We are very much looking forward to 2013, numerous interviews have been lined up and, as always, there is loads of excellent new music to share. So, let’s get started with this weeks tunes – which we have sorted in order – quietest to loudest!
Josienne Clarke & Ben Walker
This week saw Josienne win ‘Female Vocalist Of The Year 2012′ at the Fatea Awards. Our congratulations go out to Josienne – the ‘Homemade Heartache EP’ that she put out with Ben Walker was one of our favourite EP’s of 2012.
Champion of all things Folk, Bob Meyer – of Bob’s Folk Show fame very kindly shared this live performance from Josienne & Ben (which you can also download for free!)
The Self Help Group – New Single ‘Needles’
The Self Help Group release their first single from album, ‘Not Waving, But Drowning’ which is being released by our friends at Union Music Store. We hope to bring you an interview when the album comes out, in the meantime enjoy new single & video, ‘Needles’.
American Werewolf Academy – Miserable Living
Things are definitely starting to get louder with this new tune from our hard rocking friends, AWA. Another excellent slice of rock-punk-pop, from Dallas, TX!
(I seem to be having all sorts of problems posting Bandcamp in WordPress, so if you cannot play directly please follow the link and go have a listen.)
Porquesi – Live at Iceland Airwaves 2012
We’ve already mentioned in previous dispatches how Porquesi blew us away with an ultra-loud set at Airwaves ’11 – on this evidence it would seem business as usual in 2012! You can download this for free from the Soundcloud site – and apparently it is called ‘Manboobs’.
I know we are well into the weekend already but you can enjoy these on your Sunday afternoon!
Frontier Ruckus
First up is this lovely little tune from new Loose signings Frontier Ruckus. With a 20 track double album coming in the New Year we will be keeping an eye on these guys.
Lay Low
We’ve mentioned Lay Low numerous times since we saw her at Iceland Airwaves ’11. We are big fans of single, ‘The Backbone’ and like the video Lovisa has just released to support it,
Finally for today, a little tip of the cap to the lovely Danni Nicholls who we are off to see in Brighton tonight. Danni is playing at this evenings, Still The Weekend Sessions. All the details here. Hopefully you can make it – if not have a listen and maybe get involved in Danni’s album (we have!): http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/danninicholls
We are a little lost for words when it comes to descibing this new EP from Russell.M.Harmon. It’s probably best you read his interview below because he articulates it perfectly. For us this is sparse, evocative music that is both challenging, engaging and beautiful. Please read on and listen to ’We Are Failed’:
Hi Russell.M.Harmon, please tell us about your new recording ‘We Are Failed’
We Are Failed is a collection of five compositions that I worked on for a year or so prior to its release in September 2012. It is basically the accumulation of a number of small ideas that for the most part originated as short piano improvisations and evolved into much larger pieces as I worked on them in Ableton Live. There is a loose concept but nothing that predefined the direction of the music; the mood of the pieces actually inspired the EP title and track names – the atmosphere of the record is very dark and lonely and the track names definitely reflect that.
I am a big fan of Craig Armstrong and the only reference point I can come up with for this EP is Armstrong’s ‘As If To Nothing’ – is this a fair comparison? Where do your influences for this record come from?
I am not familiar with Armstrong’s work so unfortunately I can’t really comment on whether it is a fair comparison or not. However, I was listening to a lot of Ben Frost’s music, and Alva Noto’s work with classical pianist Ryuichi Sakamoto whilst working on the record and I think to a certain degree there are points throughout where their influences can be heard. Other than that I just composed the music I wanted to hear at the time and We Are Failed is an accurate representation of that period of time.
How would you describe this type of music? Are you playing it live at all?
First and foremost I guess I would describe it as electronic, although that is a fairly encompassing term. When people ask I generally say that I compose piano-based electronic music. I have heard other people describe it as ambient, minimal, atmospheric – and I am more than happy with all of these terms as they definitely describe certain elements of my work. At the end of the day I guess I leave it down to the individual’s perception and how he/she chooses to define it. Definition isn’t something I tend to dwell on too much.
