ÁSGEIR
Fire and Ice
Is it the Icelandic scenery that inspires music as dramatic as its own landscapes, or something in the psyche of those who brace the infernal cold and interminable winter night? Asgeir kicked off a double whammy of Icelandic performances on the White Stage ahead of Bjork, his bright and dreamy falsetto emanating from billows of blue smoke and flickering lights – we’re already a bit chilly at the White Stage and Asgeir equally chills and warms during his performance.
In “Head In The Snow” he sang about those very things – “Far up in the north/The nights can be so dark/ Biting cold takes its toll on the body”. With atmospheric guitar overlaid with electronic chirrups and clicks, he gets very close to Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago though his sound forsakes the solitude that pervades Bon Iver’s work – Asgeir’s sound is more a cosy coffee shop than a cabin in the deep forest. “Underneath” is a hymnal to start, moving out from a quiet beginning into a synth breakdown and gently rolling guitar riff, while “Higher” is a slower piano-led number whose subject matter seems rather too sublime: a severing from the Earth up into the big blue yonder, followed by “Dreaming” which continues the theme of corporal release and soaring among the stars.
At times, Asegir seems like an old soul in a young body, and perhaps that’s because he plays a good mix of both his latest effort Afterglow and earlier offering Into The Silence during the set. Has there been a growth in maturity of sound between the two? There are drum charges, swelling choruses, and waves of ambience accented with staccato electronics and percussion. The effect is simultaneously chilling and and warming – conjuring up a cold exterior with an inner warmth. For the oceanic moments, the references to flight, the organic nature of lyrics, the White Stage at night makes for a reverential space to hear these tunes played out – a beautiful and soulful performance.
