I know a lot of people complain about the kind of blog that gets all personal before it gets down to doing the review, providing the recipe, or delivering the content you came for. I get it. You do you. But personally those are the kinds of blogs I’m more drawn to, and thus how I often write Life in the Vinyl Lane. So… if you’re just looking to get info on artists, feel free to skip a few paragraphs. Otherwise, read on!
I arrived in Reykjavik on Wednesday morning after the overnight seven-hour flight from Seattle, during which I managed exactly zero minutes of sleep, so I knew I had a long day of fighting jet lag ahead of me. Fortunately Iceland in November makes that easy – it was windy and cold enough outside to keep me awake and energized. As long as I didn’t sit down inside for too long I was able to win the battle against sleep. This is my 13th Airwaves since 2009, so I know the drill. The gallons and gallons of coffee helped too.
The official kickoff of Airwaves was Thursday, but Wednesday was still full of shows, most notably the ELSKUM PLÖTUBÚÐIR off-venue schedule, eight shows spread out across over four different record stores. This was a perfect way to soft open the festival – it’s about music, and it gets folks into the local record stores.
Those who know me, or who have read the blog, know I have a relationship with Lucky Records – it’s my favorite record store in the world and we’ve become friends with the crew there over the course of so, so many Airwaves past. I caught both shows at the shop on Wednesday, in between which I dug and dug and dug through as many bins and boxes as I could, looking to uncover slabs of vinyl gold.
First up for live performances was the art-pop-meets-hip-hop duo Cyber. They’ve been on my list for a few Airwaves now, but this was my first opportunity to see them. Their new album, SAD:'(, came out last month, and it’s a banger, unapologetically brash and sexy and vibing, perfect for both the club and dancing around your room like no one can see you. An actual wardrobe malfunction threatened to end things early, but the timely intervention of a Lucky Records t-shirt ensured the audience wasn’t treated to a different kind of show. Which, given that one of the best tracks is called “Porn Star”, and another is about doing cocaine in the club, well… Cyber is gonna Cyber, and they were Cyber-tastic. Hopefully they’ll have a physical release before too long.
Next up was one of those shows you dream about if you’re a music fan. It’s that craving for something new and totally unexpected that grabs you and pulls you in, the artist consuming you with their vision and sound and feelings. It’s that musical dragon I chase, and I discovered him on windy night in a record store, a Frenchman by the name of Kham Meslien. It would have been easy for my to pass on this show. A double bass soloist? Meh… I got things to do (like sleep). But fortunately for me, and maybe about 70-80 others, we were there and witnessed an exquisite performance. Armed with a double bass, a sampler, and a shaker, Meslien walked us through a personal set of stories with the delicacy that only an artist who has given themselves fully to their craft can display, the perfect blend of proficiency and feeling. And judging by the audience response, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. I made a point of picking up his new album Fantômes Futurs and suggest you do the same. I can promise you it will be on my year-end Top 5 Albums list.
After crashing and sleeping for literally 12 hours, it was back to the mean streets of Reykjavik and over to Lucky Records to continue my digging. DJ Þorgerður provided the soundtrack, spinning some bass-heavy house beats as I flipped through box after box of 12″ singles to add to the ever-growing stack of records I’ll be taking back home with me. From there I popped down to Space Odyssey’s new location at Bergstaðastræti 4, a space that is much more conducive to live performances while also providing ample room for records, tapes, CDs, and vintage clothing. I stocked up on a bunch of the label’s cassettes (below), all recorded live at the prior location – there’s a ton of great stuff on the shop’s label, including some I have reviewed previously on Life in the Vinyl Lane.
Another score that came my way was a copy of the Iceland Airwaves 25th Anniversary record, copies of which were given to the attendees of the industry conference associated with the festival. I didn’t attend but… I managed to put a few feelers out and a copy made it’s way to me. It features nine current Icelandic artists, including a couple I saw play this evening. I don’t have any info about pressing size or availability, but if I learn more I’ll make sure to share. It’s a super-cool item for an Airwaves junkie like me.
The festival proper kicked off Thursday evening. I started with a very fun show by one of Iceland’s original punk rockers and a man who has become the de-factor historian of Icelandic music, the one and only Dr. Gunni. He rocked a packed 12 Tónar record store, blasting through a selection of songs from his newly-released album Er ekki bara búið að vera gaman? The band was tight and a good time was had by all, though we did have to explain to a lady sitting by us what Yahtzee is after Dr. Gunni introduced his song about the game, “Yatzý!”.
After fortifying myself at Ramen Momo it was off to Gaukurinn to begin the official on-venue schedule. Opening the evening were the winners of the 2024 Músíktilraunir, Iceland’s annual Battle of the Bands, a black metal quartet called Vampíra. That’s right, kids, a black metal band was selected as the best young band in the nation. Their intros were atmospheric or harkened back to the NWOBHM, but from there they quickly dove head-first into blast beats and growls and sonic wall of death. We will definitely be hearing more from these guys.
Next up was another performer I’ve been trying and failing to see over the last few years, K.óla. She was backed by a full band, including a violinist and a flautist, who teamed up to give us a fun selection of alt-pop. The last few songs were stripped down to guitar, bass, drums, and keyboard, and to my ears these were the strongest of the set, an uptick in tempo giving us some solid indie-rockers. Following K.óla was the London-based trio Mary In The Junkyard, their stripped-down sound a blend of earnest, experimental indie with a healthy dose of jazzy timing. I for one was captivated by the honesty of the performance, especially in the vocals.
After a quick hotdog at the must-visit Bæjarins Beztu I headed over to Iðnó where I caught the tail end of The Joy, an a capella group from South Africa that has been making a name for themselves performing traditional Zulu music with a more modern feel. The room was positively packed, and for good reason as these gentlemen are supremely talented. But the real reason I walked to Iðnó was up next, the incomparable Une Misère. And it was worth every step down the wet sidewalks as Une Misère tore the place to the ground and crushed it under their feet with their signature blend of thrash and hardcore. A full-on pit broke out up front and the band took no prisoners with their high-energy set.
And that’s how it went, at least for me. Kham Meslien and Une Misère have been the big winners so far. But we got two more days of festival to go, kids, and I can’t wait to see what tomorrow brings.