👌 New Indie as selected by Hybris

Release Date: April 8th

Soft spoken, sullen, yet in an abundance of emotion, Icelandic-native Ragnar Ægir’s latest single ‘Not Too Loud’ sets out to reflect on the past, present and future state of his marriage. Bittersweet piano lines, dreamy guitar chords drift atop a bedrock foundation of in-the-pocket drums, carrying Ragnar’s floaty vocals through a dynamic dreamy pop affair.

It circles around themes of love and lust, commenting about the fragility of marriage, and the questionable notion of “till death do us part”. Despite how much we may hope for it, there is never any guarantee that anything in life could work out in perpetuity. Those guarantees are ultimately bound with fate.

“The line Bring me to, all of you, is a reference to the fact that when accepting and loving someone like they are, you have to take all of it - the good and the bad. There is no secret formula that keeps relationships going. In the case of me and my wife I think we are bound together by fate, but we have also accepted each other’s quirks.”

Song performed by Ragnar Ægir
Produced by Philipp Kraetzer, Simon Eugene & Ragnar Ægir
Mixing by Philipp Kraetzer
Mastering by Arnar Guðjónsson at Aeronaut Studios (E7)

Not Too Loud

Hubris (Pretty Lies)

Winner

Cinematic-pop music maestro, Ragnar Ægir, returns with a brand new single that demonstrates his profound connection to Icelandic nature.

The track opens without a moment’s hesitation -- cascading melodic synths, jangly guitars and a pulsing rock groove propels the track into the beginning of an emotive sonic escapade. Complete with dynamic peaks and valleys that mirror the Land of Fire And Ice, Ragnar’s ability to transport listeners somewhere else can’t be understated.

For Ragnar, the track serves as a homage to his Icelandic heritage; and embracing that liberating feeling of coming home after long periods overseas.

“Landing at an airport and knowing you have a 5-hour drive to get home isn’t everyone’s idea of fun. But getting to see all these amazing places on the drive back through Iceland is an incredibly refreshing feeling, and gives me and my family a newfound energy and inspiration”. - Ragnar Ægir

I’m At Home premieres this summer, and is the first single and title track off Ragnar’s forthcoming debut EP, which will be released on Raun Music at the end of 2021. The track is also accompanied by a music video that showcases the natural beauty of Iceland, shot by digital creator Ása Steinars.

For media inquiries, including interviews and all things press-related, please email management@raunmusic.de.

I'm At Home

Good Friends

Premises

I'm At Home (Azure Blue Remix)

Like A Girl

Ångra dig imon

Teddy och Helena

Jag kom hit med Henric

Laser & Bas - Jag Kom Hit Med Henric

Vilmer Prahls album

Let's Not Get Old - Vilmer Remix

Define Your Dreams

Back On My Love (Slowz Remix)

Pure Shores - Back On My Love (Slowz Remix)

Different

Ponder

Wild Man

Jack Johnson & Friends: Best Of Kokua Festival, A Benefit For The Kokua Hawaii Foundation

Island Style

I’m not sure if Mr. Deg Deg Madongo actually exists or not. In the summer of 2016 my friend told me a story from when he was playing the international football tournament Gothia Cup. As I remembered it he played against an Ugandan team which had a player called Deg deg Madongo. The same summer me and some friend had some fun about it. We sang his name like an anthem, a kind of a call-and-response thing which we did in the streets of Stockholm. Singing his name with power and confidence gave me a picture of who this character could be – A stubbornness hero with the glimpse in his eye striving to make everyone in his vicinity to feel good. Mr. Deg Deg Madongo was no standard guy, someone with that kind of name doesn’t simply follow outdated norms – against all odds, he breaks new grounds with his eccentric character in order to fulfill his great purpose - To create a fun and kind atmosphere around him.

Deg Madongo

"‘The Surface’ is about when you start doubting your path, you have to take action”, says the Icelandic singer-songwriter about his debut single, which will be released on 18 February via his imprint, Raun Music.

Encapsulating the highly relatable, yet bitter irony of losing one’s youthful spirits, ‘The Surface’ is when the uncertainty of the path chosen and the dreams that have been put on hold catches up with you. For most people, it leads to no action. But those who find courage, use it as a source of inspiration to rediscover old dreams, be impulsive and get out of the comfort zone. The theme relates back to the songwriters own personal experience of finally nurturing his creative side by writing music after years of focus on his technology startup.

The track is accompanied by a music video, which features Prime's Viking star, Ragga Ragnars. She says: “When I first heard the song and heard the storyline of the music video, I immediately got excited to jump into the freezing cold Atlantic Ocean. [...] I feel like 'The Surface' is a great reminder to those people who feel stuck or lost, that it’s more than okay to let loose and live. I had a blast (and quite frankly, a freeze) shooting the music video."

UNRELEASED

The Surface

- LUST FOR LOVE -

Inspired by the likes of Massive attack, Burial, Sade, Carpenter and Barry De Vorzon. This dynamic duo started making electronic landscapes with a twist and Swedish noir atmosphere during the pandemic in early 2020. The Lust for providing imaginative escapes and a Love for channelling the less privileged with words of betrayal, power, sex and emotions. LFL will not be raging quietly into the night - but against and through our machines. 

Artwork by https://www.karcenti.com

Not A Movie

"ONCE WE WERE PRESENT"
by Mountain Bird 

What happens when dumb monkeys meet modern technology.

The intoxicating effects of the internet age are something Adam Öhman, the Stockholm-based singer, songwriter and producer, who is also known as Mountain Bird, poignantly channels on his new Once We Were PresentEP, with the record’s five tracks supposed to illustrate the baleful grip social media has on so many of our lives.Having made his breakthrough with 2018’s CubismEP,  which  consisted  primarily  of  atmospheric stadium pop anthems. He released his second EP in January, DearBrainLetMeSleepwas a detailed and honest insight into the life of someone battling with their mental health, a journey through lush electronic soundscapes and alluring synth textures. It marked the start of a new chapter sonically for the artist, who previously recorded either instrumentals, or using guest vocalists.Once We Were Presentmarks Öhman’s continuing growth into an introspective songwriter who enjoys exploring the human condition just as much as making people dance.“So many people have this abusive relationship with social media, which takes over their lives just like a regular drug addiction does,” the artist explains to me of the new project’s conceptual aims. “With this new EP, I wanted to question whether it currentlyhas too big of a grip over our lives. I hope these songs show people that the internet is a tool we must respect and that we shouldn’t be embracing at the expense of enjoying our youth.”


Released by:
Nettwerk Music Group
Release date:
2 April 2021

Something Wrong With My Mind

👌 New Indie as selected by Hybris

Johan Rheborg