I am currently not performing my music live but I do plan to at some point in the near future. I have actually created a live set and figured out how I would perform the pieces but I have no immediate plans. However, with new material I am currently working on, I am actually composing with performing live in mind. I am working with the material in a live situation and trying to approach it in the same way that a band would, by “jamming” and developing one specific idea or phrase. I think it is important, for me at least, to try and incorporate this process into electronic music composition. Maybe it comes from years of playing in bands but it is a refreshing approach to composing electronic music for me.
There are a few moments on ‘Like Blood Off A Dove’s Back’ when it sounds as if a swarm of bees have taken over the studio – what is that sound? Listeners should beware if they are listening in headphones!
A swarm of bees. That is a fairly accurate description – I like it! What you’re hearing there though are layers of heavily distorted software synths in combination with side-chain compressors that create the swelling effect. I also used a lot of panning effects as well that throw some of these layers from left to right across the stereo field in quick succession as the swells rise and fall. I used the side-chain and panning effects to create a sense of the sounds being alive and crawling, almost like they are jumping out the speakers, fighting against each other to rise up. I wanted it to sound brutal and violent in order to create as much of a contrast as possible between the quiet sections that pre-and-proceed it.
Russell, how did you end up being based in Iceland?
My girlfriend is from here. We met seven years ago and after being together for a couple of years I decided to make the move from the UK. I have been living here for almost five years now.
Are you planning on more solo work or will new material from Porquesi be your next release?
I am always working on new material and planning what to do next but I don’t have a definite release put together yet. I am currently working on a number of new tracks which will no doubt form some kind of release in the near future but what that will be, I am not totally sure right now. I have also started recording new material with PORQUESÍ but again, we don’t have a set date for a release so I am not sure what will come next – it could be a solo release or the new PORQUESÍ EP. I am excited for both.
Skúli (the lead guitarist in PORQUESÍ) and I are working on a project together which we hope to release sometime next year. It will be a conceptual, contemporary classical set of works that we will compose and arrange together. We have already begun the process and hope to start recording in early 2013.
I am also planning a project with another very close friend of mine. He has been working on his solo material back in the UK and we have some ideas for a split EP. So yes, plenty of exciting stuff to keep me busy.
Regular readers will know that Iceland Airwaves 2011 was part of the reason I started this blog. They will also know that Vicky were one of my favourite bands, having caught them playing both an intimate, ‘violin enhanced’ semi-acoustic set and an ‘outfit coordinated’ noisefest.
Their album ‘Cast A Light’ is a fun bundle of great guitar-riffs, angst ridden lyrics and shout-a-long choruses – a damn fine rock record. Don’t believe me? Then check out this review from Rolling Stone.
Taking all this into account, you can imagine I was very happy when the band agreed to have a chat on the eve of their upcoming hometown gig.
Hi Vicky – are you well? What are you up to at the moment?
Hi! We’re good thank you; just planning our release concert for the album Cast a Light, that we’re going to have in an old theatre (bæjarbíó) in our “hometown”, Hafnarfjörður.
I understand your name was originally ‘Vicky Pollard’ after the character from Little Britain. What TV shows are currently making you laugh?
Yes that´s right. Funny, that seems so long ago but still it isn´t more than five years ago. When we were ready with our first album, our name was still Vicky Pollard, but that changed during the artwork on the album because we didn´t want to take any chances in case of legal arguments! This name is better when we think about it… TV shows..? We all share these dark humour type of shows like Family Guy, Little Britain, South Park and so on.
Vicky 'lo-fi' @ Airwaves'11
At Airwaves ’11 I was lucky enough to see you play both an acoustic set and the full electric version. What is most nerve-racking?
The acoustics are always more intimidating because then you can´t hide behind the distortion pedal and the reverb and stuff like that. They are more up close and people ask for more intimacy. So yes the acoustic one for sure.
Having seen the acoustic show first, I was pretty taken aback by how full on the main show was – is being a rock band a dream come true?
Yes it is. We all share this dream and are very happy about doing what we do. This has been an amazing experience and hopefully it is just beginning!
My colleague at Airwaves, Victorsson, was very taken by Karlotta’s green hair – any hair experimentation going on in the band at the moment?
Hahaha… Lotta´s hair is always changing. Maybe it is tuned in with the weather in Iceland!?
