Arnljótur í Mengi Arnljótur mætir á svið í Mengi og býður upp á einstaka kvöldstund þar sem hann sýnir ólíkar hliðar – bæði í tónum og tali. Á efnisskránni er blanda af nýrri og gamalli tónlist frá tónlistarmanninum sjálfum, flautuspili, söng og trítladansi auk þess sem hinn eini sanni Trimpiltrútur gerir heiðarlega tilraun til uppistands. Það má búast við bæði hughrifum og hlátrasköllum þegar Kraftgalli leiðir áhorfendur í ferðalag sem þræðir saman tónlist, ljóðlist, spuna og húmor!

Marja Ahti (b. 1981, Luleå) is a Swedish-Finnish sound artist based in Turku, Finland, working in composition, installation and cross-disciplinary performance. Working with field recordings, feedback, analog synthesis, digital processing and acoustic instrumentation she investigates the borderland where sounds mirror each other and communicate. She creates precise musical narratives with slowly mutating textures of detailed acoustic sound and intuitively tuned sustained tones and shapes.

Ahti's latest solo album Tender Membranes was released by Black Truffle in 2023. She has presented her music in many different contexts around Europe, in Japan and the United States, notably at The Long Now, Sonic Acts, Présences Électronique, Lampo and Edition Festival. Alongside her solo work, she is also active in the duo Ahti & Ahti with her partner Niko-Matti Ahti, in the artist/organizer collective Himera and in current collaborative projects with Judith Hamann, John McCowen, Manja Ristić and Mikko Kuorinki.

bbllururubbebrb [english below] KÆRU HÁTÍÐNI SÆKJENDUR Stundin er runnin upp!!! Skrifið í dagatölin ykkar!!! Hinir fyrstu Hátíðni söfnunartónleikar verða haldnir 14. mars í Mengi!!!!!! fram koma: sameheads Iðunn Einars Amor Vincit Omnia húsið opnar 19:00 og fyrsta atriði byrjar 19:30 Aðgangseyrir er 2500kr eða greiddu að getu Þessir tónleikar eru opnir öllum óháð aldri plakat gert af Sigríði Langdal Hátíðni er geimskip [english] DEAR HÁTÍÐNI GOERS The time has come!!!! Mark your calendars!!! The first Hátíðni funding concert will be held March 14th in Mengi!!!!! artists that will play: sameheads Iðunn Einars Amor Vincit Omnia Doors open 19:00 and first act goes on stage 19:30 Entry is 2500kr or pay what you can The concert is open for people of all ages poster by Sigríður Langdal Hátíðni is a spaceship

NIGHT OF IMPROVISED MUSIC:
Ingibjörg Elsa Turchi - bass
Kristín Þora - viola
Róberta Andersen - guitar
Sólrún Mjöll - drums

ARTISTS : 

kláðamaur
freyja sercombe
BULL'SEYE

curated by Yulia Vasileva

kláðamaur

Creepy crawlies, soft and sly, In the dark, they twist and lie. No more slumber, no more peace, The night's embrace will never cease. The world feels number, cold and thin, Darkness whispers from within. Eyes aglow, they hide, they creep, The secrets that the shadows keep.

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BULL'SEYE

A duet performed by two rabbits Joseph Beuys' wet dream

/

freyja sercombe

Hin einstaka hljómsveit Geislar mun halda tónleika í Mengi fimmtudaginn 6. mars. Geislar eru með fangið fullt af nýrri tónlist. Önnur platan þeirra, Supernature kemur út á næstunni en þegar eru komin út þrjú lög.

„Þetta er afskaplega vandað, og erfitt að staðsetja þetta. Draumkennt og smá svona geðbilun. […] Það er jazz í þessu en líka svona Portishead. Bíómyndamúsík. […] Mjög flottar útsetningar, t.d. instrumental lagið, síðasta lagið á plötunni; Resolution in Revolution. Virkilega fallegt og draumkennt. Fögur tónlist.
Mér finnst þetta bara alveg frábær diskur. … Þetta hljómar ekki eins og neitt annað sem ég man eftir í svipinn. Ég vona að þetta sé komið til að vera, því þetta er hálfgerð súpergrúbba með öllum þessu frábæru músíköntum. En þetta er plata sem sker sig virkilega úr.“

Andrea Jónsdóttir, Plata vikunnar RUV (Um fyrri plötuna, Containing the Dark)

„One of this years best albums“ - Iceland Music Export

„Quicksilver is the kind of smooth, sophisticated and succulent Soul/Jazz pop infusion that you need musicians of true calibre to deliver. High class female vocals weave in and out of the lush chord patterns, instrumental interplay and dreamy late night vibe of the band. The playing is sublime and the melody is made all the more exotic by the extended harmonic language and light-textured buoyancy of the track. A vividly colourful kaleidoscope to brighten up your week. Absolute class.

