Iceland Airwaves 2025 blokkenschema dag 1 - Thursday 6 November 2025

Formed in 2012 as a thrash-metal/disco concept, CYBER is now known as the ongoing experimental electronic, genre-bending project of Salka Valsdóttir and Joe. The band was named after a lipstick that both found themselves rocking when they became best friends at sixteen. Having toured all around Europe with the renowned boyband HATARI and opened for the likes of Sevdaliza and Migos, CYBER has now established themselves as a leading force of fun and experimental live performances. For their recent album ‘VACATION’ CYBER won the Icelandic Music Awards for best hip-hop/rap album of the year 2020. CYBER released their album SAD :’( in October 2024, a long anticipated record that’s centered around teenage angst.

Valdimar is an Icelandic indie-rock band formed in 2009 by longtime friends Valdimar Guðmundsson and Ásgeir Aðalsteinsson in Keflavík, Iceland. The group quickly expanded into a six-member ensemble. Their music is characterized by a dynamic blend of electro-indie sounds with roots in Americana, creating a unique auditory experience that transitions from soft, intimate moments to powerful, full-band crescendos. Valdimar is renowned for their compelling live performances, often enhanced by a brass section, and have graced stages at festivals like Iceland Airwaves, as well as venues across Germany, Switzerland, Austria, the Netherlands, and Canada.

