There’s something uniquely captivating about Finland: the landscape, the music and the atmosphere all carry a vibe that’s hard to find anywhere else. I start my Airwaves Friday with three bands from there.
First up are Rosettes. The air feels thick with steamy brass and big-city swagger, courtesy of this seven-piece band. They aren’t just playing music; they’re on a funky musical quest. The percussionist, for example, seems completely absorbed, pouring boundless energy into each beat.
Next is Jaakko Eino Kalevi, back at Airwaves for the first time in ten years. I actually attended that earlier concert, and now, enjoy seeing a grown-up Jaakko in a sparkling rhinestone jacket, fully embodying the vibe of a black-clad, rhinestone cowboy. His music, however, is sophisticated synth-pop at its finest. The visuals are a kaleidoscopic black-and-white cut-and-paste animation that adds a strangely nostalgic energy to it all. Jaakko’s sharp synths send us all spiraling into a space that feels both euphoric and sentimental. He’s accompanied by a bassist delivering steady, slinky grooves throughout the set. One of his last songs, a largely instrumental track, reminds me of those dreamlike synthesizer medleys from the late ’70s, echoing disco pioneers like Giorgio Moroder or space-disco legends like Space.
I make an attempt to go see Spacestation at Gaukurinn but find out the queue is too long. So, I decide to go back to Nasa, to check out Modem. They bring a dark, synth-heavy energy to the space. The lead singer, dressed in black PVC and chains, delivers powerful vocals. The keyboardist/guitarist, sporting a beret, fires off wailing guitar riffs and pulsing beats that get everyone moving. Their look is completed with jet-black sunglasses, embodying an ’80s glamor. There’s something introspective and personal in their delivery. I wish I understood what they were singing. Maybe it’s a reflection of inner wars or common personal struggles. I can’t tell you exactly what they’re singing about, but I can feel it.
Red Illuminations for The Reykjavík Grapevine
The Art Museum offers a beautiful contrast. Charlotte Adigéry & Bolis Pupul take the stage with a minimalistic electronic bass sound, enveloped in deep red lighting. Synth arpeggios fill the room. Their performance is assertive and emotional, with intense basslines and vocals that seem to lift us all above the clouds. At one point, Charlotte shares that this is her first concert since her father’s passing, and they embrace on stage—a touching and beautiful moment. Later, they invite some concertgoers on stage to dance with them, leading to a dance trance with a factory-like drumbeat that’s soulful yet surprisingly uplifting.
Red Illuminations for The Reykjavík Grapevine
I pop over to Kolaportið, where Alice Longyu Gao is giving a completely different kind of performance, equal parts fever dream and fantasy world. She combines a soothing harp performance with punchy, glitchy beats. Her visuals are hot pink and black graphics, with some cat meme videos thrown into the mix. At one point, she serenades the audience with a “gay ballad,” urging everyone to imagine a world without heteros. Her energy is wild and playful, as if we’ve all entered her chaotic, colorful universe.
At Iðnó, Opus Kink kicks up the energy again. These guys move with a fierce energy, like some sort of boys’ club moving to their own erratic beat. Blaring horns, punky guitar riffs, and a powerful unison of voices have the crowd in a frenzy. Opus Kink radiates ska and folky vibes swirled together, each frontman giving the others space to shine, creating an infectious energy that pushes the crowd into a wild dance.
Then it’s back to Kolaportið for Kælan Mikla, the Icelandic queens of goth summer energy. With choreographed moves in between that appear robotic or trance-like, they fill the room with an ethereal, witchy vibe, their black-and-white grainy visuals completing the picture. This three-piece dominates the stage, layering sound upon sound to create a thick wall-of-sound effect that wraps everyone up and holds us there.
Before heading home, I end my night at Gaukurinn, where Nonykingz performs, draped in a purple faux-fur coat, giving off a deeply positive energy—so contagious that everyone in the room seems to feel it. In one of his songs, he sings “Vibes on vibes,” which feels exactly like the vibe we all need to round off the night, with no room for bad energy. Cheers to that.
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