Neil March - Fresh on the net (um eitt nýju lagana, Quicksilver)

Geislar:
Sigríður Thorlacius: Söngur
Magnús Trygvason Eliassen: Trommur
Ómar Guðjónsson: Gítar
Óskar Guðjónsson: Saxófónn
Styrmir Sigurðsson: Hljómborð
Valdimar Kolbeinn Sigurjónsson: Bassi

Tónleikarnir hefjast 20:00 en húsið opnar 19:30
Verð 3500 kr
geislar.org
snorrimanagement.is

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The truly unique Icelandic band Geislar will perform at Mengi Thursday March 6th. They will be performing music from their upcoming album, Supernature as well as some from their critically acclaimed album Containing the Dark.

“Exceptionally well done but difficult to categorize, It is both dreamy and kind of crazy. […] There is jazz in there but also bit like Portishead. Film music […] the arrangements are excellent. For instance, the last song on the album, the instrumental one, Resolution in Revolution. Beautiful and dreamy, how the the piano and guitar weaves along with the strings. ... I find this album exceptionally good. It doesn’t sound like anything else out there. I hope this band is here to stay as it is kind of a supergroup with all these great musicians. But it is an album that really stands apart.”

Andrea Jónsdóttir Album of the week RUV (On Containing the Dark)

„One of this years best albums“ - Iceland Music Export

„Quicksilver is the kind of smooth, sophisticated and succulent Soul/Jazz pop infusion that you need musicians of true calibre to deliver. High class female vocals weave in and out of the lush chord patterns, instrumental interplay and dreamy late night vibe of the band. The playing is sublime and the melody is made all the more exotic by the extended harmonic language and light-textured buoyancy of the track. A vividly colourful kaleidoscope to brighten up your week. Absolute class.

Neil March - Fresh on the net (on Quicksilver, from their upcoming album, Supernature)

Geislar:
Sigríður Thorlacius: Vocals
Magnús Trygvason Eliassen: Drums
Ómar Guðjónsson: Guitar
Óskar Guðjónsson: Saxophone
Styrmir Sigurðsson: Keyboards
Valdimar Kolbeinn Sigurjónsson: Bass

Doors 19:30 / Show 20:00
Price 3500 kr.
geislar.org
snorrimanagement.is

Tumi Árnason - saxophone
Birgir Steinn Theodórsson - bass
Magnús Trygvason Eliassen - drums

Friday, February 28th
Fersteinn + 1 feat. Gunnhildur Einarsdóttir
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2.500kr

Fersteinn heldur í annað sinn tónlistarpartíið Fersteinn plúseinn, þar sem einum listamanni er boðið að leika einhverja músík á undan Ferstein en jafnframt að koma fram með Ferstein. Í þetta sinnið er heiðursgesturinn enginn annar en Gunnhildur Einarsdóttir Hörpu-icon

Fersteinn celebrates Fersteinn +1 for the second time. In this music party series we invite a feature artist to go first and play something before Fersteinn enters the stage and also perform alongside the band Fersteinn on several pieces. This time around we welcome the harp icon Gunnhildur Einarsdóttir.

Fersteinn er íslensk hljómsveit sem starfrækt hefur verið frá árinu 2011 og var nokkurs konar afsprengi kammerhópsins Fengjastrúts. Hljómsveitin var sett saman til þess að sérhæfa sig í kvartettum Guðmundar Steins Gunnarssonar, móta þá og þróa og gera tilraunir til að flytja kvartettana og önnur skyld verk í hinum ýmsu ólíku samhengjum. Þannig hefur hljómsveitin komið fram á bókasöfnum, leikið fyrir börn og gamalmenni, á Sekvenses, á Ljóðahátíð ljóðfélagsins, Ljósanótt í Keflavík en einnig hefur hljómsveitin túrað í Hollandi, Belgíu, Sviss og Þýskalandi. Þá hafa tónsmiðar sem hópurinn hefur frumflutt einnig verið leikin af öðrum í borgum eins og Volgovgrad, Istanbul, Tromsö, Leicester, Oslo og víðar. Sveitin hefur sent frá sér 3 hljómplötur og eina þröngskífu en platan Lárviður var tilnefnd til Kraumsverðlauna árið 2017.

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Fersteinn is an Icelandic chamber group that was founded in 2011 and was an offshoot of Ensemble Fengjastrútur. The group specializes in the Kvartett’s of Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson and other similar repertoire. The group has performed in venues such as Wallgallery and De Player in Rotterdam, Vhleesaal in Middleburg, Bergerkirche in Dusseldorf, l’Epremere Ephemere in Brussels. In Iceland the group has performed in art openings, poetry festivals, town halls, community libraries as well as venues like Mengi. The music originally performed by Fersteinn has also traveled with other performers, such as Ensemble Adapter, Aksiom Ensemble, Ligeti Quartet and Goodiepal’s Icelandic Animated Notation Band. Fersteinn has released 3 albums and one EP and Lárviður was nominated for the Kraumur award in 2017. 

