“Man in between” is basically a songwriter-singer. The song is the most important thing for him. He approaches music as a way of expression. As a vehicle of self-discovery or just, as a way to see what´s going on inside at the time. His musical style is mainly influenced by his street performances by which he got a simple approach to music.
Nicolas Kunysz performs at Boston on November 8th at 15:00.
The Anatomy of Frank is a five-piece band from the mountains of Virginia. Their melodies and subject matter tend toward nostalgia, intricacy, and nuance, touching on every facet of the human heart. Focusing on fingerstyle guitar work, rich harmonies, and melodies that sound like they were forgotten from childhood, the mood journeys from quiet delicacy to roaring climaxes over the course of their songs.
Ojba Rasta’s singer/guitarist Teitur Magnússon released his long-awaited solo debut, titled ’27’, last december. We’re talking about a diversely influenced ‘indie pop’ record and you can witness and parttake in its enjoyable laid back’ness Live this Airwaves. You’ll hear simple and catchy songs layered with a psychedelic texture and some sweet melodies thanks to a rich and colorful instrumentation. Drawing from a wide array of sounds and elements, Teitur brings you a fresh slice of Icelandic pop, daring to take you higher!
Sturle Dagsland consists of the norwegian brothers Sturle & Sjur Dagsland. They alternate at playing on an array of instruments and electronics, harmonically creating an expressive-progressive ever-changing soundscape dominated by Sturle’s unrestrained innovative vocals ranging from ravening ferocious screams to virtous angelic chanting. His distinctive voice, large vocal range, multilingual lyrics and unique approach to songwriting and composition won him the “Emerging Artist” award in Copenhagen in 2012, and they have toured all across the world ever since.
Known as one of the Twin Cities most dynamic live acts, Rogue Valley and lead singer/songwriter Chris Koza are an internationally-recognized band who have released a total of nine albums and EPs over the past several years. They perform regularly at top venues (First Avenue, The Fitzgerald Theater) and festivals (Basilica Block Party, MN State Fair), and have extensively toured the US, sharing the stage or supporting artists like The Rural Alberta Advantage, Andrew Bird, Justin Vernon, and Tift Merrit, among others. Koza’s compositions have been featured on television for ABC, MTV, and CBS as well as numerous local and national commercials. Paste Magazine calls Rogue Valley one of Minnesota’s best bands, and Mr. Koza and his band continue to receive extensive critical-acclaim from both local and national press.
Who’s gonna save you from the evil Dr Calculon? Have no worries honey, two sonic manipulators are here to save humankind! Bringing you a juicy slice of dirty bass grooves topped with a full fat layer of B-movie synth attacks. Live shows are a full on funkatronic party with lo-fi film projections, LED light show and the mysterious band members wearing Luchador mask & 80s tracksuits.
Mark Steiner shares His Problem with the audience.
Par-Ðar is an exiting new hippie band that plays psychedelic rock in a unique way. Influenced by our surroundings, the beauty, horrid and life. All music and all sounds affect us as beings and Par-Ðar focuses on creating compositions that allows the listener to find it’s inner self. Listen.
Árni Valur Kristinsson has been involved in the Icelandic electronic scene for over 17 years now. In 1998 he started the duo Vector alongside Jónas Thor Guðmundsson (Ruxpin) which Árni draws his Vector name from, they were also members of the minimal dub techno collective Den Nard Husher which released on the Icelandic Thule label in the late 90’s. Other notable collaborations was the project Árni2 with his namesake Árni Grétar aka Futuregrapher. As well as being one of the resident DJ’s on the legendary Weirdcore nights and is a frequent guest on both the Robot Disco and Extreme Chill events in Reykjavik and Berlin Árni has been combining elements from his dj sets and live sets allowing for live improvisation using modular synthesisers and drum machines in addition with the basic DJ setup. The force is strong with this one …..
Hinemoa is an icelandic band that was formed in 2014 Reykjavík based. Ásta Björg and Rakel Páls started Hinemoa because they had the passion to perform and work on their own material that didn’t fit in any other projects they were working on. The main focus of Hinemoa are harmonies, acoustics and rhythms that combined make relaxing, enjoyable music.
