Words by

Óli Dóri and Davíð Roach

We are extra excited for this year’s festival because for the first time we, Straumur, are having our very own off-venue program at Bíó Paradís. Also, the Knife will play their final show ever and other great international acts like Caribou, The Flaming Lips and Unknown Mortal Orchestra are playing. These following recommendations are based on the physical and mental state you may find yourself in.

The show to catch if you want your eardrums assaulted —

Falk Night

Falk (Fuck Art Let’s Kill) is a collective of domestic sonic terrorists that have been putting out records and organizing events of the noise/drone variety for quite some time now. Enter at your own risk.

(Harpa Kaldalón on Friday)

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The show to attend to channel your exotic taste —
Ibibio Sound Machine

Led by Nigerian/British vocalist Eno Williams, Ibibio Sound Machine cites everything from disco to postpunk to Nigerian folklore as an influence. Having seen them earlier this year at Roskilde, we can attest to the fact that this is the show to bring out those eclectic dance moves you’ve been working on.

(Friday, Reykjavík Art Museum 22:50)

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The show for a dance with the locals —
Prins Póló

Armed with the number one song in the country, great showmanship and the right attitude, Prins Póló can do no wrong.

There will be Icelandic mayhem at Gamla Bíó on Saturday at 22:00.  

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The band to see if you have a hangover —
Yumi Zouma

Feel your hangover melt away while you enjoy the dreamy pop of New Zealand’s

Yumi Zouma at Harpa, Kaldalón on Saturday at 22:30.

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The show for your body and soul —
Tonik Ensemble

Combining thumping techno rhythms with melancholic vocals underscored by strings and brass, the Tonik Ensemble is a holistic mind-body experience.

(Saturday, Harpa Kaldalón 00:20)

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The best place to go if you’re undecided and the weather is shit —
Harpa

Head to Harpa. It has three great venues crammed into one big space so you don’t have to face the elements as you wander indecisively between shows.

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Best concert to get your groove on —
Caribou

Canadian math wiz and musical wunderkind Caribou is sure to get the audience grooving with the smooth, organic techno of his two latest releases, ‘Our Love’ and ‘Swim’. He has played twice before in Iceland and both concerts were astonishing.

(Saturday, Reykjavík Art Museum, 23:45)

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Best show to see if you want to wait a couple of hours in line for a ticket —
Flaming Lips and The War on Drugs

Having the chance to catch those two remarkable indie veterans, we think it’s definitely worth your time in a line. Flaming Lips played one of Iceland Airwaves’ most memorable shows to date when they opened for Suede at Laugardalshöll in 2000.

(Vodafone Hall on Sunday, 22:30)

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The show to see for a feminist postcolonial deconstruction of a legendary final gig in the making —
The Knife

The Swedish electronic sibling duo has become increasingly political with the years and their Shaking The Habitual tour is supposed to be some sort of deconstruction of the concept of a rock concert. Apparently that includes miming, strange masks and a lot of modern dancing. Also, this will be their last concert ever, so who knows, they might as well overthrow the capitalist patriarchal powers that be while they are at it.

(Saturday, Harpa Silfurberg, 22:00)

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Come Check Out Our Off-Venue Shows!

Straumur will host its own Iceland Airwaves off-venue program at Bíó Paradís, November 5-9. We will have many of our favourite artists performing and music-related movies will show at this independent art-house cinema in downtown Reykjavík. Here is the programme:

Wednesday

12:00 Hexagon Eye
13:00 Ósk
14:00 Horse Thief (US)
15:00 Tonik
16:00 Good Moon Deer
17:00 Pretty Please

Thursday

12:00 Bastardgeist (UK)
13:00 Milkhouse
14:00 Helgi Valur
15:00 Jón Þór
16:00 Loji
17:00 M-band
18:00 Nolo

Friday

16:15 Vorhees (US)
17:15 Sin Fang
18:15 Unknown Mortal Orchestra (US)

Saturday

12:00 Mat Riviere (UK)
13:00 Skuggasveinn
14:00 701
15:00 Asonat
16:00 Sindri Eldon & the Ways
17:00 Kælan Mikla

Sunday

14:00 Austria
15:00 Munstur
16:00 MC Bjór og bland

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Straumur has been active since the summer 2012, with writers Óli Dóri and Davíð Roach documenting the local music scene and helping people discover new music at straum.is. It is associated with the radio show Straumur on X977, which Óli Dóri hosts every Monday evening at 23:00.