Gunnhildur Einarsdóttir lauk doktorsprófi í tónlistarrannsóknum og tónlistarflutningi frá Síbelíusar Akademíunni árið 2013. Meistara- og bakkalárprófi lauk hún frá Tónlistarháskólanum í Amsterdam og lagði einnig stund á nám í barrokkhörpuleik við Tónlistarháskólann í Haag.

Árið 2004 stofnaði Gunnhildur ásamt Matthíasi Engler slagverksleikara Kammerhópinn Adapter. Auk þess að vera hörpuleikari hópsins hefur hún ásamt Matthíasi verið listrænn stjórnandi og framkvæmdastjóri hans. Adapter hefur verið aðal starfsvettvangur hennar allar götur síðan. Með hópnum Gunnhildur frumflutt hundruði verka, skipulagt fjölda tónleika og hátíða, haldið námskeið og fyrirlestra.

Gunnhildur hefur leikið með kammerhópum á borð við Klangforum Wien, Ensemble Recherche, Ensemble Modern, Ensemble Mosaik, Caput og Kammersveit Reykjavíkur. Að auki hefur hún leikið með Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands, Konzerthausorchester í Berlin, Bayerisches Staatsorchester í München og Lautencompagnie í Berlin.

Gunnhildur Einarsdóttir began studying the harp at age 13 with harpist Elisabet Waage in Iceland. After high-school graduation, she continued her harp studies with Brigitte Sylvestre at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris, and later with Sioned Williams, principal harpist of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in London. She went on to complete a Bachelor's Degree with distinction and a Master of Music Degree from the Conservatory of Amsterdam, where her teacher was the renowned harpist and pedagogue Erika Waardenburg. During her studies in Holland, Gunnhildur specialized in the performance of contemporary music but also attended classes in early harp performance at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, where she learned to play the Italian triple harp under the guidance of Christina Pluhar. In 2013 Gunnhildur received a Doctor of Music degree from the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. 

In 2004 Gunnhildur founded the Ensemble Adapter together with percussionist Matthias Engler. Apart from her engagements with Adapter Gunnhildur is a regular guest with other European contemporary ensembles such as Ensemble Modern and Ensemble Mosaik among others, and has appeared as a guest with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, the Icelandic Chamber Orchestra, Caput Ensemble and the Bayerische Staatsorchester. In 2014 Gunnhildur will take over the harp lectureship at the Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in Darmstadt, Germany where she will develop and teach workshops for harpists and composers. This will be the first time since the 1960's that the harp will pay an important role at the Darmstadt summer courses.

Thursday, February 27
Skerpla Ensemble
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2.500kr

performs works by 

Jennifer Walshe, Einar Torfi Einarsson, George Lewis, Yoko Ono,  Christian Wolff, Pauline Oliveros and John Cage.

Founded in 2018, Skerpla is Iceland University of the Arts' Experimental Music Ensemble. Skerpla explores, creates and performs music in the expanded field. Skerpla is led by Berglind María Tómasdóttir, professor at Iceland University of the Arts and John McCowen part-time teacher at Iceland University of the Arts.

Source:: https://skerpla.lhi.is/

Skerpla er tónlistarhópur sem starfar innan Listaháskóla Íslands, stofnaður haust 2018. Skerpla rannsakar, skapar og flytur tónlist af tilraunakenndum toga með það að markmiði að víkka út hefðbundnar hugmyndir um tónlist. Berglind María Tómasdóttir, prófessor við Listaháskóla Íslands, og John McCowen, stundakennari við LHÍ leiða starfsemi Skerplu.

Andersen and the EZ listeners 

Nýr kvartett sem er skipaður Hilmari Jenssyni og Róbertu Andersen á gítara annarsvegar og Tuma Árnasyni og Sölva Kolbeinssyni á tréblásturshljóðfæri hinsvegar. Meðlimir hafa starfað saman áður í hinum ýmsu verkefnum og oftar en ekki á jaðri spuna eða jazz tónlistar. Auk þess deila þau áhuga á ómþýðri tónlist 7unda og 8unda áratug síðustu aldar sem oft er flokkuð sem "easy listening" nú eða hreinlega lyftutónlist. Á efnisskránni verða því verk eftir The Karpenters, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell og Art Garfunkel svo eitthvað sé nefnt.

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Andersen and the EZ listeners A new quartet composed of Hilmar Jensson and Róberta Andersen on guitar on the one hand and Tuma Árnason and Sölva Kolbeinson on woodwind instruments on the other. Members have worked together before in various projects and more often than not on the edge of improvisation or jazz music. In addition, they share an interest in untranslated music from the 7th and 8th decades of the last century, which is often classified as "easy listening" now or purely elevator music. The program will therefore include works by The Carpenters, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell and Art Garfunkel to name a few.

