Johann Johannsson Dis
Specializing in shimmering electronic music, Johnann Johannsson strikes a vein that‘s already been mined by […]
Specializing in shimmering electronic music, Johnann Johannsson strikes a vein that‘s already been mined by many musicians, Icelandic or otherwise (slow, moody piano playing, anyone?). But Dis, the soundtrack to a film by Icelandic author Silja Hauksdottir, exemplifies Johannsson‘s compositional chops, subtly repeating motifs and themes with sounds that slope as gradually as snowdrifts. Peppy and grandiose like Vanilla Sky‘s saccharine score, the album would do wonders as a companion to stunning cinematography. The snappy rock theme “Efripides Og Nedripides” is a high moment, full of crisscrossing electronics and a strummed guitar. But as a stand-alone CD, Dis is little too plodding and precious.