Artist : ÖLVIS
Title : The Blue Sound
Cat# RESCD014

Format : CD Album In Digipack
Label : Resonant
Barcode # 0666017106526

Release Info :

Second album from Orlygur Thor Orlygsson, almost exactly a year on from his self-titled debut - an album that garnered rapturous praise in certain quarters.

Orlygur is a 26-year old philosophy student from Reykjavik who has been interested and involved in music for half of his life. The overall feel of "The Blue Sound" follows on from where his first album left off, packed with warmth and emotion, and without any obvious comparisons in the current musical climate. Whereas his debut was effectively instrumental, aside from occasional understated background vocals, "The Blue Sound" heralds a massive progression for Olvis; six of the eleven tracks here feature Orlygur singing in Icelandic, layered over epic, lush orchestration, to stunning effect.

Intriguingly, the album also features SIGUR ROS drummer Orri Dyrason on four tracks, and fellow Sigur Ros member Georg Holm on two tracks - the first time they've appeared together as guest musicians on a record. Similarly, also guesting on "The Blue Sound" is Maria Huld Markan Sigfusdottir, violinist with AMINA, Sigur Ros' string quartet. Elsewhere on the album are members of APPARAT ORGAN QUARTET and SK/UM, as well as other highly respected Reykjavik musicians.

The entire album was written and produced by Orlygur himself, and has undoubted crossover potential, with potential appeal to the chillout crowd (a track from his debut album opens the new Global Underground "Afterhours 2" compilation) as well as followers of Sigur Ros, Stafraenn Hakon and beyond.

Tracklisting :

1. Acid Trip Festival (3:54)
2. Time Capsule (3:33)
3. Pacific Island (3:34)
4. Mental Freedom (3:47)
5. Moving To Mars (3:23)
6. Warfare & Welfare (4:06)
7. Jupiter (3:47)
8. Sound Sleep (3:09)
9. Whispering Glades (3:30)
10. Blue Sound (3:34)
11. End Of A Night (5:05)

Reviews :

Either I'm losing my marbles, or Mogwai's 'Rock Action' seems to be having an inordinately large influence on recent releases. The newest artist to stride forth wearing their Scot Post Rock armband is Iceland's Olvis (aka Orlygur Thor Orlygsson) whose second album, 'The Blue Sound', is an orchestra drenched collection of understated songs which radiate naturally towards the less boisterous end of the musical spectrum. Opening with the beautifully fermented beats of 'Acid Trip Festival', Olvis goes on to pull a whole load of jazz from his hat and ends up sounding not unlike the theme tune for 'Tales of the Unexpected'. But in a good way. With an almost 50/50 split in terms of tracks with or without vocals, when Olvis does sing it is always in Icelandic, lending the songs a sense of mystique and heritage that would easily have been lost in English. With loquacious musical flourishes springing up like Juturna, Olvis dabbles in some sunshine-drenched psych-rock on 'Mental Freedom', has a bout pop writing on 'Warfare and Welfare' and thoroughly proves my Mogwai thesis on 'Moving to Mars'. This is a simply exquisite album, those of you who picked up this guy's debut will more or less know what to expect, those of you who didn't will have just discovered a real hidden gem. Highly Recommended. BOOMKAT

The Blue Sound is the second album from Olvis and the second Icelandic release this month from the Resonant label. Olvis is the project of 26 year old Reykjavik based Orlygur Thor Orlygsson.

Unlike his Icelandic counterparts and friends, with The Blue Sound Olvis has created a fairly lively and upbeat album of drones, shoegazing and ambience. Those of you already familiar with the work of Orylgsson will be aware that last year's self-titled debut was a solely instrumental affair. Which in sharp contrast, sees six of these eleven new tracks on The Blue Sound focusing around powerful vocals.

Olvis is in good hands with the LP; aided by numerous musicians (each who add their own majestic qualities), both Sigur Ros' String Quartet and Apparat Organ Quartet appear, as well as SK/UM and Maria Huld Markan Sigfusdottir (violinist with Amina). As with his peers, each track is based around an epic song structure and swirling orchestral arrangements, wall of sound guitar drones and hints of post rock are thrown in.

The Blue Sound is not just a grand statement, it's huge in both sound and ambition. There's too many influences involved to mention, which by all accounts is a positive thing and has given Olvis his own individual hybrid sound. Think of someone mixing up the Komeda, Stereolab, Mercury Rev, Sigur Ros and Tortoise back catalogues then adding their own zest of experimental drive. This really is beautiful and spine-tingling music. ANGRYAPE.COM

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