Ark-Overkill performs at Boston on November 8th at 17:20.
Elín Ey is an Icelandic blues singer-songwriter. Her first album ‘See you in Dreamland’ was released in 2008, and since then she has performed in many concerts in Europe and in the U.S., including London, Brighton, San Francisco and New York.
dj. flugvél og geimskip (Airplane and Spaceship) is a one girl’s project that draws influences from a thousand worlds.Defined as electronic horror-music with a space twist, the music is a mix of playful beats, cool bass, catchy melodies and high pitched vocals. She sings about evil cats taking over the world, alien experiments, demons hiding in shadows and the weird world below the surface of the ocean. Her live performances are lively, colorful and poetic and her music deals with mysteries, dreams and dangers of the night. On stage, dj. flugvél og geimskip is alone in the midst of keyboards and drum machines. Her concerts are like a strange blend of music, horror stories, poetry and theater. The mood is set by storytelling between songs, the use of incense, smoke, lights and a backdrop video. The audience is left feeling like they are in a vivid dream or have travelled to outer space.
Talented producer/composer Sam Slater plays a number of off-venue gigs during Airwaves!
The first Icelandic band to ever win the Eiserner Eversteiner European Folk Music Award, Árstíðir became a YouTube phenomenon after a friend recorded an impromptu performance of “Heyr himna smiður” in the Bürger Bahnhof train station in Wuppertal. After a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund their new album, the band took up residence and composed the album’s songs in Toppstödin, an abandoned coal-fired power plant repurposed as a creative space. They then recorded Hvel at the studio Orgelsmiðjan, home to many of Iceland’s renowned recording artists. The result is a collection of songs which weave both traditional and electronically-inspired instrumental threads together with soaring vocal harmonies, and that critics have described as “beautiful and atmospheric” and “utterly mesmerizing.”
Bellstop!…alternative folk rock or not! it is most definitely something raw and something true? well at least from runar’s and elin’s point of view. those two have been playing 2gether for years and living 2gether as well. a life full of adventure and risk from traveling around china and asia for years with the mutual goal: living life and seeking freedom within. things haven’t always worked towards the direction of true artistry and have gotten pretty messy at times. playing a full show for an audience of 1 up to playing unexpectedly in front of thousands. not to mention all those “lost in translation” concerts like playing in a chinese shampoo commercial thinking it was just another gig. well, they do have good hair those two “shamans” from china to iceland airwaves in fall 2010 they began playing,loving&living in iceland’s sizzling capital, reykjavik where they started working on their album” Karma” which is out! Karma tells the story of runar and elin’s life for the past 3 years! nothing is held back, it’s all there…you just have to listen for it carefully….more than once some might hear it and others won’t, it’s all up2U. Bellstop is a band, it’s a couple of individuals, it’s a carnies experience from iceland that doesnt belong in a box…for now we call it Folk&Roll!
Vök’s sound mixes wistful electronics and melodic vocals, distant saxophones and reverberating guitars. Think The xx’s hypnotism, The Knife’s sexual tension and Poliça’s playful overdubbing. VÖK kicked off the new year by playing Eurosonic and achieved several major festival bookings and great reviews.
Snorri Helgason’s music has a heartfelt, introspective, universal, sound; a highly relatable exploration of his personal struggles and emotions.
Elín Dröfn Jónsdóttir performs at Loft Hostel on November 8th at 19:00.
Daveeth is the artist name of Davíð Hólm Júlíusson. The music can mostly be characterized as braindance and acid but takes twist and turns to visit other influences. For live shows he takes the role of the conductor of acidic machinery with sweaty button pushing and knob twiddling.
