Critically praised throughout Europe, Automagic is a wondrous album that pairs Asgeirsson's intricate sound constructions with a potent rhythm section and the haunting, otherworldly vocals of Gudridur Ringsted. Her ethereal singing peppers a record that flits between ambient dream pop and slightly menacing electro-organic music with beats.
Ringsted shines brightest on a risky cover of Joy Division's beloved "Love Will Tear Us Apart," a dramatically different take on a classic that was recorded as a request from Thule Musik's owner. "He wanted to hear a chillout version with female vocals," Asgeirsson notes. "The result was very surprising, and everybody liked it, so we decided to put it alongside the other tracks we'd previously recorded for Automagic
" Elsewhere, Worm Is Green focus on creating their own memorable songs, starting in Asgeirsson's bedroom, and in one case, at his grandfather's jewelry shop, where he recorded samples of Icelandic stones rubbing together and turned them into beats. Once the original ideas are in place, the musicians craft the songs in the studio. While the band's music has dark overtones, a sense of humor comes across in songs like "The Robot Has Got The Blues," and in the quirky melodic turns of the aquatic "Walk Thru."
"We take our work seriously, but the humor is what keeps us together," says Asgeirsson.
This playfulness carries over into the band's own description of its hard to peg sound. Jonsson once told a Finnish TV interviewer, "We are like Lionel Richie. Only newer. And not with The Commodores.
" Perhaps, but a more apt comparison is to British new wave and pop, Factory and 4AD bands, even Portishead. That's all for others to ponder, though, while Worm Is Green stay trained on the future. Automagic earned them a nomination for best new act in Iceland's music awards, and the band was still gelling as the record came together. Now with a few years of experience both in the studio and on stage, the musicians are on a mission to develop their sound further. Plans include adding more vocals and touring extensively.
"We consider our live show being our greatest aspect," says Asgeirsson. "We deliver electronic music in a new way, with a live drummer, vocals, bass player and two synth maniacs. It's very chilled out and laid back, but everything is possible. We've played shows more reminiscent of Nine Inch Nails than Worm Is Green.
" Until you get a chance to see Worm Is Green live, check out Automagic, a record that aligns the band with Iceland's skewed geniuses (Bjork, Sigur Ros) and incorporates sounds that conjure up images of purple sunsets, jagged cliffs and stark landscapes. However, as Asgeirsson puts it, "We aren't really walking on glaciers on an everyday basis."
Arni Teitur Asgeirsson- Programming & Synthesizer
Bjarni Thor Hannesson- Sampler & Synthesizer
Thorsteinn Hannesson- Drums
Vilberg Hafsteinn Jonsson- Bass
Gudridur Ringsted- Vocals
Optimistic
Worm Is Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His heart was tickin' click tick tick
Synthetic hopes of a different day
Sparks flew across his wings
The stars are shining from a light engine
The DJ is spinning wig, wig, wig
Color vision with a blurry view
His life becomes worth living
When he is dreaming, while he sleeps
His life becomes worth living
When he is dreaming while he sleeps
Monday morning the lights are on
Monday morning his life is gone
The world is turning dark again
His fellow workers are alive again
These lyrics from Worm Is Green's song "Optimistic" tell the story of a man who is feeling hopeful and optimistic about his future. He feels like his heart is beating faster with the possibility of something good happening to him. He has "synthetic hopes" which suggests that perhaps these are not realistic hopes, but rather something that has been artificially created in his mind. Despite this, he feels like he is flying, as "sparks flew across his wings".
The second verse of the song paints a different picture. The stars are shining from a light engine and the DJ is spinning records, but our protagonist's vision is blurry. The line "that's life if he just knew" suggests that he is unaware of the reality of his situation, that there is a sense of confusion and disorientation. However, when he sleeps and dreams, his life becomes worth living. The contrast between his waking life and his dream life is striking, and it is clear that he has a much more positive experience in the latter.
The final verse of the song describes Monday morning, where the lights are on and his life is gone. The world is turning darker, and his co-workers are alive again. This suggests a sense of monotony and despair, where his hopefulness and optimism have been replaced with a sense of bleakness and drudgery.
Line by Line Meaning
He was feeling optimistic
He was filled with hope and positivity
His heart was tickin' click tick tick
He felt excitement and anticipation
Synthetic hopes of a different day
His hopes were not grounded in reality
Sparks flew across his wings
He felt inspired and energized
The stars are shining from a light engine
He sees brightness and positivity in the world
The DJ is spinning wig, wig, wig
He is enjoying the current moment and environment
Color vision with a blurry view
He has a positive perspective but it is unclear
That’s life if he just knew
He realizes that life can be unpredictable and uncertain
His life becomes worth living
He finds value and purpose in his life
When he is dreaming, while he sleeps
He finds happiness and solace in his dreams
Monday morning the lights are on
The start of a new week with its own set of challenges
Monday morning his life is gone
He feels the pressures of the beginning of the week
The world is turning dark again
He feels a sense of negativity or pessimism
His fellow workers are alive again
He feels a sense of monotony or oppression from his job
Contributed by Alaina A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.