Snorri Hallgrímsson

Today, I’m excited to share with you a new piece by the Icelandic composer Snorri Hallgrímsson, whom I’ve been closely following since his debut, Orbit, released by Moderna in 2018. Even back then, I could somewhat predict the trajectory of this young artist, who, as I said, has been drinking from the same pool of Icelandic inspiration which has quenched the thirst of some of the world’s renowned composers, like Ólafur Arnalds and of course, the dearly missed Jóhann Jóhannsson. Hallgrímsson’s sophomore release, I Am Weary, Don’t Let Me Rest, which I am playing right now as I prepare this writeup, was a particular favourite of mine, even as I recognised some of the subtle influence of the above master of the modern classical genre. In this specific case, that should be acknowledged as an enormous compliment – if Jóhann continues to be here through the music of others, I feel slightly better and not so forlorn. This spring, Hallgrímsson returns to Moderna with an original soundtrack for Guy Davidi‘s documentary called Innocence. “The film is a harrowing insight into what it’s like to grow up in a heavily militarized state where military service isn’t only compulsory but is seen as a moral and cultural obligation as well.” I think the cover of a little girl handling a machine gun tells it all. And yet, it’s Hallgrímsson’s gorgeous music that takes it to a whole new level.

This piece is an ode to the life and memory of Doron Assaf. Of all the people in the film, her story struck me perhaps the most. Her writing shows maturity well beyond her tender age. She had such beautiful aspirations for her life, which she was not allowed to realise, as she made, in her words, the “compromise” of serving in the military. As a musician, I cannot think of a higher privilege than to have had the chance to honour her memory with my music.

— Snorri Hallgrímsson

Once again, the full soundtrack will be out via Moderna on May 31st, with the final mastering touch by Martyn Heyne. Here, I want to pause and quickly acknowledge the mighty Moderna imprint, which is rising from a tiny independent imprint to a fully-fledged record label recognised across the globe. And it’s not just its mature presentation via its most recent facelift that deserves your attention, but rather a meticulous curation of sounds that it carefully decides to invest its time and money into instead of signing every single artist only to grab its share through the latest Spotify playlist pitch. I think you all know exactly what I mean.