Iceland // WV 192: baula - parasite

[ShoeFlo]

Ísland


No. of Participations – 134
First Participation – WV 01
No. of Wins – 6 (WV 10, 45, 104, 120, 144, 172)
No. of Qualifications – 87 (65%)


Whiteshoes Statistics


No. of Participations – 131
First Participation – WV 39
No. of wins – 6 (WV 45, 103, 120, 139, 154, 172)
Worst Result - 21st out of 22 in SF (WV 156)
No. of Qualifications – 91 (69%)


WV 176 Entry:

Toneron - Life

whiteshoes:

WV 39 || Semifinal: 16th - 047 points | Final: DNQ - DNQ pts || Árstiðir - Á meðan jörðin sefur

WV 40 || Semifinal: 15th - 053 points | Final: DNQ - DNQ pts || Sin fang - Look at the light

WV 41 || Semifinal: 15th - 052 points | Final: DNQ - DNQ pts || I svörtum fötum - Paradís

WV 42 || Semifinal: 03rd - 093 points | Final: 08th - 141 pts || Of Monsters and Men - Dirty Paws

WV 43 || Semifinal: 20th - 042 points | Final: DNQ - DNQ pts || Skálmöld - Kvaðning

WV 44 || Semifinal: 04th - 092 points | Final: 12th - 126 pts || Ólafur Arnalds ft. Haukur Heiðar Hauksson - A hundred reasons

WV 45 || Semifinal: 07th - 073 points | Final: 01st - 191 pts || Kaleo - Vor í Vaglaskógi

WV 46 || Semifinal: PREQUALIFIER| Final: 21st - 095 pts || Agent Fresco - Dark Water

WV 47 || Semifinal: 11th - 064 points | Final: 26th - 082 pts || Dikta - Thank You

WV 48 || Semifinal: 15th - 051 points | Final: 21st - 093 pts || Jónsi - Tornado

WV 49 || Semifinal: 04th - 100 points | Final: 19th - 095 pts || Ásgeir - Dýrð i dauðaþögn

WV 50 || Semifinal: 03th - 109 points | Final: 08th - 144 pts || Thorsteinn Einarsson - Leya

WV 51 || Semifinal: 17th - 047 points | Final: DNQ - DNQ pts || Tilbury - Tenderloin

WV 52 || Semifinal: 11th - 065 points | Final: 06th - 155 pts || Sigur Rós - Hoppipolla

WV 53 || Semifinal: 02nd - 109 points | Final: 08th - 141 pts || Low Roar - Friends Make Garbage

WV 54 || Semifinal: 06th - 068 points | Final: 26th - 076 pts || Rökkurró - Sjónarspil

WV 55 || Semifinal: 15th - 051 points | Final: DNQ - DNQ pts || Ásgeir - Hærra

WV 56 || Semifinal: 15th - 051 points | Final: 05th - 164 pts || Ólafur Arnalds - Fyrsta

WV 57 || Semifinal: 01st - 091 points | Final: 09th - 141 pts || Árstiðir - Himinhvel

Stäwen:

WV 58 || Semifinal: TBA | Final: DNQ - DNQ pts || Svala - The Real Me

WV 59 || Semifinal: TBA | Final: DNQ - DNQ pts || Jón ft. Haffi Haff - Hljómsveitin Jón

WV 60 || Semifinal: TBA | Final: DNQ - DNQ pts || Sniglabandið - Britney

WV 61 || Semifinal: TBA | Final: DNQ - DNQ pts || Thorunn Antonia - Too Late

WV 62 || Semifinal: TBA | Final: DNQ - DNQ pts || Unnur Eggerts - Stólin Augnablik

WV 63 || Semifinal: TBA | Final: DNQ - DNQ pts || GusGus- Over

WV 64 || Semifinal: TBA | Final: DNQ - DNQ pts || JFM ft. Steed Lord - Viva la Brea

WV 65 || Semifinal: TBA | Final: 22nd - ??? pts || Rok & Yohanna - Find a Better Man

whiteshoes:

WV 66 || Semifinal: 08th - 061 pts | Final: 15th - 133 pts || Sólstafir - Miðaftann

WV 67 || Semifinal: 05th - 075 pts | Final: 18th - 119 pts || Rökkurró - Svanur

WV 68 || Semifinal: 10th - 062 pts | Final: DNQ - DNQ pts || John Grant - Global Warming

WV 69 || Semifinal: 14th - 052 pts | Final: 18th - 125 pts || Brunaliðið - Ástarsorg

WV 70 || Semifinal: no idea - no idea | Final: 13th - many pts || Sigur Rós - Starálfur

WV 71 || Semifinal: 07th - 076 pts | Final: 18th - 127 pts || Júníus Meyvant - Color Decay

WV 72 || Semifinal: 02nd - 081 pts | Final: 18th - 117 pts || Mono Town - In The Eye of the Storm

WV 73 || Semifinal: 04th - 082 pts | Final: 2nd - 174 pts || Árstíðir - Ró

WV 74 || Semifinal: 10th - 061 pts | Final: 6th - 162 pts || Sigur Rós - Dauðalogn

WV 75 || Semifinal: 17th - 043 pts | Final: DNQ - DNQ pts || Mammút - Ströndin

WV 76 || Semifinal: 1st - 093 pts | Final: 2nd - 224 pts || Kaleo - Way Down We Go

WV 77 || Semifinal: ??? - ??? | Final: 8th - ??? pts || CeaseTone - Humble History Song

WV 78 || Semifinal: ??? - ??? pts | Final: 3rd - ??? pts || Sin Fang, Sóley & Örver Smárason -
Random Haiku Generator

WV 79 || Semifinal: ??? - ??? pts | Final: ??? - ??? pts || Kontinuum - Í Gljúfradal

 

[ShoeFlo]

Re: Áfram Ísland! | 50th whiteshoes entry | WV 89: Kaleo - All the pretty girls

R. I. P. Jóhann Jóhannsson

Three days ago Iceland's most famous film composer and former WV participants Jóhann Jóhannsson passed away. He was found dead in his apartment in Berlin. It is shocking and totally unexpected since there were no informations about any physical or mental diseases or he was suffering from and by now the cause of death is not revealed. I'm in shock since I listened to his music quite often...

You guys will remember: It's only 4 months ago (edition 85) when I sent him and his masterpiece "The suns gone dim and the Skys turned black" and unfairly missed the final. This song means a lot to me, it is an intense and special song of a kind thats rarely produced nowadays. it gives me goosebumps every time. He was a master in mixing up electronical/experimental elements with classical arrangements. I should send him again, one day. Or maybe somebody else does.

Actually "The suns gone dim" wasnt the first song of him I sent to WV. He was the head member of "Apparat Organ quartet" whose song "Konami" I sent in WV 80. It was that hyper electronic song with the self-made Simpsons video. Here you go

He gained worldwide popularity with his soundtracks for multiple Hollywood productions. He won the Golden Globe for the soundtrack of the Stephen Hawking biopic "The Theory of Everything" in 2014. Very very good movie. He was nominated for the Oscars twice, with The Theory of Everything and with "Sicario" one year later. That was more of an rough ambient soundtrack but it suited the movie perfectly.

He got another Golden Globe nomination for the highly acclaimed science-fiction movie "Arrival" in 2017. He was expected to get an Oscar nomination for that movie too, but the Oscar jury was pretty strict. The main theme was a song by Max Richter, so they said they couldnt consider it as Johann Johannsson's soundtrack...

Nevertheless, It was probably only a matter of time until JJ would have gone down in history as the first Icelandic Oscar winner. He was highly coverted and he was facing a bright future.. so sad

The last year wasnt a lucky one for him cause he got replaced by Hans Zimmer for the production of the soundtrack of Blade Runner 2048. Nevertheless, in the meantime he produced the soundtrack of three more movies. You can say, he was a machine.

