Oscillation of Opposites in Contemporary Icelandic Popular Music

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DOI 10.34690/362

Author Maria V. Kondratenko

Affiliation St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia

Email mariekondratenkooo@gmail.com

ORCID

0009-0006-5626-6918

Abstract

Iceland is the furthest European country from the continent. Its difficult history and specific geographical features have profoundly influenced the preservation and spread of culture, including music. The country remained isolated from the outside world for a long time and depended on other northern states. Despite the relatively recent acquisition of independence and the rapid development of various economic, social and cultural sectors, including music, Iceland remains a mysterious place for many. Sovereignty gained in 1944 launched the process of Icelanders constructing a national identity. In addition to the revival of ancient traditions, there is the emergence of many new cultural phenomena based on the specific nature, language and literature of the country. Music has not remained on the sidelines—to this day, many different musical groups appear. While analyzing Iceland’s history, we constantly encountered the phenomenon of the coexistence of opposites in different areas. The theme of combining and merging incompatible things into simultaneity is often found in Icelandic music. This trend can be metaphorically associated with the geographical location of the island, through which a tectonic plate fault passes. Central to this work was the concept of oscillation, which came from metamodernist discourse, reflecting, in our opinion, the current processes of modern popular music in Iceland.

For citation

Kondratenko, M. V. “Oscillation of opposites in contemporary Icelandic popular music.” Muzykal’naya akademiya [Music Academy], no. 1, 2024, pp. 36–45, doi:10.34690/362. (In Russ.)

Published 24.02.2023

Approved 20.10.2023

Submitted 25.03.2024

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