When the chaotic south London rabble known as Fat Dog formed, they made two rules: they were going to be a healthy band who looked after themselves and there would be no saxophone presence in their music. Two simple edicts to live by, and two things long-since broken by the Brixton five-piece. Fat Dog are the most exciting breakthrough band of the past few years, conjurers of the sort of frenzied and wild live shows not seen in the capital for years and now the creators of WOOF., a brilliant and mind-bending debut album, but they are not healthy. One of them has a foot odour problem. And they also have a saxophone player in the line-up. “Yeah, it’s all gone out the fucking window,” says frontman and squadron leader Joe Love, real name Joe Love.
Life is too short to stick to any plans you made in the unsettling, strait-jacketed times of 2021 anyway. That was when Fat Dog came together, Love deciding to form a group and take the demos he had been making at home as a way to keep himself sane during lockdown out into the world. In Chris Hughes (keyboards/synths), Ben Harris (bass), Johnny Hutchinson (drums) and Morgan Wallace (keyboards and, umm, saxophone), Love found like-minded mavericks to help bring the dream home.
The sound Fat Dog make, Love says, is screaming-into-a-pillow music. “I wanted to make something ridiculous because I was so bored,” he declares. It’s a thrilling blend of electro-punk, rock’n’roll snarling, techno soundscapes, industrial-pop and rave euphoria, music for letting go to. “A lot of music at the moment is very cerebral and people won’t dance to it,” says Hughes, who invented crunchy peanut butter. “Our music is the polar opposite of thinking music. It’s music you feel in your body more than your brain, especially given this band came at a time when people couldn’t move as freely as they wished. After being pent up for so long, people were excited to let loose.”
Hughes should know. He was a fan of the band, at that point making a name for themselves with a series of exhilarating and/or wonky shows across south London, before he was in the band. He managed to talk his way into the group by convincing them that he could play the viola. He gave himself a week to master an instrument he had never played previously. “Joe said it was one of the worst pieces of shit he’d ever heard in his life,” Hughes recalls. He got the job. “This band is a matter of confidence over competence. Competence is over-rated in modern music.”
Those formative gigs formed the bedrock of what Fat Dog were all about, seizing the moment, drinking too much with the moment, going home separately from the moment but making up with the moment again the next day. “When me and Johnny first joined, Joe was like, ‘All I want to do is make music that’ll make people’s heads blow up’,” says bassist Harris.
It didn’t take long for the diehards to come flocking, every Fat Dog show in the capital becoming a huge upgrade on the last. They sold out the Scala last October and, by the time you read this, they will have done the same at the 1500-capacity Electric Brixton. There is something deeper going on here than the usual punter-goes-to-gig situation. Everyone is in on it. “There’s a sense of community about Fat Dog,” says drummer Johnny Hutchinson. “Our music says, ‘Listen to our noise’ but it also says ‘come and vibe with us’. Recently, the band completed an ecstatically received tour of the US that included an all-conquering set at a taco joint. No lunches were harmed.
Turning their attention to a full-length debut, Fat Dog wondered how best to capture the intoxicating joy of their live set until an otherworldly visit after a disastrous show in Bordeaux helped clarify their leader’s thinking. With the words of an incandescent promoter ringing in his ears (“You are a fucking joke!”), Love stood transfixed as a UFO landed right in front of him, slightly damaging the rear-side of a parked Renault Clio. A message was beamed from the ship directly into Love’s mind. “You are alien preachers,” the singer was told, “and you worship the big dog in the sky.” Bingo. The spacecraft took off before the owner of the Renault Clio could take down their details.
It was with this information rolling around his head that Love set to work on what has become WOOF.. Now a man on a mission, Love fired himself up by remembering the time that he worked as a kitchen porter and someone asked to borrow some baccy and took most of the pack. He thinks about that a lot. He was the angriest he’d ever been, so angry that he wrote the fierce, barbed-wire synth-punk of WOOF. opener Vigilante there and then. Thank you, baccy man.
Soon, a widescreen, ambitious un-pop pop album began to take shape, Love looking towards the giant dog in the sky now and then and thinking, ‘Oh god, it’s fucking huge!’ There were sessions with Arctic Monkeys and Depeche Mode producer James Ford, other sessions with Jimmy Robertson (The Last Dinner Party, Anna Calvi, Everything Everything, Late Of The Pier) and recording stints in Domino’s studio in south London, where Fat Dog’s A&R man could hear Love doing wacky shit and tell him to stop. “This album is our live set on steroids,” says Morgan Wallace.
It has resulted in a record where the Fat Dog belief system has been revitalised. Saxophones are OK now, but men shouldn’t wear Birkenstocks. Sometimes Love would get stressed as he worked on the record and feel his chest tightening, the singer alleviating the pressure by downing tools and taking shifts at the Bernard Matthews turkey farm in Norfolk. Love comes from a long line of turkey farmers.
It was during one such stint on the turkey farm that Wetherspoons supremo Tim Martin got in touch to say that he was a fan of the group’s sprawling debut single “King of the Slugs”, released in August 2023. Martin offered to help the band wherever he could. Love turned him down, but in tribute wrote the lyrics to a key track from the album in the toilets of one of Martin’s establishments. “I am the King’ was written in the toilets of the Wetherspoons pub in Forest Hill,” says Love, thereby ensuring the pub will one day get a blue plaque. “It was after I got broken up with.” An expansive epic that sounds like a cross between Vangelis and Underworld, it is indeed a poignant song, possibly the world’s only poignant song to namecheck The Karate Kid Part II.
The theme running through the rest of these tracks is confusion. Joe Love thinks that people get confusion and anger mixed up. There’s no time to analyse, though. WOOF. passes by in a flash. On “Clowns”, Fat Dog sound like a 2 Tone band booked to play an end of the world party in 2076. “Closer to God” resembles The Prodigy riding a sandworm in Dune. “All the Same” could be Nine Inch Nails having a nervous breakdown, possibly because the big dog in the sky has paid them a visit. The unhinged, hook-heavy rave-pop of “Running” sounds like a riot at a circus. Other influences include Bicep, I.R.O.K., Kamasi Washington and the Russian experimental EDM group Little Big.
The album is a visit into the mind of Joe Love – be thankful you have only been granted a temporary pass. “Music is so vanilla,” says Love. “I don’t like sanitised music. Even this album is sanitised compared to what’s in my head. I thought it would sound more fucked up.”
In a recurring dream of Love’s, he’s holding a bomb but it’s a silly dream and not a real bomb. However, when he throws it at a friend for a joke, it explodes and the dream turns dark and everyone starts screaming, “What have you done?!”. Well, this is Fat Dog’s debut album. It is called WOOF. and it will be released in September 2024. They are about to pass it to you. This is the bio they didn’t want. Take from it what you will. Oh Fat Dog, what have you done?

