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REYKJAVIK METALFEST – 1st EDITION

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PROLOGUE In early springtime, in the dark, I left Paris and its shiny bridges to return to the lights of Reykjavik’s foggy bay. Here, everything rises again and again and turns into an improbable truth. Follow me on this journey to Reykjavík and forget everything you thought you knew about it. REYKJAVÍK METALFEST – ORGANISATION TEAM It’s nice weather today, perfect for thanking the organisation team: Gísli Sigmundsson, Aðalsteinn Magnússon, Unnar Sigurðsson, Ingólfur Ólafsson (in Europe at the time of the festival, managing the Devine Defilement Tour), Nansý Guðmundsdóttir, Steingrímur Óskarsson and Gerður Sif. The last three gatherings of Reykjavík Deathfest didn’t smash the will of the team that rebuilt a new concept this year—Reykjavík Metalfest—which is stronger and smarter and aspires to expose the masses to extreme metal. The organisers all have a firm hand, gloved in velvet. These determined, indestructible souls made their dream come true for the…

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Major Pink’s ‘Hope’ won in Miami

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Icelandic art conquers the United States. Even better, the Icelandic art made by an alternative electronic pop/rock band Major Pink conquers the United States. The band’s video for song ´Hope´ received an award for ´Best Editing: Music Video´ at the WideScreen Film & Music Video Festival in Miami, Florida, earlier this year. Congratulations! The project kicked off in 2012 first as a duo consisting of Gunnar Ingi and Daníel Guðnason. After their participation in Músíktilraunir they teamed up with famous Barði Jóhannsson (Bang Gang, Starwalker) who produced their first single in August 2014, called ´Hope´, which made the charts right away. Watch the awarded video below: Facebook Instagram (more…)

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Go through The Four Doors Of The Mind with Dynfari

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Do you feel like you need something meaningful? The newest album of Dynfari, The Four Doors Of The Mind, is very complex and weaves gracefully between black metal and post-rock. It also proves that music written from the bottom of the heart will pull the right strings in the listener. So breathe in, go and get mesmerized by Dynfari. It´s June 10th. A bit more than two years has passed and I’m waiting again for another important moment in the history of Dynfari. The release show of their 4th album The Four Doors Of The Mind kicks off in only a few minutes. Could it take place in a more proper space than Gaukurinn? The answer is: no. I’m standing there close to the curtain, which divides bar and gig zone, and I´m feeling almost like being on the other side of the mirror. Excitement of beginning my journey through…

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Stories of Captain Syrup

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Do you need something for gray days to make your feet jump unconsciously? Jazz rock funky Captain Syrup is able to make you lose your breath and sweat all over but they can also make you so happy like you just got the best gift ever. Sounds like the band must be super energetic, right? Indeed, those youngsters proved it with their sweaty set at Bar Ananas on November 5th during Iceland Airwaves festival. What a madness. What a precious experience. Captain Syrup is an electrifying sonic mixture – adventurous, bold and brave if it comes about experiments and facing challenges. With a dose of imagination, the band’s sound ranges vast from killer funk to mathcore and it will surely make you pop by this party for a while. Add to this a pinch of crazy youth and you can imagine a tempo and progression of the sound. The trio…

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5 reasons why Hatari won Iceland Airwaves

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Iceland Airwaves is like Christmas. You might have no time to be excited for it at all but when the first day finally comes you simply can’t resist enjoying it to the fullest. There were so many bands to see, 60 off-venues locations to discover and after those crazy 7 days – cause I count Iceland Airwaves from Monday til Sunday – I’m the most thankful for discovering HATARI. Luckily, I experienced their performance twice – on the first day of off-venues shows, October 31st, at Kex Hostel and then on the last one, November 6th, before the queen PJ Harvey went on stage. To be honest, it took me a long time to organize proper words to express what my ears heard, eyes saw and other senses processed. 1. It wasn’t even their 10th gig together. The band was formed in 2015 by Klemens Hannigan and Matthías Tryggvi Haraldson.…

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Reykjavík Pride

Here in Reykjavík more than anywhere else, the power of unity has grown to be embodied in the ultimate annual

