The Beat Surrender

The Scandinavians seem to have an endless production line of slightly quirky, yet utterly brilliant talents over the last ten years or so. They not only seem to have an endless supply, they also seem to have a complete monopoly on these sort of things in comparison to other areas of the world.

A few years ago I was really into a band from this neck of the woods called Gus Gus, a strange collective from Iceland they produced a number of really good dance albums and filled the stage live at festivals in the dance tent. Amongst their ranks was a young lady called Hafdis Huld who also went on to co-write and sing on a couple of FC Kahuna tracks, most notably the brilliant Hayling.

Now though she’s stepping out on her own and releases her debut album Dirty Paper Cup. It’s an enchanting, seductive 13 track album, laced with glacial beats with a folkish charm to every track. Their are moments of real wit and a sprinkling of joyful moments, but if you listen carefully these moments really are few and far between, their is a dark under current to Dirty Paper Cup.