Johann Johannsson - Dís (Original Soundtrack) '2004; 2019

Tracks list

Composers are artists, but the word is also a job description. When Jóhann
Jóhannsson of Iceland was commissioned to write the score for the 2004 film
Dís, which he says, Captures quite well the zeitgeist of early 21st century
Reykjavik, he sat down to create music to complement the images. He collaborated
with members of various Icelandic bands including guitarist Hilmar Jensson and
singer Ragheidur Gröndal but never bothered to ring his friends in the
orchestra. Hearing this soundtrack I cant help thinking of Ennio Morricone,
another composer who-- though he has a distinct style-- is willing to let his
music proceed along functional lines. On almost every level Dís is completely
different from Jóhannssons last two records for Touch. Eschewing strings,
horns, and cloud-drift pacing, Jóhannsson opts for a mixture of unassuming
and bubbly electronic pop and delicate piano-based instrumentals.

I said this record differs from Jóhannssons work on almost every level, and
the areas of overlap tell us a lot about his values as a composer. The common
threads are Jóhannssons airy use of space and the fundamental simplicity with
which he approaches melody and arrangement. The repeating themes and motifs--
picking them out is always an enjoyable part of soundtrack listening-- are
little tunes that would be easy to play with a couple fingers on a keyboard.
Jóhannsson never uses five notes for a melody when four will do, and hes
perfectly happy to let a piano with a wisp of processing do all the work when
necessary. Some of this is up the job he was asked to do. Film music need only
pose questions and its up to the images to provide answers. While this can
sometimes lead to soundtrack albums that seem incomplete, Jóhannssons comfort
with minimalism means Dís works quite well as a standalone album.

Though capturing the 21st century zeitgeist was a stated goal, were living in a
retro age and Dís has unmistakable echoes of the past. Certain glitchy
techniques seem an electronic development of the last five or six years, but the
bulk of the record reflects sounds and attitudes from an earlier time. Wispy
instrumentals like Efripides Og Nedripides and Thynnkudagur are particularly
evocative of early synthesizer music like Cluster or Kraftwerk circa Ralf &
Florian. Electronics then were still a novelty and using the machines to play a
lovely well-constructed melody, maybe with a bit of piano thrown in, was
comforting, a word easily applied to Jóhannssons charming cues. The handful
of upbeat pop numbers, on the other hand, have one string tied to the 80s. The
guitar-led instrumental 10 Rokkstig is like a slightly toned-down version of
what Giorgio Moroder contributed to the Top Gun soundtrack, while the title
track, sung by Gröndal, reminds me a bit of the Sundays. These refracted
images of the past fit together to form the albums current of hazy nostalgia
touched with a sense of yearning.

As effective as it is, Dís can be almost too subtle for its own good, too
willing to slip into the background where it will always sound appropriate.
Perhaps thats the danger of functional music, though, which doesnt take away
from how enjoyable a record this can be given proper focus. Its a taut and
efficient collection that, while a departure from Jóhannssons earlier work,
is in its own way just as satisfying.

Tracklist:
01. Johann Johannsson - Bangkok Norðursins (From „Dís“
Soundtrack)
02. Johann Johannsson - 10 Rokkstig (From „Dís“ Soundtrack)
03. Johann Johannsson - Saumavél (From „Dís“ Soundtrack)
04. Johann Johannsson - Gúmmískór (From „Dís“
Soundtrack)
05. Johann Johannsson - Já, Hemmi Minn (From „Dís“ Soundtrack)
06. Johann Johannsson - Efripídes Og Neðripídes (From
„Dís“ Soundtrack)
07. Johann Johannsson - Jarðaför (From „Dís“ Soundtrack)
08. Johann Johannsson - Þynnkudagur (From „Dís“ Soundtrack)
09. Johann Johannsson - Ruslpóstur (From „Dís“ Soundtrack)
10. Johann Johannsson - Ljósrit (From „Dís“ Soundtrack)
11. Johann Johannsson - Flugeldar (From „Dís“ Soundtrack)
12. Johann Johannsson - Hótel Borg (From „Dís“ Soundtrack)
13. Johann Johannsson - Ónefnt (From „Dís“ Soundtrack)
14. Johann Johannsson - Flugeldar II (From „Dís“ Soundtrack)
15. Johann Johannsson - Dís (Long Version) (From „Dís“
Soundtrack)

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