Johann Johannsson
One of the foremost figures in the marvellous oxymoron that is contemporary classical music, Icelandic composer Johann Johannson released his first record Englaborn in 2002, on the independent UK based label Touch Records. Like much of his work, it was heavy on concept, this piece being the soundtrack for an play of the same name, utilising electronically treated string quartet, piano, glockenspiel and percussion to create a work of serene, maudlin beauty. Soundtracks have, understandably given the sweeping nature and huge emotional weight of his work, become a recurring theme for Johannsson – he has sound-tracked no less than five feature films, as well as numerous documentaries and works of theatre. This might indeed be high brow stuff, guys, but it’s also remarkably inviting. So don’t freak.
Despite being another huge logistical undertaking, Englaborn’s follow up came but a year after its predecessor. Again released on Touch, 2003’s Virthulegu Forestar LP was one hour long piece for eleven brass musicians, as well as percussionists, organists and pianists. It was debuted live in a church that also happens to be the tallest building in Iceland – an event indicative of Johannsson’s admirable ambition, and quite a fitting setting, considering the album’s mammoth scale.
A move to 4AD records was made for the third Johann Johannsson album, the intriguingly titled IBM 1401, A Users Manual, which also served as the soundtrack to which dancer, choreographer and long time associate Erna Omarsdottir built a performance around. Ever the pioneer, the music featured a sixty piece string orchestra alongside vintage reel to reel recordings of a IBM 1401 mainframe computer, a machine Johannsson’s father had a hand in creating.
His fourth album in total and second for the 4AD imprint is Fordlandia, a genuinely arresting work this time based around what Johannsson calls the “idea of failed utopia, as represented by the Fordlândia title - the story of the rubber plantation (car maker) Henry Ford established in the Amazon in the 1920’s, and his dreams of creating an idealized American town in the middle of the jungle complete with white picket fences, hamburgers and alcohol prohibition…”. That Johannsson manages to get across a narrative structure in completely instrumental music is one of his greatest and most rewarding strengths.
JOHANNJOHANNSSON.COM: This is a fascinating and thorough look in to Johann’s work, with things such as track by track run throughs of each of his compositions provided in meticulously explanatory detail by the man himself.
MYSPACE.COM/JOHANNJOHANNSSON: He might not seem initially like the type to have a MySpace profile, but keep in mind that although otherworldly, Johann Johannsson is human. Hear a few tracks here. Recommended volume is very loud.
JOHANN JOHANNSSON @ 4AD: His label’s page offers, amongst other things, the opportunity to buy his back catalogue digitally.
IBM1401, A USERS MANUAL: “(It gets you to realise that) computers are as much a part of nature as any butterfly or season, which in turn brings about the re-realisation that you are always immersed in something, that thing being nature or existence, everything that is around you…” – Charlie Potter
THE SUN’S GONE DIM AND THE SKY’S GONE BLACK: Weird though it might seem for music of its type, albums by Johann Johannsson can occasionally be mined for singles. Such as this one.
THE SUN’S GONE DIM AND THE SKY’S GONE BLACK:
IBM1401, A USERS MANUAL: