Mikael Lind – Unsettled Beings

The title of Mikael Lind’s latest album, Unsettled Beings, is a reference to his restless self. Mikael is Swedish, but has lived and worked in Iceland since 2006. The interesting thing about his new release, is that all the people involved in realizing the music are also foreigners living in Iceland. Paul Evans from Greenhouse Studios played the violin and also mixed the album. Ryan Karazija, who is doing very well in Iceland with his band Low Roar, lent his vocals to four of the tracks. Alex Somers from Riceboy Sleeps, producer of several important new musical acts in Iceland, mastered the album.

The basic idea of the album is a core of several different pianos accompanied by a lush pattern of violins. The pianos are of varying character, and their melodies often intertwine in a poly-rhythmic fashion, giving the listener the option of letting different melodies compete for attention. Ryan’s vocals add warmth to the songs, ornamented with Paul’s violins – sometimes in a call-response aesthetics.