Florence Cats & Lilja María Ásmundsdóttir
Thursday, February 20th 2025
doors 19:30 / show 20:00

Florence Cats and Lilja María Ásmundsdóttir will perform a set of experimental pieces, exploring a wide range of frequencies in a discreet and delicate way. Florence plays the theremin while Lilja plays the instrument Hulda.

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Florence Cats is an artist working in the fields of music, sound, visual art and acupuncture. Her work is a needle or antenna, inspired by the vibrations of sound and light in nature, telepathy and dreams. She plays the theremin in experimental ways, interacting with her body, voice, water, radio and various tiny objects. 

Lilja María Ásmundsdóttir’s artistic practice is centred on explorations of collaborative creativity. Working with sculptural elements of sound and matter, she creates installations, audio-visual pieces, and performances. The works are actively designed to facilitate continuous processes that highlight how ideas surface from correspondences with materials, between individuals, and in context to one’s surroundings. 

Ólöf Arnalds & Skúli Sverrisson
Saturday, February 15th
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
4.000kr

Gjöfult samstarf Skúla Sverrissonar og Ólafar Arnalds spannar tvo áratugi og hefur getið af sér fjölda hljómplatna undir nöfnum þeirra beggja. Skúli og Ólöf bjóða hlustendum í Mengi upp á yndæla kvöldstund þar sem þau flytja nýtt efni auk þess að leika eldri lög sem þau eiga í fórum sínum.

The fruitful collaboration of Skúli Sverrisson and Ólöf Arnalds started in the 2000s when they worked together on the renowned Sería record by Skúli. Since then they have created many records together under both names. Skúli and Ólöf will offer the listeners in Mengi  a evening of new music along with some classics from their repertoire. 

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 "stunning" by SPIN, "bewitching" by Rolling Stone, "remarkable" by the NME, "ethereal" by Vanity Fair "otherworldly" by The New York Times, and "impossibly lovely" by Paste.

Skúli Sverrisson has built a unique career as a composer, producer and improviser with a broad spectrum of artists. As an instrumentalist he has worked with Wadada Leo Smith, Arto Lindsay, Blonde Redhead and Allan Holdsworth to name a few. Skúli was a close collaborator of Laurie Anderson for over a decade. Skúli has composed music for Víkingur Ólafsson, Icelandic Symphony Orchestra and Erna Ómarsdóttir. Skúli is known for his duo work with Ólöf Arnalds, Bára Gísladóttir and Bill Frisell. In the world of film Skúli has contributed to the scores of Hildur Guðnadóttir, Jóhann Jóhannsson and Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Join Dagur at Mengi for a night of electronic music. Armed with his laptop and an MS-20 synthesizer, he will play an evolving mix of beats, melodies, and atmospheric sounds, a mix of already existing material and live synth programming. The evening will open with a set from Jón Múli, setting the stage with his own musical explorations. Whether you’re into experimental music or just curious, this will be a chance to experience something different in an intimate setting.

Night of Improvised Music:
Hilmar Jensson - guitar
Eiríkur Orri Ólafsson - trumpet

Saturday, February 8th
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2.500kr / pay what u can

Tickets here: https://blinkur.is/240f841e-1c3a-4b3f-9135-262e0442a3ab

Hilmar Jensson byrjaði ungur að spila á gítar og nam við Tónlistarskóla FÍH og Berklee College of Music. Hann hefur leikið á u.þ.b 100 plötum, þar af 8 sem hljómsveitarstjóri. Hann hefur komið fram í 35 löndum með tríói sínu TYFT, AlasNoAxis (Jim Black), MadLove (Trevor Dunn), Mogil, Outhouse, Bly De Blyant og fjölmörgum öðrum. Hann hefur einnig sinnt tónlistarkennslu um árabil við LHÍ, MÍT, FÍH og Norges Musikkhögskole auk þess að hafa verið fyrirlesari og/eða gestakennari við 30 háskóla víða um heim.

Hilmar hefur m.a. leikið með: Tim Berne, Andrew D’Angelo, Jim Black, Chris Speed, Skúla Sverrissyni, Trevor Dunn, Herb Robertson, Eyvind Kang, Hank Roberts, Marc Ducret, Tom Rainey, Peter Evans, Ben Perowski, Ches Smith, Wadada Leo Smith, Arve Henriksen, Audun Kleive, Bugge Wesseltoft, Per Jörgensen, Per Oddvar Johansen og Anders Jormin.

