Monocle Magazine reports on a design agency in Copenhagen that specializes in making type fonts. The agency, e-Types has even set up a retail store. See the coverage here: Playtype.
Icelandic music….from Iceland Airwaves
I actually personally attended the very first Iceland Airwaves concert in Iceland back in 1999. Gus Gus played and a very cool Beastie Boys-ish band called Quarashi played as did Detroit’s Thievery Corporation. Flavorwire highlighted a few of their favorite new bands from Iceland playing at this year’s Airwaves festival on their site.
New Dreamy Nordic Indie Band from Finland
Thanks to Nordic Vibes, a Dutch blog covering Scandinavian music, I discovered this super dreamy from Finland. They describe themselves as: “Combining the hypnotic soundscapes of dream pop with lush melodies.”
Seems like they’ve been making waves worldwide with their self-titled album, which launched in Finland about a year ago in Sept. 2010, then later in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands, and most recently in the U.S. in May this year.
Download their latest EP “Before I Go Go,” and listen to samples of the album on their website. And check out a few of their videos below including one of their hit songs “About Brothers.”
Denmark increases prices on fatty foods, fat tax or “fat lie”?
It’s no secret that Denmark has a very high cost of living and with 25% sales tax on all items, including food and clothing, most everything costs a bit more here. I will admit it was odd to see people stockpiling butter the other day, the day before the new “fat tax” was imposed. What was even more astonishing was seeing how a small bag of nuts cost around 50 Dkr, or around $10, or full fat milk cost significantly more than low-fat. I had to wonder if this fat tax has something more to do with compensating for other economic troubles than it does keeping the nation trim. I don’t deny that the idea of imposing a “fat tax” is brilliant, and I totally support it, but when you ask a Dane on the street if they plan to cut out their morning pastry, the answer is, “no.”
Another view is that some say fat is not the real culprit, it’s salt, sugar and refined carbohydrates.
Here is a list of coverage regarding the tax. What’s your view?
Denmark’s fat tax – Washington Post
Denmark Institutes First-Ever ‘Fat Tax’ - Time
Denmark levies world’s first fat tax - Yahoo.com
Fat tax draws foreign attention - Copenhagen Post
Denmark Imposes A ‘Fat Tax’ – CBS Minnesota
Fat Tax Launch Leaves ‘A Lot Of Empty Shelves’ - Sky News
Taxing fat in cultures that see it as prosperity – The Economic Times
VAT on FAT? – Kipper Report
Others:
New Media — Copenhagen Art & Lifestyle Magazines
Just discovered two magazines dedicated to art & lifestyle in Copenhagen.
Check them out!
CPH-ART.DK — http://www.cph-art.dk/
Bitchslap Magazine — http://bitchslapmag.com/about/
Nordic Fashion in Seattle
This year’s Icelandic-based Nordiska Fashion Biennale, an exhibition that showcases Nordic fashion and accessories, will take place for the first time in the U.S. in Seattle. Co-produced by the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle, where the event will take place from Sept. 30-Nov. 13, and the Nordic House in Reykjavik, the event will focus on the themes of sustainability, cultural heritage and branding. A side music event will take place in Seattle on Nov. 5, called “Sister City Showcase, Reykjavik Calling,” featuring both Icelandic and Seattle-based bands, as well as some from the Faroe Islands. Icelandic bands include:
http://www.myspace.com/sinfangbous
http://www.myspace.com/peturben
The Nordic Fashion Biennale was launched first by the Nordic House, Reykjavik in 2009, and included more than 60 designers, artists, musicians and speakers. The major focal point of the event will be an exhibition called
“Looking Back to Find our Future,” curated by New York-based Icelandic artist Hrafnhildur Arnardottir a.k.a Shoplifter, known for her work with Björk and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The event will be kicked-off on Sept. 30 with a two-day Summit featuring a number of presentations made by international design experts such as Yvan Mispelaere, creative director at Diane Von Furstenberg, and Gudrun & Gudrun Tone Skårdal Tobiasson from NICE, among others. In addition, three Danish designers, Henrik Vibskov, Barbara í Gongini and Bibi Chemnitz (Faroese brand) will represent Denmark. Other well-known Scandinavian brands represented will be: Sandra Backlund of Sweden, Norwegian Moods of Norway, and Steinunn of Iceland. A full list of designers with profiles can be found here.
On the event’s website, they highlight: “Looking Back to Find our Future will include cutting-edge contemporary fashion, design, and installations throughout the Museum that will blur past and present, highlighting traditions of craft and creativity in Nordic design. The exhibition will demonstrate how important the influences of nature and heritage are for Nordic designers.”
An additional component of the event is a design competition called North by Northwest (N x NW) aimed to “inspire creativity, encourage emerging designers to seek out new directions, and spark awareness of new trends in Nordic fashion.”
Two winners will win a trip to Iceland during the Reykjavik Fashion Festival.
For more info, visit: www.nordicfashionbiennale.com
Denmark Elects First Woman Prime Minister
Read coverage in some of the international papers about the historic win for Denmark….in more ways than one…
New York Times: Denmark to Be Led by Its First Female Premier as Leftists Win
The Guardian: Danes vote for their first female prime minister
Huffington Post: Denmark Elections: Helle Thorning-Schmidt, First Woman To Become Prime Minister, Defeats Lars Loekke Rasmussen
Financial Times: Denmark elects its first female premier
Fruit Picking & Organic Farms in Denmark
Since it’s harvest time, I decided to look up some places around the country to pick or harvest fruit, mainly berries, plums and apples. Here is a useful website if you want to venture out and “pluk selv” / pick yourself!
Here is a site dedicated to places where you can pick Danish strawberries: http://www.danskejordbaer.dk/
A secret source (a family friend), tipped me off on where to find blackberries, my all-time favorite berry, in the wild. The area in the southern part of Zealand, “Knudshoved Odde” should have loads of blackberries right now but for those closer to Copenhagen, there should be some in Amager fælled from Bryggebroen to ITU (the Technical University) where the path comes out of the fælled at the roundabout, Ørestad Boulevard / Tom Kristensensvej.
Also, if you’re interested in visiting an organic farm, visit Økologisk landsforening to find a shop or farm that you can visit and go right to the source for your fruit and veg. We visited one based on the honor system. You just put your money in a box and take what you wish.
Many also have gårdbutikker, or “farm shops”. Here you can find a list of gårdbutikker around Denmark.
A Poet’s Last Song by H.C. Andersen
Bear me but hence, thou mighty Death,
to where the souls abide me!
Forward I’ve gone with fearless breath
the way that God did guide me.
The songs I sang, O God, were thine–
unguessed the weather that filled them;
’twas little art they held of mine;
like bird on bough I thrilled them.
Farewell, red rose of fragrant breath,
farewell, ye dear ones yonder!
Bear me but hence, thou mighty Death,
though here ’twas good to wander.
Thanks be to God for all he gave
and ceaseth not from sending.
Fly, Death, o’re Times’ eternal wave
where summer waits unending!
