THORISSON + HEDBAND - In For The Win
Written by C Z A R I N A
It’s the way he dons the color pink and platinum-purple dégradé hair that first caught a lot of our attention. And then there’s the lucid and effortless saxophone and synth performances popping all over social media, and recently an appearance in ‘80s Revivalist, Blake Carpenter’s music videos on the Synthwave Twitch Channel, Static Realms. Who is this lovely pastel-tinted emerging synthwave charmer? He is no other than Iceland-based music maven, multi-instrumentalist artist/producer THORISSON. Thorisson has been turning heads with his own brand of saxophone and brass horn-gilded synthwave and synthpop. Thorisson’s musical palette and range contain all the ingredients of electropop, synthpop, and new wave with some touches of modern pop sensibilities especially in tracks like “Rise Up,” “Thinking Bout Us” (with Siri Linn), “Don’t Lie To Me” (with Nitika Budha Magar), “One Night” and “Neon Skies” with fellow Iceland synth pop duo Hedband. Thorisson also completes the musical spectrum, diving into the edgier side of synth-based music in tracks like “Showdown” that features some wild guitar heroics over sparkling arpeggios and heavenly, phosphorescent pads.
Then through Thorisson, we discovered the very lovely, dynamic duo Hedband. Thorisson recently teamed up with Hedband for a winning anthem with a perfectly-timed release at the dawn of the Summer Olympics in Tokyo: “In For The Win.”
“In For The Win” is a track for the underdogs, an anthem for all those who have been second-guessed by themselves or others. (We definitely know what that feels like!) Over the triumphant 80's synths, saxophone, electric guitar and stunning harmonies, the track wins with its uplifting lyrics and affirmations that we will get through all the hurdles just the way our all-time favorite Olympic gymnast, Simone Biles tackles her floor routine. Listen to the track here.
About THORISSON
Born in Iceland in 1993, Borgar Thorisson became interested in music from a young age. It was not until his late teens, though, that he developed an interest in music production. Thorisson made his breakthrough in 2014 with a remix of Sunset & Solid Skill’s “Alive” with Cloudland Music with huge success, making it to Markus Schulz’s top 10 songs for November 2014.
Following on, he signed 2 new tracks to the same label, and ‘Awake’ and ‘The End’. In 2016, Thorisson moved to England which gave his career a boost, seeing him teaming up with singer Molly Bancroft for ‘The One For Me’, followed by a collaboration with Simon Latham the following year called ‘Here We Are’, which was premiered by superstar DJ Armin van Buuren.
The producer has since re-established himself in the synthpop and synthwave realm, with his most notable releases to date being collaborations ‘One Night’ with Hedband and ‘Thinking ‘Bout Us’ with Siri Linn, which respectively earned him a spot on the 2018 Iceland Airwaves music festival and a top 50 position in Norway’s pop charts.
For more Thorisson, visit: thorisson.bandcamp.com
About Hedband
What started off as a fun idea between singers Karitas Harpa Davidsdottir and Inga Birna Fridjonsdottir, turned into a reality one day when they woke up to a message from Thorisson, who had been looking to take his production into a different direction.
The duo had already formed an idea of the band’s concept, with costumes and musical directions determined. Once that final piece had made its way into their puzzle, Hedband were set to release their debut single ‘One Night’ with Thorisson, which quickly found its way into Iceland’s national radio’s top list. Following on, the group performed at the 2018 Iceland Airwaves music festival and released a Christmas cover, ‘Snjokorn Falla’ the same year.
After a 3 year hiatus, Hedband have returned to the scene, spontaneously releasing ‘In for the Win’, for which they teamed up with Thorisson again. For now, Karitas and Inga have decided to take another break from their ‘80s infused ventures, but who knows what the future has in store for Hedband.
