - NOT TO LEAD NOR TO FOLLOW (CD by Ant-Zen) CONTAGIOUS ORGASM - RIPPLE (CD by Ant-Zen) Two outer limit-albums from legendary German label Ant-Zen Recordings. Last year I had the honor of reviewing the debut album of Icelandic project Gjöll. It was an interesting conceptual album that described a man's mental balance or rather: The lack of it. Now the two artists behind the project, Jóhann Eiriksson and Sigurdur Hardarson, have returned with their explorations into dark and disturbing sound expressions. Musically Gjöll crosses musical territories from early power electronics (Whitehouse etc.) to post-Industrial reminiscent of early Godflesh and Saw Throat (formerly Sore Throat). Characterizing the style of Gjöll is the rather dreamy and hypnotizing effects of the drone productions. Changing between expressive and harsh drones (though never in the full throttle noise-style) to more introvert and drowsy subtle buzz-drones. Vocals on the album change between furious and whispering. Too harsh to be termed ambient and too subtle to be termed noise, the style of Gjöll lies somewhere in between. Indescribable and quite unique second album from the Icelandic extremists! Three years ago I had the great honor of reviewing the first album on Ant-Zen Recordings by legendary Japanese sound artist Contagious Orgasm. Since I had always connected Hiroshi Hashimoto ( a.k.a. Contagious Orgasm) with the Noise scene, thanks to his contribution to various Noise compilations, among others Relapse/Release Entertainment's "Japanese/American Noise Treaty", I was quite surprised to listen his "Dessert Addicts Will Return To This" (Ant-Zen, 2004). This latest album continues the strange landscapes of numerous musical styles. Dealing with everything from drone-based as well as collaged noise, across clicks'n'cuts to almost danceable electro-inspired techno and eerie soundscapes of beautiful ambient, it is an impossible task to finish this album only within a few listens. It is a complex musical voyage, that atmospherically varies from icy minimalism reminiscent of Pan(a)Sonic to militant electro of Kraftwerk until towards the end where the album turns more dreamy and dramatic with a mixture between experimental ambience and gentle acoustic post-rock reminiscent of Tortoise. "Ripple" is a continuation of the style of "Dessert Addicts Will Return To This", and the result is even more intense and clever than the aforementioned. Turn off the light and let yourself fall into the psychedelic tones of Contagious Orgasm. Excellent! (NM) Address: http://www.ant-zen.com/ Gothronic Noise (and with that I mean the more rhythmic form) is a genre which is better witnessed live, in a venue, than playing a CD in your living room. With light effects or a videoscreen this form of music is given a bit more life, and this makes songs by artists like Punch Inc., Asche or Morgenstern turn out better than when sitting at home, with no movement or interaction from the performers. Every rules has its exception though, and that makes us wonder about the genre in which the Icelandic Gjöll are placed. The 'no-compromises' layers of static are too violent, too stretched out to entertain a crowd and one can then conclude this is the type of music that works better in your living room, with the volume high. I must make a comparison with Haus Arafna or - more fitting - IRM, especially because of the screaming vocals and the harsh and confronting tone that is said on this record. Not easy music, no, especially because the six tracks average about nine minutes and that's a pretty long (and tough!) ride. But lots of things happen in the music; on 'A View From A Social Status', a subtle dark ambient-tone takes over, combining whispering vocals with the eerie sound that Atrium Carceri displayed so smoothly on "Ptahil", earlier this year. The other way around; on 'Everyday's Chanting', Gjöll chooses a high tone to lead the rhythm which is getting very frustrating after six or seven minutes. It is the only song that I skip on this record, for the five others are of outstanding quality and cannot be compared with any of the material Ant-Zen released earlier. The five - and I should mention 'A Declaration' and 'Dream of Plagues' in particular - are harsh, difficult to sit through but if take the time and effort to sit through this hour then you got a very good record. I cannot imagine fans of earlier named projects think "Not To Lead Nor To Follow" is a bad purchase. rjominn.is Fyrir stuttu gáfu þeir félagar Jóhann Eiríksson og Sigurður Harðarson, sem mynda dúettinn Gjöll, út sína aðra plötu, sem ber titilinn Not To Lead Nor To Follow. Áður hafa þeir gefið út plötuna Way Through Zero, sem kom út árið 2006. Þeir hafa báðir komið víða við í íslensku ,,neðanjarðar" tónlistarsenunni. Jóhann var til dæmis annar helmingur fyrstu íslensku industrial hljómsveitarinnar, Reptilicus, og hann er með verkefni sem kallast Product 8. Sigurður er betur þekktur sem Siggi pönk, og er hann til að mynda söngvari Forgarðs Helvítis, sem spila blöndu af grindcore, black metal og death metal, og hann er einnig söngvari pönksveitarinnar Dys. Jóhann sér um að skapa tónlistina og rétta andrúmsloftið fyrir anarkistaljóðin sem Sigurður semur og flytur. Það eru ýmsar tilfinningar sem líða í gegnum hugann þegar ég hlusta á plötuna, og vellíðan er ekki ein þeirra. Ekki svo að skilja að tónlistin veki upp vanlíðan, því það er alls ekki það sem ég á við. Tónlistin þeirra virkar draumkennd á mig, og ég fæ nánast óstjórnlega löngun til að skapa eitthvað. Sérkennileg hljóðin og drynjandi bassinn skella á eyrum hlustanda úr öllum áttum, á meðan skerandi öskur Sigurðar reyna að stinga sér leið í gegnum hljóðhimnuna. Ef maður lokar augunum og hefur nógu frjótt ímyndunarafl gæti þessi tónlist flutt mann út í geiminn, þar sem maður sér og heyrir hluti sem finnast hvergi annars staðar, eða jafn vel aftur í tíma til seinni heimsstyrjaldarinnar, og fundist maður vera staddur á miðjum vígvellinum þar sem sprengingar og vélarómur hljóma allt í kring. Ef ímyndunaraflið er mjög gott gæti maður jafnvel ferðast alls staðar þar á milli. Textarnir sýna samkennd með einstaklingnum sem sér sjálfum sér fært að slíta sig frá pólitískum, trúarlegum og samfélagslegum nauðsynjum. Tónlistin undirstrikar enn betur reiði samfélagsins, áskoranir þess hluta samfélagsins sem er hafnað og útskúfað, reiðina yfir því hvernig hlutirnir eru og hvernig hlutirnir ættu að vera. Ég mæli hiklaust með þessari plötu fyrir alla sem hafa gaman af dark ambient/noise, fyrir þá sem vilja heyra eitthvað nýtt og öðruvísi og þá sem hlusta á tónlist með opið hugarfar. - Kristján Sigurðarson Morgunblaðið Hávaðatónlist fyrir reiða Gjöll - Not to Lead nor to Follow TÓNLIST er í eðli sínu mjög mismunandi og gegnir einnig mismunandi hlutverki hjá hlustendum. Oft fæ ég í hendurnar diska með hressandi rokki af einhverju tagi sem framkallar rífandi stemmningu, eða ljúfari og mildari tónlist sem er vel til þess fallin að hrífa andann með sér í notalegheit. Gjöll fellur í hvorugan þennan flokk og er reyndar undantekning frá flestum reglum innan tónlistargeirans. Sem betur fer verður alltaf til fólk sem kýs að halda sig utan allra kerfa og gera tónlist sem er ill-flokkanleg og þannig tónlist er hljómsveitin Gjöll að gera. Báðir meðlimir Gjalla hafa fengist við tilraunakennda tónlist og óhefðbundna í gegnum tíðina og því kemur stefna þeirra í sjálfu sér ekkert á óvart. Sigurður Harðarson er gjarnan kallaður Siggi pönk og hefur m.a. framið list sína með Forgarði helvítis og Dys. Jóhann Eiríksson er best þekktur úr tilraunarafsveitunum Reptilicus og Project 8 