Eiríkur Orri Ólafsson (f. 1980) hefur leikið á trompet frá sjö ára aldri. Rætur hans liggja í djasstónlist, en hann hefur blásið í trompet með tónlistarmönnum eins og Skúla Sverrissyni, Jóeli Pálssyni, Jim Black, Ragnari Bjarnasyni, Davíð Þór Jónssyni, Silvu og Steina og mörgum fleirum. Hann er meðlimur í hljómsveitum eins og hist og, Mógil og Stórsveit Reykjavíkur. Nálgun Eiríks á tónlist spannar breitt svið, allt frá frum-jazzi yfir í spennandi nýjar lendur á mörkum hins byggilega hljóðheims. Eiríkur hefur líka unnið með hljómsveitum eins og múm, Sigur Rós, Kiru Kiru, Benna Hemm Hemm og Seabear og hefur komið fram á hundruðum tónleika víða um heim með áðurtöldum listamönnum. Eiríkur er meðlimur í tríóinu hist og ásamt Róbertu Andersen og Magnúsi Trygvasyni Eliassen, sem hefur gefið út þrjár hljómplötur og hlotið fjölmargar viðurkenningar fyrir, þar með talið sex tilnefningar til Íslensku Tónlistarverðlaunanna.

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Hilmar Jensson (b.1966) started playing guitar at a young age. Graduated from FIH School of Music in 1987. BM degree from Berklee College of Music in 1991. Has performed and recorded in a wide variety of settings and appeared on 100 records including 8 as a leader or co-leader. Performed in 35 countries with his trio "TYFT", Jim Black’s AlasNoAxis, Trevor Dunn's MadLove, Mógil, Outhouse, Bly De Blyant, Arve Henriksen and many others. One the founders of Kitchen Motors, an Icelandic record label, think tank and art organization.

Eiríkur Orri Ólafsson (b. 1980) has played the trumpet since the age of seven. His roots lie in jazz music, and he has performed with musicians such as Skúli Sverrisson, Jóel Pálsson, Jim Black, Ragnar Bjarnason, Davíð Þór Jónsson, Silva and Steini, and many others. He is a member of groups such as hist og, Mógil, and the Reykjavík Big Band. Eiríkur's approach to music spans a wide range, from primitive jazz to exciting new territories on the edge of the inhabitable sound world. He has also worked with bands such as múm, Sigur Rós, Kira Kira, Benni Hemm Hemm, and Seabear, and has performed at hundreds of concerts worldwide with the aforementioned artists. Eiríkur is a member of the trio hist og alongside Róberta Andersen and Magnús Trygvason Eliassen, which has released three albums and received numerous accolades, including six nominations for the Icelandic Music Awards.

STÓRSVEIT STEINGRÍMS TEAGUE OG SÓLRÚNAR MJALLAR Í MENGI
Friday, February 7th
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2.500kr

Tickets here: https://blinkur.is/f9298137-1708-4b18-8017-4d3fdea6a8b3

Þau Steingrímur Teague (söngur, hljómborð) og Sólrún Mjöll Kjartansdóttir (trommur, slagverk) fara fyrir Stórsveit Steingríms Teague og Sólrúnar Mjallar, og eru jafnframt einu meðlimirnir.

Stórsveitin var stofnuð til að flytja ýmis uppáhaldslög Steingríms, en meðal annars er sótt í brunn Ninu Simone, Mose Allison, Dusty Springfield og frosksins Kermit.

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Steingrímur Teague (vocals, keyboard) and Sólrún Mjöll Kjartansdóttir (drums, percussion) lead the Steingrímur Teague and Sólrúnar Mjallar Ensemble, and are also the only members.

The ensemble was formed to perform various of Steingrím's favorite songs, including Nina Simone, Mose Allison, Dusty Springfield and Kermit the Frog.

Pussy Riot: Sweat and Blood / SiGRÚN
Friday, January 31 2025
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2.500kr

more info tba

January 24th, 2025
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2.500kr

Scott McLemore's Multiverse

In 2019 Scott McLemore recorded an album inspired by his experiences performing with the legengary guitarist John Abercrombie called "The Multiverse" featuring a multi-national group with two guitars, bass and drums.

After releasing a live album with the band in 2021, Scott continued the trajectory with "Knowing" in 2022 which was recorded in the middle of a European tour. The music, including a suite in four parts, floats on melancholy undertones while evoking plenty of hope and joy.

Now on the verge of a third Multiverse album the band once again takes flight with a collection of new original music exploring the context of having two identical instruments that both contrast and complement each other.

Scott McLemore - drums
Hilmar Jensson - guitar
Andrés Þór - guitar
Nicolas Moreaux - bass

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Scott McLemore's Multiverse

Árið 2019 tók Scott McLemore upp plötu sem var innblásin af reynslu hans af því að spila með goðsagnakennda gítarleikaranum John Abercrombie. Platan, sem heitir „The Multiverse," sameinar fjölþjóðlegan hóp með tvo gítara, bassa og trommur.