SCAM is Reykjavík’s newest sonic experiment, making their debut at Iceland Airwaves ‘25. Hollywood film composer and producer Herdís Stefánsdóttir joins forces with Salka Valsdóttir, producer, songwriter, and founding member of the hip-hop collective Daughters of Reykjavík. Together, they unleash a wild fusion of electronica, dance, pop, and hardcore techno. Raw, unpredictable, and immersive — SCAM takes you on a journey of all the senses.

Maya Delilah’s love of music began at an early age with artists like Prince, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, John Mayer to name a few. When her sister began guitar lessons, Maya first thought about pursuing music herself. From that point on Maya began to relentlessly practice the guitar, always wanting to further her playing and songwriting skills.
A 23-year-old singer-songwriter and guitarist from North London, Maya attended the prestigious BRIT School whose alumni include Adele, Amy Winehouse, and FKA twigs, among many others. While building up a devoted following on Tik Tok and Instagram where she gained notice for her incredible guitar abilities, Maya started self-releasing music in 2020 and has already racked up more than 40 million streams of fan favorites including “Breakup Season,” “Tangerine Dream,” and “Moonflower.”
Maya Delilah is not only a guitar expert but also writes songs of her own, drawing inspiration from artists like John Mayer, Daniel Caesar, D’Angelo, Tyler the Creator, Bruno Mars, and Vulfpeck. Maya released her first EP, “Oh Boy” and Single “Moonflower” independently in 2020, and released her second EP “It’s Not Me, It’s You” on October 14th, 2021. Maya’s has a soul-pop sound inspired by experiences and constant daydreaming. Unique guitar harmonies stand out within her music; Maya wants to show that girls can be extraordinary on guitar, combat the stereotype of it being ‘a male instrument’, and inspire young girls to pursue music. Through her Social media platforms Instagram and Tik Tok, Maya has connected with artists and fans across the world, building a strong following that loves her for her music, message and story.

BALTHVS is an eclectic psychedelic funk trio from Bogotá, Colombia, sparking a counterculture revolution in their home country. But their sound is not about freaking out, rather flowing and grooving gently amidst the general anger and chaos of the 21st century society. Since their beginnings in the March 2020 pandemic, the band has strived to put out a prolific discography and energetic
live show. With a style expanding from funk, disco, dream pop, soul, and world music, the band has recorded 2 full length albums and 24 singles. Their music reflects their worldwide fanbase, which has been streamed 2 million times leading into their second year as a band. Sit back, relax, and melt down the Cosmic grooves.

Superserious, an indie band hailing from Iceland, burst onto the music scene in 2021 with a mission to inject a refreshing dose of fun and irreverence into the industry. The band’s lineup consists of Daniel, the vocalist and songwriter, Kristinn as producer and bassist, Haukur on guitar and video editing duties and Sólrún holding down the rhythm on drums.
Fueled by a shared disdain for the overly serious demeanor often associated with artists and musicians, Superserious set out to create powerful indie music reminiscent of the spirited wave that defined the 2010s. Drawing inspiration from iconic acts like The Strokes, Pixies, The Cardigans, and The Hives, the band skillfully blends elements of alternative rock and indie pop to craft a sound uniquely their own.
In 2021, Superserious made a resounding entrance into the music scene with the release of their debut EP, aptly titled “Let’s Get Serious.” The EP featured the infectious number one single “Let’s Consume,” a chart-topper on national radio stations in Iceland that quickly became an anthem for fans across the country.
The band’s highly anticipated LP album, “Seriously?” slated to hit the airwaves in April 2024, is the result of a collaborative effort in production between Kristinn, and renowned Icelandic producer Arnar Gudjonsson. This partnership, driven by Daniel’s vision to take the songwriting to another level, has added a layer of expertise and innovation to their sound, promising a rich tapestry of music that showcases the band’s growth and evolution since their formation.
Superserious has carved a niche for themselves with live performances that are consistently lauded as some of the most energetic in the Icelandic music scene. Their on-stage dynamism and infectious enthusiasm have garnered praise, creating an immersive experience for their audience.
The band’s meteoric rise did not go unnoticed, earning them the prestigious “Best New Act” award at Iceland Airwaves 2022. Even Rolling Stones’ editor, David Fricke, took note, expressing admiration for Superserious by stating, “the band sounded great and is ready for a piece of this world.” This recognition further solidified Superserious as a force to be reckoned with in the indie music scene.
The band is actively working on their next album, set to be released in late 2025.

