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A Deal With The Universe: Kristín Anna Navigates The Personal And The Professional
A distinctly enigmatic character with a unique, ultra-high pitched voice, Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir has been a widely recognised figure in Icelandic music and art for nearly two decades. Previously known as Kría Brekkan and now as simply Kristín Anna, the multi-instrumentalist has…
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Grapevine Playlist: Bjarki, John Grant, Hjálmar, RVKDTR, Axel Flóvent & more
Like a pack of raging, ravenous polar bears charging into your living room, here are the latest tracks we’ve been listening to from the Icelandic scene. Bjarki – Fork Techno isn’t often described as “fun,” as it demands a seriousness and repetitiveness,…
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Music News: Ambitious Tours, Reykjavík Jazz Festival, Bjarki Going Strong, Busy FALK & More
Three Icelandic acts are embarking on ambitious tours this year. First, mom-folk strummer Axel Flovent is heading out on a European tour in Nov-Dec. Second, with one member fresh from playing on Björk’s ‘Utopia’ tour, Hugar are embarking on a tour of…
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The Indoor Demon Strikes Again: Get Ready For Innipúkinn
You all know Verslunarmannahelgi (“Shopkeeper’s Weekend”). You’re going to get shitfaced in the Westman Islands and camp in the god-forsaken rain, while the wind blows the beer out of your hand. Doesn‘t sound like too much fun, does it? The team behind…
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Track By Track: ‘Allt í Einu’ by Andi
Andi is an Icelandic electronica producer whose self-titled debut album won him a Grapevine Music Award in 2017. Here, he talks us through the follow-up, “Allt í einu.” “In Icelandic the title of the album has a double meaning,” says Andi. “‘All…
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I Miss My Sex Self: MSEA Yearns For Unification On New Single
Slime. Flesh. Feelings of emptiness. Feelings of fullness. A disconnected self. The musician MSEA explores these themes in her latest single and music video, “Sex Self.” Coined by MSEA, the term “Sex Self” refers to a feeling of wholeness; of being unified…
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Grapevine Playlist: ASTVALDUR, Omotrack, Kristín Anna, Andi, Mosi & More
Like eight glorious sea eagles swooping majestically into your living room, we present to you the essential Icelandic tracks of the previous fortnight, including scorching electronica that will hurt and please your brain, a ghostly theremin anthem, and Kristín Anna setting shit…
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G! Force: G! Festival Turns A Tiny Faroese Town Into An All-In Beach Party
It’s hard to believe, on first sight, that a music festival could take place in the location of G! Festival. The 50-minute drive from the Faroese capital city of Tórshavn to the tiny village of Gøta crosses long bridges, mountain passes and…
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Music News: Norðanpaunk Lineup, Andi Snap-Releases 2nd LP, Vikingur Marches On
Norðanpaunk Festival, held annually in the roadside hamlet of Laugarbakki in Northwest Iceland, has announced the final lineup for their 2018 edition. Originally branded as a punk festival, the lineup is a diverse cross-section of Iceland’s various conjoined underground, dark, heavy and…
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Knock Knock Knockin’ On Reykjavík’s Door: Also Bands That Should Retire
Notoriously relevant rockers Guns N’ Roses will be welcoming Reykjavík to their aural jungle on July 24th. The concert will be Iceland’s biggest concert ever—take that Justin Bieber—and ticket prices range between 30,000 ISK and 88,000 ISK ($280 to $822). At the…
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Weird, Unafraid And Upbeat: Collaborative Duo Stelpuróló Talk Music
Local rap musicians HOLY HRAFN (Óli Hrafn Jónasson) and Stelpurófan (Þorgerður María Þorbjarnardóttir) form the musical collaboration Stelpuróló. In the past months, they have performed at a handful of events—such as our own Grassroots n°6 concert—and at local DIY music venue R6013.…
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Look Who’s Spitting: BLVCK POX On Babies, Beats And Bombshells
