Author: Gabríel Benjamin
HAM TONIGHT & FOREVER: Shedding Skin, Reaching New Heights
Infamous cult favourites-cum-everyman rockers HAM have been at it for almost three decades now, turning an entire generation of Icelanders…
Poised For Domination, Agent Fresco Celebrate ‘Destrier’
Agent Fresco’s new album ‘Destrier’ starts with a series of disparate sounds that slowly meld into a Tartini tone—that is,…
Kælan Mikla’s New Video: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Since playing Airwaves last year, nihilist poet-punks Kælan Mikla have evolved drastically, as is apparent in their new and mesmerising video for…
Happening Tonight: Jófríður & WESEN
One of Iceland’s more prominent electronica wünderkind, Jófríður Ákadóttir, is performing solo at Húrra. She stepped onto the scene a…
You’re Welcome: An Update On Refugee Affairs
Over the past month, we’ve seen the biggest U-turn in Iceland’s foreign policy in recent history. Always hesitant to accept…
Happening Tonight: Icarus Fundraising Gig
Hardcore punks Icarus have been soaring to some great heights lately, touring through the States, and are putting on a…
Happening Tonight: Jón Þór
Iceland’s ultra-independent solo rocker, Jón Þór, previously connected to indie rock greats Lada Sport and Dynamo Fog, is playing a…
The Northern Marginal Of The Scene
The Northern Marginal Festival came about almost by accident. Originally planned as an innovation seminar at the Nordic House by…
Iceland Becomes You: Four Former Refugees Relay Their Stories
by Alexander de Ridder and Gabríel Benjamin
Biljana Boloban Nationality: Serbian Age: 21 Year of arrival: 2001 Biljana arrived in Iceland with her mother, father, and younger…
UNHCR: “Saving Lives Should Always Be A Prerogative”
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is tasked with both providing solutions for refugees, and monitoring and supporting different states in…
#Kommentakerfið Is Almost Here, And It’s Great!
Óli Gneisti Sóleyjarson is a pretty ordinary guy. When he was made redundant at his work, he set out to…
Iceland Centre Stage At Nordic Film Festival
The long-standing Nordic short & doc film festival, Nordisk Panorama, has a special focus on Icelandic films this year. Serving…
Women With Disabilities Object to Being Used As Scapegoats
Two groups of women with disabilities, Tabú and the women’s group within ÖBÍ (the Organisation of Disabled in Iceland), sent…
Humming Like A Wasp: We Tuk Tuk Off In 101 Reykjavík
Earlier this summer, during an otherwise ordinary Sunday evening, blues musician Halldór Bragason was surprised to find a tour bus…
Happening Tonight: ‘I Want To Be Weird’ At Bíó Paradís
Feature documentary ‘Ég vil vera skrýtin’ (“I Want To Be Weird”) shines a spotlight on British-born artist Kitty Von-Sometime, who…
Happening Tonight: Futuregrapher At Hlemmur Square
Futuregrapher, the altogether lovely one-man electronic outfit, is playing a show at Hlemmur Square and you should absolutely go. His…
Happening Tonight: Æla At Bar 11
Energetic post-punkers Æla (yup, that means “vomit”) will be rockin’ out at Bar 11 to celebrate their new album ‘Vettlingatök’,…
The Route To The Westman Islands Is Paved With Good Intentions
Icelanders have by and large turned their back on the once prevalent notion that women are responsible for ensuring that…
Melodica Festival: “Couchsurfing, With A Stage”
Iceland’s summer season is filled with festivals. So many festivals. Some take place in small and remote fishing towns. Others…
Binders, Not Papers, Full Of Women
Back in the first quarter of 2001, Iceland’s Ministry of Education released an extensive report on women in media (PDF)….
Kunstschlager: Young And Playfully Creative
These days, it’s not uncommon to see recent art school graduates finding strength in numbers and opening a studio together—it…
Taking Pride In The Past And Future
The annual Reykjavík Pride is almost upon us, and there is a lot to look forward to. In addition to…
News In Brief: End of July 2015
Complaints about Iceland’s tourism industry being poorly organised are hardly new at this point, but this July was particularly shitty….
Split Opinions Over Supposed Media Silence In Westman Islands
The Westman Islands’ police commissioner’s decision to refuse to disclose any information regarding reported acts of sexual assault during the…
Searching For Reykjavík’s Best Old Fashioned
There’s no doubt that ‘Mad Men’—television auteur Matthew Weiner’s conflicted tribute to an America that was—left a great big legacy…