Browse by Label: KIMI (ICELAND)

Artist:	BENNI HEMM HEMM
Title:	Murta St. Calunga
Label:	KIMI (ICELAND)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	KRCD 005CD

This is the third full-length release from Icelandic music collective, Benni Hemm Hemm, headed up by extremely talented lead songwriter/arranger, Benedikt H. Hermannsson. Murta St. Calunga is the soundtrack to an adventurous journey, sailing to distant shores, riding rolling wave upon rolling wave of rollicking, orchestral indie-pop. On this monstrously entertaining album, Benni's search for a clear yet heavy sound has come to an end, with awesome results. Recorded and mixed on tape, this nostalgic procedure produces an environment which fits the occasion and brings out the best of the band's amazing width. Bigger and fatter than a Minke whale, not only does this album represent the finest of Iceland's experimental scene, it's also packed with sly melodies which are guaranteed to stick around in your head months and even years after you first insert Murta St. Calunga in your stereo. These songs are powerful -- nicely wrapped up in giant string and brass arrangements, strummed guitar and gentle piano, all played with an unmatchable joy. The lyrics take you to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Romania, as well as to more surreal places, like an Icelandic whale-fishing boat in the North Atlantic. Even the pages of the award-winning novel Skugga-Baldur (The Blue Fox), by Icelandic author, poet, and Björk lyricist Sjón, become a destination in the instantly-loveable "Veiðiljóð." This record speaks in tongues, whether it be Icelandic, English, French, or even the universal language of music. Each mind, each soul will be touched. The world is a fine place. The land of Murta St. Calunga is even better.

Artist:	REYKJAVIK!
Title:	The Blood
Label:	KIMI (ICELAND)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	KRCD 007CD

This is the second full-length release by Iceland's Reykjavík!, the follow-up to 2006's immense Glacial Landscapes, Religion, Oppression & Alcohol (recorded by Valgeir Sigurdsson, and released on 12 Tónar), which became an instant classic and had everyone in Iceland from the age of 5 to 105 throwing chairs at each other for recreation. The press also loved it, voting it the album of 2006 in close to every poll at the end of the year. Still crazy as fuck, but twice as powerful and even more experimental, The Blood takes Reykjavík! a step beyond. This record is tight, thunderously dark and deceptive -- starting off harmlessly enough with ambient drum and feedback, then absolutely exploding with a chorus of screams and black riffage. Through the seemingly up-beat "Repticon," to the swinging "Campo Viejo, 2004" and ending with the cheerful yet uneasy "Random Acts," Reykjavík! turns out to be harder, faster and, quite frankly, better than on their famous first album. This powerful gem of a sophomore record will leave new fans and old in an ecstatic frenzy, while untrained listeners might be left with a permanent spasmodic twitch. The band has a wonderful gift for creating short and nasty songs filled with noise, shouts, chaos and war that are somehow, mysteriously and completely inexplicably, catchy. For example, the chundering "Kate Bush" somehow manages to get a clap-track next to some pretty serious death-metal vocal blasts. Reykjavík! also has a reputation for legendary, completely insane concerts where anything goes: fire, blood, and vomit... and somehow, the band has managed to warp this live atmosphere onto The Blood. The result is absolute: an exhilarating, terrible beauty is born which forever destroys the stereotype that all Icelandic musicians are precious, warbling, forest-dwelling elves.

Artist:	SUDDEN WEATHER CHANGE
Title:	Stop! Handgrenade In The Name Of Crib Death 'nderstand?
Label:	KIMI (ICELAND)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	KRCD 010CD

This is the first full-length release by Sudden Weather Change, a five-piece rock band from Reykjavík, Iceland. Their sound has been likened to bands like Sonic Youth, Pavement, Polvo and countless other '90s alt-rock bands from the U.S., but they also sound very much in the vein of current European darlings, Phoenix, but with more complex arrangements, tons of moody scrawl, and a singer with a wail that at time recalls Fugazi's Ian Mackaye. Stop! Handgrenade... contains 13 juicy, guitar-heavy songs. The band has been together for 3 years, and released a home-made EP in late 2007 by themselves, which sold out after a short, but successful tour in France. The Icelandic music press have hailed their crazy, loud and astounding live shows, with Morgunblaðið (Iceland's oldest and most respected newspaper) naming them the most promising band of 2009. Stop! Handgrenade... has received good reviews since its release and the album's first single, "St. Peters Day," has been getting excellent airplay in Iceland.

