Words by

Dr. Gunni

What’s happening at Sónar Reykjavík that old farts raised on punk and new wave might find interesting? Dr. Gunni investigates the visiting artists and passes judgement, as only an old fart can.

Skrillex (aka Sonny Moore) is amongst the best-known acts this year. He looks like a nice dude with a slightly stupid haircut. His music has pretty intense beats and would go down well in spin class. Unfortunately, Harpa will not be full of spin bikes. Instead Sonny will turn his knobs and headbang behind a table with lasers flashing around, etc. I would pay decent money to get him to play at my spin class. [If you happen to be reading this, Sonny, and wouldn’t mind making some extra money (decent money!), drop us a line at editor@grapevine.is and we’ll hook you up with the good doctor.]

Jamie XX is the main guy from the English band The xx. I really liked their first album—sort of a 21st century Young Marble Giants or something—but I was hugely let down by their crappy second one. Jamie XX will probably be doing rather introverted music, but with a beat. And he will be shaking behind a table.

I though TV on the Radio’s debut album, 2004’s ‘Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes’, was a great album. Then I sort of stopped paying attention, as their second album wasn’t as exciting. This is what often happens to me in the modern age of redundancy. But the band has probably done more exciting things, and I would jump on the chance to see them live.

I keep track of what people are saying about what was last year’s best albums. If I see some album all over the place I check it out. Therefore, I have listened to Norwegian Todd Terje’s ‘It’s Album Time’. I sincerely don’t get what the fuss is about. The album sounds like a cross between some boring fusion band from the seventies and a German faux cocktail lounge album from the late nineties. But there must be something that I don’t hear, so I would go and try to see it live.

Mute Records founder Daniel Miller is a legend. He probably does a DJ set, and if he slips in his 1978 masterpiece “Warm Leatherette,” I’d be happy. He probably won’t, though, but I’d still be happy. As happy as after I saw David Lynch promoting yoga.

SBTRKT (aka Aaron Jerome) is really good and pretty close to mainstream modern pop. Melodic and rhythmically interesting and cool. After my investigation on YouTube, I see that it’s not just some guy behind a table, but a guy behind stacks of keyboards with two drummers on each side. So, for an old fart like me who is also interested in modern pop (if it’s interesting), SBTRKT would be a top priority.