Intr0beatz, aka Reykjavik-born producer Arsaell Thor Ingvason, first emerged in the late 1990s as a turntablist and producer for Icelandic hip hop groups, before expanding his sound to include elements of chillout, house and funk – as evidenced on 2011’s Half Time, released on Möller Records.
In the years since, he has delved into deep house with releases on labels such as Dark Energy, Plastik People, SlothBoogie, Lagaffe Tales, Stay True Sounds and Aterral, as well as his own Cosmic Angles imprint. He’s also become a staple artist in Iceland’s recent house music revival.
For this week’s #MyRecordBag, Intr0beatz serves up his favourite ‘deep gems’ – tracks that left an indelible mark over his musical career.
Slum Village – Untitled
“Back in 2000, when this album came out, I was already familiar with Jay Dee (J Dilla) through his earlier work with some of my favourite artists. But the moment I heard this track, I completely lost it. I was almost in disbelief that someone could make beats with that kind of power – beats that could make you want to bang your head against a wall one minute, and have the best sex of your life the next.”
Pépé Bradock – Deep Burnt
“When I heard this for the first time, I remember feeling like I’d heard it somewhere before – almost as if it belonged to a previous life. It sounded incredibly familiar, yet at the same time, it was something I had never heard or felt before. There was something about it that felt strangely timeless. I still play it every chance I get. One of, if not the, greatest deep house tracks you could ever come across.”
Goldie – Timeless
“Back in 1995, I was completely immersed in jungle and drum & bass. Looking back, I think this album had a huge influence on the way I hear music to this day. The sheer depth of the soundscape Goldie created changed everything for me. And even though this track is over 20 minutes long, I can still listen to it from beginning to end without ever getting bored. There’s always something happening, something to discover, something pulling me back in.”
Crystal Waters – Gypsy Woman
“I was about 10 or 11 when I first heard this at the youth centre in my neighbourhood. Some people might think it’s cheesy, but I absolutely love it, and it still hits me the same way it did back then. When I started making house music myself, this was the kind of track I wanted to make – something with that same energy, emotion, and simplicity, but shaped through my own sound and perspective.”
Ajax – Ruffige
“Back in the ’90s, there wasn’t much music coming out of Iceland that I could really relate to. But when this track appeared on a compilation featuring Icelandic artists, something clicked for me. For the first time, I realised that there was a music scene in Iceland that I could connect with – something I could pursue and, maybe one day, even become a part of.”
Keep up to date with Intr0beatz’ latest releases and tour dates here and here.