Artist:	FM BELFAST
Title:	How To Make Friends
Label:	KIMI (ICELAND)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	KRCD 012CD

This is the first studio-length album from Iceland's hot-buzz electro-dance band FM Belfast. FM Belfast makes joyful electronic dance music interlaced with fun and good fortune, with an inability to stand still or sit. The band started out as a duo on Christmas 2005 when Arni R. Hlodversson and Loa H. Hjalmtysdottir made a song as a present for their friends. What was initially thought of as a studio concept became a live band in the summer of 2006 when Arni and Loa performed at an art opening in a cave on the Faeroe Islands. Later that year, Arni Vilhjalmsson and Orvar Th. Smarason joined the band. In October of 2006 they played their first full concert at the Iceland Airwaves festival in Reykjavik. The band first released this debut album locally in Iceland and have sold 5,000 albums already. This is angular, minimal electro-beats and catchy synths with male and female vocals in abstract, broken English that you will simply not be able to resist on the dancefloor.

Artist:	KIMONO
Title:	Easy Music For Difficult People
Label:	KIMI (ICELAND)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	KRCD 015CD

This is the third studio album from Icelandic progressive guitar/math rock band, Kimono. Easy Music For Difficult People marks a significant change in style for the band, returning as a trio with their first album since 2007. The band, which was formerly a quartet, has been active for eight years and has released two studio albums, one EP and one dub album based on their 2003 debut. At just over 30 minutes and featuring nine songs, the album represents a shift from the "calm before the storm" soundscape (with which the band has been associated on their previous records) to a full-on post-punk album where urgency, darkness and immediacy hold sway. This time around, Kimono took their time polishing their sound with the songs that comprise Easy Music For Difficult People. After experimenting with live multi-track recordings in their studio in downtown Reykjavík, the band recruited Arctic Death Ship engineer Aron Arnarsson and recorded the entire album live over a long weekend in the summer of 2009. Lead singer and guitarist Alex MacNeil manned the post of producer. All instruments, amplification and drums were set up in one space with no dividers to isolate the roaring interplay of guitars from the relentless sonic attack of the drums. The result is an electrifying studio album where the band has attempted and succeeded in bringing its notable live experience right to your stereo.

Artist:	BENNI HEMM HEMM
Title:	Retaliate
Label:	KIMI (ICELAND)
Format:	CD
Price:	$12.50
Catalog #:	KRCD 016CD

This is the second release on Kimi Records for Benni Hemm Hemm. With a move to Edinburgh, Scotland, Benni Hemm Hemm learnt two things: he learned to speak Scottish and that it's just as much fun recording at home as it is to record in the Sigur Rós studio. To practice his recently discovered knowledge, Benni made an EP by himself with his home recording gear, apart from the usual 10+ member Benni Hemm Hemm collective. This EP is called Retaliate and it's a collection of five songs which feature knives, gold, lazy pioneers, confident Talibans, blood-thirsty vampires, Stan-Stan-the-caretaker-man, and last but not least -- blood, lots of blood. This is Benni Hemm Hemm's first release all sung in English -- and with English lyrics, a new sound evolves. Retaliate is home-made in almost every sense. It is recorded in Benni's home in Edinburgh and Benni plays most of the instruments, very important exceptions being the wonderful contribution of Emily Scott (double bass) and Peter Liddle (trumpet & alto-horn). Retaliate is Benni Hemm Hemm's third EP (and sixth overall release) but the previous two, Summer Plate and Ein Í Leyni, have been released in Iceland only.

Artist:	TAPE TUM
Title:	The Night We Called It A Day
Label:	KIMI (ICELAND)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	KRCD 017CD

This is the debut album by Tape Tum. The Night We Called It A Day is a collection of nine graceful, hypnotic-textured compositions with ample experimental tendencies. Balancing masterfully between the analog and digital domain, the Belgian brothers of Benjamin and Lieven Dousselaere demonstrate an impressive song-crafting aptitude, enhanced with continental ethics and an evident love for Grizzly Bear, The Beach Boys and Sparklehorse. Soothing soundscapes and acoustic sensitivities injected with smart beats, airy jazz touches and elegant bleeps are the elements that make up the eclectic mixture of Tape Tum's vintage art-pop. Starting out in the rural town of Beernem as an attic project, Tape Tum are now a fully-fledged outfit with a support slot for the legendary post-rock experimentalists Tortoise and a contribution to the Domino compilation of prominent UK magazine Wire in their arsenal. Their cutting-edge live appearances combine sound with film, installation art and contemporary dance and include collaborations with Icelandic performer Erna Ómarsdóttir, visual artist Gabriella Fridriksdóttir and French-Belgian choreographer Damien Jalet.