You might not have heard of BLVCK POX but in the local hip-hop game in Reykjavík, he’s a strong contender. He’s one of the rappers that bubbled up on SoundCloud and social media during the first wave of Icelandic hip-hop which surfaced…
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Reaching For The Moon: Kælan Mikla Reissue Debut, Play with The Cure
Even though Iceland has been cold as fuck this year, local alternative goth trio Kælan Mikla have found themselves a spot in the sun. When we sit down with bassist Margrét Rósa Dóru-Harrysdóttir and lead vocalist Laufey Soffia (the third member, keyboardist…
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Artist Playlist: Underwater Grooves With Marbendill
In Icelandic mythology, a Marbendill is the male version of a mermaid. It’s also the pseudonym of up and coming DJ, artist, graphic designer, and man-about town Þrándur Jóhannsson. We asked him to come to surface and talk us through some of…
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On The Road: Snorri Helgason On Silly Songs & Brand-New Adventures
There is something magically captivating about the idea of life on the road. From Marco Polo’s ‘Million’ to the American Dream, generations of youths have counted on the cobbled roads of the world to spur them forward—physically and mentally. So it’s no…
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Track By Track: HRNNR – ‘Velkomin í teitið mitt’
Take a magic hat, pour in some trap, some arthouse rap, some heavy beats, some balloons, and add a touch of punk and way too much sugar. Voilá: you have HRNNR, the most offbeat figure in the Icelandic hip-hop scene. HRNNR, aka…
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Electric Dreams: Icelandic Electronic Label Sweaty Records Find The Same Wavelength
Sweaty Records is a record label run by a group of Icelandic musicians and DJs based mainly in Berlin and partly in Reykjavík. Þórður Kári—aka Kosmodod—is one of the label’s central figures, and his new single ‘Afterlife’ was released on the label…
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Weird Emotions: K.ola On Emotional Interactions, DIY & Collaboration
The self-proclaimed “medium-curious musician” Katrín Helga Ólafsdóttir is an up-and-coming artist studying composition at Iceland University of the Arts. She is known under her artist name K.óla and is a member of indie dream pop band Milkhouse. Multi-genre Musician Her songs are…
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A Party Full Of Art: Reykjavík’s First Fringe Festival Is Here
Performers from both Iceland and abroad will gather in Reykjavik this July to offer the city something it’s never seen before: the first ever Reykjavik Fringe Festival. The event will be held in different locations around town from July 4th-8th. Visitors can…
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Music News: Kælan Mikla, Innipúkinn, Mighty Bear
DIY goth-rock trio Kælan Mikla were recently invited to play at Robert Smith’s Meltdown festival at the Royal Festival Hall in London. It must have gone pretty well: soon after, they were announced to support The Cure at a one-off anniversary show…
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A Lovely Great Time: Meet The Post-Dreifing DIY Arts & Music Collective
Now and then, a new music scene seems to spring up out of the ground. The last few years have seen the appearance of a local rap scene that quickly went overground, and the rise of a dark alternative scene hinged around…
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Grapevine Playlist: Úlfur, SEINT, GDRN, Ólafur Arnalds, GKR, Högni, More
If you’re sick of football, here are the latest tracks from the eternally renewable resource of Icelandic music instead. Arborescence {remixes} by Úlfur, Oren Ambarchi, Kara-Lis Coverdale, Alex Somers Úlfur – Scraped (Kara-Lis Coverdale ‘Serpentine’ Rework) Before his recent quite mellow solo…
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Grapevine Playlist: Fufanu, List Einn, Countess Malaise & Pusswhip, HRNNR & More
Oh lord! Like the presence of a pink unsetting sun in the midnight sky, the Icelandic music scene shines down constantly upon us all. Here’s what’s new. Fufanu – Hourglass Fufanu are a genre-skipping band that have released krautrock epics, new wave…