ALBUM REVIEW: حصاد ضَوْءٌ النُّجُو – Kuggur

KUGGUR, the solo outing of Guðmundur Óli Pálmason (SOLSTAFIR, KATLA), is a project that came about when Pálmason and his wife mused over the links between Middle Eastern folk and Icelandic folk. The realisation that both tend to play with melancholic minor scales spoke to him, and thus the album حصاد ضَوْءٌ النُّجُو was born.

With a background in black metal and post-doom, the sounds of KUGGUR are expansive and cinematic as much as they are emotionally charged and quick to evoke dark, haunting themes. حصاد ضَوْءٌ النُّجُومِ especially builds into something ethereally compelling. The hypnotic sizzle of the drums accompanied by the droning vocals that feel both angelic and transcendent.

Back-to-back tracks اَلات الْاۤلِة فِي الْجِبَالِ and بعلة are a prime example of atmosphere being the core component of حصاد ضَوْءٌ النُّجُو as a whole. Tonally, there’s a slow burning thunk of the drum throughout اَلات الْاۤلِة فِي الْجِبَالِ that leads into بعلة, where keys rise and accentuate a more complex emotional experience as Pálmason looks to blend the Icelandic and Middle Eastern folk traditions in a very modern sounding interpretation.

Interlude حرائق مِن أَحْشاء الْأرْضِ somehow manages to completely mimic the feeling of being in a storm and the danger of that weather, only to emerge into the electronic majesty of الاِحتِفَالِ بِإۤلِة الشَّمْسِ فِي سَهْلِ الْبِقَا. Balancing a lighter side of KUGGUR’s sound, a definite joy that smoothly transitions into spacious and familiar, but unknowable ambience that feels like the true heart of حصاد ضَوْءٌ النُّجُو.

As something contemporary that’s folk influenced, the use of electronic elements gives this record a strange juxtaposition between light and dark. حَصَادِ الْخرِيفِ is one such blissful moment, a real cinematic movement that transitions into more angelic vocals, thumping drums and a synth melody that pulls it all together.

At its heart there’s a sense of melancholic exploration in حصاد ضَوْءٌ النُّجُو. That as a statement feels almost contradictory, the intrigue of discovery is tinged with a sense of unknown wonder and danger. For example, the rising power of يَا لَيْلِ is practically tangible. The track moves and moulds itself into an anthemic trance piece, both in the literal sense of the word and the genre of EDM. To place such a bombastic track so close to the end of the record is an interesting choice, but really keeps things open to the many areas KUGGUR could explore in future.

 حصاد ضَوْءٌ النُّجُو is a one-of-a-kind experience with so many vast genres being played with and interpreted in such a fresh way, it feels like nothing else you’ll hear this year. Cinematic and melancholy, blending folk music of many cultures, electronica and ambience, KUGGUR has achieved something bold, broad and exciting.

Rating: 8/10

حصاد ضَوْءٌ النُّجُو is out now via Belfry Records.

Like KUGGUR on Facebook.