"While there are legions of groups who anchor their paradigm on shock, Rökkurró have somehow reinvented awe."
Hatched in a dim lit attic in Reykjavík, at the dawn of 2006 Rökkurró..s five founding members began conversing in smooth tones, drawing inspiration from the silky sunrays that crept through the windows.
The result of this covenant was displayed to the public's eager eyes in March that same year and with their captivating atmosphere and ethereal vocals they instantly carved their niche in the already saturated Reykjavík music scene. A self-released 4 track EP hit the streets only 6 months after they had formed and this EP, along with a powerful performance on one of the off-venue shows at Iceland Airwaves 2006, landed them a record deal with local label 12 Tónar.
They released their first album “Það kólnar í kvöld...” (It get..s colder tonight) in November 2007.
Rökkurró present music that is at once soothing and forceful. The folk-tinged reverie of the wailing accordion and carefully plucked guitars sends you off sailing through the clouds while the dramatic cello and clever drumming demand your full attention.
Rökkurró..s debut album was released in Germany and surrounding countries in the spring of 2008 and will be released in Japan in October 2008. Rökkurró performed on Airwaves 2007 and shortly after that they performed for the first time abroad when they opened the stage for múm on the festival Reykjavík to Rotterdam.
In June 2008 Rökkurró toured Germany, The Netherlands and Switzerland supporting Ólafur Arnalds.
In March/April of 2009 Rökkurró went on a three week long tour around Europe stopping in: Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark and The Netherlands.
Rökkurró plan on recording a new album in the fall of 2009 and are currently writing new material for that record!
Morgunblaðið - **** "...Því verður Það kólnar í kvöld... að teljast ákaflega góð plata og áhrifamikil byrjun á ferli."
Helga Þórey Jónsdóttir
Fréttablaðið - *** "Viðkunnalega plata sem heillar auðveldlega..."
Steinþór Helgi Arnsteinsson
Rjóminn.is - 4,5/5 "Þessi plata fær 4,5 í einkunn hjá mér. Mér finnst hún frábær, vel spiluð, vel sungin og augljóslega hefur verið sett mikil sál í hana."
Fanney Ragnarsdóttir
Reykjavík Grapewine "The debut full-lenght release of five-piece Rökkurró [...] is a pleasant youthful exercise in krútt classically-inspired pop. [...] The songs are as gentle as the front cover illustration and title ("It..s getting colder tonight") would suggest, and sway playfullt and harmoniously without clear bearing. The album is, dispite, demonstrates excellent musicianship and does well to secure itself as a creditable first release."
VÞ
Plattentests Online - 8/10 "Es geschieht ja nun wirklich selten, dass ganz unverhofft eine Platte auf den Schreibtisch schwebt, die vom ersten bis zum letzten Ton so herzerweichend schön und beseelt ist, dass man am liebsten mehrere Tränen verdrücken möchte. "Það kólnar í kvöld..." ist solch eine Platte."
Sellfish.de - 7/10 "Man hört der Band ihr enorm junges Alter zudem zu keiner Sekunde an: Die versponnene Magie der rein in isländisch gehaltenen Tracks überträgt sich unmittelbar auf den Hörer und rundet in Kombination mit dem stimmungsvollen Artwork ein bizarr-wundervolles Album ab."
Michael Streitberger For further reading: Sellfish.de
Dreun.be "De folky muziek roept met de knappe inbreng van accordeon bij momenten een typische zigeuner- en kermissfeer op. En dat in de goede betekenis. De erg hoge, vrouwelijke vocalen passen perfect bij muziek van de groep."
Ondarock.it - 7/10 "Rökkurró, cinque ragazzi di Reykjavík che nel 2006 hanno dato vita a un progetto artistico, incentrato su uno strano connubio tra reminiscenze del folk nordico, approccio moderatamente orchestrale e una sensibilità di fondo moderna, a tratti non distante da certe sfumature post-rock. [...] Perennemente in bilico tra lieve semplicità melodica folk-pop e imprevedibili torsioni elettriche, "Það Kólnar Í Kvöld..." è un disco fresco e solare, che rivela una nuova band islandese in grado di far parlare di sé al di fuori dei patrii confini; la sua identità non sembra ancora del tutto definita, ma senz'altro apprezzabile tanto nella misurata rideclinazione dell'orchestralità elettrica quanto, soprattutto, nei passaggi più semplici, nei quali la sognante morbidezza di un folk melodico, godibilissimo e senza tempo, segnala le potenzialità dei Rökkurró, individuandoli come l'ennesima band islandese in grado col tempo di far parlare di sé a livello internazionale."
Millefeuille Webzine "L'approche musicale des cinq Islandais est bel et bien double. Chant haut perché, emploi appréciable de la langue islandaise, guitares résonnantes et cristallines, violoncelle rythmique et enrobant. Une ossature gracile, d’inspiration un brin post-rock, rampe de lancement à de remarquables envolées lyriques, mélodiques et électriques, pour un emprunt très personnel des couloirs aériens habituellement fréquentés par Jón Þór Birgisson et sa troupe. Ferðalangurinn, Dagur þrjú, Ljósglæta. Xylophone et accordéon omniprésents et fort mis en avant, outils de la piqûre de rappel systématique à la terre. Aux vastes espaces fertiles et verdoyants foulés par Múm et Amiina. Habillage électronique en moins. Hún, Hetjan á fjallinu, Heiðskýr heimsendir."
TBA-online.cc - 7/10 "Gesungen wird auf Isländisch, dies sollte aber dem Erfolg anderswo nicht im Wege stehen, kommt ja nicht uncool daher, ist ja kein Deutsch. Und wenn sich dann der als himmlisch beworbene Gesang von Frau Stefánsdóttir den verzweifelteren Stücken der Platte kräftiger entgegenstemmt, wird’s richtig aufregend."
"Tónlist Rökkurrór virkar á mig eins og hún sé beint frá hjartanu, og hún er mjög róandi og þægileg áheyrnar, e.t.v. vegna þess hve einlæg hún er og laus við stæla. Það var gaman að fá að skyggnast inn í heim þessarar sveitar og verður enn skemmtilegra að fá að fylgjast með þeim þróa stíl sinn áfram."
Ragnheiður Eiríksdóttir - Morgunblaðið
"Auðvitað er dónaskapur að líkja ungum hljómsveitum endalaust við aðrar þekktari sveitir en það er einmitt það sem ég áttaði mig á við nána hlustun á þessa fyrstu útgáfu að grunnurinn í tónlist Rökkuró kemur víða að og hringir hér og þar bjöllum í mínum haus. [...] Það er ekki hægt að afgreiða Rökkurró með krúttkynslóð álfatónlistarmanna eins og Múm eða Sigur Rósar. Rökkurró er jafn sér á báti og sú kynslóð var í upphafi."
thanks for joining our lonesome little gang..we hope you like what you hear...if so, please leave a comment...it would really make our day...we wish you blue skies... a x
...many thanks for being a friend and taking pleasure in our tunes...the spirit of Durga is with you and there will always be Eight Arms To Hold You...
I'll find a way to buy your album ;-) Metz is quite far from the place I live in. The best for me would be a gig in Poitiers ! But Paris would already be great :)
So now you need to come to France :) Do you think I can find your album in France or do I have to buy it on the web ? Your music is amazing and so is your cover of "Nantes". See you ! Sylvain.
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