Backyard – such a small name for a great little movie about the music scene in Reykjavík featuring great Icelandic artists ( Morr & Kimmi) such as Múm, Hjaltalín, FM BELFAST, Retro Stefson, BORKO, Sin Fang. It’s a Rock-u-mentary about a dude, Árni Rúnar Hlöðversson, who is also playing with FM BELFAST, who invited top Icelandic bands like Fm Belfast, Múm, Hjáltalin, Sin Fang and many more to his backyard have a block party (it is a 2 by 2 backyard), and while the viewer is flooded with wild Icelandic colors, tones and sights, I really wish I was there cause it seems so much fun, everybody seems so positive and in good spirit, and there is some great musicianship you catch, real inspiring, adit just explained to me how come this place has become the music Mecca of the north. Movie directed by Árni Sveinsson and it is 71 minutes long with 18 minutes of bonus material. Check out the awesome trailer and run tell your friends.

I needed to meditate today, but since I suck at thinking of a mantra or concentrating, I had to find another way. Music is always my first choice, but then, one needs to find the right record. And the right environment, or set. I took my small consumer HD Canon camera, and my Ipod armed with Soley`s new album, and to a walk to the river by my house, (I live in the middle of the city, and my river might not be what you imagine when you think of one, but hey, that`s what I got). While walking down there, I put ‘Kill the clown’ on repeat, and shot some nature moving stills. This is a pretty spontaneous clip I came up with, so lay back, take a hit off your fav smoke and sink to it….. Pre order the album here.. ‘We Sink‘ is out September 2nd on Morr Music, Berlin. Special thanks to Flow at Morr

It`s time to celebrate. This is Morr music`s 100th  Birthday – Those guys from Berlin we love so much celebrate 100 releases. So this is my absolute favorite song from Morr music, Soley`s song.(A Member of the Icelandic collective Seabear. Head over to Morr music`s shop for their special 100 release offer.

For those of you who never heard of Apparat Organ Quartet (see previous post) and expect chamber music here you are..

Cruise_control

During a recent move to Edinburgh, Scotland, Iceland native Benni Hemm Hemm aka Benedikt Hermannsson learned two things: 1.) to speak Scottish, and 2.) that it’s just as much fun recording at home as it is to record in Sundlaugin, the Sigur Rós studio.

To practice his recently discovered knowledge, Benni made an EP with his home recording gear, aptly named, Retaliate. Benni plays most of the instruments, in addition to the wonderful contributions of Emily Scott (double bass) and Peter Liddle (trumpet & alto-horn)

Retaliate is Benni Hemm Hemm´s third EP (and sixth overall release), and is his first release sung completely in English. It will be released on a 10″ vinyl and on CD April 24th on Kimi Records (FM Belfast, Reykjavik!). Benni Hemm Hemm will tour Europe this spring and summer, with plans to hit the US later this year. Listen to Retaliate

Icelandic 7-piece Seabear will release their sophomore album, ‘We Built a Fire’, in March 2010 on Morr Music. What started out as the lo-fi solo project of Icelandic singer/multi-instrumentalist Sindri Már Sigfússon’s (aka Sin Fang Bous) has now morphed into a rambling experimental/indie/folk septet. We Built A Fire was recorded in the band’s apple carton-covered basement studio and is the followup to their 2007 debut, The Ghost That Carried Us Away, which sold over 20,000+ copies with little to no promotion behind it.

The band will make their US touring debut behind the album’s release, and will perform several shows and parties at this year’s SXSW. In anticipation of these events, they are giving away a free download of their first single “Lion Face Boy.”

Check it out

Born in 1987, Olafur Arlnalds hails from the suburban Icelandic town, Mosfellsbaer, just a few kilometers outside of Reykjavik. He has immersed himself completely in a world of delicate symphonic compositions generating near weightless orchestral pieces. Arnalds explores the crossover from classical to pop by mixing chamber strings and piano with discreet electronics which makes him a perfect fit for his label Erased Tapes. His motivations are clear: “The classical scene is kind of closed to people who haven’t been studying music all their lives. I would like to bring my classical influence to the people who don’t usually listen to this kind of music…open people’s minds.”

This young artist is steadily gaining recognition worldwide since his 2007 debut ‘Eulogy for Evolution’. After filling London’s world-famous Barbican Hall, fellow Icelanders Sigur Ros invited Olafur to open their most recent European shows, playing to an audience of over 5,000 per night.

In April 2009, Iceland’s neo-classical export Ólafur Arnalds created the 7-song series ‘Found Songs’ – recording a song a day for 7 days and instantly making each track available via Twitter. So far more than 100.000 people downloaded the ‘Found Songs’ series via foundsongs.erasedtapes.com

In addition to the 2D visuals, Esteban Diacono – a young motion graphic artist from Buenos Aires, Argentina – created an astonishing animation video for ‘Ljosio’, which found its way into the hearts of over 400,000 people within 2 weeks via Vimeo and YouTube.

This is a Lofiles interview we held with Olafur, as well as videotaped studio and album making scenes.

Check out this wonderful band – Icelandic collective called Mum – Live at the Barbie club, Tel Aviv, this is prt 1.