Last minute preparations
Vicky know how to write a great chorus – please give us an insight into the song writing process in the band.
Well thank you… Most of our songs have been created as an instrumental song to begin with. We start with a guitar riff or a bass line and then we find the right groove for the song. Once we have the right tempo and the groove, Eygló brings her thing to it and then we just find out the length for each part and so on. But also, sometimes it just happens all at once somehow by jamming at practices.
How would you describe your music?
“If the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Foo Fighters would have a lovechild under a Volcano in Iceland….” That would be Vicky!
Are you pleased with the reception to ‘Cast A Light’?
Yes we could not be happier! All the comments we have heard are on the positive notes, so that must be a good thing! But then again I guess we don’t get the negative comments… Nobody dares to say something negative to us… haha.
With many great bands in Iceland, do you think there is a competitive environment that pushes the bands to new & better things?
Might be, with only 300,000 people living here and so many bands fighting for the attention, you have to be doing something new and different to stand out.
Who are your musical influences?
We all come from different musical backgrounds so naming some influence for the band is kind of hard, the list goes from Queen to Kiss to Pantera to Opera. So it´s complicated!
You finished 2011 on a high with a great write up in Rolling Stone – what are your hopes and aspirations for 2012?
Our main plans are the release concert this month and following it by playing all over Iceland this Summer. Hopefully we’ll do a tour abroad, but when and where is not confirmed at the moment.
What were your favourite records of last year?
Since we all have so different tastes in music the list is really wide, to name a few: In Flames – Sounds of a Playground Fading, Bon Iver – Bon Iver, PJ Harvey- Let England Shake..
What would be your dream Airwaves line-up?
Less indie folk stuff and more rock and roll!!
Any plans to join us in the UK for a few gigs?
Hopefully! Sadly we have never played in the UK, but we have planned little tours there before, but there’s always something that comes up… But it’s definitely in our plans.
Thanks to all of Vicky for taking the time to chat.
If you are in Iceland then do try and catch the live Vicky experience. The release concert will be on the 12th of April, in bæjarbíó (town theatre) in Hafnarfjörður, the Facebook event is here:http://www.facebook.com/events/234349256664453/
At someofitistrue we like to bring you a bit of variety. This week whilst not creating captivating sonic soundscapes, walls of noise and hypnotic melodies, the guys from Porquesi have found time to have a chat.
My only live experience of the band was a great moment. On our last night at the Airwaves Festival in Iceland, Victorsson and I decided to catch Porquesi in a bar named Dillon. Through the crowd, we could just make out the band wrestling everything out of their instruments. It is fair to say we were quite literally blown away by the band, who attacked every song with unreserved passion. They play loud, the music is challenging, but is grounded in many a great melody. It is not always the case, but I am pleased to confirm that the band’s album ’This Is Forever’ does an excellent job of capturing the essence of the band.
Half Icelandic, Half British – how did PORQUESÍ come into being?
Basically, like all good stories, it started with a girl – or something a bit less dramatic! Russ moved to Iceland and befriended Skúli; a spark was lit. Russ’ friend Jonathan moved here to intern at a fancy magazine, then in Spring 2009, Skúli and Russ started to puzzle together some ideas and ended up bringing Jon and Egill (Skúli’s brother) into the mix. That’s how it happened – or something a bit more dramatic!
What does PORQUESÍ mean?
If you read it backwards it becomes ‘Iseuqrop’, which means ‘nothing’ in Russian. Nah, just kiddin’. But seriously, PORQUESÍ is Spanish for ‘just -because’, although in Spanish you would divide it into two words: porque sí. We took the artistic decision of gluing these words together ‘cos we don’t give a fuck. No just kiddin’, we respect a whole lot of things and people.
Tell us about the genesis of ‘This is Forever’.
It all happened pretty quickly in the Summer of 2009. Russ and Skúli put together ideas for 4-5 tracks which we brought into the garage along with Jon and Egill. Before we knew it, we had played a few shows here and there in downtown Reykjavík, and the following Winter composed the rest of what became the track listing for ‘This is Forever’. In the Autumn of 2010, we recorded the album over a two day period, then spent some time mixing and mastering before we released it ourselves in the beginning of December the same year.
