Elín Hall - 'Tachylite'
Icelandic singer-songwriter Elín Hall releases the breezy, melancholic and beautifully Nuanced new single ‘Tachylite’.
Released ahead of supporting Laufey in March, the new single showcases Elín Hall’s faultless feel for musicality, emotional sincerity and intimacy. Built around gently strummed, warming guitar tones, understated drums, some delicately placed cut samples of guitar and layered vocalisations, the track unfolds from its nuanced opening before Hall’s elegant lead vocals enter.
‘Tachylite’ carries both a cinematic alt-pop immediacy whilst also leaning into elements of jazz and indie-folk thanks to gentle guitar work and shuffling rhythm work. The track’s verse moves with a breezy sense of freedom, delivering lyricism that captures a tender fragility. This is contrasted by the darker, yearning pull of the chorus, which moves from its downbeat initial note selection, blooming into a soaring falsetto and shifting harmonies, offering a brief progression reminiscent of Radiohead while maintaining an overall sound comparable to Billie Marten and Lucy Rose.
As the track reaches its second verse, the track is pulled forward with the addition of sub heavy bass and some intricately sampled, pitch shifted and reversed guitar work. Stripping back to a strummed acoustic guitar and the layers of vocal harmonies of the chorus, the track then closes in a final bloom of dancing resampled guitar and layered harmonies loops over the thick synth bass and its tight side-stick beat.
Co-written with Jamie Woon, the track takes its name from a lesser-known volcanic rock formed when lava cools too rapidly, ultimately acting as a potent metaphor for a love driven by lust, too impatient to ever fully solidify. The image is reinforced by the simple yet strikingly beautiful new video.
Speaking on the track, Elín shares:
“Tachylite forms when volcanic lava rapidly cools and so causes the rock to become brittle and quite weak. I thought that was so typically tragic and so descriptive of a love built on lust. Love so impatient to be born it becomes brittle and never solidifies. Naming it after a volcanic rock is also a quiet nod to my father, a geophysicist who is a first responder during eruptions here in Iceland— I used to worry so much about him as a kid every time there was an eruption. I still worry, but I’m also in awe of his work and dedication. He has taught me a lot about following my passions.”
The track reunites Elín with GRAMMY-winning producer Martin Terefe, who previously helped sculpt the immersive worlds of ‘Heaven To A Heathen’ and ‘Wolf Boy’. Working alongside Jamie Woon’s signature micro-timings and understated production, Elín pushes her vocal phrasing into new territory, the three collaborators unlocking fresh dimensions of her sound once they finally shared the same room.
The release follows a wave of momentum for Elín, including much-hyped performances at Eurosonic, where she was voted the third most recommended artist. Alongside music, Elín’s acting career continues to flourish with her Cannes-selected performance in When the Light Breaks (2024) earning her Best Actress at both the Chicago International Film Festival and Iceland’s Edda Awards. Having opened for Smashing Pumpkins in Reykjavík, appeared at Bludfest, and performed at Iceland Airwaves, Elín Hall enters 2026 with an undeniable momentum, only reinforced by the beautiful new single.
Watch the stunning new video below and keep an eye out for more new releases from this uber-talented artist.
Words by Simon Lucas- Hughes
