Nordic Spotlight
The best music and music festivals in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands
When we posted about Icelandic giants Vök last fall, we noted that the band seemed to be moving consciously towards a more readily accessible, pop-oriented sound. As we’ve inched closer to the release of the band’s newest album, In the Dark, via the Canadian label Nettwerk, we’ve seen more evidence to support our suspicions. “Erase You,” the most […]
We’ve been keeping track of Iceland’s cat-loving, psychedelic elf-muse dj. flugvél og geimskip, for close to half a decade now. Last Friday, she released her newest album, Our Atlantis (and a corresponding interactive 3D world), which takes her self-described “outer space electronic music” to even darker new depths. “Elsta lag í heimi,” also listed on Soundcloud as “Oldest Song […]
The only thing not Nordic about “Smyrneiko Minore,” a collaboration between Danish artist Nini Julia Bang and long-beloved Icelandic visionary Sóley, is the song’s origins. “Smyrneiko Minore” is a Greek traditional song, but that’s pretty much its only connection to the non-Nordic world. A Thousand Tongues, Bang’s debut EP from which “Smyrneiko Minore” is taken, features extensive collaborations with […]
dj. flugvél og geimskip is truly out-there. The artist born Steinunn Eldflaug Harðardóttir is best known for kooky electronic songs as ominous as they are playful and live shows that often leave concertgoers utterly confused. She recently announced a new album, Our Atlantis, out next January on Geertruida Records, and the LP’s first single, “Have Fun at […]
Most presidents aren’t too knowledgeable on their countries’ music scenes, but most countries aren’t Iceland. To celebrate 20 years (!!!) of Iceland Airwaves, the nation’s foremost new music festival for both domestic and international acts, Iceland’s Prime Minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttir, has personally curated a Spotify playlist chock full of Icelandic artists (and some others). Today’s most […]
Anyone who knows Icelandic music knows Vök. It’s really that simple. The band has become a staple of Iceland Airwaves‘ yearly lineups (and, of course, they’ll play again this year), and folks in the US including Stereogum, Noisey, and KEXP have sung their praises. This is all for good reason: Vök’s electropop is as propulsive as it […]
Iceland is a notoriously beautiful country. About one-third of its population lives in its metropolitan capital, Reykjavik; the rest of the country is mostly greenery, mountains, and wildlife as far as the eye can see, with really just one two-lane road connecting it all. Anyone who’s seen it in the sunlight might describe it as […]
Alter Ego by BerndsenTomorrow, Icelandic band Berndsen, fronted by magnetic namesake David Berndsen, begins its US tour (dates in the photo below) behind its just-released new album, Alter Ego. The LP is the band’s first in five years, though it’s released a small flurry of new tunes in the last two. “Alter Ego,” the new album’s […]
The Nordic Spotlight Monthly podcast for April 2018 is here! This time around, we’re looking ahead to albums being released this spring, including new ones from Iceage, Death By Unga Bunga, and more. Check it out here or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and take it with you everywhere. So Cool – Death By […]
Icelandic recording collective Bedroom Community released a dove into the sky today with this new tune from electropop trio aYia. What we know about this group isn’t much. On Facebook, they call their music “a nicely polished rock in your teacup.” On the surface, a silly statement but the more we chewed on it, the […]