Track Listing

1. Odi et Amo
2. Englabörn
3. Jól & Karen
4. Thetta gerist a bestu baejum
5. Sálfræthingur
6. "Eg Sleppi þÉr Aldrei"
7. Sálfræthingur Deyr
8. Bað
9. "Eg Heyrði Allt Án þEss Að Hlusta"
10. Karen Býr Til Engil
11. Englabörn - Tilbrigthi
12. "Eg Átti Gráa Æsku"
13. Krókódíll
14. "Ef Ég Hefði Aldrei..."
15. ...Eins Og Venjulegt Fólk
16. Odi et Amo - Bis

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #81461 in Music
• Brand: Dig
• Released on: 2007-11-06
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .15 pounds

Album Description
Gatefold vinyl edition, originally released on CD by Touch in 2002 Johann Johannsson is one of the most active participants in the new Icelandic music scene. He is one of the founders of Kitchen Motors, the art organization/think tank/record label which specializes in instigating collaborations, promoting concerts and exhibitions, performances, chamber operas, producing films, books and radio shows based on the ideals of experimentation, collaboration and the search for new art forms. Johann has produced and written music with artists as diverse as Marc Almond (Stranger Things album), Barry Adamson and Pan Sonic, The Hafler Trio, Magga Stina and many others. He has also written music for the theatre, documentaries and soundtrack music for 3 feature films. Englaborn is Johanns first solo album. It is derived from music he wrote for an Icelandic play of the same name. For the CD release on Touch, the music was revised and restructured to make it stand as a work on its own and not simply function as a collection of cues. The music is written for string quartet, piano, organ, glockenspiel and percussion. These elements were processed and manipulated, adding delicate electronic backgrounds to the otherwise entirely acoustic recordings.

Customer Reviews

Too beautiful to imagine.
Jonhann Johannsson's first solo release, Englaborn, is one of the most fantastic and amazing things I've heard in a long time. The only other piece of information I know of Jonhannsson is his eclectic other group, Apparat Organ Quartet, is pretty friggin' good. However, if you like music in that vein, then this is not your ticket. This entire album sounds like a string quartet with synthetic overtones, making me believe Johannsson wrote the music, had the quartet play, and then put his own intricities in.

Needless to say, they are nothing short of fantastic. This entire disc sounds like a desperate movie score for the twenty-first century, with strings haunting back on old and dying memories. Amazingly, this entire cd feels beyond cohesive, with each track playing it's part and paying into amazing songwriting. The true beauty of this cd is the vast space within it: there is so much missing from each song that you are forced to think, and even though you may listen to it passively, you'll never be struck with a moment of dischord. Blissful and amazing arranging of music keeps us going, with only a few tracks incorporating more than just the strings/piano. The emotional content is provided by the listener: the light descends and twinkling tones of the music is entirely conducive to your own emotional status, and therefore, this album is entirely yours, regardless of what other people think of it.

Johannsson has created a real masterpiece here that will be overlooked. If you are a fan of music that exists not just to be beautiful, but is beautiful in every aspect, look no further.

For fans of modern minimal classical music.
read the title for this review. that basically sums it up. modern. minimal. classical. sparse and droning in parts. highly tense and melodic in other parts. a few minor electric nuances here and there. fans of max richter would probably enjoy this album. if you liked johannsson's other albums you'll probably like this one too. this album gets a 4.5 out of 5 stars from me (and not just 4). recommended.

Not enough
A friend recommended this to me, but it's way too middle of the road. I'll put it on shuffle for the background music I listen to while at the office, where I don't want music that draws attention to itself or makes me think. Wouldn't really recommend. Theres not much that makes this special or memorable.