Anyway, he shouldnt be judged only by his famous works but also by his classical albums.. Check out Englabörn, Fordlania or his latest album Orphee.. you will melt away!

The suns gone dim and the skys turned black he said... but after his Arrival in heaven the skys shall turn brighter again.

 

[RainyWoods]

Re: Áfram Ísland! | R.I.P. Jóhann Jóhannsson | WV 89: Kaleo - All the pretty girls

This is a lovely tribute post. It made me upset when I was scrolling through the music blog I read, and saw the news about his passing. One of those horrible, shocking moments. "The Sun's Gone Dim and the Sky's Turned Black" is probably my favourite song you've shared at WorldVision (at the very least it has to share that big honour with "Fyrsta"). I bought it years ago as a single, along with a couple of his albums, but besides that piece, I feel like I never gave his discography the attention it deserved. I own his album "And in the Endless Pause There Came the Sound of Bees" which I listened to after I read the news. It was a soundtrack he made for a short film called Varmints, which I watched many years ago. He was a special composer.

Rest in peace Jóhann Jóhannsson

 

[daniels1000]

Re: Áfram Ísland! | R.I.P. Jóhann Jóhannsson | to be continued....

I've just realised that I hadn't given you any hints about my first Icelandic entry. It's still a little weird to say this. Then again, Florian allows me to call his songs as my own songs, so maybe it's actually my 43rd Icelandic entry.
Anyway, it was a hard decision between thousands of magical songs. However, now I can say that a very very special band will grace WV again after a longer time in the following edition. I am very excited. Prepare your bodies

 

[daniels1000]

Re: Áfram Ísland! • 91

Ísland 91
Sigur Rós - Sæglópur

So finally... here is my first Icelandic entry. A special song by the most special band which holds an important place in my heart. I guess I could not resist but send them already now. It feels like yesterday, but the last time they participated was already more than 15 editions ago with the celestial anthem "Dauðalogn". This song is from their fourth album Takk, released in 2005. Sæglópur is actually my 2nd most listened Sigur Rós song... even though in my ranking (if I can ever make one) it would be a bit lower. However, there are many many songs of Sigur Rós that are important to me and most of their songs are amazing anyway. Somehow I felt like giving this one a chance right now. The song is approaching my typical length of course... the first two minutes are very mournful and this part makes me very emotional sometimes. Then the song explodes in the post-rock fantasy and gets more and more intense with each second until it reaches the culmination and slowly ends up with a wonderful outro. All in all, a slaygurróssing experience. It's one of the songs that are even more intense and give you even more goosebumps when you hear it live... which brings me special memories of attending their concert last October I didn't want the official video to be played in the LL because the Youtube version is sadly only a shorter version in a terrible quality (and it gets blocked if you reupload it). But I hope some of you watched the video on Vimeo I sent for the show anyway... I think its atmosphere fits very well with the song. It also goes along with the theme... the translation of the title is "lost at sea" or "sea-fool". The lyrics are a mix of Hopelandic and Icelandic, though.

Alternative video:

Live performance:

​

 

[daniels1000]

Re: Áfram Ísland! • 91 • Sigur Rós - Sæglópur

To write it here finally...

91
Sigur Rós - Sæglópur
11th place • 134 points

I am happy to conclude my first edition in Iceland with a pretty good result for a special song and the dearest band! I kinda wish I could have ended in Top 10 since it was so close, but we can pretend it happened anyway. It was only a tie-break for Top 10 and actually only 8 points from Top 5... Anyway, I am glad I had picked this song! Thanks a lot for your support! Namely, once again to:







sb

And what about next edition? Post-opera? Neo-classical? Post-electronic? You'll find out soon!

 

[ShoeFlo]

Re: Áfram Ísland! • 91 • Sigur Rós - Sæglópur

How about a delicious piece of post silence?

