Positively Pessimistic
Crowding a leather couch in a purple-lit recording studio, the five members of Spacestation take turns sniffing powdered tobacco — a habit usually reserved for geriatric sailors. Boisterous, yet courteous, the quintet are working on their forthcoming album while preparing for their first shot at Iceland Airwaves.
With their 2023 EP Bæbæ, rock and roll band Spacestation entered the Reykjavík music scene with a fervour and attitude the likes of which the capital had not seen in decades. Their slacker-rock outlook and faded leather jackets seem to summon the zeitgeist of the early 00s atmosphere of the city, reminiscent of the life-worn Singapore Sling.
Spacestation’s single “Hvítt Vín” was the early precursor to that first release, recruiting fans young and old to their growing listener base. The song’s dreamy instrumentation coupled with lead singer Björgúlfur Jes Einarsson’s shouty vocals marked yet another revival of rock and roll’s struggling reputation.
“I tend to stumble upon different genres I like,” says guitarist, singer and songwriter Víðir Rúnarsson, explaining where Spacestation’s musical roots derive from. “I start to identify new sounds. At one point, that was shoegaze and we started as a shoegaze band. But then we started listening a lot to Velvet Underground,” he continues.
“As the new guy, I look at it being a fusion of everything they like in terms of rock. They find the golden mean which combines into Spacestation,” drummer Davíð Þór Hlynsson adds.
Bye bye Bæbæ
Having established themselves as an unreserved rock outfit playing the local venue circuit, Spacestation quickly started work on their debut LP — the ironically titled Reykjavík Syndrome, expected early 2025.
“It’s a bit more dramatic,” Björgúlfur — Bjöggi — says of their forthcoming release. “There’s a lot more droning. It’s more like, cigarette-stained, Brian Jonestown Massacre stuff going on. It’s less partying and more emotional.”
“It has a wider scope than Bæbæ,” Ólafur Andri Sigurðsson chimes in, breaking his commitment to the silent bass player act.
“It’s more of a bummer. Bæbæ was such a party,” Bjöggi says before backtracking slightly: “Maybe not a bummer — more this grey, cold reality of living in Reykjavík. It’s about this small–town syndrome every Reykvíkingur experiences. Especially grumpy men like us,” he jokes.
“If we’d all hail from Barcelona and were ‘chulo’ and surfed all day, and we’d suddenly move to Reykjavík, we would be dying,” Bjöggi explains. “Because we’re raised here and this is our home, we love it. But there’s a special kind of co-dependency with the environment going on. You’re making things work in this darkness, in the cold.”
“It fits basically into optimistic nihilism,” Davíð explains. “To be able to create something good from being nihilistic in this grey world.”
Hello world
Despite its optimistic outlook, Reykjavík Syndrome is not foolishly hopeful. As the band points out, they’re outright pessimistic about the current state of affairs. “Everything’s going to shit,” Bjöggi laments. “The only people outside are tourists, every venue is closing down. People are staying at home eating cheap food from Bónus.”
Spacestation’s complex relationship with their hometown presents them with a perfect opportunity to look outside Iceland. Following up on their release next year, Spacestation hopes to break into international markets.
“We’ve always been interested in performing somewhere else,” Víðir admits.
“It’s such a travelled path in Reykjavík. If we go abroad, it will always be an untrodden path. Every step we’d take would be something new,” guitarist Hafsteinn Jóhannsson adds.
Their goal is simple: to spread their message and keep rock and roll alive.
Catch Spacestation’s first Iceland Airwaves gig on November 8 at Gaukurinn. Reykjavík Syndrome’s singles “Í Draumalandinu” and “Fokking lagið” are out now. Their debut LP is expected in February 2025. For the latest from the band, make sure to follow their socials, @spacestation_band.
Get in the festival spirit or take a stroll down memory lane. Follow along with the Grapevine’s Iceland Airwaves coverage.
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