Turnar

Named for the medieval French castle tower in which it was partly recorded, Turnar is the third album from Icelandic theremin player Hekla Magnúsdóttir. Spread across eight fluid movements, this album feels like a slow sink into a bottomless cold plunge. From the opening seconds of ‘Inni’ we’re subsumed into a tranquil, icy and progressively inky world, descending from airy chimes to cavernous rumbles. Magnúsdóttir’s mastery of her instrument is astounding, manipulating it from a fluttering soprano on ‘Kyrrð’ to the reverberating depths of ‘Ólga’. Extra mass comes in the form of Kristján Hrannar’s church organ, while Magnúsdóttir herself adds further textures in the form of cello and spectral vocals. Lead single ‘Gráminn’ is a particular highlight, a horror-esque cut of a pulverising drone that sits heavily on your eardrums, coloured with stannic drums and delicate melodic interludes. An opaque and intricate listen.