Itai Faierman/Hlynur Gudjonsson – Split EP
Gold and Silver Recordings 2009
Listen while reading:
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As promised yesterday, here is the next review for Gold and Silver Recordings. Today I present you the Split EP by Itai Faierman and Hlynur Gudjonsson. Both artists are featured with three tracks each and play different styles of folk.
Maybe you heard about Itai Faierman before, because he got a nice list of recordings so far and his last album The Sunbed Tapes was releases by Beat Nun Recordings! this year. But in case you didn’t, here are some words about him. Itai was born on an army base in Israel but grew up in New York City. He studied piano and later added violin and guitar to his music. The tracks featured on the EP are all from the above mentioned full-length The Sunbed Tapes.
Faierman plays slow acoustic folk (surprise) but manages to give every track a unique coloration. He does so by adding different instruments, e.g. an electric guitar in Mud, to create a specific atmosphere in each of them. His hushed vocals could not play a better part in those wonderful folk songs and they support them in sounding even more intimate. What you’ll find is modern folk but without those roots in country or Americana. I would refer to it as indie folk but not in the way you would call Magnolia by The Wooden Birds indie folk. When I say indie folk I mean it more in the way of singer-songwriter without country influence. But whatever.
Hlynur Gudjonsson (drawn by Haruko)
So let’s move on to the next three tracks. As I said, they are from Hlynur Gudjonsson who you should know if you read the blog regularly. He provides one re-recorded and extended version of Reality you only found as a live version on Live At Folk artNOW!, a cover of Winter originally written by Haruko and one wholly new song called The Miserable Shepherd.
In comparison to Itai Faierman his music is more country influenced but more in the Johnny Cash way then, let’s say in the Rea Spoon way. His duster and sad folk songs are driven by his clear but mournful voice. This contrast between him and Faierman generates a real nice tension that characterizes the Split EP.
If this EP wasn’t already sold out, I would highly recommend you to buy your copy as fast as possible. But in this case I recommend you to contact Hlynur per mail or Myspace to arrange something – maybe there is a possibility to get the music. In the end I can say that I’m really excited with this split. First: it made me real curious about The Sunbed Tapes by Itai Faierman and second: it is a hidden treasure to compare the different interpretations of the track Winter performed by Haruko and Hlynur. Don’t forget to check out the Myspace sites of Itai Faierman and Hlynur Gudjonsson and also the label page of Gold and Silver Recordings.
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Catalog:
GS-003: Hlynur Gudjonsson – Death Was A Stranger EP
GS-FREE-002: Haruko – Live EP
GS-FREE-001: Haruko & Hlynur Gudjonsson – Stable Session EP
GS-002: Itai Faierman/Hlynur Gudjonsson – Split EP
GS-001: Hlynur Gudjonsson – Live at Folk artNOW!
beautiful!