Keeping a finger on the pulse

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Skaði

Photo by Gustavo Marcelo Blanco If there’s one artist in Reykjavík who, with her stage performance, can wake me up better than a triple espresso and in less time than one song, it’s Skaði. Dipping her toes in Nordic mythology from where she took her name (a goddess associated with winter), Skaði is a music producer, an outstanding and captivating performer and a visual artist. Whatever she does in any art field, she pours her entire heart and soul into it. She dropped her debut album in November 2018 in the form of an old-school cassette as befits the underground FALK (Fuck Art Let’s Kill) label that released it. On Jammið, the message is strong, and Skaði plays all the instruments by herself. The album reveals expected grime electro-punk beats that dissolve into a mesmerizing bass as well as the somewhat avant-garde guitar lines that wind around the song’s cores.… Keep Reading

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Taking stock of old-time rock

Words by Andreas Schiffmann Strictly speaking, bass player Alexander Örn is not a founding member of The Vintage Caravan. He came into the picture in 2012, after frontman Óskar Logi Ágústsson and drummer Guðjón Reynisson had already released their self-titled debut on their own, before domestic label Sena took them under its wing. But he knows very well what happened before he came into the fold and experienced the trio’s quick rise to international renown, with his role in the group’s success being just as significant as those of his two companions. Since a good decade has passed, now is probably a good moment to lean back and assess what has happened so far and predict what the future might have in store for the Álftanes-based classic rockers. Regarding the suggestion that on the tenth anniversary of the conception of The Vintage Caravan’s rare first effort, it might be time… Keep Reading

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Rokkað á Hvanneyri

(Pistillinn var skrifaður fyrir Tengivagninn á Rás1 og birtist þar, miðvikudaginn 14. ágúst 2019.) Falið í Borgarbyggð með tæplega 300 íbúa – sko, Hvanneyri hefur ekki haft mikið vægi í mínum huga, sérstaklega ekki þegar kemur að tónlist. En sjálfboðaliðasamtökin Stelpur Rokka! hafa svo sannarlega breytt þessari ímynd! Ásamt erlendum samstarfsaðilum völdu þau alþjóðlegum rokkbúðum stað í Landbúnaðarháskóla Íslands á Hvanneyri. Þann 10. águst náði þessi 98-manna hópur með fólki frá 10 löndum og 11 samtökum hæsta punkti með lokatónleikum í gömlu hlöðunni á Hvanneyri. Flestir þátttakendur spiluðu á hljóðfæri sem þeir höfðu ekki spilað á, áður en þeir tóku þátt í rokkbúðunum og voru varla viku að læra á þau. Bæði stigu þeir á svið í fyrsta skipti á ævinni og spiluðu fyrir rúmlega 100 áhorfendur, líka í fyrsta sinn. Hjarta mitt stækkaði um nokkur númer á meðan ég var að horfa á þessa epísku tónleika og vikan á… Keep Reading

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What 2019 has brought in

It is with a heavy heart that I have to inform you that the 5th issue of Reykjavík On Stage will not arrive in a printed form in 2019 and Reykjavík On Stage will stop functioning as a printed magazine. Due to personal reasons, the publication is no longer able to be secured. For the last 5 years, Reykjavík On Stage has been an ever-changing music space born of the passion for the Icelandic music scene. It had been a simple blog with live reviews. It had been a printed magazine. I have poured all my heart into this, no matter of various consequences. Now, Reykjavík On Stage is not walking off the stage. It is transforming again, this time into website dedicated to Icelandic music. Please do not hesitate to be in touch if you need any kind of information about the local scene or if you think you… Keep Reading

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Lucy In Blue – In Flight

Words by Andreas Schiffmann With regard to Lucy In Blue, you find yourself once again seeing practically all the confirmed stereotypes that accompany contemporary music from Iceland but in a good way. The group’s current album sounds far removed from the world (otherworldly in the truest sense of the word) with its chill overall aesthetics that seem to be aimed at the ever-growing audience for what is generally–and vaguely–called ‘post-rock’. By now, while one struggles to pinpoint what this term actually means, it’s safe to say that it encompasses a certain aloofness or distance, which is also palpable on In Flight. The band’s primary trademarks might be the androgynous lead vocals and often downright grandiose organ arrangements. In contrast, however, the band writes in a relatively straightforward way, resulting in songs which rarely surpass the five-minute mark. After the aptly named introduction ‘Alight, Pt. 1’, a rather tranquil take-off for… Keep Reading

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Airplanes, Spaceships, and Sparkling Poison, Oh My! – A Conversation with Steinunn Harðardóttir

