Rift is Icelandic band Hugar’s hotly anticipated sophomore release on Sony Masterworks’ imprint XXIM, now released as a 2LP double gatefold vinyl. On Rift, the band returns with a mesmerizing studio album, an epic sound-world of uplifting, euphoric instrumental music, mediative beats and epic elemental sound-worlds reflecting the timelessly evolving nature of their native Iceland. Hugar is the joint musical project of Bergur Þórisson and Pétur Jónsson –the two multi-talented instrumentalists, composers, producers and friends since childhood. Combining a shared passion for music and an impressive resume, working alongside fellow Icelandic luminaries Björk, Sigur Rós, Ólafur Arnalds and Johann Johannson, the longtime friends first began writing music together in 2013, recording and releasing their self-titled debut ‘Hugar’ the following year. Signed exclusively to Sony Music Masterworks, they’ve released their second longplayer Varða and the soundtrack album The Vasulka Effect – Music for the Motion Picture, which got them a nomination for the Nordic Film Composer Awards 2021. Þjóðlög / Folk Songs marked their first release on Sony’s new post-genre instrumental label XXIM Records, with Rift being their sophomore label release. Their new album is a poised, contemplative blend of ambient electronica, meditative strings, and contemporary neo-classical elements that covers a wide range of themes but was born from a simple, yet profound observation in their native Iceland. Rift reflects the creative power that’s unleashed when things are pulled apart, the void that’s left providing fertile ground for new ideas. The title refers to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge faultline that runs through Þingvellir, the national park located 40km northeast of the capital, and provides a fitting metaphor for the slowly changing yet seismic shifts in Hugar’s music. The album arrives ahead of a European tour (including the UK) in early 2022.