Eftir að hafa gefið út lifandi plötu með hljómsveitinni árið 2021 hélt Scott áfram á sömu braut með „Knowing" árið 2022, sem var tekin upp í miðri Evróputónleikaferð. Tónlistin, sem inniheldur fjórskipt svítu, svífur á melankólískum undirtónum en vekur um leið von og gleði.

Nú, rétt áður en þriðja Multiverseplatan verður til, tekur hljómsveitin á ný flugið með safni af glænýjum frumsömdum lögum sem kanna samhengi þess að hafa tvö eins hljóðfæri sem bæði skarast og bæta hvort annað upp.

Scott McLemore - trommur
Hilmar Jensson - gítar
Andrés Þór - gítar
Nicolas Moreaux - bassi

Kristján Steinn Kristjánsson
Thursday, January 23rd
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2.500kr / pay what you can

Kristján Steinn Kristjánsson er listamaður og tónskáld sem vinnur þvert á miðla með sérstaka áherslu á hljóð. Hann umbreytir hljóðfærum í blendinga og breytir hversdagslegum hlutum og aðstæðum í hljóðfæri Eftir að útskrifast úr Myndlistaskóla Reykjavíkur árið 2017 flutti hann til Haag í Hollandi til að stunda nám við Konunglega listaháskólann og Konunglegu konservatoríunni í Haag. Hann útskrifaðist þaðan árið 2021 með Bakkalár gráðu frá Listvísinda (e. ArtScience) brautinni sem tilheyrir báðum akademíunum. Síðastliðinn mars tók hann þátt í samsýningunni Making Sense í Ásmundasal og einnig var frumflutt tónverk eftir hann í Norrænahúsinu sem samið var og flutt af
strengja kvartettinum NeoQuartet. Ásamt því hefur hann verið að koma fram með hljómsveitinni sinni Geisha Cartel og sem Plasticboy, þar á meðal á helstu tónlistarhátíðum landsins.
23. janúar flytur hann tónverk sem hafa orðið til og orsakast á milli hljóðtilrauna með óhefðbundnum hljóðfærum og hefðbundnari hljóðfærum. Búast má við loop-uðum bassalínum og útdregnum slide gítar tónum ásamt hljóðmyndum frá mismunandi augnablikum.

www.kristjansteinn.com
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Kristján Steinn Kristjánsson is an artist and composer, exploring sounds within the context of the everyday. Seeking new forms to embody it in an immersive setting. Sculpting existing realities and objects into new situations and emphasizing states of
being. In 2021 he graduated from the ArtScience Interfaculty at The Royal Academy of Art and The Royal Conservatoire of The Hague. Although residing in Den Haag, Kristján has been active in the Icelandic art scene thought out the years, showing works and performing during his visits back home with various projects ranging from his trap-pop group Geisha Cartel, art exhibitions
and string quartet premiers. Performing on the 23rd of January, he will play compositions born in the liminal space in between his art practice and compositions. Using looped bass lines and
washed out slide guitar riffs often built around field recordings from various moments.

www.kristjansteinn.com

MORGAN GARRETT (USA, Orange Milk Records) + MC MYASNOI (Spider Network)
doors 19:30, performance 20:00
2.500 kr

Morgan Garrett has long been a stalwart presence in independent American experimental music. The 2024 release of Purity on Orange Milk Records, his acclaimed fifth full length and first vinyl release, underscores his commitment to his craft and to the wider world of challenging electronic music. Purity is a response to finding a neighbor’s dead body. While processing this trauma and his own relationship with suicidal ideation, Morgan Garrett created an album of dissonance and fragile voice, oscillating between dense electric guitars and anxiety ridden whispers. This mesh of avant-garde electronics, rock instrumentation and hi-fidelity production is a new assertion in underground music.

Morgan followed this release with the "Purity USA Tour", a 46 day self-booked headlining tour extending across the CONUS, performing at venues such as Zebulon (LA), Johnny Brenda's (PHL) and Trans Pecos (NYC). The live set begins in darkness: Morgan sitting down as he nervously lines his hands through his face and hair. ASMR-like sounds of creaky floorboards, crackling fire, and industrial noise play through his PA while footlights begin to flicker. After a break of silence, Morgan explodes into song as he shreds through tracks from the LP with punishing live vocals, effected acoustic guitar, and blistering strobe lighting. The footlights and strobes cast giant shadows behind him as he flails and falls onto the ground, presenting an image like a person on fire. In full visibility, his gestures and expressions are exaggerated and extreme, reminiscent of Butoh. All the while his soaring voice and electronic avant-garde backing band crash onto the audience like a shockwave of discontent. Morgan maintains an unwavering energy throughout the duration of his 30 minute psychodrama.

