without gravity - tenderfoot

.:: Asked what it takes to start a band like Without Gravity, singer/guitarist Kalli might answer with a shrug: “A living room, two guitars and some time on your hands.” And so it began in Reykjavik three years ago.

While other Icelandic musicians boasted about the power of their amplifiers, argued about the benefits of this music software or that, worried about the size of their biceps, or simply tried to outweird each other, then the seeds of Without Gravity were sown in private and comfort.

Soon thereafter they started playing concerts in the tinyest of venues, living room sized bars, backrooms of cafes. And the rumour started spreading, that this was something worth listening to, something new, something big in its simplicity way. Yes, Without Gravity are no high concept retro prog-rockers, no metal-gurus, no electronic bleep-n-cuts shyness. What they do is they come and set up their instruments wherever there is space enough and they play as intimately as if they were among old friends.

Then after touring and testing their songs for the last two years Without Gravity went into the studio and recorded their first album Tenderfoot. Listening to it will transport you to the place where it all started, the roots of music, of communicating with a song and words, the living room in the eye of the storm. Because, as it says in 'Beautiful Son', the hurt will find us anyway.

"It’s no secret that Icelanders are responsible for some of the most quirky music of recent times. From Einar from the Sugarcube’s ‘rapping’ through Björk to the glacial glitches of Sigur Rós and Mum, this island has the weird-music market covered. That is why Without Gravity stand out. These Icelandic quartets make do with the instruments their countrymen regard as too staid: guitar, drums and double bass. There’s no pretending to reshape the musical landscape here, just an emphasis on soothing acoustic songs that bubble over with melodies. All highlighted by the ethereal voice of singer Kalli, who graces the songs on their debut album Tenderfoot. With shades of Thom Yorke, Jeff Buckley and a touch of Kristin Hersh - yet without their more irritating vocal tics. Absolutely luscious." - Metro Newspapers

A beautiful accident i suffered some year ago on the net.
***One of my personal favorite favorite favorite albums***

.:: Alejados de todo. Alejados de las pretensiones de innovación, de estar a la vanguardia, a la par de sus connacionales (Sigur Ros, Minus, Björk, por mencionar sólo algunos): incluso casi alejados de la escena misma de su natal Reykjavik. Without Gravity se nos muestra como una analogía de lo que es su país de origen: una pequeña (gran) isla, en medio de un inmenso oceáno.

Without Gravity logra capturar con sencillez y gran sensibilidad el objetivo primero de la música: Comunicación.
Volviendo la mirada a lo básico y sin ayuda de poderosas herramientas tecnológicas, estos islandeses nos muestran que no hay necesidad de grandes producciones, instrumentaciones o un enorme plan de mercadotecnia para poder mover las fibras más sensibles de quien los escucha... Bastan tan sólo un par de guitarras acústicas, un contrabajo, un sencillo set de batería, una gran voz y mucho sentimiento (sentimiento de verdad) para poder hacerlo.

Con todo esto como antecedente, es increíble el hecho de que este cuarteto se muevan en el círculo de pequeños bares y cafés de Islandia, en donde poco a poco, mediante el viejo proceso del "boca en boca" han ido acrecentando su base de seguidores. Debe ser genial estar sentado de lo más tranquilo en un café con tus amigos o tu pareja y sorpresivamente encontrarse con una suave bofetada sonora como esta...

Una verdadera joya difícilisima de conseguir y uno de esos hermosos accidentes que te pasan vagando en la red.

***Uno de mis discos favoritos de todos los tiempos***

download: without gravity - tenderfoot