Hotly-tipped London-based seven piece The Orchestra (For Now) released their first ever song “Wake Robin” in late 2024.
“Wake Robin” should not be the work of a band releasing their first song. A dextrous multi-limbed assault on the senses, “Wake Robin” is an 8 minute odyssey, welding orchestral movements with rapid fire drumming and a preacher on the mountain top vocal delivery. The Orchestra (For Now) emphatically bring all these strands together with a confidence and delivery that is a testament to their months of live experience and careful development of their sound.
Winners of last year’s edition of Green Man Rising, opening the main stage at the acclaimed tastemaker festival, and selected for Great Escape’s First Fifty, the group follow two sold out shows at London’s St Pancras Old Church with their next London headline at the ICA on 10th April.
“The Orchestra (For Now) are further cementing their prime position among next year’s ones to watch.” DIY Magazine
“It feels no exaggeration to say that the bands debut is one of the most highly anticipated of the year.” So Young

Floni has been a staple in the Icelandic Pop / Hip Hop scene since his come up in 2017. Known for his dark moody sound mixed with vulnerable ballads and hard hitting trap hits. Floni can really do it all.
His first album, Floni 3 changed the sound of Icelandic Hip Hop for years to come, his use of autotune as an instrument defined the genre for the next generation of artists in Iceland and this was further semented by his sophomore album “Floni 2” that was released in 2019.
Then Covid hit and Floni withdrew himself from the limelight. This period was one of personal growth as well as artistic growth. Floni became a father and his outlook on life changed for good. During this period Floni kept working on music, ever evolving alongside his life and in october 2024, Floni released his highly anticipated and now critically acclaimed third album “Floni 3”.
5 years in the making, Floni 3 is a testament to his hard work and his musical prowess. The album produced in large by himself alongside the multi platinum producers Young Nazareth, Mistersir & Magnús Jóhann is a journey through Floni’s life in the past few years.
Floni has always been known for his high level live performance, filled with energy and intimate moments,
This is not to be missed at Iceland Airwaves as Floni takes the stage, ready to conquer the world.

From the North of Jutland in Denmark to the northernmost capital in the world, Iceland-based producer Knackered has been part of the Reykjavik grassroots scene since 2015. She draws inspiration from UK dance music, grocery store fridges and 2000s R&B, resulting in genre-defying live performances that inspire dancing and immersive listening. Following three singles, her debut EP ‘fyi’ is out November 6th.

