Olvis, a Tale of Icelandic Myths & Bravado

My article published by Fasterlouder

“Reykjavik [the capital] is the most isolated ignorant polluted place on the earth. It’s dark here in the winter time, like England, dark and windy and cold.”



Olvis (pronounced ‘Elvis’) is another musician to come out of Iceland with a unique sound. He’s just released his third album, Bravado which features guest performances from members of Sigur Ros, and it’s getting lots of positive attention in the media with comparisons being made to Boards of Canada, Tortoise, Mogwai, and Mercury Rev. Tom Norton (aka Chicken Cheese) talks to Olvis about his music and the myths.

When Olvis (his real name being Orlygur Thor Orlygsson) comes on the phone, his accent as thick as a Vikings and full of warmth. We get chatting about Iceland, a place that’s given us Bjork and Sigur Ros, and how it seems like an endless source of the unique and beautiful. “That’s a myth!” he states, “Reykjavik [the capital] is the most isolated ignorant polluted place on the earth. It’s dark here in the winter time, like England, dark and windy and cold.”

Despite these environmental factors Bravado is being acclaimed in music mags and newspapers around the world. Everyone is saying things like… ‘Olvis is the future of post-modern music’ and ‘Bravado is a landmark album that opens up a new door of post-rock opportunity to electro-pop.’

Olvis laughs. “I would like to meet that guy [who wrote that] and ask him what the fuck are you talking about?” He describes his music own music as…. ‘You know the movie, 2001: A Space Odyssey? You know the scene where he is going into Jupiter with the weird colours? Just like that.’

Bravado has been self produced, which Olvis is adamant about continuing to do. His previous two records were also self-produced. “If you can’t do it and you’re going to get someone else to do the work for it, it doesn’t happen somehow. It takes a lot longer to get it right. [Each album] takes me about twelve months to write and produce.” He goes on to say, it takes time because it’s like writing a novel or doing a masters at university.

It’s worked. If you like ambient, sound-scape or the flavour of something unique in your ears, have a listen to Bravado. It’s also packed with loads of guests from the Icelandic talent pool, including the members of Sigur Ros.

“I know a lot of musicians. So after I made my first record I thought why not get other people to play on my records and just be crazy?”

The guys from Sigur Ros are old friends and were happy to help out. “I’ve know them since I was like seventeen or something. Orri, the drummer, [and I] recorded together back in ‘97 when I was like 18 or 17 or something. And Jonsi, the singer in Sigur Ros, he recorded the songs. That’s a historical fact, ok?”

Resonant, his European label has said Bravado’s theme is ‘disillusionment with global capitalism and US hegemony.’ He laughs at this. “I know it sounds tragic, but I didn’t write it. [The album] is basically talking of the corrupted evil bastards in America…the Baptists, the Evangelists that believe Armageddon is near and Jesus Christ is coming again. They’re like small little babies and they control the world. That’s just evil and not right. And it’s about time Europe stands up to those fuckers, and Australia and New Zealand and China stands up too. In my opinion, the world should unite against those fuckers because everything that is wrong with the world is because of those guys.”

The lyrics are sung in Icelandic and though it’s certainly not essential to understand them to enjoy the album, you have to wonder what they mean.

“There’s a track called Go Ape. It’s about apes in the forest, and there’s the president… it’s all um… metaphorical. I think that’s the word for it. I’m just piecing together, I write the music, record it and let it roll. I just say anything. You ask me to describe it and I’ve no idea what it is. It’s like poems, you know?”

So how would he describe himself? ‘I’m kind of like a Serge Gainsbourg type.’ (Gainsbourg was known for his varied and individual style which made him difficult to pigeon-hole.)

Listen to him here