Sonic Iceland is off to a strange start. Yesterday we met our first artists, inhaled more volcanic ash than ever before, and finally enjoyed a private concert in an old cinema around the corner of a Viking village.
Meeting gogoyoko
First, we went to have a chat with the guys at the Iceland-based online-music community gogoyoko, to learn about more about their platform (which is currently only open for Iceland and the rest of Scandinavia) and about how the internet can and will change the way people value art and music, and how us Indie-listeners can influence this. CEO Haukur, Alex from Kimono and Hallur from Bloodgroup (who both work for gogoyoko) threw their ideas at us, and some of the things they said really made me over-think my own behaviour as consuming fan, even more as I always considered myself quite aware of ways to support my favourite artists.
Kai has finally arrived (with only 180 minutes delay), we are primed and ready to go. I had my first dried fish today, and we are almost on the way to taste some of Reykjavik’s finest burgers (which Kai has already tested with the lads from For A Minor Reflection during his last stay), before sampling some beers in the world famous Kaffibarrinn. More, music-related updates will follow soon, we promise. Skál!
While I’m sitting at Sonic Iceland headquarters, just back from one of the 6 (!) off-licenses in Reykjavik where I purchased some refreshments for the weekend, and waiting for Kai to arrive – here’s a small post about an initiative from Inspired by Iceland: Iceland hour.
“Join the people of Iceland and tell the world how you have been inspired by Iceland TODAY.
Today, the Icelandic nation & all its friends will go online and send messages about what they love most about Iceland to more friends around the globe at 13:00-14:00 Icelandic time, 14:00-15:00 UK time & 15:00-16:00 CET.
Iceland hour is not just for Icelanders and is open to those people from around the world who have been inspired by the country.”
So, if you are a) a friend of Iceland, b) like the country c) want to visit, d) are online anywhere in the world or e) all of the above, please log on to Inspired by Iceland from 3 PM CET on and listen to (and send) messages of how nice Iceland really is. And remember: Eyjafjallajökull has gone to sleep again.
Yesterday it happened. I’ve been invited to meet Jónsi, a man who plays and has played a huge role in placing Iceland on the musical map of the world. Without his band Sigur Rós, we would have not started this thing here. For us, it all started with watching Heima once too often and feeling the need to travel to Iceland and to see if this is all real and not photo shopped: the beauty of nature, this insane love for music and the overwhelming creative talent that seems to be given to every Icelander when born.
So, in preparation for my 15 minute-interview slot I wrote down lots and lots of questions. Five minutes before I left the house, I decided to throw them away. Instead of asking Jónsi all these questions, I told him that I blame him and his band for all the hassle we had in the last few months. Jónsi surely was confused by my message, then had a laugh and we went on talking about Icelandic bands, the not-so-easy way of Icelandic online communication and more stuff like that. Of course we also talked about his brilliant Solo-Album, but if you really want to know more about that, please see this massive transcript of Grapevine’s Haukur talking with Jónsi and Nico Muhly one night in Reykjavík.
Believe me, I don’t love every song or every band coming out of Iceland, just because I keep writing that I love this and that. But in this case I have to do it again: I LOVE this track. Damn, it’s so good!
You may have heard of Bloodgroup before, since they are touring a lot and got some nice media coverage. They are also well known for their extraordinary live performances.
While we’re in Iceland, Bloodgroup will perform (at least) two shows. First on friday (my second day, yay!) together with SYKUR. Second one at the Jónsvaka Midsummer Festival, which takes place between 24-27 June.
Can I get more excited?
Please visit Bloodgroup’s Myspace and listen to some more tunes.