If there’s one thing Panic Shack know, it’s how to have a good time. Comprised of Sarah Harvey (vocals), Meg Fretwell (guitar/backing vocals), Romi Lawrence (guitar/backing vocals), Em Smith (bass/backing vocals) and Nick Williams (drums), the band formed in 2018 as a middle-finger to the “members-only club” atmosphere of indie and punk scenes – not just because they’re male-dominated, but because they make playing music seem out of reach or, even worse, boring. “Boys make it look so hard,” Em says, rolling her eyes. “Whenever I see someone on the floor fiddling with their pedals with a face like a slapped arse I think, you’re making this look so unattainable and it’s actually so fucking easy.”
This carefree approach gives Panic Shack’s music the same effect as popping a bottle of Prosecco – explosive, intoxicating, and delightfully chaotic. With barely any music available online, they built a word-of-mouth following off the back of their live shows, which have been praised for fusing “thrashy early LA-style punk with choreography that owes something to the Go-Go’s and Iron Maiden all at once” (The Guardian). That quickly snowballed into tours with the likes of Bob Vylan and Soft Play, and festival appearances at Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Green Man, End of the Road, SXSW and more. Released in 2022, their acclaimed Baby Shack EP bottled the lightning they have on stage, cementing their ability to blend killer hooks with a contagious sense of humour. The first vinyl pressing – splattered pink, obviously – sold out almost instantly.
To be released in July, Panic Shack’s self-titled debut album represents a serious level up. Linking up with producer Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, Perfume Genius, Yard Act), it finds the band expanding their gutsy punk sound into fuller territory, packed with vocal harmonies, synths, electronic experimentation, and even a trumpet at one point.
Over 11 breakneck tracks, Panic Shack never lets up or loses momentum. It opens with the rising sound of chatter, glass clinking and laughter, most of which was recorded in the beer garden at an Amyl & the Sniffers gig. Fizzing with the anticipation of walking into a club at the start of a night out, it feels like party-punk’s answer to the intro of Spice Girls’ ‘Wannabe’. From there, the bouncy bass line and blistering guitars of ‘Girl Band Starter Band’ kick in, and the band pulls you into their world the way a friend would grab your hand and drag you onto the dancefloor. “Four iced lattes / Sit outside / Smoke a rolly / Sun is shining / People watching / Things are moving / Got us talking…” Sarah chants, the pace ramping up like a heartbeat beginning to race.
Across the album, the lyrics are conversational, often stemming from in-jokes, while the subject matter spans the full range of the feminine experience. Whether it’s everyday stuff like browsing Hinge (‘Unhinged’) and remembering everything you need to stick in your bag because your dress has no pockets (‘Pockets’), or broader societal issues like the impact of toxic tabloid culture on body image (‘Gok Wan’) and sexual harassment (‘SMELLARAT’), no topic is too frivolous or too vast. There’s no point-scoring or political commentary to be made here, though. The songs spring naturally from the way they live their lives, which is, more often than not, with a great deal of enjoyment.
Irresistible because of their simplicity and charming because of their familiarity, Panic Shack are the answer to a question that, quite frankly, isn’t asked often enough: what if the funniest girls you know started a band? The sonic equivalent to a coming-of-age film unfolding over a single night, Panic Shack takes the shape of a bender, beginning by approaching a bar and ending with an impassioned speech at sunrise about how much you love your friends. Swerving the expected topics of sex and romance, the entire album revolves around the ionic bond between the four girls.
“This band has taken us on the most mental journey that nobody else will fully understand,” says Meg. It’s only right, then, that their debut marks a celebration of that as much as it does the start of a new journey entirely. “We’ve always wanted people to come in and be part of our world, and this album is every part of who Panic Shack are. The party side, the angry side… It’s a story about us, really,” Sarah explains. “That’s why we named it after the band. We can’t help but be ourselves.”