I always get through the album and then suddenly realise that there have been no vocals. Do you find that it is harder to grab the listener’s attention without a vocal?
Not having the vocal element definitely forces us to take certain measures. For this type of music, being kind of minimal and repetitive, it is important not to overdo it, finding the right balance in number of repetitions; for example before adding something new. We have been told many times after shows something like, “cool stuff boys, but you should add vocals, that’d do the trick”. In the beginning we were very determined to play only instrumental music. I think all of us, at that time, listened to a lot of instrumental music, and it influenced us and made sense to us. Now, I think we are a bit more open to the idea of adding some vocals. You can’t deny the effect it has on the music. At the same time, it is a fragile thing; you can easily fuck it up.
Will vocals be introduced on future records?
As a matter of fact, the only track that is completely ready for our upcoming EP has a small vocal part. So yes, we’ll introduce some vocals, although we still consider ourselves as an instrumental band first and foremost.
For a newcomer to the band, which track would you recommend they listen to, and why?
Well, we have a video for ‘Obvious Harmony’, which is probably the heaviest track of the album. It’s the ‘hit single’. For something a bit softer, check out ‘Slowdown‘ or ’12-8-12′. And for a bit of both we recommend ‘Curfew and Crowded Streets’ or ‘This is Forever‘. The first and last tracks (the only ones with Icelandic names) are thought of as an intro and outro.
Is the balaclava a regular feature of the ‘live’ show?
Haha no, it was only a surprise element of the Dillon show during the Airwaves festival. It was supposed to increase the effect of our ‘rebellion song’, ‘Curfew and Crowded Streets’. Also, we wanted to do something special for the last Airwaves show. We also had a guest appearance from our friend Clyde Bradford from Human Hands. He played guitar for ‘Obvious Harmony’. That was a super fun performance! Definitely one of our favourites from Airwaves 2011 – this can actually be found on YouTube.
Airwaves was awesome and Iceland seems to have an amazing music scene – what’s it like to be involved in it?
Yeah, it’s a great music scene over here, and super diverse too. It definitely has this ‘community’ vibe about it, with bands willing to help each other out. We love playing with other like-minded Icelandic bands, and those who have never heard of us. It makes us strive to play a better show.
What bands have influenced PORQUESÍ?
This Will Destroy You, Caspian, At the Drive-In, Mogwai, and Converge to name a few.
What would be your dream festival line-up?
Tricky question. At the Drive-In reunion and Mogwai of course. Um, Jon would love to see Meshuggah, Russ would say Radiohead, and Egill would say Metallica. Haha. And probably a bit of Blink 182 to get drunk to.
Are you playing in the UK any time soon – what are your future plans for gigs?
We have nothing booked in the UK yet, but we have talked a lot about going there this year. When the opportunity will present itself, we will grab it. It’d be awesome to do a tour in the UK. We’re working on it. Stay tuned.
When can we expect new music – what form will it take Album, EP etc?
We are currently working on a 4-5 track EP, which will hopefully be released this spring. It’s going to be a lot darker and structurally more complex, but will also have some signature PORQUESÍ melodies.
Thanks to the guys for taking the time to chat. If you liked this blog, or any of our other interviews, then please do sign-up for regular updates.
I’ve always been a music obsessive, however recently, I have rediscovered my passion for looking out for new music & musicians. Of course they’ve always been there, it’s just that I’ve been a bit lazy searching them out. What’s changed? Firstly festivals for new music, such as Brighton’s Great Escape and Iceland Airwaves have both provided excellent platforms for new bands. I’ve also been lucky in that just up the road the Union Music Store (http://unionmusicstore.com/) has opened its doors, showcasing lots of great musicians.
In addition to this, I have finally embraced social media, specifically Twitter, and this has been key in opening me up to a whole new world of music. Through people following me or recommendations from friends, I have been introduced to a variety of artists whose music I have come to enjoy and admire.
As a music fan I’ve always wanted to know more about songs, their influences and the musicians themselves: I just think it helps you appreciate the music even more. To that end I thought I would create this blog to further interact with the artists and share more details on some of the great new music I have discovered via twitter (and other social media). I hope you enjoy.
