My Song of the Day is from the Icelandic band amiina who have grown in size and sonic palette since I first played them on FRUK many moons ago. Although my track of choice features on their recent EP The Lighthouse Project it is to the origins that we head. I’ve chosen their live performance from 4 years ago which was recorded during an inspiring journey. They chose to travel across Iceland performing music specifically written for small spaces. Lighthouses and other unusual small locations were selected as venues for their music inspired by a comment made from an audience member when they first performed in a lighthouse…
Standing on the top floor of the lighthouse, he had felt the music travel up through the structure and out across the ocean, as if the lighthouse were now projecting music instead of light.
The group set off in a big van packed with instruments, accompanied by a photographer, one spouse, one newborn baby and another about to be born, and together they drove over rugged roads, seemingly to the end of the world, to perform music.
Late last year amiina decided to revisit the Lighthouse Project again, to record these songs in their original arrangements, and give the music the prospect to travel out and across forever. The band felt it was important to convey the intimacy of the original performances, so the songs were recorded “live” in the studio, as if at a concert. The Lighthouse Project EPwas released in June this year.
This is a live recording of Perth from Dalatangi Lighthouse in July 2009