Album Notes

"I enthused about the music of Hjortur Blondal last issue; now he's back with a new album Alfarspace Work. The name comes from Alfar, the Icelandic word for elves, but don't get any preconceived ideas based on popular perceptions of elves as something twee, elves just aren't like that in Icelandic tradition. The music is just as eclectic and creative as anything Hjortur has done in the past, bringing together futuristic electronic pop music, electronically processed voices, woodwind, guitars - electric and acoustic, rockish elements and various other bits. Some tracks include a lot of the above elements mixed together; others like "I Am", are more straightforward pop songs. Straightforward needn't mean dull though, "I Am" is a really well-crafted song with a very strong tune.
As with Hjortur's previous album Keen Sabid, the music incorporates a wide variety of different styles but isn't a mere attempt to sound off-the-wall. Instead this is genuinely inventive, creative music by an artist who seems very much to be doing his own thing without direct influences from whatever music is flavor of the month right now. In a time when so much music is an obvious rehash of what has gone before, it is refreshing to hear music which seems only to come from within the musician's mind". - Kim Harten, Bliss Aquamarine (UK)

Visit www.hjortur.dk for more!