A leisurely Saturday started with a visit to the pub. Lots of hungover faces were scattered about and as many soft drinks and coffee were being consumed as were beers. Why were we in the pub first thing? Football of course. Victorsson is a Manchester United fan and today they were taking on the mighty Liverpool FC. As the match ended 1-1, everyone left happy.
We wandered the now familiar streets of Reykjavik, whilst discussing the day’s itinerary; top of the list was getting to the Reykjavik Downtown Hostel nice and early to ensure we saw Útidúr. This meant we had a couple of hours to fill, so we popped along to the very fine record shop Smekkleysa. Just to highlight how much Airwaves had taken over the city, in a shop a few doors down the road another band was starting to play (I think this was Porquesi, but couldn’t be sure).
On the steps inside Smekkleysa, Kalli played a set on his acoustic guitar. Even in these surroundings it was an emotionally charged occasion, I swear I saw a tear from Kalli at one point. These were crafted pop/folk songs with plenty of heart. The fragile but gravelly vocals offset the lyrics and everyone left suitably moved – not necessarily what we were expecting, but a truly memorable experience all the same.
A lucky piece of timing ensured that we made it to the Downtown Hostel just as the crowd for the first artist were leaving. We were 90 minutes early for Útidúr, but this enabled us to get a prime place near the front. As an extra bonus, we got to see Samaris who play atmospheric electronica melded with clarinet and extraordinarily haunting vocals. I’m happy to admit that I’d become sceptical when no guitars were being set-up and a laptop took centre stage. However, I was made to forget this almost instantly when Samaris started playing. Again this was like nothing else we had heard at the festival. It was an original and captivating set.
We managed to keep our front row place as various members of Útidúr started drifting onto the stage. We were also lucky to be standing next to a very lovely lady who chatted to us about the history of Airwaves in this particular venue. She runs http://www.iheartreykjavik.net/ and along with her colleagues were recording everything that went on for the festival in the Hostel (well I’m sure not everything, but you know what I mean). Check out loads of performances from this year’s Airwaves here:
There was a fleeting moment when we thought that, eventhough some of the band had shown, the gig may not go ahead as some members were still missing in action. A little later, everyone assembled/squashed onto the stage, they kicked things off. What followed was a brilliant gig full of wonderful songs. How would I describe the band? Well there are shades of Folk, Pop, Lounge mixed with a large slab of epic sprawling soundtrack thrown in for good measure. What comes out is a beautiful racket topped off by duelling vocals and wonderous harmonies. We were treated to most of the album ‘This Mess We’ve Made’ which I would recommend people listen to, some fun banter and a charismatic display from a band on top of their game. Was it worth the wait? Most definitely. Victorsson diligently went round to every member of the band afterwards to get his CD signed, and all the talk from the other fans queueing was that Útidúr, who had played numerous sets at Airwaves, had provided many personal festival highlights. All this and it was only 18:30!
Just a few of the many members of Útidúr
The evening was spent skipping (not literally) between the two venues at Harpa. Myrra Rós played some nice acoustic based tunes, Gudrid Hansdóttir and her full band rocked Victorsson’s world whilst I caught Veronica Falls doing their ‘indie’ thing upstairs. Final act of the night were Song for Wendy, a couple armed with only acoustic guitar and a Mac, making music in-between numerous technical hitches. Nobody seemed to mind the delays as the music and voices were so beautiful.
So, we’d managed to see Útidúr, who’d lived up to every expectation. We had also seen, discovered and experienced so much more. Iceland Airwaves ’11 just got better and better.
Day 5
Day 5 was actually spent sightseeing on The Golden Circle. As this is a music blog I won’t go into details but just say that Iceland is a strikingly beautiful place and I (and Victorsson who was on his 3rd visit) would wholeheartedly recommend a visit. If you are a music fan then Iceland Airwaves is a treat most definitely not to be missed. Great location, great venues and most importantly, brilliant music.
For us Iceland Airwaves was not quite over. On the evening of day 5 we popped out for a quick beer and stumbled onto the loudest, most rocking band of the festival, Porquesi
Again this was something quite different from what we had already seen. Give these boys a listen because the album, ‘This is Forever’, is rather good.
