First of all, there is a couple of things that I should really work on. Starting with the fact that it’s been some times now that I feel stuck, not going anywhere. I can easily describe my previous months activities by copying - pasting the same 7 days for each weeks. It’s pathetic when I think about it. I have completely adopted the Icelandic-going-out-during-the-weekend lifestyle. An naive version of myself would say: “People are behaving that way, the only time where you can see your friends and meet new people is when they are the most available: On Friday or Saturday evenings”.
It might be true or it’s just the tip of the iceberg. No wonder you always meet the same people in the exact same place. They are following the same rules as you are. Also, as referred to my previous post about Reykjavik’s bars and cafés, with that pace you rapidly see and experience every atmosphere available in town. Inevitably you’re getting picky on where you want to spend your evening.

Oddly enough, this is also linked to my Icelandic level. After the winter and my progress I haven’t notice any improvements. There is no mystery about it, I simply haven’t trained it enough. Even an hour a day with motivation and hard work won’t be sufficient to continue the progress, especially in the “stagnation” phase of the learning curve. Few native speakers I know are patient enough to talk with me in Icelandic. But most of them aren’t or a conversation with them, considering my level, would feel simply awkward.

When I stayed an afternoon in a café’s terrasse downtown I realize that there was this huge cloud that was behaving weirdly. Of course my focus was on whether it would go west or east and hence hide my precious hydrogen celestial object up there. It was growing and shrinking every now and then. There was no clouds whatsoever near by. It just self generated and destructed repeatedly. Fortunately for me and the hundreds of people around it actually never really moved in any direction.

Stockholm Beat Connection presents a remix contest with Looptroop Rockers (I have never heard of them) for their latest single “Naïve”. Both Acapella and Instumental are available for download for this occasion on their website.
I think I’m going to give a try for that one. My latest exercise on that matter was from last year Ben Blash release’s. Very few information were given at that time and no feedbacks whatsoever.
Last day to enter the contest is Friday the 5th of September but I’m gonna put a personal deadline the 21st of August ;) There is (almost) nothing to win so it’s just for the fame fun. My idea is to work on something quite uncommon thinking most of the people are gonna end up with some electro trash that everybody is listening to these days.

Above, the album artwork for the new The Streets, Everything Is Borrowed. It’s due to be in an online store on 15th September.

The new album should be a much more positive affair than the previous release, The Hardest Way To Make An Easy Living. Some of the official blurb says:

From its uplifting title-track - a euphoric meditation on how to make the best of life’s infinite possibilities – to the almost mystical finale, “The Escapist” (wherein Mike Skinner happily ponders the insignificance of “little, fleeting, momentary me” in the dappled sunlight of his “favourite tree”), Everything Is Borrowed seems to be lit from within by a healing flame of optimism. Freed from celebrity hang-ups and savouring a thrilling rush of new-found perspective, Mike Skinner has made a record to console the lonely and bring a smile to the saddest visage. Warm-hearted, witty and utterly distinctive, this is music to help Britain through the credit-crunch.

Sounds fine by me, I didn’t like The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living. Too dark. However I loved Original Pirate Material

Now all that blabla to say that the cover looks a lot like Skógafoss to me.

There were concerns that the rapid international expansion of Icelandic banks, financed principally by overseas borrowing, could affect the earnings of Glitnir, Landsbanki and Kaupthings banks as the cost of borrowing has risen during the credit crisis.
The Financial times published an article about the situation of the Icelandic banks in a positive manner (for once).
The second quarter results showed that the banks have responded by deleveraging, diversifying their operations geographically, reducing their reliance on wholesale funding in favour of deposits and expanding fee and commission based income. Even though loan losses are increasing, the banks’ capital adequacy ratios remain solid by international regulatory standards.
In the meantime the ISK has appreciated this past few days of a bit more than 5%. This morning a euro was sold at 121,-. I cross my finger that this will remain stable (or appreciate again) until my vacation abroad :)

I didn’t leave the city for Verzlunarmannahelgi (a famous weekend when loads of festivals take places around Iceland). I think I’ve heard only horrible stuff about it. I already have a clear picture on how Icelanders can turn into barbarians or Vikings, call them as you wish. And being surrounded by drunk people from 12 to 70 years old having sex anywhere is not really attracting me more than that.
Instead I stayed in town and enjoyed a nice evening with some friends of mine that had a visit from their family from Canada. We went to see a concert downtown. Nothing worth mentioning about the bands we saw except probably one called Evil Madness. I would change their name to Evil Nothing or Bullshit Madness. Imagine two blokes dressed up one as a shirtless magician and the other as an escapee from Guantanamo Bay, add one girl on ecstasy here only to dance move her arms. Give them a Mac and Itunes, add lots of drugs and here you go: 1 hour of crap.

In the mean time I had the socially challenged to deal with. What happens when a large majority of your friends don’t like the exact same guy that stick to you like superglue? It creates difficulties. A phone call on a Saturday evening, an invitation to go to a concert, and you know that the trouble begins. Worst, a second friend of yours that hate this same one guy is joining you in the upcoming party. So how would you sort that out?
You’re puzzled and divided between those friends you rarely see and the old buddy with whom you’ve shared a lot. Such situation can only happen if this troubleman is having difficulties “analyzing” (there is no such thing as analysis) people reaction on what he says and/or people feelings in his presence. Even when you’re telling him that some friends of yours just don’t like him. And for the sake of everyone, it’s better to split groups (for once). He smiles and finds you funny. When you insist, he’s taking half an hour to show you you’re wrong. He tells you, the opposite, those people find him funny and interesting. Embarrassed, you know you can’t just impose someone not welcomed to some friends. So you deal with it. It’s not easy, your blind friend doesn’t understand and blame you for being such a prick.

Mondays are not the best days of the week. There is worst though: Sundays. Mondays have the benefit to be the first days of a new week made of a series of unknown events.
We are rapidly approaching to Verslunarmannahelgin: “Merchants’ Weekend”, celebrated annually during the first weekend of August since the 30s with outdoor festivals throughout the country. I have heard a lot about this weekends. Usually teenagers bring their tents to the country side or wherever there is a festival along with liters of booze. Then they drink themselves senseless (maybe a bit more than the usual weekend) and end up with a stranger of the opposite sex back in their tents. I have never been on the country side this weekend so what I have experienced so far is basically an empty town (Reykjavik). There is, however, one event occurring downtown during that period: Innipúkinn. Which is basically a “cocooning” event for unlucky (or lucky if you ask me) people staying in town.
And what better preparing a “cocooned” weekend than starting by listening to some proper music?

Imagine if Sigur Rós and Architecture in Helsinki were planning on recording an album together, but the studio was already double booked! Therefore they decided to record it in one of the member’s bedroom on his cassette player. Just then Kahimi Karie called, so they said “Oh great, why don’t you come over too? We’ll have a slumber party tonight,” and she said, “Ok.” They started recording but it was getting late and they were afraid that their neighbors might complain if they were too loud,so they replaced all guitar parts with music boxes. About that time Kahimi showed up and said “Let’s order a pizza, I’m starving.” Next they were eating the pizza and they got thirsty, but the only thing they had in the refrigerator was milk. Milk has that thing in it that makes you sleepy, so they all got a little sleepy, and then singer guy from Sigur Ros decided his voice was too high for this project, so he asked Kahimi to sing. She did and it sounded great! And than they all fell asleep. The End. - Shawn James Seymour