Artist:	MIRI
Title:	Okkar
Label:	KIMI (ICELAND)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	KRCD 018CD

Miri is a band of four guys from the remote east fjords of Iceland. They have been making their strange instrumental post-rock dance music since 2006. With countless shows under their belts, they have gained a reputation as an energetic and playful live band, infamous for their epic, mid-song speeches about life, synchronized dance moves, happiness and peace. Okkar is Miri's first full-length release. Okkar can be described as an instrumental alternative rock album (one song has some vocals). It treads lightly on the verge of being a post-rock album, but without the dramatic gloom often attached to such music. Okkar was recorded, produced and mixed by Curver (Ghostigital). Amongst the guests on this album are a whole brass quartet, Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason (múm, FM Belfast) who sings and plays the harmonica and Ólafur Björn Ólafsson (Benni Hemm Hemm, Stórsveit Nix Nolte) on xylophone and marimba.

Artist:	PRINSPOLO
Title:	Jukk
Label:	KIMI (ICELAND)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	KRCD 028CD

Prinspóló is the alter-ego of Skakkamanage's front man Svavar Pétur Eysteinsson. Prinspóló sings about the important things in life, like food and senior citizens. His quirky lyrics and catchy tunes have gathered him some popularity in the downtown Reykjavík music scene and among suburban housewives. Prinspóló has released one EP called Einn Heima and Jukk is his first LP. The album contains nine songs in Icelandic about candy, hips, Spaghetti Bolognese and marriage. "Jukk" is an Icelandic slang-word meaning "everything, something and nothing." Prinspóló performs with a band consisting of members from FM Belfast, Reykjavík! and Sudden Weather Change.

Artist:	PRINSPOLO
Title:	Jukk
Label:	KIMI (ICELAND)
Format:	LP
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	KRLP 028LP

LP version. Prinspóló is the alter-ego of Skakkamanage's front man Svavar Pétur Eysteinsson. Prinspóló sings about the important things in life, like food and senior citizens. His quirky lyrics and catchy tunes have gathered him some popularity in the downtown Reykjavík music scene and among suburban housewives. Prinspóló has released one EP called Einn Heima and Jukk is his first LP. The album contains nine songs in Icelandic about candy, hips, Spaghetti Bolognese and marriage. "Jukk" is an Icelandic slang-word meaning "everything, something and nothing." Prinspóló performs with a band consisting of members from FM Belfast, Reykjavík! and Sudden Weather Change. Includes one exclusive vinyl-only track, plus a download code for the entire album.

Artist:	SKAKKAMANAGE
Title:	All Over The Face
Label:	KIMI (ICELAND)
Format:	CD
Price:	$15.50
Catalog #:	KRSKA 005CD

This is the second full-length release from Iceland's Skakkamanage. All Over The Face follows up 2007's highly-praised Lab Of Love, and contains everything from bittersweet ballads, to noisy, guitar-driven rock and quirky pop songs. And the overall sound is so thick and juicy, that you could easily feast on it. The outcome is a personal, revealing and ridiculously fun album that is destined to have a huge impact. Skakkamanage are husband and wife duo Svavar Pétur Eysteinsson (guitar and vocals), and Berglind Häsler (piano, synthesizers and vocals), plus Þormóður Dagsson (drums) and Örn Ingi Ágústsson (bass). During the recordings, Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason of múm came to visit and played harmonica and did some backing vocals. The multi-talented Orri Jónsson produced the album and it was mostly recorded live on multi-track tape in the Slowblow studio. At times sounding like an Icelandic Yo La Tengo, Skakkamanage craft tilted, anti-love pop songs with enthusiasm and originality.

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Artist:	HEAVY EXPERIENCE, THE
Title:	The Heavy Experience
Label:	KIMI (ICELAND)
Format:	10"
Price:	$14.00
Catalog #:	KRLP 025EP