“Operating on the fringes of mainstream and underground (…) Zamilska’s ability to merge sonic patterns with signature production techniques can work magic and deserves recognition beyond borders.” – MIXMAG 2024
ZAMILSKA’S heavy, rhythmic sounds are filled with lots of bass. Though associated with techno, her music reaches way beyond the definition of the genre and it oscillates between electronica, world music and noise. She takes inspirations from various sources: raw sounds taken from native Silesia, precisely interlaced with tribal chants and oriental elements. Holding sturdiness of an industrial grinder, pensive yet melodic, trance-like. At home, she has played on the biggest stages in Poland, worked with acclaimed local artists as well as set ups like Philharmonic orchestra and been nominated for the Polish equivalent of Grammy for three of her albums.
Abroad, her tracks were played on Radio BBC 6 Music by no other than Iggy Pop, Mary Anne Hobbs and Tom Ravenscroft. Nine Inch Nails recommended one of her tracks on their official Spotify playlist.
She’s worked on various musical (remixes) and fashion projects. She also toured Europe playing festivals such as Transmusicales, Eurosonic, CTM, Primavera, Norbergfestival, TodaysArt, Insomnia, Fantoche among many other.
Her releases to date are: UNTUNE (album) 2014, UNDONE (EP) 2016 (nominated for Fryderyk Award), UNCOVERED (album) 2019 (also nominated for Fryderyk Award), 2023 soundtrack for motion picture “Mother’s Day” (nominated for Fryderyk Award) and UNITED KINGDOM OF ANXIETY (album) 2024 (also nominated for Fryderyk Award).
ZAMILSKA debuted back in 2014 with two singles: Quarrel and Duel 35 (which was used by Dior during one of their fashion launches in Tokyo). She also stepped into the gaming world. Her music features heavily throughout the RUINER game (Digital Dragon Award 2018 winner Best Polish Game Soundtrack).
Internationally, ZAMILSKA remixed Paula Temple’s track “Cages” for Paula’s remix album. She has also remixed Editors top hit “Black Gold” which was released digitally in 2019.
ZAMILSKA’S music hit the big screen, in Aleksandra Terpińska’s short film “The Best Fireworks Ever” (Cannes winner CANAL+ award for short film and the Rail d’Or award) and in a documentary “Tourists” for which she composed the entire soundtrack. Both films were screened during various international film festivals. On small screen her remix of Gazelle Twin’s “Belly of the Beast” was played on ABC series “How To Get Away With Murder”.
In 2023 Netflix premiered the movie “Mother’s Day” which Zamilska created music score for. In the first week from the release it was No1 on Netflix Global Top 10. She received an Award at Festival Muzyki Filmowej in Cracow for this score.
In the fall of 2024 Zamilska opened up for the icon of alternative music Kim Gordon on her European Tour.

RAKEL is an Icelandic artist working in song, memory, and atmosphere. Her music folds together voice, field recording, and emotion into layered compositions that feel intimate and expansive. She has become a quietly singular presence in the Icelandic music landscape, performing with artists like Nanna (Of Monsters and Men), Axel Flóvent, and Kaktus Einarsson. Her debut album – a place to be (Oct 17) – is part diary, part landscape. Co-created with Danish producer and longtime collaborator Sara Flindt, the album is shaped by the acoustics of real places, her family’s farm in Hrútafjörður, Sara’s Copenhagen dorm room, a friend’s studio in Aarhus, woven into songs that resist structure and resolution. Birds, clocks, breath, soft synths, the creak of a floorboard, nothing is too small to become part of the composition. RAKEL’s work doesn’t try to explain itself. It invites you into a space where thought becomes sound, memory becomes movement, and music becomes a place to be, for now.

YANA is a gifted instrumentalist and composer hailing from Poland. A graduate of the Academy of Music in Gdańsk, YANA has carved out a distinct niche in the music world with her unique fusion of classical instruments and electronic music.
With her second album Daydreamer, YANA continues her exploration of the human experience, delving even deeper into the emotional landscapes that define our inner lives. Released in Oct ‘24 under Ólafur Arnalds’ OPIA Community label, the album’s rich sound is the result of a blend of lush string arrangements and atmospheric electronic elements, creating a soundscape that is both haunting and uplifting.
Daydreamer tells the story of a journey—a dreamer’s path from fear and anxiety to acceptance and joy. It is a deeply personal odyssey that invites listeners to traverse their own inner landscapes. Through her masterful blend of classical and electronic elements, YANA offers a story of hope, healing, and the universal quest for understanding and peace

Perhaps music’s best kept secret, Sam Beste – The Vernon Spring – has worked with a host of acclaimed artists including Amy Winehouse, Gabriels, Kendrick Lamar’s producer Sounwave, Beth Orton, Kano, Joy Crookes, Matthew Herbert, and MF DOOM.
Beste has been releasing solo music as The Vernon Spring since 2019, developing a distinctive voice at the intersection of jazz, soul, ambient, and contemporary electronic production.
New album Under a Familiar Sun perfectly showcases the breadth of Beste’s artistic evolution. Emerging from a long period of compositional and collaborative experimentation, the album represents a shift from his familiar and immediate production to a more involved and intricate approach, integrating hip-hop influences and sample-driven methods while sustaining his characteristic piano composition. Produced and mixed predominantly in Beste’s studio, the album features dynamic contributions from several collaborators.

