Producer and DJ Bjarki unpacks his latest album A Guide to Hellthier Lifestyles
After years of performing in techno clubs around the world, Icelandic producer Bjarki Rúnar Sigurðsson — better known mononymously as Bjarki — is back and taking over Harpa’s Kaldalón on February 14 with his Hellthier Lifestyle Ritual show. But this isn’t just another DJ set — it’s Bjarki’s first-ever solo concert, a fully live performance that moves into something deeper, more immersive and cinematic.
Dropping Feb. 7, Bjarki’s new album A Guide to Hellthier Lifestyles takes a satirical yet introspective look at modern wellness culture. In a world where influencers sell an unrealistic version of “health” — complete with juice cleanses, curated morning routines and trips to Bali — Bjarki flips the script. Who better to comment on wellness than a DJ, with their notoriously late nights, fast food diets and endless parties?
“Self-help culture isn’t funny because it’s ridiculous, it’s funny because it’s devastatingly accurate,” Bjarki says. “We search for meaning, control, a healthy life and connection, only to find systems that sell disconnection and reduce our happiness to an algorithm designed to exploit our insecurity.”
The album critiques the performative nature of self-improvement while also exploring the contradictions of balancing chaos and stability in the digital age.
A visual journey through the absurd
Joining Bjarki for this performance is visual collaborator Thomas Harrington Rawle, known for his surreal, AI-driven animations. His visuals blur the line between reality and the subconscious, feeling eerily familiar yet deeply unsettling.
Thomas also directed the music video for “Real Insight,” the first single from A Guide to Hellthier Lifestyles. The video blends AI, CGI and experimental visuals to push storytelling and identity.
“My style is like trying to have a conversation with an operating system after it’s developed an identity crisis,” Bjarki explains. “Technology is both the instrument and the obstacle. I use it to miscommunicate with myself, to blur the lines between intention and error.
Bringing underground energy to Harpa
Bringing a techno-rooted show into Harpa isn’t without challenges —specifically the need to balance the essence of the underground with Harpa’s prestige.
But for Bjarki, Kaldalón’s intimacy presents a rare opportunity.
“I want it to be exposed,” he says. “Thomas’s visuals will be less about spectacle and more about thought-provoking, vulnerable moments. I’m sure it will feel very normal — like being together at a strange afterparty.”
This show also features a collaboration with Kristín Anna, also known as Kría Brekkan, an Icelandic artist and former Múm vocalist known for her ethereal, avant-garde approach to music.
“Kristín Anna is like a super artist. She can channel into the unknown. I’m very proud to have her be part of this,” he says.
Bjarki’s return to Reykjavík isn’t just about performing, it’s about furthering his contribution to Iceland’s electronic scene. Techno has long thrived in DIY spaces, but shows like this prove electronic music and audiovisual art belong in venues like Harpa.
“Iceland is my homeland,” Bjarki asserts. “I come home after touring, usually with a lot of frustrations, and just want to do it my way — for my friends, to give them what they deserve. It’s a weird balance between isolation and connection. You’re cut off from the world, yet people here are so aware and appreciative and mysterious. It’s a place where I can test the absurd, because the environment itself is absurd.”
More than just another gig, this performance marks Bjarki’s first-ever solo concert — a milestone in his career and a rare chance to experience his music in a completely new way.
Buy A Guide to Hellthier Lifestyles on Bandcamp and get your tickets to Hellthier Lifestyle Ritual now at harpa.is. Want to keep the party going after the show? Bjarki will follow up his Feb. 14 gig with a DJ night at Röntgen. See you there.
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