Finnish
emojis
Lastmonth, Finlandbecame thefirst country in theworld to launch its own
set of emojis.When theproject is finished,more than30 Finlandemojis
will be available todownload from app stores for free– startingwithnaked
male and femalefigures in saunas, aNokia3310 (called “unbreakable”) and a
heavymetal headbanger.Many of themwill be turned into anemoji Advent
calendar forChristmas that canbedownloaded from the ThisisFINLAND
website.
xmas.finland.fi
n
thdegree
HEYRHIMNASMIÐUR
Theacappella versionof
an Icelandichymncalled
HeyrHimnaSmiður
– sung
impromptuby Icelandicband
Árstíðir at aGerman train
station–has receivedover
4.6millionhitsonYouTube.
Thehymnwascomposedby
Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson,who
tookhis inspiration froma
12th-centurypsalm. Ithas
becomeoneof thecountry’s
mostpopularhymns,with
salesof a sheetmusic
arrangement increasingby
250percent.
arstidir.com,
shop.mic.is
250per cent increase2015
Mixed choir arrangement sales 2013
Theface
JENNYHVAL
Norwegianvocalist Jenny
Hval isknown forblurring
theboundariesbetween
musicianandperformance
artist –herpoeticand
frank lyricsover sparse,
celestial electronicahave
drawncomparisons toYoko
Ono.Hval’s 2006debutEP,
Cigars
,wasnominated for
theNorwegianequivalent
of aGrammy, andwas
followedby twoalbums
releasedunder themoniker
Rockettothesky.Her latest
album,
Apocalypse,Girl
,was
released thisyear tocritical
acclaim, and she’s currently
on tour inEurope, before
heading toAustralia in
January.
jennyhval.com
n
/011