Despite his young age, Emmsjé Gauti is a veteran when it comes to the rap game. After honing his talent for the last 13 years in Reykjavik’s small but vibrant and competitive rap scene, he released his debut solo album in 2010 which proved a big hit among fans and critics alike. Catapulting into the spotlight with his feature on the Blazroca’s hit “Elskum Þessar Mellur”, the aptly titled “Bara Ég” (“Only Me”) solidifies his status as one of Iceland’s most prominent young artists, striking an eclectic balance between flamboyant pop, humor and unadulterated rhyming skills. Say what you want about young Emmsjé Gauti, he gets the party started! Go check out his videos on Youtube (he’s put out more of them this year alone than most artists do in their entire careers). Gauti released his second solo album in 2013 called “ÞEYR”. “ÞEYR” is a darker, heavier release than his first outing and showcases the growth of the artist. If you are into punk-like shows, stagediving and random bullshit, Gauti is your go to guy.
Soffía Björg hails from Borgarfjörður, a fjord in the west of Iceland. Although the waters of Borgarfjörður appear calm, the fjord has significant undercurrents and shallows. Soffía studied classical singing, swifted over to jazz & has fiddled with bluegrass & americana. She holds a Bachelor Degree in Composition. Soffía is currently working through a set of songs for her first album scheduled for release in 2016. As a warm up for the album she has now made available online the single ‘Back & Back Again’ where; “The music drifts along beautifully in a classic, dark hued setting while Soffía’s rough cut, yet warm voice, infuses it with a strange blend of innocence and danger.”
Hailing from Iceland, Agent Fresco’s music is a reflection of this ever-changing landscape, with its overwhelming sense of freedom and vastness. This is a progressive art rock band that needs to be experienced from a few steps back to be grasped in its entirety, like a bold work of art. Even by the wide-open standards of Icelandic music Agent Fresco’s interpretation of the rock genre is unusually soulful and multi-layered, with a quicksilver rhythmic pulse and mother-of-pearl harmonies reflecting every mood colour imaginable. In the last couple of years, their iridescent, propulsive, arty and highly addictive music made the highly esteemed Reykjavik band become the favourite of a music-loving nation and an act sparking international interest.
The Icelandic Opera will be performing the Barber of Seville with an all-new, all-Icelandic cast.
Cheddy Carter remains skeptical about the artist’s bio, and is convinced that no man has ever been left more informed or more entertained after having been exposed to one. Cheddy Carter does not intend to ‘grab you with the first paragraph’ as recommended by diverse online guides, and is, in fact, against any kind of ‘grabbing’ or ‘groping’, and has never ‘grabbed’ nor ‘groped’ anyone in the past and does not intend to ‘grab’ or ‘grope’ anyone in the future. Cheddy Carter does not ‘sound like anyone’ and does not aspire to, for if Cheddy Carter ‘sounded like anyone’ else that would make their music redundant and therefore, ultimately, superfluous; Cheddy Carter has many ‘influences’, for everything that exists does so in a great causal web. Thus, we suppose that we are influenced mainly by our immediate environment as well as the historical context which gave birth to that immediate environment. Finally, Cheddy Carter has played few gigs, received few views, sold few records, and made few dollars, but hopes to make the transition from ‘few’ into ‘some’, and eventually, from ‘some’ into ‘many’.
Úlfur Úlfur is an Icelandic rap duo that’s on the rise. They’ll be playing a few times during Airwaves, both on and off-venue, so check ‘em out!
Mani Orrason is an Icelandic singer-songwriter and multi instrumentalist born in Reykjavík on the 24th of December 1997. The 7th child of his parents and later to be one of 10 brothers and sisters.
21 year old Lord Pusswhip has made quite the name for himself over the course of the last few years. Fusing intense, psychedelic beats with genius strokes of experimental hip-hop and rap, he has established himself as the master of Iceland’s underground hip-hop scene. It’s no wonder BBC Radio 1 presenter Huw Stephens singled him out for praise in the NME. Inspired by chopped ‘n’ screwed, horror films and pranks, Pusswhip has already produced for key figures in the international underground rap world, such as Antwon, Metro Zu and Bones, as well as playing in Brooklyn with hip-hop and punk legends Dälek and Stuart Argabright. Lately, Pusswhip’s concerts have been a mix of instrumentals and rapping – his audience at Secret Solstice danced like crazy. He intends to play mostly instrumentals at Airwaves but it is likely he will grab the mic towards the end of the set and spit a few raps. Standing tall as part of a new wave of forward-thinking producers, 2015 is already shaping up to be an exciting year for Lord Pusswhip, whose charm rests on his ability to dare to be different and to continue to push the boundaries of hip-hop, electronica and rap.