og hefur því verið að fást við að skapa sína furðulegu raftónlist í um tuttugu ár. Það góða við samstarf Sigurðar og Jóhanns er að þeir styðja vel við bakið hvor á öðrum í tónlist sinni. Sigurður semur ögrandi texta, sem hann kýs að kalla anarkista-ljóð, og flytur þá á eftirminnilegan hátt. Hann hvíslar dularfullt, gargar úr sér lungun, kallar og hrópar reiðilega og hálf-snöktir sig í gegnum skammir til ríkisstjórnarinnar, og hvatningu til fólks um að hugsa sjálfstætt. Jóhann sér um hljóðmyndina sem virkar sem rammi utan um ljóðin, og sýnir hann einstaka leikni í að koma frjóum hugmyndum sínum vel fyrir, en skilja jafnframt eftir pláss fyrir Sigurð í myndinni. Mikið af hljóðunum á plötunni eru dáleiðandi og lögin byggjast gjarnan upp á einföldu hljóði sem vindur síðan upp á sig. Við bætist og grauturinn þykkist og verður bragðmeiri, og er líða tekur á suðuna eru sum laganna orðin heill veggur af (ó)-hljóðum. Við fyrstu hlustun var ég reyndar sannfærð um að heyrnartólin mín væru biluð því í fyrsta laginu flakka hljóð heilmikið á milli hægri og vinstri. Mörg hljóðanna eru á þann veg að væru þau ekki gagngert tilbúin og gerð til að vera hluti af tónlist væru þau kölluð hávaði. Það orð er reyndar notað í ensku og talað um noice-music eða hávaða-tónlist en ég verð þá að bæta við að hávaði Gjalla er mjög fallegur og snyrtilega fram reiddur. Þýska hljómsveitin Einstürzende Neubauten kemur stundum upp í kollinn og hlýtur reyndar að vera áhrifavaldur á alla sem fást við hávaða-tónlist í dag, því þeir voru frumkvöðlar. Gjöll eru þó langt því frá að endurtaka eitthvað sem ég hef áður heyrt og held ég svei mér þá að þetta hljómi í alvörunni eins og ekkert sem ég hef heyrt áður. Galli plötunnar er fyrst og fremst sá að hljómurinn er mjög ,,aggressívur" og harður og því er ekki með góðu móti hægt að hlusta í heyrnartólum nokkrum sinnum í röð án þess að fá hreinlega hausverk. Einhverra hluta vegna gengur það þó betur upp ef maður er úti við með heyrnartólin og eins er fínt að hlýða á plötuna úr hátölurum. Platan er krefjandi og þarfnast einhverra hluta vegna mikils rýmis, líklega sökum þess að mikið er um ákveðin tíðnisvið í tónlistinni sem samræmast ekki litlu rými. Platan nýtur sín líka betur ef maður hlustar á hana reiður, og boðskapurinn í anarkista-ljóðum Sigurðar er nokkuð góð lexía. Þetta er þó ekki plata sem hægt er að mæla með við kertaljós og kósíheit því hún kallar frekar fram vanlíðan en þægilegar tilfinningar. Það er samt ótrúlegt en satt, en í kaótísku þjóðfélagi dagsins í dag er hlustun á Gjöll stundum það eina rétta í stöðunni. Ragnheiður Eiríksdóttir Octopus les ressources de l'islande sont infinies. en matière de musique, comme de géologie, il s'agit d'une terre de contrastes... gjöll en est donc le digne représentant. il apporte au power noise sa langue, au sens littéral du terme puisqu'il s'agit de l'islandais. résolument anarchistes, la colère anime tous les textes présents sur cet album. mais contrairement au premier opus, way through zero, not to lead nor to follow n'a pas été conçu comme un manifeste monolithique. il s'agit de six morceaux composés indépendamment qui traduisent l'errance individuelle à travers les méandres des sociétés contemporaines. la ligne musicale est évidemment industrielle, faite de sons saturés et lancinants, proche de haus arafna. le chant rappelle brighter death now mais qui aurait perdu son caractère décalé et loufoque. car au centre de cet album, c'est l'isolement révolté qui s'exprime. la cohérence réside dans cette volonté furieuse d'interpeler chaque individu à s'affranchir de son conditionnement politique, religieux ou social. un modèle du genre! Black issue 47 als hätte man den gesamten skandinavischen dark ambient und harsh noise der 80er und 90er in eine platte gekippt, exerzieren die zwei isländer unter