“Vor 2” by Yagya

It’s been an age since I last listened to the atmospheric dub techno of Iceland’s Aðalsteinn Guðmundsson, aka Yagya, which is entirely my loss.

On 2023’s Faded Photographs, Guðmundsson composed lovely ambient pop tunes with the help of various vocalists, including Benoit Pioulard and Bandreas. For the upcoming Vor, however, Guðmundsson returns to his dub techno roots while drawing inspiration from the spring and autumn seasons.

With its echo-laden dub beats, gracefully sweeping synths, and wistful melodies, “Vor 2” evokes the fresh, wide-open aspects of spring, when the winter snow finally starts to thaw and the sky becomes reliably blue and sunny.

Vor will be released by Small Plastic Animals on February 7, 2025.