Looking onwards, Morgan will tour the northeast USA with Philadelphia no-wave band Primal Rat Screw in November 2024, incorporating an additional electric guitarist into his live shows. In January 2025 Morgan will tour the EU/UK/Iceland, performing at the CTM Festival at the legendary Berlin nightclub Berghain. June 2025 plans include a 10-day Japanese tour with —–__–___ (Seth Graham + More Eaze duo), and USA dates in California. Between international tour dates Morgan will again collaborate with producer and engineer Alex Nagle on a new LP, further developing the self-existent sonic qualities of Purity.

MC MYASNOI: Reykajvík’s best cute and spooky experimental electronik anime emo doom metal

Húsið opnar 19:30 | Miðaverð 2.500 kr

Flutt verður klassísk tyrknesk tónlist kennd við Ottóman veldið og kallast í Tyrklandi Klassísk Tyrknesk Ottoman tónlist. Þessi tónlistarhefð nær árhundruði aftur í tímann og voru tyrknesku tónskáldin oft innblástur fyrir vestrænu tónskáldin m.a.

Mozart. Tónlistarhefð þessi inniheldur framandi hljóðfæri og munu flytjendur leika á hefbundin hljóðfæri í þessum stíl. Ásgeir Ásgeirsson hefur á undanförnum árum sótt tíma á tyrkneskt oud hjá nokkrum af færustu oud leikurum veraldar m.a. Yurdal

Tokca, Enver Mete Aslan, Zeynel Demirtas og Taxiarchis Georgoulis fyrstur íslenskra hljóðfæraleikara. Fædon Jóhannes Sinis (Phaedon Sinis) er bandarískur/grískur hljóðfæraleikari sem hefur numið og leikið þessa tónlist víðsvegar urm heiminn í áratugi en Fædon leikur á tyrkneska borðhörpu og tyrkneska hnéfiðlu. Hann er algjör hvalreki fyrir íslenskt tónlistarlif og er búsettur á Íslandi um þessar mundir. Á tónleikunum munu þeir leika klassísk verk úr þessari þessari tónlistarhefð en tónlist úr þessum ranni heyist mjög sjaldan á Íslandi og hvetjum við því forvitið fólk um að fjölmenna en síðast þegar þeir félagar komu fram í Megni var uppselt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzbmXNvNewE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U8rkDh55hA

Mikael Máni
Wednesday, January 15 2025
doors 19:30 / show 20:00

Gítarleikarinn og tónskáldið Mikael Máni mun halda tónleika með hljómsveit sinni í Mengi 15. janúar 2025 klukkan 20:00.

Þau munu leika mest megnis nýtt efni og Í framhaldi af tónleikunum mun hljómsveitin taka upp plötu í Sundlauginni. Bandið tók síðast upp plötuna Innermost sem kom út árið 2023 en hún var valin jazzplata ársins á íslensku tónlistarverðlaununum.

Tónlistin er lýrísk og minnir á köflum á kvikmyndatónlist, margslunginn jazz með áhrifum frá rokki og impressjónisma. Lögin á plötunni sem ber vinnuheitið Half Sun fjalla um þegar tveir partar sjálfsins eru ósammála og vilja ólíka hluti. Togstreita skapast og til verður óvissa um hvorn partinn skal hlusta á. Hvert lag fjallar um þessa innri tilveru á ólíkan hátt og oft eru tveir ólíkir partar í tónsmíðunum sem kjlást í gegnum lagið.

Einnig verða leikin nokkur verk af eldri plötum Mikaels sem hafa fengið viðurkenningar á borð við jazzplata ársins í Morgunblaðinu, tilnefningu til Kraumsverðlaunanna og ÍSTÓN ásamt því að hafa fengið tæplega 1,500,000 spilanir á Spotify.

Bandið skipa:

-Mikael Máni Ásmundsson - Gítar

-Henrik Linder - Rafbassi

-Magnús Trygvason Elíassen - Trommur

-Tómas Jónsson - Hljómborð

-Lilja María Ásmundsdóttir - Metalafónn og píanó

෴ ෴ ෴
Guitarist and composer Mikael Máni will perform a concert with his band at Mengi on January 7th, 2024, at 17:00.

The group will primarily play new material, and in the days following the concert, they will record an album consisting of those songs. Their previous album, released in 2023, was selected as Jazz Album of the Year at the Icelandic Music Awards.

The music is lyrical and, at times, cinematic— a blend of crossover jazz with influences from rock and impressionism. The songs on the album, which has the working title Half Sun, explore the conflict between two parts of the self, each desiring different things. Tension and uncertainty arise when the right path is unclear. Each composition reflects this inner struggle, and throughout many of the songs, two opposing elements are in constant conflict.