 

[daniels1000]

Re: Áfram Ísland! • 92

My next entry... a very, very gentle and beautiful emotional piece which touches my heart, performed by one of my favorite composers Ólafur Arnalds, who returns to WV after a long time, and the hauntingly beautiful voice of Arnór Dan:

Ísland 92
Ólafur Arnalds & Arnór Dan - Say My Name

​

 

[ShoeFlo]

Re: Áfram Ísland! • 92 • Ólafur Arnalds & Arnór Dan - Say My Name

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dear [MENTION=10742]daniels1000[/MENTION]

I wish you all the best and a year full of luck, success, joy and love

Since this is your birthday I hope you get a nice birthday cake and a lot of candies so your apartment will turn into a Candyland

 

[daniels1000]

Re: Áfram Ísland! • 92

[MENTION=11993]whiteshoes[/MENTION] Once again, takk for this wonderful piece of Blackmere art I love how much passion you put into this. You are amazing.

I am relieved that you love my new Tallia Storm hairstyle -O-

---

And here is my entry for this edition: a post-electronic masterpiece that I love so much. The atmosphere is just so deep and profound, it never fails to get under my skin and the intensity of the song just slays me. Voices, coldness, mysteriousness... everything blends amazingly. I hope you are gonna like it!

Ísland 93
GANGLY - Drowning

Úlfur Alexander Einarsson — Sindri Már Sigfússon (Sin Fang) — Jófríður Ákadóttir

Lyrics:

Slow down, breath, ya going too fast
Take a deep breath if you wanna make it last
It pulls me down, the feeling drowns
Holding on to what dream too far
And a room's get lost in the dark of it all
I'm lost here in the night, been to sleep for all this time
Only when my eyes can see no more (under slowdown)
Things will never be what they were before (under slowdown, boy)

Drowning a little bit everyday
Hard to make the feeling last, so sad
The sun comes up and there's been no sleep
I fall so deep
And I can see your hands as they reach down the well

I am moon-white (brother)
Sweep the floors when they fire up
Faster, sleep, dreaming, I never weak up
I can see my reflection
My feet on the ground make the only sound

Drowning a little bit everyday
Hard to make the feeling last, so sad
The sun comes up and there's been no sleep
I fall so deep
And I can see your hands as they reach down the well

This fight, only to fuck with myself
Only to cry blood tears
Only to cover the wounds
To heal in the darkness (to heal in the darkness)
Heal in the darkness

Drowning a little bit everyday
Hard to make the feeling last, so sad
The sun comes up and there's been no sleep
I fall so deep

Drowning a little bit everyday
Hard to make the feeling last, so sad
The sun comes up and there's been no sleep
I fall so deep
And I can see your hands as they reach down the well

​

 

[ShoeFlo]

Gosh, this thread has been in a "sleeping beauty slumber" for literally two years

Time to Wake it up!

WV 119: Biggi Hilmars ft. Arstiðir – Grenfell Our Home

Lyrics:

I wanted my comeback entry to be a song that is very dear to me and at the same time it should be an new artist involved. I eventually decided to send "Grenfell Our Home" by Biggi Hilmars, who is one of plenty extraordinary Icelandic composers. He is somehow "flying below the radar" and his soundtracks have been mainly used for less known documentaries and short films. But who knows, maybe he will follow the path of Hildur Gudnadottir and will be he next shining Icelandic star coming from nowhere.
The choir voices are coming from the awesome male folk band Arstiðir who are now my most sent WV artist again. They continue to be my winter band, since Ive always sent them in the cold time of the year.

The song title "Grenfell Our Home" refers to a residental tower in London that caught fire in 2017 and got completely gutted. 72 people lost their lifes. Some people in the LL wondered how an Icelandic band comes up with the idea to name a song after a catastrophe like this. That's of course no coincidence. Biggi Hilmars was engaged to make the soundtrack for a 15-minute VR documentation film about the the life in the Grenfell Tower before that unluck happened. that movie features 360 stereoscopic interviews with residents alongside animated sequences evoking life in Grenfell. Just like the song it is called "Grenfell our Home"

I am happy I could finally send this song. It is actually one of the few songs I begged Daniel to NOT send while he was Iceland juror. Luckily he did not ​

 

[ShoeFlo]

WV 120: Emilíana Torrini – Gollum's Song

Lyrics:
Where once was light
Now darkness falls
Where once was love
Love is no more

Don't say goodbye
Don't say, I didn't try...

