Electric Dreams: Melodic Armchair Disco With Yagya

Yagya—real name Aðalsteinn Guðmundsson—is known for the melodic ambient soundscapes he’s been pumping out for more than 15 years. He performed at Sónar Reykjavík last month and has a few forthcoming releases, so we asked him for an update.

“The sound system in Harpa’s car parks was great and I had a fantastic time playing my music there,” says Aðalsteinn. “The people seemed to enjoy it, which is always a plus.”

Dutch label Delsin Records, which released his most recent LPs, will reissue his 2009 LP ‘Rigning’ on May 5th, with two added tracks. “‘Rigning’ is probably my most successful album, and fans have pointed out that it’s no longer available,” says Aðalsteinn said. Seeing that the recordings used for the original vinyl pressing were lost, Aðalsteinn used the opportunity to mix the album again and have it remastered. “It sounds a bit better this time around, without deviating too much from the original,” he assures me.

Aðalsteinn was also a member of the lauded Icelandic label Thule Records before the millennium. The X/OZ label, run by his old label mate Exos, will release an EP called ‘Fifth Force’ on April 30th.

“When I turned 40, I decided to celebrate by creating a 140 bpm techno set”

The songs are faster and more energetic than Yagya’s previous efforts. “It’s my first EP released as Yagya, which makes it special,” Aðalsteinn explains. “When I turned 40, I decided to celebrate by creating a 140 bpm techno set and perform it live. Three of these tracks ended up on ‘Fifth Force’.”

Yagya will perform at X/OZ’s label night on Wednesday, April 18th at Húrra alongside Exos, Matrixxman and Waage. “It’ll be an amazing event,” says Aðalsteinn. “I’m going to play techno tracks that I’ve been working on for a long time. I’m also looking forward to finishing my techno LP so I can return to my old tempo and continue working on new music.” So the reign of Iceland’s king of melodic armchair techno looks set to continue.

Go to juno.co.uk to preorder Yagya’s EP ‘Fifth Force—out April 30th—or the forthcoming reissue of his coveted 2009 LP ‘Rigning’—out on May 7th.