Words by Jeff Obermeyer When you tell people you’re going to be interviewing Steinunn Harðardóttir, they immediately begin to sing her praises. Her partner in the Sparkle Poison musical experience, Guðlaug Mía Eyþórsdóttir, told me, ‘I’ve worked with all kinds of people but Steinunn is one of the most gentle and giving people I have ever gotten to know. She has a special way of seeing the positive sides of things and a unique quality of showing you sides of the world around you and yourself that you might be unaware of!’ Gunnar Lárus Hjálmarsson, a.k.a. Dr. Gunni, agreed. ‘I have nothing but praise for Steinunn,’ he told me. ‘She is just a wonderful human being and it was effortless and fun working with her. She lights up every room with her positivity.’ The common thread is that not only is she a talented musician, she’s also a pretty great… Keep Reading

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Mighty Bear

Mighty Bear has mastered the creation of eerie atmospheres throughout his entire (not that short) career, with other projects on the Icelandic music scene. It’s no surprise that his solo debut at Iceland Airwaves 2017 created a buzz all over town about this artist in a black cape and hidden behind a mysterious mask. Not more than a year after the festival, Mighty Bear released his gloomy EP debut Einn (translated as One or Alone) that lasts roughly 10 minutes. Known for his haunting abstract synth soundscapes and soft, melancholic vocals, Mighty Bear doesn’t refrain from rearranging his dark electronic sound into a heartbreakingly beautiful acoustic setting on the example of a stripped version of ‘Burt’, which also was accompanied by a video. That’s an artist who is as mysterious as he is glamorous while performing on stage and has already done shows abroad. If you love Icelandic sombreness and… Keep Reading

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Eitt og annað um öryggi og virðingu á tónleikum

Undanfarið hefur talsvert verið rætt um hvernig bæta megi upplifunina af íslenskri tónlist, sú umræða hefur að mestu snúist um að fjölga skuli tónleikastöðum í borginni. En það er önnur hlið á þessu máli, sem snýr að upplifun tónleikagesta, sem ætti að vera ógleymanleg á jákvæðan hátt, nefnilega að þeir upplifi sig örugga. Hér eru nokkur orð um öryggi. Öll viljum við fara á tónleika í rými sem er öruggt og þægilegt. Þess vegna ættu staðir sem hýsa tónleika að leggja áherslu á að sjá til þess að þeir séu ánægjulegir, bæði fyrir tónlistarfólk og tónleikagesti. Trúlega höfum við öll reynslu af því að ein drukkin manneskja hefur truflað tónleika á mjög leiðinlegan hátt. Ofbeldi og kynferðisleg áreitni á ekki að líðast á tónleikum. Um það eru allir sammála, þú líka, ekki satt? Það er á valdi starfsfólks tónleikastaða að sjá um að viðburðir fari vel fram og að óæskileg… Keep Reading

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A word or two on respect and safety during live shows

Lately, there has been an ongoing discussion about making the Icelandic music experience better, spinning mostly around the issue of how to make more space in town for live shows. But there is another side to this topic as well. It’s how to make the experience of live shows unforgettable in a positive way and, first and foremost, safe. So here’s a word about safety. Each of us would love to attend a show in a space free from any fear or discomfort. Therefore, venues that aim to host events should stand their ground in making the shows enjoyable for both musicians and guests. Though it surely happened to all of us that this one intoxicated person was interrupting the show in a very annoying way. There must be no space for violence or sexual harassment during live performances. Everyone agrees to that, you too, am I right? It’s in… Keep Reading

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Sumarpoppnostalgía

Pistillinn var skrifaður fyrir Tengivagninn á Rás1 og birtist þar, miðvikudaginn 28. ágúst 2019. Ég vaknaði með lag Snorra Helgasonar, „Summer Is Almost Gone“, á heilanum. Fyrir utan gluggann haustar og allt í einu vantar mig sárlega tónlist til að halda áfram andlega með sumarið. Þess vegna er ég í nostalgíukasti í dag og fjalla um þrjá íslenska tónlistarmenn sem vita alveg hvernig hægt er á örstuttum tíma að skapa sumarstemningu svo maður setur á sig sólgleraugun. TSS Fyrsti tónlistarmaðurinn samdi sumar-soundtrackið mitt árið 2013, í tvíeykinu Nolo, en Jón Gabríel Lorange er þekktastur fyrir að vera hluti af því. Jón Gabríel stendur líka að verkefninu TSS, sem er stytting á The Suburban Spaceman. Hann er ungur tónsmiður og undir nafninu TSS skapar hann sæta skynörvandi stemningu með blíðar gítarlínur. TSS á að baki þrjár breiðskífur með lo-fi indípopptónlist – „Meaningless Songs“ (2015), „Glimpse of Everything“ (2016) og „Moods“ (2018).… Keep Reading

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