On The Beat: Two Beats Ahead Live! Podcast Series

R. Michael Hendrix’s podcast series is a space for all to understand their fellow creatives better

Michael Hendrix sits beside Klemens Hannigan on a bright yellow couch to ask him about craftsmanship. Most associated with HATARI, Klemens is a renowned musician currently nominated for two Icelandic Music Awards, but music is not his only craft — he’s a carpenter and has been for longer than he’s been performing. That’s exactly why Michael is interested in him.

Michael is an acclaimed graphic designer, creative director, musician and co-author of Two Beats Ahead: What Musical Minds Teach Us About Innovation. Under the same moniker, Two Beats Ahead Live! Michael launched a podcast series in which he interviews Reykjavík-based musicians to further explore concepts from the book. Preceding Klemens Hannigan, he spoke with Lilja Birgisdóttir (Fischersund), Pan Thorarensen (Space Odyssey, Extreme Chill), Melkorka Magnúsdóttir (Milkywhale, Iceland Innovation Week) and more.

Vital versatility

Moving to Iceland after his book’s completion, Michael began thinking about how this topic applied in his new place of residence. “I actually worried,” he admits, “I kept meeting so many people that were this kind of ‘slash’ person. You know, ‘I do this-slash-this-slash-this.’ And I thought, ‘man, have I written a book that’s completely useless in Iceland?’”

Despite his original inclination, he eventually reached a different conclusion — and a catalyst for his podcast. “The principles of the book are alive and well in Iceland, but the mental models for it are not,” he recalls thinking. “If I just do a podcast series about these musicians that are doing other things, it’s a way to amplify and encourage other people to recognise this in themselves. I would hope. That’s the idea behind it.”

Seeing each other

Michael has been recording the podcast in live, free, open-to-the-public sessions at his Huldunótur (e. Invisible Notes) workspace, above the recently re-located Space Odyssey. “It’s been another way for me to feel more integrated into Reykjavík and to be a host,” he says of settling into the new space.

The podcast sessions are usually in the mid-afternoon on a weekday and, although many in the artistic scene this podcast is aimed towards might not hold a traditional 9–5, there was a modest attendance at the session I went to. Michael touched on this as I asked what he hopes for the future of these sessions, noting “[Reykjavík] is such a small place, but circles of people tend to stick together and not mix. And as wildly creative as this city is, and that’s really what drew me here from America — I just felt an energy that I wanted to participate in — but often I find a lack of curiosity amongst these circles. So one thing I’m hoping for is that these interviews start to help the community see each other in a fresh light.”

It’s not just these sessions he’s using to beckon Reykjavíkingar into Huldunótur: Michael has been quick to utilise the space for movie screenings, work projects, parties and as a gallery space, even having exciting plans for a ceramic exhibition during Design March.

Þetta reddast

There’s more coming up for Michael Hendrix, in addition to DesignMarch. His album YUKS is set to be released on March 28. He’s also thinking about writing a new book and concurrently starting season two of this podcast. At the forefront of his mind through it all is creative direction — one of his own “slashes.”

“You don’t go to school for creative direction. I want to see a book about this, about how to be a good creative director. And there’s a very urgent reason for this: I think technology is continuing to take many things out of our hands.”

Despite the fact that any reminder of our rapid progression towards an AI-dominated future puts a bad taste in the mouths of many, Michael offers a counter: “but, you know, having a camera in our phones hasn’t put all photographers out of business. It’s just put the really boring ones out of business.”

To hear and learn from a non-boring artist talking to other non-boring artists, attend a live session (or listen after the fact) to Two Beats Ahead Live!

The next Two Beats Ahead Live! will be with Haraldur “Halli” Thorleifsson on March 21 at 16:30. Check it out at Huldunótur above Space Odyssey, Bergstaðastræti 4. Hear about the upcoming podcast sessions and events on Instagram @twobeatsahead.

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