These tears we cry
Are falling rain
For all the lies
You told us
The hurt, the blame!

And we will weep
To be so alone
We are lost!
We can never go home

So in the end
I will be, what I will be
No loyal friend
Was ever there for me

Now we say, goodbye
We say, you didn't try

These tears you cry
Have come too late
Take back the lies
The hurt, the blame!

And you will weep
When you face the end alone
You are lost!
You can never go home
You are lost!
You can never go home


This time I decided for one of the most popular Icelandic singers who I didnt sent so far. The girl with the most typical Icelandic name one can imagine: Emilíana Torrini!
Born in 1977 to an Icelandic mother and an Italian father ( bless her ) she has been a founding member of the electronic band GusGus in 1995 and contributed vocals to some of their debut album songs. However she left them shortly afterwards and started a solo career. Up to now she released 6 albums, most of the songs are considered Folk and Acoustic pop. In her later albums she tried psychedelic and alternative rock, too. I once included one of her (pretty cool) rock songs in a NF ("Gun"). I think it was the NF for WV 73 or 74.

Emiliana Torrini actually had a Number-One-hit here in Germany. The super-infectious "Jungle Drum" from her 2008 album "Me and Amini" was used for the season final of "Germany's Next Topmodel" back then and literally over night it became a super-hit that have received intense airplay by mainstream radio stations. She is so far the only Icelandic artist to top the German single charts. Later, also Of Monster and Men ("Little Talks") and Kaleo ("Way down we go") achieved Top 10 placements here. Nowadays sadly our charts are dominated by german hip-hop crap, but thats a different topic.

Torrini has also been songwriters for other artists. Her most famous work was probably her involvement in Kylie Minogues hit "Slow" from 2003. While I can't stand this song it was comercially pretty successful and you can recognize Torrinis electronic roots there coming from her time with GusGus.

Beside her band membership, solo albums and her song-writing, she was honoured to contribute to the soundtrack of the second "Lord of the Ring" movie in 2002. "Gollum's Song" was played in the end-credits of the second movie of the trilogy. I chose this song for WV because 1) I love LOTR, the worlds, the creatures, the whole mythology, and 2) the song is just full of melancholia and mystery and simply a perfect match for this cineastic masterpiece.

Quite frankly I thought about saving this song for the release period of the LOTR prequel series that is right now in production by Amazon. But then again, I can't predict if I am still Icelandic juror then and moreover Ive got no idea how much hype that series is gonna evoke... but I am obviously curious!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do.​

 

[Lupus]

Well I can tell you one thing: if you lose the final by under 12 points, you're gonna wish you'd waited for an edition so I could have given you 12 because I ADORE this song The VERY best of luck with it

 

[ShoeFlo]

WV 121: Sigur Rós – Viðrar vel til loftárása (Good weather for airstrikes)

Lyrics:
Ég læt mig líða áfram Í gegnum hausinn, hálfa leið afturábak
Sé sjálfan mig syngja sálm fagnaðarerindið við sömdum saman
-tjú

Við áttum okkur draum, áttum allt...

Við riðum heimsendi, við riðum leitandi
klifruðum skýjakljúfa
Sem siðar sprungu upp friðurinn úti
Ég lek jafnvægi

Dett niður eg læt mig líða áfram og einhvern veginn
Ég kem alltaf niður aftur á sama stað

alger þögn
Engin orð

Það besta sem Guð hefur skapað, er nýr dagur

Translation

I put myself forward over the head, halfway backward
See myself singing the gospel hymn we wrote together

We had a dream, we had all

We rode to the end of the world, we rode searching
Climbing skyscrapers
Which then shattered the peace there
I played steady

Falling down, I will let myself forward, and somehow
I always come down again in the same place

Absolute silence
No words

The best thing that God has created is a new day

 

