Words by Stína Satanía Most Icelanders first heard about Sólrún Mjöll Kjartansdóttir in 2012. At the age of 16, she participated in a famous young talents contest called the Battle of the Bands (Músíktilraunir) in Reykjavík. In the 30-year-long history of the competition, it was the first time that a girl was crowned best drummer of the competition. (more…)
Words by Stína Satanía Photo by Sigurjón Már The international Melodica Festival is a unique musical feast that gathers together emerging singer-songwriters from different parts of the world to expand the community and support the artistic network. Pete Uhlenbruch developed the concept of the festival in Melbourne, Australia, at the end of 2007, and it quickly spread overseas. Now, Melodica takes place in different cities around the world, such as Hamburg, Aarhus, Berlin, Paris, Vienna, New York and, of course, Reykjavík. This year, the festival celebrated its tenth Icelandic anniversary at Kex Hostel with three full days of music. (more…)
One year has passed since CeaseTone released their début album Two Strangers and the band hasn’t slowed down with works on new material at all. Today CeaseTone comes back with a new song entitled Brothers and an announcement that the song is the first single from the upcoming Stranded EP that will be released later this summer. Brothers is a nod to singer-songwriting roots of the project. The song opens with a captivating fingerpicking. Hafsteinn’s soft voice wraps around the sound of guitar and although the lyrics speak rather of trying too hard and being a bit lost, there’s something soothing in this composition. Maybe it’s the airiness with which CeaseTone moves within the music space? Around the guitar’s skeleton appear calmly another sonic layers that together create wide and rich soundscapes. Once again CeaseTone proves their care about even tiny details so with each listening you can discover something…
Summer vacation had come and gone so it has been a bit quiet here. The weekly overview of gigs hasn’t appeared yet and, to be honest, I’m not sure if will arrive this week. Easy to guess, I started feeling guilty for this. Like I owe you some explanation that I don’t forget about you. Yes, you. Luckily I got a sonic treatment in shape of OFF Festival in Poland where Kiasmos reminded me gently why the hell I am in Iceland and why I literally puke with love (a.k.a. admiration and respect) about Icelandic music and local artists. So now I have to share with you 3 (random) thoughts. First, it took me more than 3 years to find someone who plays bass in my favorite way (like my most favorite Polish band playing psycho jazz fusion) that actually makes me stand on tiptoes all the gig to not…
*Originally written for muzykaislandzka.pl – Polish website about Icelandic music, visit the website and share some love there! :) Lately reviewing albums happens rarely to me but while I was listening to something surprising from the Icelandic music shelf and completely fresh in its sound I couldn’t stop myself from sharing good news. A long-awaited debut album of the ambitious young team called CeaseTone has been released at the end of May 2016. When was the last time that you listened to something new that is a fusion of electronic pop and indie rock? Let me offer you something that you actually cannot refuse: put on your headphones or turn the sound up – 10 songs from Two Strangers will take you on a nice trip. This young team is an example of why I love to follow the Icelandic music scene. Three years ago, In 2013, the leader of…
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…
You know what? I lost my faith in many things. For example I do not believe anymore that Iceland raises only (!) phenomenal musicians. So I am picky and sometimes I arrive at a venue with the thought: surprise me, setting the bar quite high at the same time and being sure it won’t be reached. When I’m not in a good mood it’s not that easy to satisfy me with music. However, I heard CeaseTone once in a radio a year ago or so. Hafsteinn Þráinsson, a brain and a boss of the project, played solo. There was only his voice and his guitar. Oops, I did it again and forgot something very important in between. His fingers. And the way they move. Last year CeaseTone played quite a lot around but somehow I didn’t end up at the gig. But the last Saturday at Loft Hostel I couldn’t…