Factoid Happiness Kaktus Einarsson

• 1 Borrowed Dreams (with Thibault Gomez) 04:18
• 2 Glycerine 03:43
• 3 The Decipherer (with RAKEL) 03:10
• 4 Burning Snow 03:48
• 5 New Perfume 03:14
• 6 Situated Lovers 03:49
• 7 Follow (with John Grant) 03:18
• 8 Another Feel 03:13
• 9 Lemon Taste 03:48
• 10 3rd Time (with Jessica Winter) 04:41
• Total Runtime 37:02

Info zu Factoid Happiness

In einer Welt, die von Falschinformationen und künstlich geschaffenen Idealen der Erfüllung überschwemmt ist, stellt „Factoid Happiness“ eine täuschend einfache Frage: Was macht uns eigentlich glücklich? Das dritte Album des isländischen Musikers Kaktus Einarsson erscheint am 18. September bei One Little Independent Records und sucht seine Antworten in Gemeinschaft, Gleichberechtigung und der stillen Widerstandskraft der Familie.

Auf zehn Titeln hinterfragt Kaktus die Systeme, die unser Gefühlsleben zunehmend prägen: Algorithmen, soziale Medien und politische Polarisierung. Er untersucht, wie das moderne Leben die Aufmerksamkeit verwässert, Gewissheiten untergräbt und sogar unser Glück zu einer Ware macht.

Musikalisch ist „Factoid Happiness“ reichhaltig und abwechslungsreich und bewegt sich zwischen intimen, vom Klavier getragenen Songs, warmem Indie-Rock, funkigen Grooves, disco-angehauchten Rhythmen und elektronischen Klangtexturen. Es spiegelt Kaktus’ Hintergrund als Songwriter wider, der fließend zwischen Underground-Experimenten und raffiniertem Pop wechselt. Auf der LP sind außerdem John Grant, RAKEL, Thibault Gomez und Jessica Winter zu hören.

In einer Zeit, die von Spaltung und Ablenkung geprägt ist, vertritt „Factoid Happiness“ die Ansicht, dass Familie (ob biologisch, selbst gewählt, romantisch oder platonisch) der Weg ist, wie wir verbunden bleiben und einer zersplitterten Welt widerstehen.

Kaktus Einarsson

Kaktus Einarsson
(b. 1992) has led a remarkable musical life. Born and raised in Reykjavík, Iceland, he was playing as part of experimental electronic act Ghostigital at the tender age of ten. He is the frontman of Fufanu, who have opened hometown shows for Radiohead and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. The band also broke out internationally, touring widely, supporting Blur in Hyde Park, and storming the festival circuit.

Having honed his understanding of songwriting, recording, and production, his debut album ‘Kick the Ladder’ is the culmination of his experience in contemporary classical and pop music and bridges the two sides of his work.

While writing and producing the album, Kaktus involved the French prepared piano experimentalist Thibault Gomez, for further sound developing. “I was using my knowledge of extended playing techniques and the contemporary repertoire, and getting them into my pop music,” he says. “We replaced synths with acoustic sounds that are familiar, but unfamiliar in many ways. It’s all organic, there are no artificial effects: we created all the effects with this one instrument, the grand piano. We tried it for every situation.”

Kaktus wrote the album in Iceland, then developed its sound in Copenhagen in collaboration with French prepared piano experimentalist Thibault Gomez. “I was using my knowledge of extended playing techniques and the contemporary repertoire, and getting them into my pop music,” he says. “We replaced synths with acoustic sounds that are familiar, but unfamiliar in many ways. It’s all organic, there are no artificial effects: we created all the effects with this one instrument, the grand piano. We tried it for every situation.”

The result is an intimate, melodic record with an expansive and experimental sound. The album also sees Kaktus evolve as a vocalist and lyricist, and expresses his outlook on a range of topics from interpersonal relationships to happiness, grief, and current events. “Every song on this album is a love letter to my environment, and my surroundings,” he says. “Some of the songs might be written to nature, and what is happening to our planet. Others are a dialogue between two people.”

‘Kick the Ladder’ was produced by Kaktus, alongside Swiss electronic composer Kurt Uenala, with whom he finished the record in New York City. ‘Daydream Echo’ builds on the words of an NYC street preacher. “They were standing in the same place every day, shouting about how we’re all going to die, and how we’re going on a ride,” says Kaktus. “A few weeks later, the world was in chaos. What if this New York lunatic was just more advanced than us, and we are the crazy ones?”

Dieses Album enthält kein Booklet