I love it when a random record shows up in the mail. Not something I forgot I bought, or I pre-ordered so long ago that I didn’t even remember it was coming out. No, I’m talking about a legit random record showing up in my mailbox. There’s an air of mystery about it. What’s inside? Who sent it? What’s in the box???
A few weeks back what was in the box was Fischersund’s Sounds Of Christmas. There was no card or gift notification inside, so I started researching a bit. Fischersund is primarily, of all things, a perfumery in Iceland, established by none other than Jónsi of Sigur Rós fame. But it’s also an arts collective involved in music, poetry, and visual arts. The tie to Iceland actually helped me narrow down the list of possible senders, and after some messages back and forth I discovered it was from none other than my friend Leana, an American ex-pat living her best life in Iceland for over a decade. We’d seen each other at Airwaves this year, and looking back on it I think she mentioned Jónsi’s perfumery to me. Takk, Leana! Joining Jónsi as part of the musical Fischersund are Kjartan Holm (For A Minor Reflection) and Sindri Már Sigfússon (Sing Fang, Seabear) – a very talented ensemble.
Christmas is not a big deal in the Life of the Vinyl Lane household. There are no kids, or grandkids. Hell, there aren’t even nieces and nephews. Just two adults and a dog, doing our thing. As far as Christmas music goes, if it’s not Nat King Cole I probably would never put it on. But Sounds Of Christmas isn’t your parents’ Christmas music (unless your parents were super cool). Instead it’s an ambient stroll through a quiet, cold, and still December evening, fresh snow on the ground, your nose just sightly runny in the cold. It’s also sitting inside in front of a fire under a blanket, the lights turned off and looking outside at the snow falling, enjoying a hot drink or cocktail. At times there are noticeable Christmas elements – a slight hint of sleigh bells, or even some recognizable passages from seasonal classics. No vocals, no ear worms, just soothing and relaxing sounds that carry enough familiarity to harken back to Christmases past and put you in the holiday spirit.
Originally released digitally in 2023, Sounds Of Christmas got a red vinyl pressing in 2024 by Iceland’s I N N I label and is still available online HERE. It’s a lovely record and a perfect Christmas spin for those of us who perhaps aren’t… super Christmassy. As an added bonus, some copies also include a family recipe for the classic Icelandic cookie, piparjunkur. I haven’t attempted them yet, but will absolutely have to give them a try.