Louder Than The Music

Icelandic solo musician Ari Gudmundsson has just released a new single called 'Anthem'. Ari plans to release a trilogy of albums, having already released two. He is currently releasing five singles in a row before the final album. Radikoj is the second album of a planned trilogy from the Icelandic artist, that packs substance and sound into 10 cohesive tracks.



Taking its name from the Esperanto word for “roots,” the work’s metaphor plays out on multiple levels. Co-produced by Halldór Á. Björnsson and mastered by Leigh Lawson, it’s all at once a step back to an organic, rootsy sound, a distinct conceptual step forward from previous album Fræ (Icelandic for “seeds”), and a rich place to grow toward the impending third album. It’s also intricately composed, hauntingly delivered, and beautiful to listen to.

Don’t let the depth of the work prejudice your pop sensibilities - this isn’t stodgy, self-serious music that sacrifices sound for substance. Actually, it’s the opposite. Fræ was called “sleek, tuneful, atmospheric electro-pop music” (super world indie tunes) and featured “big melodies and catchy chorus(es) and... impressively considered lyrics too” (Nordic Music Review).

While Radikoj features less electronic instrumentation, it still showcases melodies that shimmer and hooks that easily catch ears.

The juxtaposition of depth and catchiness makes sense given Ari’s background. After getting a start musically as the drummer in a Nirvana cover band, he quickly gravitated toward writing, gearing his work toward the influence of songwriters like Tom Waits and Townes Van Zandt.