Iceland is obviously known musically for Bjork (and The Sugarcubes), Sigur Ros and to a lesser degree Gus Gus but did you know there's far more than just those three artists on that tiny island? It's true. Really. In fact, there is a thriving music scene out there in the North Atlantic and the Made In Iceland series is out to serve as the Rough Guide to this incredible scene. Now up to it's seventh installment, the series has brought many artists out of the ice and into the spotlight to thaw out.
About half way through this listening to compilation and one thing is becomes obvious Iceland is way more than just the land of quirky ice princesses. Made In Iceland features eighteen artists playing everything from artpop, chilled house, electro, folk and even alt-country. Who knew that such a small island could be home to such a diverse scene? Well kiddo, it's true and although several of the artists have unpronounceable names their songs are anything but unapproachable. In fact, a vast majority of Made In Iceland VII is excellent stuff; all killer and no filler and the fact that there are multiple volumes of this series speaks to how large and successful the scene up there really is.
While Made In Iceland highlights the diversity and depth of talent in Iceland from one corner to the next it is glaringly obvious throughout this compilation that they are truly the masters of icy cool electronica. They just get it, they know how to write it, shape it, craft it and they create songs that are chilled to beaty perfection. Perhaps it's a reflection of their environment or their isolation but these guys are the masters of cool and I don't mean that in a bad way. Starwalker, Berndsen, and Asonat all make impressive appearances here and they left me wanting to hear more...or at least book a flight to Reykjavik and see all this in person.
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