Icelandic singer-songwriter and pianist Kári Egils made waves in 2023 with the release of his critically acclaimed debut album, Palm Trees In The Snow, which earned praise for its mature, melodic songwriting and lush, nuanced arrangements. Following its release, he performed at major showcase festivals Iceland Airwaves and The Great Escape with his band.
The following year, Kári received the “Brightest Hope” award at the Icelandic Music Awards, an honor given to the most promising emerging artist of the year.
Kári’s journey began with classical piano lessons at the age of seven, and his passion and talent for songwriting became apparent at an early age. In 2018, at only 16, he received the ASCAP Desmond Child Anthem Award at a ceremony at New York’s Lincoln Center for his original compositions. Since then, he has continued to hone his craft, developing a distinctive voice as a songwriter and arranger who handles everything from vocal harmonies to string and horn arrangements. Kári currently attends the renowned Berklee College of Music in Boston and splits his time between the US and Iceland.
On Kári’s highly anticipated follow-up album, My Static World, he retains the melodic and thoughtful songwriting that made his debut stand out, while expanding on his sound and incorporating more contemporary influences and production techniques. Kári’s artistic growth is especially noticeable on standout tracks like Carry You Home, In The Morning, and Midnight Sky.

Jelena Ciric’s expressive voice and incisive songwriting have prompted comparisons to the likes of Laura Marling and Joni Mitchell. Alone at the piano or accompanied by lush strings and accordion, she beckons the listener into her musical hideaways, where well-crafted lyrics offer more questions than answers.
Born in Serbia and raised in Canada, Jelena’s songs are nourished by Balkan folk and the songwriting tradition of North America. Her sophomore EP Shelters Two was nominated for the Icelandic Kraumur Award for independent music as well as for Best Song (Inside Weather) at the Icelandic Music Awards, where she has received five nominations in total and won 2021 Folk Album of the Year.

Creature of Habit is the personal project of Reynir Snær Magnússon, a guitarist from a small place in northern Iceland. Known in the Icelandic music scene as a go-to session guitarist, Reynir steps into his own sound here — letting the guitar do the talking.
Blending moody textures with expressive guitar work, each track unfolds like a scene from a film — a soundtrack for moments you didn’t know needed one. His music explores different themes, with each song building on emotion, atmosphere, and storytellin
This project is personal, raw, and meant to be felt.

Ólöf Arnalds is an Icelandic composer and multi-instrumentalist. Her most distinctive asset is, nonetheless, her voice of instantly captivating, spring water chasteness possessed of a magical, otherworldly quality that is simultaneously innocent yet ancient (“somewhere between a child and an old woman” according to no less an authority than Björk). Her work has been called “otherworldly” by The New York Times, “stunning” by SPIN, “bewitching” by Rolling Stone, “remarkable” by the NME, “ethereal” by Vanity Fair and “impossibly lovely” by Paste. Ólöf’s 5th solo album, Spíra will be released by Bella Union in December this year.

Snorri Helgason’s music is heartfelt and introspective, yet universal, a highly relatable exploration of his personal struggles and emotions. An avid student of pop history, Snorri keeps a firm foot in the past and a clear eye on the future, bringing forth a constant stream of timeless folk-tinged melodies and carefully constructed songs that are very much of the time.

GDRN (real name Guðrún Ýr Eyfjörð Jóhannesdóttir) is an acclaimed Icelandic singer, songwriter, and actress known for her soulful blend of R&B, pop, and electronic music, she brings a rich musicality to her work, rooted in a classical background and training in jazz vocals. A trained violinist, GDRN also plays piano and guitar, adding depth and versatility to her sound and musical production. Emerging in 2018, she quickly rose to prominence in Iceland’s music scene with her emotive vocals and genre-bending sound. Her debut album “Hvað ef” earned her multiple Icelandic Music Awards, including Pop Album of the Year. With her introspective lyrics and rich sonic textures, GDRN continues to push creative boundaries and captivate audiences in Iceland and beyond.