Vök doesn´t keep me waiting anymore

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Sometimes you need just the right moment to say that the show wiped you off the face of the earth. Seeing a band Vök and a solo project called EinarIndra warming up the audience on 21st July 2016 at Húrra, I realised that perhaps that was that moment. It hasn´t been too long since I experienced the same line up at KEX Hostel and then I dreamed of feeling real emotions during live show in a dark, small and enclosed space. So it happened, this space turned out to be the currently best concert venue in downtown. Húrra! Opening of the evening was made by EinarIndra, electronic/indie solo artist, who this year successfully acquainted Polish audience with his music so I was incredibly curious of him. In a dark surrounding his music and distinctive voice affected on a brain with a broad direct sonic stream. Pleasure. There were precisely such…

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Reykjavík Pride

Here in Reykjavík more than anywhere else, the power of unity has grown to be embodied in the ultimate annual

Sisterhood of Reykjavík

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In the evening of April 13th an unusual concert took place at Loft Hostel. Three good friends joined their forces and together, armed only with guitars, created a delicate mood and almost family atmosphere. On the stage each of them charms with a voice, though they are so different from each other. Ladies and gentlemen – Myrra Rós, Halla Norðfjörð and Elín Ey. Music of those three young women has been familiar to me for some longer time. Their united performance made tears well up in my eyes. A singer/songwriter that came up first on the stage that night was Myrra Rós backed by her friend Pete Uhlenbruch that also delights people with his solo project Owls Of The Swamp. Myrra enchants listeners not only in Iceland, but also in continental Europe. She has been on friendly terms with her guitar since she was 20 and had taken active part…

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Thought Spun of Myrra Rós

The music of Icelandic singer-songwriter Myrra Rós calls for a proper deep listening while you are sinking into a comfortable

Spin the full circle with Ceasetone

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I can actually still sign with all my limbs under emotions I expressed after the evening that I saw an indie-electro-rock band Ceasetone in action at Loft Hostel the first time although it has been one year since then. Now, at the same venue I was offered to watch a premiere screening of the video for the song entitled The Bright Side that by the way was produced by no one else than the guitarist, singer and brain of Ceasetone – Hafsteinn Þráinsson. Ceasetone was formed in 2012 as an acoustic solo project of Hafsteinn and two years later expanded a big rich sound escaping sometimes into experimental and jazzy soundscapes performed by four piece that consists of young and talented musicians – Hafsteinn was joined by Sólrún Mjöll Kjartansdóttir on drums, Jökull Brynjarsson on synths and keyboard and Steinar Karlsson on bass. The band is actively preparing to release…

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The Jazzy Queen of Spades

Words by Stína Satanía Most Icelanders first heard about Sólrún Mjöll Kjartansdóttir in 2012. At the age of 16, she

CeaseTone unveils a new song!

One year has passed since CeaseTone released their début album Two Strangers and the band hasn’t slowed down with works

This mess Útidúr has been doing

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I miss summer. I miss brigthness that doesn´t allow darkness to appear. You can feel life everywhere and simply you want to do everything. Additionally, summer smells like another bands blossoming on the local scene. Smells like Útidúr that was formed in 2009 in Reykjavík. Its fathers are the singer and guitarist Gunnar Örn Egilsson, who sounds like Icelandic version of Zach Condon of Beirut, and talented keyboardist Kristinn Roach Gunnarsson. Definitely, this chamber-pop with a deep reaching vocal can touch a lot of sensitive hearts. Well, ok, I give up, I wouldn’t have sunk so deep into Icelandic music if I didn’t hear of Útidúr. Since the beginning of my adventure with Útidúr, they have released another album, jaggled members a bit and still remains one of those precious special bands. They have made quite a good mess on Icelandic music scene. This almost little orchestra started with a…

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Princesses that puke in a glittery way – Æla

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Another dreary day at work. I’m getting a text message: ‘Wanna join me for Æla’s gig?‘ so I’m jumping out early from work. Trying my best in shaking a leg, I can already hear their post-punk sound on my way, carried on Laugavegur. Joyously I’m noticing I’m not the only one who hurries up so I could finally sink in the twilight of the most famous venue in downtown – Kaffibarinn. The door opens and the sound is sucking me in. ‘You’re lucky, they had to wait for the bassist, it’s already the third song‘ – was said in my ear. I feel like someone is puking on me with a brocade. Oh, that’s Snow White and her three naughty girlfriends are playing a show. They are called Æla which translates from Icelandic literally as puke. And no, they are not girls, the show of those guys doesn’t fully exist…

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