He’s similar to Bon Iver in his beautifully melodic take on folk music. He’s also similar to Bon Iver in the fact that no one can actually understand the lyrics, we all just pretend we know and make vague echoes of sounds that might pass as actual words. But as much as he sounds like Bon Iver and has scarily similar facial hair, he also has a very distinct voice and sound, that crosses over partly into the electronic genre.
Iceland’s answer to Bon Iver, Ásgeir is folk + electronic = magic.
Ásgeir however has created something, which while similar to Bon Iver*, gives you a little more to sink your teeth into, in terms of a solid tune that gets your head bopping and foot tapping. Now, unlike a lot of the music I write about, which is first heard at time of writing said article, I have been an Ásgeir fan since I heard his first single, King and Cross on the radio, back in February or March sometime, and am a completely devoted fan. However after watching his Triple J ‘Like A Version’ cover of Milky Chance’s Stolen Dance my devotion to his music may have just turned into legitimate love.
The 21 year old is said to be a bit of a superstar in his hometown of Reykjavik, Iceland, but is only recently converting the Australian crowd with his debut full length album, In the Silence. This album was specially translated from Icelandic to English and released with label One Little Indian in January this year.
In the wake of his album’s success Ásgeir did a string of shows around Australia before (and making it even more unbearable that I didn’t attend) performing at Splendour in the Grass, 2014, before heading to Japan and then the UK and Europe to tour throughout August.
*So…. you like Justin Vernon I take it?
FIND OUT MORE ON