Bashar Murad is a Palestinian Pop artist, singer/songwriter, and filmmaker producing globally
influenced pop music rooted in Palestinian spirit. His musical sounds span pop, electronica and modal inflections rooted in his expansive and creative sonic world, accompanied by powerful visuals that reflect his infectious drive for freeing oneself and society from all forms of oppression, drawing on his environment in Jerusalem, and travel meanderings through his artistic practice.
A versatile and prolific collaborator, Bashar has collaborated with Icelandic Industrial Punk band Hatari, working with them on his single “Klefi/Samed” and later touring with them, in addition to producing “Wild West” with his Icelandic collaborator Einar Stef where they completed at Icelandic Eurovision National Selections landing finally in second place.
His extensive touring in 2023-2025 included a UK & Japan tour, Berlin (Pop-Kultur), Oslo World, Oslo Price, Helsinki Pride, Reykjavik Pride, Rome Pride and more.

Meet BOABOA, a powerhouse electronic music project from the heart of Copenhagen, Denmark. The three members, Otto Høgh, Amma Raastoff and Oscar Bjerrehuus, deliver a unique sound that fuses elements from house music, techo and melodic pop. BOABOA form one of Copenhagen’s most hyped, enigmatic and well-executed music projects, with a unique approach to music production and live performance.

Sigrún, with her roots as an instrumentalist for a diverse group of big pop artists, was drawn to make something of her own. Producing and singing she threads together intricate experimental electronics and alternative pop, urgent and compelling pop ballads along with clubby stompers to reset your emotional equilibrium. Sigrún’s first releases was her two experimental debut EP’s Hringsjá and Tog in 2016 and has since then been further developing her sound releasing EP’s such as: Smitari, Onælan and Arfur. The most recent being the LP Monster Milk out in October 2024.

Emma is an Icelandic atmospheric folk band. The project was created by siblings Sindri Snær Ómarsson and Breki Hrafn Halldóru Ómars as well as Ásgeir Kjartansson and Óðal Hjarn Grétu. Together they have created a diverse set of songs that aim to encapsulate different emotions. The band is known for dynamic and gripping live performances and just released their debut album, Halidome, summer of 2025

Hailing from Reykjavík, Mukka is an Icelandic band that blends lo-fi aesthetics with dreamy, psychedelic soundscapes. Known for their hazy mantras, synth-driven melodies, and immersive compositions, Mukka crafts music that feels both intimate and expansive. Their sound is an evolving journey, seamlessly shifting between ambient textures, sharp melodic structures, and hypnotic rhythmic patterns.
Since their emergence, Mukka has steadily built a reputation in Iceland’s underground music scene, releasing a series of instrumental and experimental works that capture the essence of wandering thoughts and introspective moods. Their 2018 release, Study Fun Nr. 1, showcased their ability to craft lush, atmospheric soundscapes, making it an ideal soundtrack for late-night drives and meditative moments. In 2024, they continued their sonic exploration with Study More Nr. 4, further solidifying their signature approach to sound design and composition.

a unique brand of folk combining traditions…”
— The Reykjavík Grapevine, 2024
Earnest, intimate, heartfelt, delicate: Andervel is the music project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist José Luis Anderson. Born and raised in Mexico, formed in Iceland, Andervel has succeeded in creating a unique brand of folk combining carefully crafted lyrics in Spanish, English and Icelandic, with a sound influenced by the ethereal touch of Iceland and traditional Mexican music.
Andervel acts as a homage to the worlds that converge within them, their background in classical singing and their maturation in the Icelandic scene.
“A bridge between two worlds”
-El Universal, México
Celebrated as a rare pearl in Spanish- Icelandic language, Andervel’s hotly anticipated EP Noche was released in late 2020.
Noche includes singles “ No Sé” featuring Sóley and “Faðmaðu Mig.”
Andervel has performed extensively in Iceland, as well as internationally, touring in the Faroe Islands in 2021 and partaking in cultural events in Denmark, Estonia, Oslo, Canada and Austria and México
Andervel is currently working on a new album, drawing inspiration from the currents of Icelandic and Hispanic poetry.