The compilation has a clean, precise, and minimalist aesthetic that you would quite rightly associate with many of the better known IDM labels of the late 90s and early 2000s and if that’s your era, there’s plenty of nostalgia here for you to enjoy.
A clean, precise, and minimalist aesthetic
Heiladans, if memory serves me correctly, means braindance in the native Icelandic tongue of Móatún 7 founder, Árni Grétar. Number four in the compilation series is most definitely an eclectic mix that sees the music pivot from nostalgic, glassy ambient washes to lo-fi broken beats, dark electro cuts, and computer game-style retro melodies. There’s also a beauty in a bleepy, melodic techno number by label regular, Dokun that really grabs the attention.
The compilation has a clean, precise, and minimalist aesthetic that you would quite rightly associate with many of the better known IDM labels of the late 90s and early 2000s and if that’s your era, there’s plenty of nostalgia here for you to enjoy. There’s also lots of contemporary electronics for the contemporary listener, however, and this is where this gem of an Icelandic label excels. The curation is second to none and demonstrates an encyclopedic understanding of various niche movements over the past 30+ years.
Some notable tracks worth a mention other than the blistering “Afterglow” by Dokun include the moody and stylish “Robots Loving Numbers” by Stefan Kibellus, the dark and bleepy “Xavier McDaniel” by JP8080, the lush sub-bass cut “Paml” by Mint Deluxe and “Kaugummimelodie” by SubDan, a dark and brooding atmospheric number that gets you moving.
Heiladans 4 is available on Móatún 7. [Bandcamp]
