He is one of the most active participants in the new Icelandic music scene. The founders of the new art-form promotions company Kitchen Motors.
He has written and produced music for as Marc Almond ('Stranger Things'), Barry Adamson and Pan Sonic, The Hafler Trio, Magga Stina.
His debut album for Touch 'Englabörn' [TO:52] was described by The Wire as: '...expressive leitmotifs that unveil a profound sadness without ever wallowing in pathos' & Boomkat called it 'a work of rare beauty and ... a rare jewel'.
The central points of the album about change and transformation, about chaos and tension rather than harmony, different emotions veering from intense joy to acute sadness. A simple theme played by the brass section is repeated throughout the entire piece using different voicing and instrumentation. As the piece goes on, the tempo slows down, until it is extremely slow. Around the middle of the piece, the tempo starts to speed up again, until it reaches the original tempo.
Conducted by Gudni Franzson Performed by the Caput Ensemble:
- Skuli Sverrison 'Bass/Electronics,
- Matthias - M.D.
- Hemstock: Bells/Glockenspiel/Electronics,
- Hordur Bragason & Gudmundur Sigurdsson - Organ
- Johann Johannsson: Piano/ Electronics.
The piece had its live debut in Hallgrimskirkja, a large church in Reykjavik and the city's towering edifice, and was named 'the most memorable musical event of 2003' in Iceland's leading.
Written & recorded specifically for the church space to 're-create' it for the listener with 5.1 surround technology.
Features a DVD-Audio with a high-resolution 5.1 surround mix.
Double digipac with artwork by Jon Wozencroft.'
"Beautiful warm music from the cold shores of Iceland" - Q Magazine
5 star review of johann johannsson cd in the new record collector
5 star review of johann johannsson cd in the - Record Collector
"An "art" piece for brass ensemble, organs (two), percussion, keyboards and
electronics, designed for performance in a church while giant blue orbs
descend from the clerestory at a pace commensurate with the tempo and
amplitude of the music. Needless to say, the music is very slow, very
quiet, very stately, not to say immobile, and at points in it's hour-long
duration, quite beautiful. Johannsson is Icelandic and the visions conjured
by the piece are deeply Nordic. Imagine Monterverdi as a Viking on slow drugs... there, you have it." - The Independent On Sunday
"this is another stunning modern classical release of 2004." - Almost Cool (USA):
"exceptional" - The Wire
"a work of real beauty?.Usual stunning photography by Jon Wozencroft. A rare jewel. Treasure this CD." - Boomkat
"Sometimes one comes across music that is the utmost example of an universal language. J?hann J?hannsson created a debut CD full of it?" - Phosphor
"It's easy to mention something grandiose, but to fully expound upon this subtly gestured work of music is far more difficult a task. While Englab?rn remains out of reach with these words, the music continues to enrich." - Andy Beta Pitchfork
"J?hann J?hannsson is another great discovery for Touch and living proof that there is a third stream operating within contemporary composition which eschews both the bland and the wilfully uninviting. Superb." - Musicweb
"Music, so beautifully that all words are simply redundant" - debug
"The listener comes out of it with a heavy heart, drenched, happy but surprised by the manipulative power the music had on him or her. Highly recommended. " - All Music Guide (USA):
"wondrous" - echoes (Germany):
"very enjoyable modern and melodic semi-classical music which is sure to appeal to those who like Moondog, or Michael Nyman" - The Sound Projector (UK
"sounds like the gentle creep of a sunrise, or sunset" - The Observer
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![Virthulegu forsetar by Johann Johannsson - Touch [TO64]](https://media.kudosdistribution.co.uk/to64/800/cover.ki)
