CD Review: Jóhann Jóhannsson "Fordlandia"

Iceland's prolific songwriter Jóhann Jóhannsson is poised to release his latest epic "Fordlandia" in November on the 4AD label. The mesmerizing new album is a molasses-paced journey through haunting melodies and luscious orchestrations that tackles a wide panorama of oddly juxtaposed topics--a doomed utopia in Brazil, the death of Pan, a pagan rocket scientist who explodes himself and a crippled German physicist who discovers ways to travel faster than the speed of light! The album flows like a hypnotic soundtrack to a sort of fantasy film full of emotional depth.

Jóhannsson is best known for combining moody melodies, electronic elements, and classical orchestrations that have captivated fans for the last several years. His first two solo records – "Englabörn" (2002), written for string quartet, percussion and electronics,
and "Virthulegu Forsetar" (2004), written for brass ensemble, drones and percussion – were released by the singular British independent Touch label.

Jóhann’s first release for 4AD, "IBM 1401, A User’s Manua"l (2006) involved a sixty-piece string orchestra recorded at Prague’s Barrandov sound stage and incorporated electronics and vintage reel-to-reel recordings of a 1960s IBM 1401 mainframe computer and its accompanying instruction manual. Interestingly, this album chronicles the artists personal relationship with technology and American brands as well as his relationship with his father who worked with mainframe computers in Iceland.

With "Fordlândia," Jóhann has created a fascinating and immersive body of work full of provocative ideas and intense melodies that is sure to move listeners world-wide.