And on this final, ear-splitting chord, Iceland Airwaves 2011 was finished. It was an inspiring experience, and one that I hope I’ll enjoy again in the future.
Victorsson had taken this festival very seriously. For many months he had trawled YouTube, Myspace etc to find out which bands we should definitely make sure we see on our trip. I’m not entirely sure of all the details of his criteria for selection, but I know that he has a fine ear for good music, so had no issue with him creating our schedule. Weeks before we packed our bags, there was one band he couldn’t stop talking about: Útidúr, and it was this performance that had really caught his eye…
After consulting both App and paper schedule, it was agreed that today was the one that we saw Útidúr, as they had two gigs; at the beginning and end of the day. With this in mind, we took our seats in the Reykjavik Backpackers early. Quite a few people seemed to drift in and out again after discussions at the bar, we then saw someone make a change to the running order list – Útidúr had cancelled! Drinks already purchased we settled in for the alternative act (apologies I do not have a name) who I assume was influenced by Josh T. Pearson. It was a set dripping in heartbreak, even the Gaga cover.
Thankfully Airwaves venues are all within easy walking distance and fifteen minutes later we were back in the library at the Nordic House, watching Team Me, who were great fun. The venue was again packed and remained so for the enigmatic Jenny Hval. Three long tracks with a very experimental feel, again took our festival experience off on a very different trajectory. Although not one of my favourite sets of the week, it was certainly memorable, challenging and intense.
A quick stroll back into town and we were hunting in the dusk for the Macyard. Our policy when lost had been to look out for other wristbands and slightly dazed looks. This policy turned up trumps again and we found that due to the rain, Vicky had moved their gig indoors at Hemmi & Valdi. A friendly welcome, warmth, comfy sofas and cheap beer ensured we didn’t miss the standing outside experience.
Vicky were also on Victorsson’s main list and they didn’t disapoint. Once we had got over our excitement around the guitarist’s green hair, we were treated to a entertaining acoustic set with singer Eyglo’s (hope that’s the correct spelling) vocals packed with raw angst; the emotion intensified by some great violin work. Oh and the drummer played a large box on which he sat (I’m sure there is a technical name for said box). It was the kind of gig that left you feeling like you’d been at something particularly special, we were very pleased with ourselves, feeling like we had stumbled upon a real ‘event’ by catching this group in such an intimate venue. The perfect end to another fantastic day of ‘Off venue’ performances.
Vicky enchant @ Hemmi & Valdi
Our evening started at the Glaumbar with Contalgen Funeral, these guys (and girl) know how to entertain a crowd and write a song about cocaine; in fact they know how to write nearly a whole set of songs about cocaine. It was great to hear a bit of banjo, double-bass and spoons – the festival continued to confound (in a good way).
Contalgen Funeral @ Glaumbar
Next door in Gaukur A Stong, we caught the end of a very loud set by El Camino. No singing, but lots of guitars, drums and bass – think Muse crossed with The Shadows! Next up was Vicky in full gig mode and the change was a bit of a revelation. The girls had matching black and silver outfits, there was some cool sparkly eye make-up and they were very loud. My only real point of reference would be Paramore, but just because they are contemporary, rock and have a female singer. The tunes we heard earlier retained the catchy hooks, but the pop element was replaced by ’in your face’ rock.
Vicky preparing to rock Gaukur A Stong
Vicky 'rocking' Gaukur A Stong
Having detoured to see Vicky, we were late for an appointment with Niki and the Dove at NASA. Therefore around the corner, we found Elín Ey at Tjarnarbio. Just how many great venues there are in Reykjavik is unknown to me, but this was yet another one and it was a real shame it was so empty. Elín started on her own and added an extra musician each song. A confident performer, Elín seemed unfazed by the small audience and didn’t let it effect the delivery of some top folk influenced tunes. I can only speak for myself, but I really enjoyed this set. Oh, and as an aside the Lycra catsuits were an interesting touch.
