Further Information

The Icelandic musician ÍRiS will be releasing her debut album "PENUMBRA" in the coming weeks. The album was recorded at Sundlaugin studio and mixed at the Greenhouse studios. Although all the tracks are completed, ÍRiS asks for your help with the final steps of  realizing the project, namely the printing and the publication of the album. 

About ÍRiS    

© Nanna Dís

ÍRiS came from a classical instrumental background before studying and performing as a jazz singer. Today she is a lyrical composer where the piano, drums, and melody harp play an important role while her voice, that has been described as colorful and rich, leads the music.

Penumbra

Her debut album is a continuation of her progression as a musician into alternative pop music. On the album she explores various musical contrasts by mixing together traditional instruments such as cello and piano with more contemporary electronic sounds. As well as experimenting the full range of sounds available from both instruments and items found in everyday life. From this process the title of the album was born, "Penumbra", which stands for the region where complete shadow and illumination meet - where musical contrasts connect. 

Her first single “Daybreak” which released earlier this year, has received noteworthy recognition from international critics and the Icelandic media. A brand new single "That morning" can now be heard at Soundcloud.

*Vocals, violin, synthesizers, melody harp, kalimba, backing (and sometimes lead) piano and other instrumentation's are performed by ÍRiS.

*Several musicians contributed to the recording of the album: Erik Qvick (drums), Kjartan Valdemarsson (lead piano), Sandra Ósk Snæbjörnsdóttir (cello), Baldur Tryggvason (guitar), Matthew Collings (guitar). 

*A big thanks to audio engineers Paul Evans and Elisabeth Carlsson! 

© Nanna Dís

Music Video

ÍRiS recently filmed a music video in Iceland with the London based director and animator, Peter Szewczyk from the Independent film and television production company (independ.net). As a director, Peter Szewczyk has been through Hollywood’s finest breeding grounds, enjoying a ringside seat at crafting some of the biggest box office hits. Since starting his career at George Lucas’ renowned Skywalker Ranch, he has contributed, as artist and supervisor, to the legendary franchises of Star Wars, Harry Potter, Shrek, Ice Age and Avatar. He has also written, produced and directed his own acclaimed short films and various music videos. The video is to be released summer 2013, alongside the publication of „Penumbra“. 

©Peter Szewczyk

Websites and interviews: 

http://snoop-around.com/tag/music/#post-3015

https://www.facebook.com/irismusiciris 

Lýsing á verkefni á íslensku:

Tónlistarkonan ÍRiS mun gefa út fyrstu hljómplötu sína á næstu vikum en platan ber nafnið „PENUMBRA“. Tónlistin var tekin upp og hljóðblönduð í „Sundlaugin studio“ og  „Greenhouse studios“. Platan sjálf er fullgerð en það eina sem upp á vantar er að gefa hana út. Þess vegna leitar ÍRiS til Karolina Fund og ykkar til að koma verkefninu úr höfn. Með því að fyrirfram panta plötuna eða styrkja á einn eða annan máta, má gera verkefnið að veruleika!    

Íris hóf tónlistarferilinn í klassíska geiranum en tók síðar stefnuna á jazztónlist. Í eigin tónsmíðum lá leiðin hins vegar til aternative popp tónlistar þar sem píanó, harpa og trommur leika stórt hlutverk undir leiðsögn raddarinnar, sem þykir í senn litrík og ómþýð. Á hljómplötunni má segja að andstæður mætist. Í tónsmíðunum tvinnaði Íris saman hefðbundin hljóðfæri á borð við selló, píanó og antíkhljóðfæri á móti ýmsum rafhljóðgjöfum. Ásamt hljóðfæraleik voru hljóðfærin einnig nýtt til að skapa önnur hljóð en þeim var í raun ætlað, ásamt því að kanna hina ýmsu hljóðgjafa úr daglegu lífi. Það var því upp frá þessu sem nafn plötunnar kom til, en „Penumbra“ táknar það svæði þar sem algjört myrkur og algjört ljós mætast - eða í þessu tilviki, þar sem andstæður í tónlist tengjast.     

„Daybreak“ er fyrsta lagið sem hljómað hefur af plötunni og hefur það þegar hlotið lof og spilun á íslenskum útvarpsstöðvum. Nýr singúll sem kallast „That Morning“ er nú kominn út og má heyra hann á www.soundcloud.com/irismusiciris

©Mao