With a name evocative of a Shooting Stars Mystery Prize, Icelandic trio ‘Fufanu’ have shared their new album ‘Sports’ (One Little Indian) in its entirety on fellow culture site The Line of Best Fit. “Fufanu” doesn’t mean anything specifically, but the name suited the world that they created and the band’s 2015 debut LP ‘A Few More Days To Go’ received critical acclaim from Pitchfork, MOJO and Stereogum amongst others. Their follow up ‘Sports’ has been eagerly anticipated.
Produced in Iceland at the Hljóðriti Studio in Hafnarfjörður by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Nick Zinner. ‘Sports’ retains the dark, new-wave-esq electronic-driven post-punk of their debut, but reveals a depth in sound and a development of style born out of the experience of the past two years. It is during that time that the band have taken flight from festival origins in Reykjavik to dizzy heights of playing with fan Damon Albarn at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall and supporting Blur at their legendary event in London’s Hyde Park.
This “growing up”, as multi-instrumentalist and lead guitarist, Guðlaugur (“Gulli”) Einarsson calls it. Has seen the band move forward by reaching back to their techno roots and inspirations and combining them with these new found experiences. This formulation can be heard in the new release as ‘Sports’ employs driving grooves, stand-out pop melodies and sophisticated arrangements. As the band have evolved and their sound elevated they’ve retained their pioneering spirit, but now are writing the music that they have always dreamed of. Sports is laced with throaty basslines, a whiff of satire, industrial scalar melodies and arpeggiated oscillating synths all wired together with weaves of post punk guitars and neo-romantic atmospheric harmonics.
One thing Sports does retain from the debut LP is vocalist Kaktus’s skill for creating imagery through his evocative and emotive lyrics. “I think that’s quite important,” considers Kaktus. “When writing lyrics, I could spell everything out and tell the story, but it’s healthier to take time and really dig into the lyrics, so that people can take their own experiences out of it”. The duo expanding to a trio with the addition of drummer, Erling “Elli” Bang, completes the bands osmosis and binds their new studio and live sound together.
Fufanu – Liability [Official Video]
Having toured material from ‘A Few More Days To Go’ throughout the UK whilst in support of The Vaccines. Fufanu leap out on their own headline tour this February with a host of support acts including the up and coming ‘Sorry Escalator’ The new LP can be heard in full at The Line of Best Fit. Trademark amusing, engaging and trippy videos for singles ‘Bad Rockets’, ‘Sports’ and ‘Liability’ are up on YouTube and ‘Sports’ is available for order from our very Fufanu’s new and very own shop where orders placed will receive an exclusive 7″ vinyl with specially recorded songs. #Sports’ is also available from indie stores with a limited edition flexi! If that is not enough, here are even more possibilities to get Sports and tickets for the tour are on sale now and available here.
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