New Music & Discovery
The Reykjavík Grapevine presents Icelandic music news along with new Icelandic albums and/or tracks.
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Grapevine Playlist: Lions, Dog Runs And Some Eerie Minimalistics
Supersport! – Dog Run (EP) Just what the summer needed: a shiny new EP from Reykjavík’s most charming indie pop group. All four band musicians are active members in post-dreifing, an anarchic grassroots music collective that we couldn’t be bigger fans of…
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Track By Track: ‘My My’ By ROKKY
ROKKY first burst onto the scene in 2018 with her electro-pop banger “My Lips.” Now, she’s back with her long-awaited first EP. We sat down to talk with the Berlin-based chanteuse about it track by track. My Lips This song is the…
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Track By Track: ‘Otito’ By snny
Ivory Coast-born, U.S.-raised, Reykjavík-transplant snny serves up a melange of synthy goodness in his newest EP ‘Otito’. Abidjan “Abidjan” is an ode to the city I was born in. I actually wrote it right before I went back there for the first…
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Music News: Björk’s Back, New Myrkfælni Record Label And More
Atli Örvarsson Releases New Album Film buffs—basically anyone with good taste—will be familiar with Icelandic composer Atli Örvarsson. Atli has spent the last 15 years living the LA dream, but recently he returned home to the icy climes of Akureyri. The result?…
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Grapevine Playlist: Brikcs, Atli Örvarsson, Kiriyama Family And More
This month, we discovered ambient music that haunts our dreams. We also learned that Emo is still alive and well, and that Icelandic pop is still the best pop (we’re not biased or anything). KÚTKAST – SUPERPOSITION Here is a nice bit…
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The Grapevine June Playlist: Daði, Mighty Bear, Joey Christ
Look, we get it. It’s been a rough year, and you just wanna relax with some chill tunes and good vibes. Luckily, we’ve got you covered with our June playlist. Daði – family man A truly hypnotising piece of ambient pop, Daði’s…
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The Grapevine Playlist: CYBER, Benni Hemm Hemm, IDA IDK, Hjaltalín
Desperately need to to stop revisiting your 2014 playlist of “indie bangers”? Enter the Reykjavik Grapevine! We’re here to save the day with a selection of the best new tracks Iceland has to offer. CYBER – “starry night” Here is an electronic…
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Track By Track: ‘Cold Wind’ By Fjara
‘Cold Wind’ is the debut EP from four-piece instrumental band Fjara. In this edition of Track By Track, guitarist—and past Grapevine contributing photographer—Matthew Eisman discusses the stories behind the sounds. Cold Wind It was our second time playing all together and the…
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Grapevine Playlist: Minimalistic Sam Smith, Salóme Katrín & More
Looking for some new tunes? Presenting the legendary Grapevine playlist. Sam Smith- “To Die For (Ólafur Arnalds Remix)” Ólafar Arnalds’ remix of Sam Smith’s single serves up a minimalistic take on the heartbreaking ballad. Slow, instrumental, and stripped of the beginning’s audio…
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Grapevine Playlist: Elín Ey, Hrim, Dirb & More
Here’s what the Grapevine team is listening to this week. Elín Ey – Waterloo This acoustic cover of an ABBA classic lends the tune a whole new tone. While the original is fast and upbeat, this version is slow and melancholy. I…
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Track By Track: ‘Lovelife’ By Cryptochrome
Electro-psychedelic-post-hip-hop-pop collective Cryptochrome has consistently been pushing the envelope of sound since they debuted in 2013. The eclectic elders of the booming Reykjavík rap scene, the group is now back with a new EP ‘Lovelife’—an effort chock full of dreamy vocals mixed…
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Track By Track: ‘Ending Friendships’ by Laura Secord
‘Ending Friendships’ is a deeply personal, almost confessional album from Laura Secord. In this edition of Track By Track, songwriter Alison MacNeil explains the impetus behind each of these songs. Embrace When you start a new relationship, all the problems you are…
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Grapevine Playlist: Goose Bumps And Some Solid Rock
Bistro Boy – evolve Bistro Boy is definitely our boy. He just released a new EP called ‘evolve,’ and boy, has Bistro Boy done just what the title says. The album is a beautiful ambient-fused electro with a lot of soul. He…
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Grapevine Playlist: Retro Sadness And Alien Hip-Hop
Sunna Margrét – Art Of History EP Listening to this song is like turning on a radiator in an old house after hours spent in the cold outside. It starts off sparse, with just some interesting sounds to let you know it’s…
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Track By Track: ‘Minn Almáttugur’ By GDMA
GDMA—the duo of Gabríel Werner Guðmundsson and Dagur Snær Elísson—serve up eclectic, inspiring hip-hop, perfect for parties or long drives through the winter snow. To learn more, we sat down with the artists to chat about their newest album, ‘Minn almáttugur,’ track…
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Music News: Icelandic Women Make A Splash, Hatari, And More!
Two Icelandic women are amongst those nominated for the 2020 Grammy Awards, setting a historic precedent for Icelandic music. Anna Þorvaldsdóttir (above) has been nominated for Best Engineered Album, Classical, for her album ‘Aequa.’ Hildur Guðnadóttir has been nominated for Best Score…
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Music News: Maus’s New Album & Eurovision
Maus-‘In This Fraction of a Second I Am Floating’ Maus, the semi-punkish Icelandic answer to Pavement, has republished their second album, ‘Í þessi sekúndubrot sem ég flýt’ (‘In This Fraction of a Second I Am Floating’) for its 20th anniversary. The album…
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Grapevine Playlist: Countess Malaise, Ásgeir, Sin Fang & More
The Grapevine Playlist provides you with your regular dose of brand new Icelandic music. This time music for: headbanging and car-cruising along with Bon Iver and Beatles inspired tracks. Young Karin – Floor (feat. Sturla Atlas) Young Karin’s‘Floor’ is an energetic, well-produced…
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Track By Track: ‘HYSTERÍA’ By Countess Malaise
Bow down, for the Countess of Malaise has arrived with her long-awaited debut album ‘HYSTERÍA.’ Coming First It’s self-explanatory. As a woman, you learn that you’re not supposed to cum or say what you like in bed. I just wanted to make…
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Grapevine Playlist: JFDR, una schram, Matthildur & More
What’s going on in Icelandic music today? Lots. Folk, rap, trap, oddly appealing cheese musicals… you name it, and you’ll find it in Iceland. Hera – How Does A Lie Taste? In her new song, Hera asks the important questions. Just how…
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Music News: Víkingur Ólafsson Slays, Söngvakeppnin Gets Crowded & Kælan Mikla Heads To SXSW
Iceland’s most pleasant and prodigious pianist—and former Grapevine cover star—Víkingur Ólafsson was named Artist Of The Year at the 2019 Gramophone Classical Music Awards. For those not in the know, this is a big deal. Previous winners of the award include heavyweights…
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Track By Track: ‘Songs 4 Crying’ By KARÍTAS
A newbie on the scene, KARÍTAS brings a delicate mix of harmonic pop and trap. Backed by producer Dadykewl, she’s here with her first EP ‘Songs 4 Crying.’ We sat down with KARÍTAS to talk about the release, track by track. If…
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Grapevine Playlist 18: The Soul Of The Beat
Moses Hightower – Lyftutónlist The Icelandic kings of soul, Moses Hightower, are back—with a vengeance, but with a piece of elevator-music (that’s the literal translation of the title of the song). The title doesn’t promise much, but it’s actually some quality music…