Ásgeir's new album Time On My Hands (Lo-Fi Version) is out

Icelandic singer-songwriter Ásgeir has always pushed the boundaries of his astute brand of folk-pop. On his latest lo-fi interpretation of the album 'Time On My Hands', Ásgeir captured an authentic style by recording acoustically, directly to a four-track tape recorder.

“Sweeping and emotive” – NME 

“Melodic undulations, jazzy drums and subdued brass instruments keep it interesting” – MOJO 

“Widescreen and dramatic” – Brooklyn Vegan

'Time On My Hands' saw Ásgeir in a state of soul-searching and experimentation, having spent much of the last few years in his home and in the studio while being deeply spellbound in writing, recording, translating and producing. His work has been praised by various major music outlets, such as Clash Magazine, BBC6 Music and Radio X. 

Ásgeir tells us; “The idea was to do an acoustic lo-if version of the album and to detox from all the production and computer use. We used an old four-track cassette recorder, sometimes recorded straight onto the cassettes and sometimes we ran audio from ProTools and through the recorder to get that flavour. It’s very lo-fi sounding and didn’t take a lot of time to make, which was the objective, not to overthink anything and just move on. Some of the songs sound almost like demos while others are more developed, with string arrangements written by Þórður Magnússon and some overdubbed guitars or synths.”

The rolling landscapes aesthetic of  'Time On My Hands' was inspired by Ásgeir's own relationship with music over the past few years. He says, “some of the albums or music that stand out from that time were Caribou’s album Suddenly, Caroline Polachek’s Pang, Dijon, Altopalo, Big Thief, Michael Kiwanuka, Sault, Ethan Gruska, Blake Mills and Unknown Mortal Orchestra. This music probably has something to do with how the record came out, combined with earlier influences”.

On 'Time On My Hands (Lo-Fi Version)' he has shifted his interest in the layered production of the original album, released in October 2022, towards a more stripped-back meditation. The album was recorded in Studio Hljóðrit where Ásgeir has always recorded, working closely with producer Guðmundur Kristinn Jónsson. The entirety of 'Time On My Hands (Lo-Fi Version)' carries a wistful yet soothing quality, with subtle additional textures providing depth.

Listen to the full album here

Upcoming live dates (BNL):

  • Friday 24th November - Trix Club, Antwerp (BE)
  • Monday 4th December - TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht (NL)
  • Tuesday 5th December - Spot, Groningen (NL)
  • Wednesday 6th December - Philharmonie, Haarlem (NL)

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