It’s hard to believe it’s been six years since Cell7’s lasts album, the soulful and fun Is Anybody Listening? The single “City Lights” was quite popular, but for me the B-side opener “Peachy” was the apex with it’s self-affirming refrain “I’m doin’ fine / I’m doin’ peachy” sending an empowering message and providing the perfect opportunity to sing along with a smile on your face.
Cell7 is Ragna Kjartansdottir and she traces her hip hop roots back to the late 90s when that scene was just starting to emerge in Iceland. She was part of the seminal group Subterranean before pivoting professionally into a sound engineer role. Her solo debut CELLF came out on CD in 2013 and earned her a nomination for “Best Female Artist” at the Icelandic Music Awards. For her sophomore effort, the aforementioned Is Anybody Listening?, she turned to crowdfunding, allowing her to put it out on gorgeously packaged vinyl along with a poster print of the cover (a copy of which is framed in my record room as I type this, showing her as a bad-ass samurai). Ragna followed the same rote for Deep Cuts, picking up backers on the Icelandic site Karolina Fund to allow her to put out the record she wanted, exactly the way she wanted it. And just look at that sick cover art.
The opener “It’s Complicated” picks up right where “Peachy” left off – “Everything’s OK / I’m fine”, Ragna raps over the jazz-funk beats of producer Young Nazareth. A number of other producers offer their talents to Deep Cuts, and she makes maximum use of each. The style and flow retain a certain consistency throughout, beat-heavy R & B with rich and luscious sonics creating a chill and sensuous vibe. “Stay Right Here” hit both me and Mrs. Life in the Vinyl Lane immediately upon our first listen, the style a little more uptempo, the delivery a bit more rap-like. The Hammond-like organ on “Thinking Hard” is another high point, pairing with the backing vocals to create a 70s-style groover conjuring up images of shag carpet, low lights, cocktails, and cigarette smoke. The album closes with “All My Friends” and it’s here that Ragna shows that she can still spit those rhymes, the brisk beats giving her the chance to pick up the pace, her cadence quick and sharp. For me the B side of Deep Cuts is where the magic is; whereas the A side is chill and loung-y, the B side feels a little more old school, a bit edgier and cutting.
I don’t see Deep Cuts on Cell7’s Bandcamp page, but have no fear because you can stream it on all the normal services. If you’re looking for a copy of the vinyl, however, well… I’m guessing there weren’t a ton of these pressed. There were just over 60 backers in the crowdfunding, and I know some extras were pressed for record shops in Iceland, so if you want a copy you better jump on it now. I’d recommend reaching out to my friends over at Lucky Records if you’re interested. You can thank me later.