Music News: President Bongo, Airwaves For Gender Equality, G Y D A’s Moonchild

Acclaimed producer and DJ President Bongo—a former member of GusGus—has announced a new solo record. The release is the third in the LAPB (Les Aventures De President Bongo) series—an ambitious endeavour wherein Bongo “assumes the role of producer/instigator/artistic director, tasking some of modernity‘s most revered musicians with expanding their horizons.” This will result in 24 LPs released over the next seven years. The third in the series, entitled ‘Quadrantes,’ is a collaboration between the Prez himself and Óttar S, to be released on September 21st with remixes by Sonic Deception and Yotam Avni. JR

The New York Times reported recently that Iceland Airwaves has become the first festival to boast a lineup featuring at least as many female as male performers. Airwaves’ effort is part of the global Keychange initiative, which 109 festivals have signed on to, with the goal of achieving gender parity of festival lineups by 2022. According to Iceland Airwaves’ head of operations, Will Larnach-Jones, it was easy to reach their goal: “We looked at people we really liked, and then in meetings said, ‘Do we have enough?’ Happily we always did.” NE

Gyða Valtýsdóttir, whose album of reworked classical compositions ‘Epicycle’ met with great acclaim in 2017, has unveiled a video for “Moonchild.” It’s her first original solo work to be released under the new project name G Y D A, and the first taste of a solo album ‘Evolution’ that will come out on figureight this September. Gyða rose to prominence as a member of múm, but has been gradually weaving an intriguing world in her solo performances; the new song is a haunting, gossamer-delicate composition that promises great things for the LP. JR