Sóley came on next. I’d been looking at her CD earlier that day and had read that she is (or was) in Seabear. I have never heard of this band, but liked them immediately because of the cool name. Sóley was excellent, a host of good songs, charming between song banter and a lovely voice. I have listened to Sóley’s record a lot since I got home and highly recommend, ‘We Sink’ – it is very fine. I also now have a reason, beyond the great name, for buying a Seabear record.
It’s late, we have seen nine sets from eight different bands, but still we have one more gig to go – Útidúr are on a Idno at 01:20. It is packed to the rafters and although we do manage to get in the front door, entering the hall is virtually impossible. A quick review of our timetable advises us that we have one more opportunity to catch the elusive Útidúr tomorrow, off-venue. We escape the crowds and head off into the evening, today has been another very special day at Iceland Airwaves ’11.
Thursday started with a bit of cultural exploration, this was achieved by walking across the road to take a closer look at the stunning Hallgrímskirkja which dominates the skylineof Reykjavik. If a building can be described as both classical and futuristic, then that’s how I would describe this church. A trip up the tower provides stunning views over the city and is definitely worth the small fee. Victorsson, who had been chomping at the bit to get going in the morning, had photographed the church from virtually every angle by the time I had emerged from my room; this was not the only time he would be waiting around for me and I am thankful for his patience and resourcefulness – luckily he always found something interesting to look at.
Although the day was cold and overcast we found plenty to occupy our time whilst waiting for the first gig. The city centre has a friendly, welcoming feel, numerous independent shops and is also refreshingly devoid of the big chains such as McDonalds and Starbucks.
A trip to the National Museum of Iceland (well worth a visit) had left us near Nordic House where the App told us we wanted to be if we were to catch our first artist of the day, Guðríð. For me one of the best features of Airwaves was the comprehensive ‘Off-Venue’ chedule. Numerous places, such as Nordic House, put on shows throughout the day giving Artists the opportunity to play more than one set over the five days of the festival. In fact many bands played 3+ sets across the week. It may seem daft but this had the effect of adding further integrity to the event, it really was a ‘music’ festival for the bands and the fans. I’m sure there was an ‘industry’ side to proceedings but this was nowhere near as prevalent as I have seen in other events of this type. The off-venue schedule meant that you could catch a band playing an intimate acoustic set in the afternoon and then a full set at another time. It also meant that there was little distinction given to the ‘big’ bands, everyone seemed happy to play everywhere, even if it meant squeezing six to eight band members in a space equivalent to someone’s lounge. It was these smaller events that went a long way towards making Airwaves so very special.
Guðríð hails from the Faroe Islands (where it is often foggy apparently), although she is currently residing in Reykjavik – I’m not a stalker, Victorsson had a little chat when he had his CD signed:
After an excellent set @ Nordic House, Guðríð signs CD's for excited fans
Her set was stripped back to just an electric guitar and drums and, when combined with her voice, gave proceedings an evocative feel. Victorsson caught the full band set later in the week and raved about it. Either way Guðríð is a great songwriter with a splendid voice. Standing room only proved that we weren’t the only ones who thought so. That said, the next band into the Nordic House, Agent Fresco, almost doubled the crowd, causing the sliding doors at the back to be opened with people spilling into the library behind. We didn’t stay long enough for me to pass much of an opinion – although ‘not my cup of tea’ might be opinion enough. From the swelling crowds, the amount of posters around town and the fact that these guys seemed to be one of the hardest working bands at the festival, playing gigs most days, it would seem that they are definitely on the up and good luck to them.
Things were definitely gaining momentum in festival land by the time we got to our next venue, the Reykjavik Downtown Hostel. The place was packed with people wanting to see Of Monsters and Men. With no standing room indoors, we watched the set from a side door, giving us a unique view of the back of the band. We could hear the music no problem and the band played an electric set, feeding off a crowd that were obviously lapping it up. Between bands we managed to swim against the tide of bodies to take our place right at the front for the next act- Lay Low, also known as Lovísa Elísabet Sigrúnardóttir.
Armed with just her guitar and a variety of effects pedals, Lay Low veered from the blues to country and back again. An accomplished performer, she had a gentle but powerful voice, interesting lyrics and many excellent songs. Again, this off venue gig had given us an
opportunity to see a musician at their most stripped back, we were not left disappointed as Lay Low kept the crowd mesmerized throughout.
