In Photos: The Best Of Iceland Airwaves 2017, So Far
Our triple-threat photographer team of Art Bicnick, Timothée Lambrecq and Magnús Andersen have been all over the Iceland Airwaves festival, sneaking into the front rows of quiet
Another World Onstage: Sunna Is Rising
The polished electronica of Sunna Margrét Þórisdóttir—who, a musician, goes by simply Sunna—sounds almost surgical at times, yet somehow fluid. “It doesn’t happen by ac
The Grapevine GrapeWaves 2017 Festival Super Preview, Part One
Airwaves is upon us! The off-venues are running, the stages are warming up, and it’s time to download the festival app and start organising your life for the next five [&hell
No Wristband? No Problem! How To Off-Venue At Iceland Airwaves
As well as the official wristband-required evening schedule, Airwaves concerts happen pretty much all day every day during the festival week. Reykjavík’s city centre is already
Grapevine Playlist: Högni, dj. flugvél og geimskip, Kælan Mikla & More
Here are five new Icelandic tracks that have been swirling around on the Grapevine’s office stereo. DJ flúgvel og geimskip – The Sphinx Lo-fi pop experimentalist DJ fl
Music News: CYBER, Of Monsters & Men, Björk
The all-chick, all-crap, highly creative, fuck-you-that’s-who, rap group Cyber just dropped their first album ‘HORROR’ this month. It’s a rough and reckless debut featuring
Track By Track: ‘Shelter’ by Sycamore Tree
New duo Sycamore Tree recently dropped their debut release ‘Shelter’. With a smooth ethereal and romantic sound, the piece quickly secured the band’s place as a newcomer to w
Our Gods Never Existed: Bára Gísladóttir’s Music Mass
‘Mass For Some’ is the new album by composer and a double bass player Bára Gísladóttir. It’s a strange avant-garde concept album based around the Christian mass, but in a
Winning: FM Belfast Give All Their Power
Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir stops everything when it’s brought to her attention that season nine of RuPaul’s Drag Race is now on Netflix. Although I attempt to continue the flow of
Everything’s Good And Nothing Matters: The Return Of DJ. Flugvél Og Geimskip
How does one begin to describe dj. flugvél og geimskip? First of all, she’s not really a DJ, despite the name, which translates to DJ Airplane and Spaceship. Steinunn Harðardó
Straumur: East Of My Berlin—Icelandic Synth Stars On The Move
Electro-pop duo East of My Youth have been making international rounds in the past years. In the middle of September they released a brand new song and video. The Berlin-based [&he
Track By Track: ‘This Is My Shit’ By Páll Ivan
Our cover star Páll Ivan walks us through his debut album, ‘This Is My Shit’. “The album’s title is the closest analogy to this music,” he says. “
The Pop Savant: Páll Ivan’s Art Therapy
Páll Ivan leaps up and down in a dark, graffiti-coated subterranean space, his eyes gleaming under a torrent of glowing sparks and his face locked in a slow-motion scream. He’s
Grapevine Playlist: Úlfur, Mammút, CYBER, Sin Fang, Sóley & More
With Airwaves approaching, Icelandic bands are throwing out new material at a rate of knots. Here are the tracks that have caught our eye over the last two weeks. Sin […]
Music News: Sigur Rós, Valgeir Sigurðsson, Iceland Earthwaves
The Sigur rós-curated Norður og Niður festival—to be held at Harpa over the Christmas period from December 27-30—has released more names for the lineup. Joining such luminar
The Centre Cannot Hold: Ben Frost Tackles Sound, Politics, And The Idea Of Art
Ben Frost stands on stage between huge speakers, behind a blinking array of gear. His set jolts to life with the near-deafening sound of a jet engine warming up. It’s […]
Track By Track: ‘Fjallaloft’ By Moses Hightower
Moses Hightower is known for skillful playing, soothing voices, and advanced compositions. A live review from the Grapevine once said their performance, “[made] the audience feel
The Alchemist Composer: Úlfur Hansson’s Arborescence
When it comes to music, it seems like Úlfur Hansson has tried his hand at just about everything. He has toured with some of Iceland’s foremost musicians, built his own [&hel
Life In Pictures: JFDR In Tokyo
Jófríður Ákadóttir, aka JFDR, went to Tokyo recently for some life shows. Grapevine photographer Timothée Lambrecq happened to be in town to capture what went down. “To
Grapevine Playlist: Alvia, CYBER, Björk, EinarIndra & More
From the queen of Icelandic music to the latest rap kids exploding out of their bedroom and into the charts, here’s the Grapevine’s playlist of new tracks from the last
A Collection Of Treasures: Shahzad Ismaily’s Figureight Label Is Born
Shahzad Ismaily is a familiar and intriguing figure in Reykjavík’s music scene. A serial collaborator with a distinctive presence, he often graces the studios and stages of the