Sunnudagsklúbinn is hosting their first event during Airwaves, dubbed SpariWaves! Attendees are invited to leave behind their bad moods and boredom, but to bring the heat and their dancing shoes.
House music-making duo Davíð & Hjalti perform at Boston on November 8th at 21:00.
From the mushroom fields of Iceland!!
On their latest album, Sleaford Mods member Jason Williamson says, “The album was recorded in various periods between summer 2014 through to October of that year. We worked fast as we normally do, the method was the same as the other albums and like the other two, the sound has naturally moved itself along. ‘Key Markets’ is in places quite abstract but it still deals heavily with the disorientation of modern existence. It still touches on character assassination, the delusion of grandeur and the pointlessness of government politics. It’s a classic. Fuck em.”
Himbrimi started summer 2014 by the idea of Birkir Rafn and his girlfriend Margrét Rúnarsdóttir. They added to the line up; Hálfdán (Mukkaló, MAgnús Leifur), Skúli (Elín Helena), Egill (Sign). Since then they have released two singles that have both had good airplay on Icelandic radio and made it into the charts, the later single ‘tearing’ has been on radioX top 20 for over 3 months. Late 2015 they plan on releasing an EP.
GKR’s live performances are full of energy so rarely to be found. Every show of his is different and you never know what his next move is. GKR is one of Iceland’s most passionate young acts. Everytime you go at a GKR concert, nothing else matters, just have fun go with the flow and enjoy the energy in the room. GKR’s lyrics are based on his life experiences. Most of his songs have catchy hooks with unique rap flows over hard hitting 808’s that include a combination of euphoric and melancholic melodies. From working with up and coming producers here in Iceland to working with big producers worldwide, proves GKR’s forward thinking. GKR is not afraid to be himself, he is rich of emotion and has an unattainable amount of energy when it comes to creating. He embraces the element of surprise and wants to have an big impact whenever his voice is heard.
Troubadour Alexander (not to be confused with the Grapevine’s Intern Alexander) will be playing American Bar, performing a set of covers of your favourite songs.
Rosi Plain is bringing their stuff to Reykjavík, specifically Kaffibarinn! The second British invasion has officially begun.
Hot Chip are Joe Goddard, Alexis Taylor, Felix Martin, Al Doyle and Owen Clarke. They released their sixth album, Why Make Sense?, on 18thMay 2015. Recorded in Oxfordshire and London and produced by Hot Chip with Mark Ralph, Why Make Sense? is the band’s follow up to 2012’s critically acclaimed In Our Heads.
Árni Grétar (born 6 December 1983), best known under the pseudonym Futuregrapher, is an electronic musician described by Grapevine magazine in 2009 as “fucking brilliant.” He runs the record label Möller Records with fellow musicians Bistro Boy and Steve Sampling. At this show he’ll play songs from John Carpenter’s films.
Axel Flóvent is a musician hailing from the northern fishing village of Húsavík. At the age of 19 Axel has already spent a few years creating his own music and performing in Húsavík as well as all over Iceland by himself and as a part of his bands. His music can be described as modern folk music. At its core it´s acoustic and low key but bears obvious influences from other forms of music such as indie rock, pop and electronic music. Keeping in the vein of modern folk singers Axel has been active writing and recording his own songs and has a numerous online releases available.
Shades of Reykjavik is an Icelandic Hip-Hop collective that was formed in 2011. They’re a collective of rappers, producers, skaters and video directors who share similar interests in music, style and art. The group is compromised of Prins Puffin, Shaman Shawarma, Elli Grill, HB, Geimgengill, Máni and the Mogesen brothers. Since 2011 the group has released over 40 videos 24 of which are music related. With a lot of new material lined up and an album on the way, SOR is here to stay.
Nameless and Nobody perform at Boston on November 8th at 23:00.
