Kristnihald undir Jökli is an album by Quarashi

Quarashi

Quarashi was a rap and hip-hop group from Reykjavík, Iceland. It was composed of Hössi Ólafsson , who was the lead vocalist and frontman of the group, Ómar Swarez , rapper and hype man, and Steini a.k.a. Stoney , also rapper and hype man...

. It was released on September 22, 2001 in Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

 (see 2001 in music

2001 in music

See also:* 2001 in music Record labels established in 2001-Events:*January 1**Comeback of Guns N' Roses in House of Blues**Hum disbands.*January 17 – Bass player Jason Newsted leaves Metallica after 14 years with the band....

). The album contains mostly instrumental music written and produced by Quarashi founding members, Sölvi Blöndal and Hössi Olafsson as the soundtrack

Soundtrack

A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...

 for the Halldór Laxness

Halldór Laxness

Halldór Kiljan Laxness was a twentieth-century Icelandic writer. Throughout his career Laxness wrote poetry, newspaper articles, plays, travelogues, short stories, and novels...

 play, Kristnihald undir Jökli, itself based on his 1968 novel of the same title translated into English as Christianity at Glacier and republished since as Under the Glacier. The play was directed by Bergur Þór Ingólfsson, and ran in the Borgarleikhús in the winter of 2001. Kristnihald undir Jökli fused traditional Icelandic classical music with techno

Techno

Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...

, electronic music

Electronic music

Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...

, and rock

Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

. The album also delved into genres fans hadn't heard from Quarashi yet, such as jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

.

Even though neither Omar Swarez, nor Steini a.k.a. Stoney did any work on the album, Kristnihald undir Jökli was still released under the Quarashi name, and is considered Quarashi's third full-length album. Only 500 copies of Kristnihald undir Jökli were made, but most of them were sold, and it is rare to find the CD today.

Because of the album's rarity, it is currently available for free, high quality download at http://www.quarashimusic.blogspot.com

Track listing

1. "Úa" - 2:08
2. "Smíðavél" - 2:32
3. "Hulduhrútur" - 1:48
4. "Beitahúsamenn" - 3:47
5. "Prímus" - 5:02
6. "Godman Sýngmann" - 4:04
7. "Úrsúlulokkur" - 5:22
8. "Úrsúlugjá" - 2:15
9. "Umbi" - 5:11
10. "Prímus (80's)" - 3:09
11. "Umbi II" - 2:11
12. "Prímus (Vox)" - 2:31
13. "Úrsúlugjá (Instrumental)" - 2:13

Miscellanea

• Although Quarashi was already signed with Columbia Records
  Columbia Records
  Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
  
   by September 2001, Kristnihald undir Jökli was not released through that label. Instead, it was released through Icelandic record label, Sproti.

• The only songs that contain vocals are "Beitahúsamenn", "Godman Sýngmann", "Úrsúlulokkur", "Úrsúlugjá", and "Prímus (Vox)".

• Hössi Olafsson has been quoted as saying that working on Kristnihald undir Jökli was "one of the most amazing things I've ever done in my life."

• Kristnihald undir Jökli marks the first time that Steini a.k.a. Stoney did not participate on a Quarashi album. He would later chose not to participate on Guerilla Disco in 2004.

• On October 25, 2001, Quarashi performed a live concert with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra
  Icelandic Symphony Orchestra
  Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands is an orchestra based in Reykjavík, Iceland. The ISO is an autonomous public institution under the auspices of the Icelandic Ministry of Education...
  
   (the band, Botnleðja also performed) in the Háskólabíó in Reykjavík
  Reykjavík
  Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
  
  , Iceland
  Iceland
  Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
  
  , which is notable for being the first time that a rap act performed a live concert with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra. Quarashi performed seven songs from their (at the time) upcoming album, Jinx.