Having attended The Great Escape festival in Brighton on numerous occasions, and learnt that the best approach if you don’t like queuing is to take your pick of evening venue, get there early and take pot luck as to whether the other bands are any good. Equipped with this knowledge, we decided to get ourselves into NASA (cool venue name) nice and early. What led to this choice of locations? Nothing more than the fact that one of the acts, Lára Rúnars had started following me on Twitter. I’d never heard any of her music before but social network vanity got the better of me and it turns out that we were well served by this vanity. Iiris and band kicked off the evening in a high energy fashion. The sheer joy and enthusiasm was picked up on by the crowd and Lára had the good fortune of coming on with the crowd still revved up. Probably the poppiest and slickest of all the acts we saw at the festival, she and the band hit a high gear from the off and the pace never faltered. Indie pop tunes and some funky new dance moves, what more can you ask for? We loved it, Lara loved it, ‘I love Airwaves. It’s mad!’
Lara Runars @ NASA
What a great way to draw our first full day of Airwaves to a close. We’d seen a bit of the great city of Reykjavik watched seven bands and bought a few CD’s – exactly what we came for!
Although I have been prevaricating over this blog for a good week, my enthusiasm for the festival that was Iceland Airwaves 2011 remains undiminished. Five days of amazing music, spread across numerous venues in and around the centre of Reykjavik, proved that an alternative to the mud and tent type festival is alive and kicking.
I’m blaming a combination of an early morning start and this being my first trip to Iceland for my belief that the coach driver had advised us that we would be travelling through ‘Llama’ fields for 40 minutes as we made our way into the city. An absence of four legged Camelids (that’s what it says on Wikipedia) and amazing rock infested scenery quickly led me to the conclusion that these were in fact ‘Lava’ fields – and a spectacular sight they were.
A relatively tight first day schedule meant that within an hour of arrival, we had picked up our wrist bands from the Airwaves team at the Media Centre and were soon sampling the local beer and food in the Laundromat Cafe (very fine it was too). In a way this seemed to be an unofficial centre of the festival with table full of both gig-goers and bands grabbing food between shows. The rush was due to the fact that my fellow traveller, the photographer who henceforth will be referred to as Victorsson, had successfully managed to secure us tickets for one of the two special shows that Bjork was putting on. The ‘Biophilia’ show was at Harpa, a visually stunning Concert Hall, and appropriately grand venue for this special event. In fact the Harpa boasted at least 4 stages for the festival and hosted some memorable shows.
First major surprise was the intimate venue. A central stage, numerous screens and a variety of weird and wonderful instruments were completely surrounded by the crowd. From our standing point we could have, if inclined, touched Bjork’s huge orange hair as she made her way to the stage. Thankfully Victorsson decided to clap instead and the bouncers could instead keep an eye out for anyone trying to take a sneaky picture.
The show itself was extraordinary. From the opening strains of David Attenborough, the electrical sparks that looked as if they had been stolen from Dr Frankenstein’s laboratory and the costumes of the choir, through to the amazing visuals for each and every song there was no doubt that this was an ‘event’. Of course the whole thing needed to be gelled together and Bjork did this amazingly well with charisma and an obvious passion for the show itself. However, for me, the extra ingredient that took this show to another dimension was Bjork’s voice. Although, after all the amazing records over the years, her voice is easily recognisable I sometimes forget quite how unique it is. I don’t know anything about the science of music so cannot describe it from the perspective of pitch or tone, however, I can tell that its clarity and distinctiveness acted as an additional instrument raising the songs in this set to a whole new level.
I think it’s fair to say that the crowd went off into the cold Reykjavik night in jubilant spirits. For us this set the bar for the rest of the festival at a very high level, one you worried that might be beyond reach. Certainly the other bands we saw that evening, were unable to reach those dizzy heights – therefore I think it unfair to name check them.
I was happy, Victorsson was happy. Iceland Airwaves ’11 had got off to a flyer!
RT @lazyacrerecords: So this is kind of awkward but... your CD collection called me earlier, it was kinda sad... it said it wanted... http:… 2 hours ago