dem namen gjöll auf ihrem zweiten album weiterhin die bekannten elemente: drones, schreien, fiepige frequenzen, rostiges flüstern und puckerndes elektronikgebrutzel. nach fast 30 jahren industrialgeschichte hat sich der wütendes-gebrüll-über-sequenzer-metall-krach vielleicht doch ein wenig abgenutzt. könnt ja sein. für mich ein jahrzehnt zu spät rausgekommen. damals wären sie ganz grossartig gewesen. (till) Terrorverlag nach björk und sigur rós ist das industrialprojekt gjöll ein weiterer beleg dafür, dass aus island musik kommt, die fern aller trends ihre spezielle nische findet. passend dazu haben gjöll ihre cd "not to lead nor to follow" betitelt. nicht führen, nicht folgen, einfach den eigenen weg gehen. genau dies tun sie auf sechs tracks. düstere töne, vermischt mit einem wahnsinnigen geschrei strömen aus meinen boxen und verwandeln meine wohnung in einen unheilvollen ort. ein wenig erinnert mich das ganze an alte blackhouse-scheiben. trotz dieses vergleiches wahrt "ntlntf" seine eigenständigkeit, gleich die beiden ersten tracks bestechen durch eine angsteinflössende atmosphäre, während das folgende "a view from a social status" nur durch leise beats und nicht einzuordnende geräusche charakterisiert werden kann. um ein bild zu wählen: man kann sich bei diesem track lebhaft vorstellen, wie man von allen verlassen durch die isländische einsamkeit irrt. über 13 minuten lang, verlangt dieser track einem alles ab. "march of the mad poets" wirkt brachialer, baut zusätzlich noch voicesamples mit ein. auch einen pädagogischen effekt hat diese scheibe, wer möchte, kann ein wenig isländisch lernen, da die songtexte auch in der heimatsprache von gjöll aufgeführt sind. wer sich beim genuss einer cd mal wieder richtig fürchten möchte, ist mit "not to lead nor to follow" bestens aufgehoben. Der medienkonverter gjölls debüt "way through zero" war ein aufruf, sein leben auf seine eigene art zu leben und sich nicht unterdrücken zu lassen. der titel des nun erschienenden nachfolgealbums impliziert genau das gleiche. "not to lead nor to follow" ist aber im gegensatz zum erstling keine geschichte über den weg aus der unterdrückung heraus, sondern ein hasserfüllter aufruf unterteilt in sechs songs gegen jegliche abhängigkeit, sei sie religiöser, sozialer oder politischer natur. so wie das thema, so ist auch die musik auf "not to lead nor to follow" ähnlich dem debüt. sigurður harðarson flüstert, spricht und vor allem schreit sich durch das album, das einem die haare zu berge stehen. die lyrics sind dabei mal in isländisch, mal in englisch gehalten. was wo gesprochen bzw. geschrien wird, erkennt man nicht immer auf anhieb. musikalisch lassen sich gjöll eigentlich nur mit sich selbst vergleichen. dafür hebt sich das duo jóhann eiríksson and sigurður harðarson zu sehr vom rest ab. natürlich werden auf dem neuen album auch wieder die ohren mit besonders hohen tönen gequält. "dream of plagues" ist insofern gefährlich, als dass der song sehr verhalten, mit einem dumpfen und schnellen pulsieren anfängt und sich dann langsam in seine zehn minuten spielzeit in tinitus regionen steigert. die offensichtliche aggressivität spricht auf bekannte art und weise aus gjölls zweitwerk. wie ein metallenes gewitter drohender krach, starkstrombrummen, ambienteske drones, tiefe bässe, allerhand geräusche, klicken oder das gefühl, als ob eine kreissäge sich durch blech frisst, gjöll schaffen es immer wieder, angst, beklemmung oder eben aggression hervorzurufen. im gegensatz zu "way through zero" erfahren die songs mehr veränderungen und wandeln sich im laufe ihrer spielzeit. gjöll haben wieder etwas unvergleichliches auf die beine gestellt, das nicht nur in ihrer heimat island einzigartig sein dürfte. faszinierend!]]> Sat, 08 Sep 2007 13:46:51 -0700 http://virb.com/gjoell/posts/text/214028