In our review of Jóhann Jóhannsson’s album Fordlândia, we called it his greatest work so far, high praise indeed for the Icelandic composer responsible for some of the most chilling and haunting pieces of the last decade. Fordlândia tells the tale of the Brazilian workers, forced into work by Henry Ford in the 1930’s to produce rubber on the plantation land bought for his company. The workers were treated as near slaves, all vices forbidden, their way of life threatened by the American way. We were fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to met with Jóhann, where we learn about his childhood in Iceland and encounters with the boffins at CERN. Continue Reading

Imagine being told that your homeland, some 10,000 square kilometres of land, no longer belonged to you. That it had been purchased by a rich American, intent on stripping away all natural resources to provide rubber for his car plant. Drinking and smoking become forbidden, even inside your own home, the way of life of your so-called benefactor forced upon you. Your food is nasty and American, cheap hamburgers providing little sustenance and leaving you feeling bloated and ill. This was the plight of the Brazilian workers who in the 1930’s, found themselves working for Henry Ford in Fordlândia, areas of plantation land bought for his company, and the subject of the latest album from Jóhann Jóhannsson. Continue Reading