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Dada Pogrom: 30 Years Of Tech Noire Crushing Music
A text-version of “Star Wars” plays on a 70s computer as Kenneth Vladas Balys, who grew up in Iceland and Canada, walks around his art studio at Grandi, introducing some new bass synthesisers he’s been making by himself. The studio is a…
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We’re Not Sports Persons: Supersport! Aims For Top 10 Pop Hit
Bjarni, Þóra, and Dagur of Supersport! are all cuteness and smiles as they sit around a table at Kaffibrennslan. The band is fresh off an enchanting Culture Night performance, where, forgoing the stage, they decided to sit in a patch of grass…
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A Huge, Awesome Experiment: Listastofan Closes
Listastofan’s final exhibition WE RUINED EVERYTHING opens September 6th. The goodbye party will be held at Iðnó on September 19th. “If there is one thing I could say about Listastofan, it would be that it was one huge, awesome experiment,” says Martyna…
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Everything Will Be All Right: K.óla On Her New Album & Playing With Björk
K.óla is Katrín Ólafsdóttir, a 22-year-young artist who just released her anticipated new album ‘Allt verður alltílæ.’ It features seven heartfelt songs, full of cool bass riffs, catchy melodies and honest lyrics. And it’s all thanks to chocolate and boring piano practices.…
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Norðanpaunk Returns For The 6(66)th Time, For The Love Of Extremes
These words have been written before, and so they shall be again: Norðanpaunk is an event like no other. The annual gathering of the Icelandic punk community spans three days and boasts no less than 50 local and international bands. It is…
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Devine Defilement Write Death Metal In Their Underwear
It is May 1st and I am meeting the four members of Devine Defilement in the smoking area of a bar in downtown Reykjavík. When I get there, the band are enjoying their day off with beer and cigarettes, and all of…
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Anuradha Roy: An Author Living In Three Different Realities
Indian-born novelist Anuradha Roy lives in a small cottage, surrounded by deep forest, in the Indian Himalayas with her husband and their three dogs. Roy has written and published four novels, often drawing inspiration for her stories from her own life. The…
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The Immeasurable And The Unsaid: Tumi & Maggi’s ‘Allt Er Ómælið’
“Everything is immeasurable,” said the pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Anaximander. Did he actually predict that sometime in the future, there would be a music genre called jazz? We might never know. But drum and saxophone duo Tumi Arnason and Magnús Trygvason Eliassen decided…
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Underwater Realities: DJ. Flugvél Og Geimskip Descends To Atlantis
Once upon a time, long before anything existed, there were ancient creatures telling stories. These stories came in the form of songs and those songs emitted vibrations—the soundwaves that created the universe. Don’t believe it? Go into a silent room, take a…
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From Hot Tub Dream To Big Screen: The Borgarnes Film Freaks Make It Happen
Borgarnes is an idyllic little town in the West of Iceland. With roughly 2000 inhabitants, it could be easily overlooked as a drive-through on the road to more popular tourist attractions or Iceland’s second city, Akureyri. But, don’t be fooled—Borgarnes has some…
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Hearts Of Lead: Kaleikr’s Debut Is Original, Complex And Heavy
In recent years, the Icelandic black metal scene has been flourishing. Bands such as Misþirming, Svartidauði, Sinmara and Almyrkvi (to name just a few) have put Iceland on the map for dissonant metal, straight from the darkest depths of hell. From the…
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Grapevine Playlist: Hermigervill, sillus, HATARI, Psychoplasmics, ZAKAZ & More
A lot of great music sneaked out over the Christmas period, whilst your eye was off the ball, and on the egg nog. If anyone actually drinks that stuff. We don’t really know. We mostly see it in movies. Hermigervill – II…
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Like Flies To The Light: Kaffibarinn Hits 25, Barflies 2 Photo Book Published
Kaffibarinn is no ordinary bar. It just recently celebrated its 25th anniversary—and in the ever-evolving nightlife environment of Reykjavík, this really means something. And, well, there’s a reason for its longevity. The bar has thrown many legendary parties over the years—it made…
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A Witness Of Life: Haraldur Jónsson Reveals His Expansive Artistic Spectrum
I am standing in Kjarvalsstaðir museum, where Haraldur Jónsson, one of Iceland’s most renowned visual artists, celebrated the opening of his mid-career retrospective, “Spectrum,” just a few weeks ago. It’s after the museum’s opening hours and, of course, it’s already dark outside.…
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“Inclusive Nation” Is The Cycle Music & Art Festival’s 2018 Theme
In the age of globalisation, the concepts of nation and nationality become increasingly challenged. With immigration to Iceland on the rise, the country is facing a new fundamental change to its society, just 100 years after the declaration of its sovereignty. This…
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Short Films And Fish: The 11th Northern Wave Film Festival Is Here
Imagine you are sitting on the beach in Barcelona, reading about the New Wave in film, and thinking: “This is exactly what I want to do!” Plot Twist: You come from a small town in Iceland called Grundarfjörður, located right next to…
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The Search For The Ghost Duck: The Epic Journey Of Berghaim
Berghaim is a character that is half-hidden and half-visible. The only thing that can be seen is his face, buried in the ground. Having spent most of his life in solitude, his life was shaped by the sounds that surround him, and…
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The Precious Plastic Initiative Aims To Change An Unhealthy Relationship
Sometimes we need a reminder that even small actions—and a small number of people—can change the world. Björn Steinar Blumenstein and Brynjólfur Stefánsson are such a reminder. In just a little over two months, they built a container, four different plastic recycling…
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Paradise Is Now: An Afternoon With Paradís Sessions On Viðey
Rain showers hit the car windows as James Cox, the head of Paradís Sessions, picks me up around noon. A conversation about Iceland’s unpredictable weather ensues as we drive towards the harbour, hoping for the sun to show its beautiful face. The…
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Of Brussels Sprouts And Bus Terminals: BSÍ Release First EP
BSÍ is no ordinary band. Consisting of just two members, namely Sigurlaug Thorarensen (drums and vocals) and Julius Rothlaender (bass and synths), the band’s inception was a fortuitous twist of fate. Neither Sigurlaug nor Julius were used to playing the instrument they…
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The Art Of Not Taking Yourself Too Seriously… As Taught By The Ancient Medicine Of Cacao
Our society is obsessed with stimulants. Often, the healing aspects of those stimulants are long forgotten. Sure, coffee contains a lot of antioxidants—but it still gets you high. And way too frequently, this high is being abused to get us through a…
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The Multidisciplinary Art Piece “Shadow Nymphs” Explores The Dualism Of Light And Shadow
It’s just another grey morning in Reykjavik and one cannot help feeling a little low, maybe even anxious. It is an emotion that, along with the feeling of sadness or pain, we humans often try to reject. Feeling happy is seen as…
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Visiting The Family: Norðanpaunk Assembled Iceland’s Underground Scene
There are very few events like Norðanpaunk. In fact, I’ve never been to one that even comes close. Norðanpaunk is an annual gathering of the Icelandic punk community and, aside from being an opportunity to meet (un)familiar faces from the Icelandic underground…
