TLOBF Interview :: Jóhann Jóhannsson

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In our review of Jóhann Jóhannsson’s album Fordlândia, we called it his greatest work so far, high praise indeed for the Icelandic composer responsible for some of the most chilling and haunting pieces of the last decade. Fordlândia tells the tale of the Brazilian workers, forced into work by Henry Ford in the 1930′s to produce rubber on the plantation land bought for his company. The workers were treated as near slaves, all vices forbidden, their way of life threatened by the American way. We were fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to met with Jóhann, where we learn about his childhood in Iceland and encounters with the boffins at CERN.

What was the inspiration for the album Fordlandia?
I read an article about it years ago, and then found a Portuguese novel that uses the story. But, it was an image of this old Ford automobile bogged down in the rainforest, stuck in mud. That image worked as a spark for the album.

What lessons do you think we can learn today from the failed utopia of Fordlandia?
I don’t see it as a lesson or in any way didactic, but the album is a little bit about hubris – like in ancient Greek drama, this idea that excessive pride and defying the gods will bring about downfall and retribution. But it’s a hopeful album – I think it’s about the possibilities that arise out of failure and disaster. A thing that’s needed in Iceland at the moment.

Does Iceland inspire you?
I don’t think my surroundings directly inspire me, it tends to be books and ideas or a film or a piece of art. Your surroundings are always a part of you though, so there’s an element of it somewhere, I’m sure, but I think that’s true for all artists.

Did your childhood have an impact on your music?
As a child I listened to my parent’s records, which were classical but also brass band music as my father played in a brass band, so John Philip Sousa was an early favourite. My sisters and my sisters’ boyfriends had some interesting records, and I got an early taste for 70s experimental rock through them, some Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream and King Crimson.

So is the music you compose the kind of music you listened to growing up, or were you interested in more contemporary sounds?
I got into shoegaze and things like Jesus and Mary Chain later on. I was always studying piano, so there was always other kinds of music, loads of classical as well as film music and other things like metal which I’ve always liked from a distance. I have fairly wide tastes in music, perhaps because of these diverse early influences.

Your previous album “IBM 1401 – A User’s Manual” was inspired by your fathers work with mainframe computers in the 1960′s – has he and his colleagues of the time given it their approval?
Yes, in fact a team of veteran IBM programmers got in touch when they heard of the album. They’re refurbishing an old 1401 in the museum of computer history in Mountain View in California. They asked my father to contribute to the project. They were I think quite pleased with the album and they invited my father and I to come visit the museum – maybe we’ll do it soon, it would be a nice little pilgrimage.

Have you had any comments from IBM nuts about the music on the album (in particular Part 2 – Printer)?
We showed the dance piece that the music was written for originally in Geneva and some engineers came over from CERN, where they have the Large Hedron Collider. They came because of the title, and were intrigued. I think they liked the piece. It’s great to get reactions from people who worked with this technology and most of the comments I’ve had were pretty kind.

When you started IBM 1401 – A User’s Manual did you always have a trilogy in mind?
I knew there was material and ideas I wanted to explore further, sure. I think all my albums are linked in some ways, but I felt there was a stronger link between this one and IBM and three is a nice number so it seemed logical to announce it in this way. But the world is filled with uncompleted trilogies – so don’t count your horses just yet.

Can you give any hints as to what the third album might be about?
No, but it will involve more singing.

Your music seems to have grown over time, starting with a string quartet on Englaborn, to a full orchestra on IBM 1401 and a choir on Fordlandia.
Fordlandia has some more stripped down moments, sometimes there’s only a piano, or a clarinet. I just use whatever colours the music demands, but I also like to try things I haven’t done before and to try different things with each record.

You seemed to have managed to avoid any comparisons with Sigur Ros – do you think the two of you share any common ground?
We kind of came out of a similar group of artists and musicians, although I didn’t run into them until 1998. They were active in some of the Kitchen Motors projects and Jonsi got me to record Virthulegu Forsetar, which was an old piece I had done years back that he really liked, so he’s kind of responsible for that. I think we share some sensibilities, and we were influenced by some of the same people I think.

Have you any further plans to write soundtrack music, be it for plays or films?
Yes, there are some film projects coming up. I do less theatre music these days than I used to, but if the right project comes along I would do it. I tend to choose my projects carefully, there has to be something that really excites me.

What do you think the future holds for you? More collaborations, or are you content to work as a solo composer?
I really like collaborating, with other musicians – I think I would be really bored working on my own all the time. So there are always some projects going on, like Apparat Organ Quartet and Evil Madness, which are a nice way of working with musicians I like. But obviously I’m very focused on my solo stuff.

Fordlândia is out now, on 4AD
Jóhann Jóhannsson on MySpace