[ShoeFlo]

WV 122: Hjaltalín – Baronesse

Thats the first entry after Aparat Organ Quartets 'Konami' back in WV 80 of which I couldn't find the lyrics anywhere in the world wide web so I felt forced to put trust into my ears and write the the lyrics down by my own which is certainly a good Listening practise for me as a non-native speaker. I failed in the second line of first verse. For me it sounds like she is singing "I will will my photograph" which doesnt make much sense to me. Maybe people can help me out and check if I failed in some other line:

Pretty as a baronesse
I will wear my photograph
Rise above the mushroom clouds
silent when the rest is loud

Where have you gone?
Where have you gone?
Maybe it was just my frame of mind

Where have you gone?
Where have you gone?
Maybe I was just a little blind

You called me a baronesse
worthy of a photograph
silver threads of filigree
woven all inside of me

Where have you gone?
Where have you gone?
Waiting for the tie to turn around

Where have you gone?
Where have you gone?
Waiting for what's lost to be found

I'm trying (x3)​

 

[RainyWoods]

I quite clearly hear "I will wear my photograph".

This is such a vibey entry. I think I really like it. So delicate and dreamy.

 

[ShoeFlo]

I quite clearly hear "I will wear my photograph".

This is such a vibey entry. I think I really like it. So delicate and dreamy.

Thank you very much, native speaker Yes, now after you told me, I can hear it too. I edited the lyrics.

And thanks for your nice words about the song. Yes this one is floating lightly like a feather in the wind.. very intense atmosphere and overall a great discovery. I was sure you would like it cause you always enjoy my dreamy material. If Daniel is Mr. Atmosphere one must call me Mr. Dream

 

[RainyWoods]

Thank you very much, native speaker Yes, now after you told me, I can hear it too. I edited the lyrics.

And thanks for your nice words about the song. Yes this one is floating lightly like a feather in the wind.. very intense atmosphere and overall a great discovery. I was sure you would like it cause you always enjoy my dreamy material. If Daniel is Mr. Atmosphere one must call me Mr. Dream

Mr. Dream eh

I like it.

I suppose as I'm into psychedelic stuff. A song still has to always interest me melodically and texturally though (a lot of polished dreamy indie stuff I just find dull), but if something catches my ear and it's got the added bonus of being all dreamy and celestial-like in quality, I'm in heaven. I appreciate atmospheric things too but Daniel surely is the king of that with his 12 minute hits.

This band look very interesting. I'll have to check out some more stuff. I see they have a male vocalist also.

 

[ShoeFlo]

WV 123: Axel Flóvent – Tourist

Lyrics:

Turning off lights as promised
Folding a picture of us
All that I used to believe
Is secretly falling apart
We caught the truth
And inside and inside
In silence
Burned with our love lost
In imperfect balance

Maybe you'll find it
She runs out of my hands
And I can't escape it
'Cause I'm running out of time
And it feels like forever
'Cause I know you can feel it
She takes what you give her
But you're running out of time

You've gone a long way to see if
Maybe the distance did help
Taking a walk through the forest
Running towards the light
You won't ever believe
That it's secretly falling
And colours won't ever die
We just can't ignore it

Maybe you'll find it
She runs out of my hands
And I can't escape it
'Cause I'm running out of time, time, time
And it feels like forever
'Cause I know you can feel it
She takes what you give her
And maybe you'll find it
Maybe you'll find it
Maybe you'll find it
And maybe you'll find it
And maybe you'll find it
And maybe you'll find it
​

 

[ShoeFlo]

Thanks for making me and Axel FLOvent qualify

We both are very happy about that as you can see in this photo that was taken with a potato:

This is from November 2018 when I caught him right after his concert in Hamburg. I am the one on the right.

He is a very laid-back and likeable guy and most of his song have a real personal meaning for him

 

[RainyWoods]

Hot pic. I wish you'd gotten a photo with Angelika Milster at her concert. Maybe you did actually but are too shy and smitten in love to share it with the world