A few songs from his previous albums will also be played but they have gotten acknowledgements like jazz album of the year in Icelandic newspaper, nomination for the Kraum awards and the Iceland music awards as well as getting almost 1,500,000 plays on Spotify.

The band consists of:

-Mikael Máni Ásmundsson - Guitar

-Henrik Linder - Electric bass

-Magnús Trygvason Elíassen - Drums

-Tómas Jónsson - Keyboards

-Lilja María Ásmundsdóttir - Metallophone and piano

HJALTE ROSS & FRIENDS
doors 19:30, performance 20:00
2.500 KR

Hjalte Ross with Astrid Matthesen, Mads Lang, Magnús Trygvason Eliassen, and Albert Finnbogason.

Hjalte Ross is a Danish award-winning artist who has a discography consisting of three full length albums, his debut 'Embody' (2018), his grand 'Waves of Haste' (2020) and his latest intimate, self-produced and critically acclaimed 'Less' (2023). All albums are based on personal reflections and his latest album had him declared “the finest export of Denmark” by MOJO.

Born and raised on the countryside by the northern fjords of Denmark, Hjalte has a self-taught approach to his playing and songwriting. This has often been described as a combination of precise technical skill with a raw, and often unpredictable essence.

With a vision to merge the intimate with the intense, Hjalte revives his songs every time played live, letting the present facilitate the outcome.

This special concert >Hjalte Ross & Friends< at Mengi, is a coming together for a one-of-a-kind performance, and will feature a stellar ensemble of musicians, including Astrid Matthesen, Mads Lang, Magnús Trygvarson Elíassen, and Albert Finnbogason.

Kristín Anna
Friday, January 10 2025
doors 19:30 / show 20:00

more info TBA

Axel Flóvent & RAKEL
Thursday, January 9 2025
doors 19:30 / show 20:00

Axel Flóvent og RAKEL segja: bless í bili

Axel og Rakel kynntust þegar þau voru að vinna saman á Hótel Hallormsstað árið 2014. Axel bjó í kofa í garði við hús á Hallormsstað þar sem hann svaf og bjó til lög inni á milli hótelvakta. Hann hafði heyrt af því að Rakel kynni að spila á fiðlu og syngja og bað hana að spila með sér. Rakel sagði já og þau hafa ekki hætt því síðan.

Þar sem Axel hefur tekið upp á því að flytja til Húsavíkur í janúar, þá ákváðu þau að það væri best að spila saman eina tónleika, bara til þess að segja bless í bili. 

Þau munu flytja lög eftir hvort annað, saman og í sundur, ný og gömul. 

2.500 kr (eða pay what you can)

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ENG

Axel and Rakel met in the summer of 2014 because they had both landed a summer job at Hótel Hallormsstaður in the East of Iceland. Axel lived in a hut in the garden of a house where he slept and made music in between shifts. He had heard Rakel knew how to play the violin and sing so he asked her if she wanted to play with him. Rakel said yes and they haven’t stopped doing it ever since. 

Since Axel has now decided to move to Húsavík in January, they thought it might be nice to do one last concert, just to say goodbye for now. 

They’ll be playing each others music, together and apart, old and new. 

2.500 kr (or pay what you can)

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Rakel Sigurðardóttir er fædd og uppalin á Akureyri. Hún hóf fiðlunám sex ára gömul við Tónlistarskólann á Akureyri og jazz söngnám síðar meir. Árið 2015 flutti hún til Reykjavíkur og hélt áfram tónlistarnámi við tónlistarskóla FÍH og útskrifaðist þaðan vorið 2020.

Árið 2021 gaf Rakel frá sér sína fyrstu stuttskífu, Nothing Ever Changes og ári seinna gaf hún, ásamt tónlistarkonunum Salóme Katrínu og Söru Flindt (DK), út splittskífuna While We Wait, en platan hlaut tilnefningu til Íslensku tónlistarverðlaunana sem plata ársins.

Ásamt því að skapa og flytja sína eigin tónlist kemur Rakel fram með ýmsu tónlistarfólki en þar má nefna Nönnu (Of Monsters And Men), Kaktus Einarsson og Axel Flóvent.

Um þessar mundir er Rakel að leggja lokahönd á sína fyrstu plötu í fullri lengd.

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RAKEL is a Reykjavík based singer/songwriter from a town in the North of Iceland called Akureyri. In 2021 RAKEL released her debut EP, Nothing Ever Changes and was in that same year nominated as Newcomer of the year for the Icelandic Music Awards. In 2022 she made the split-record While We Wait with friends and musicians Salóme Katrín and Sara Flindt. RAKEL is currently working on her first full length album which is to be released in 2025.  As well as making and performing her own music, RAKEL performes and tours  with various Icelandic artists, such as Nanna (from Of Monsters And Men), Kaktus Einarsson, Axel Flóvent and many others.

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Axel Flóvent er tónlistarmaður frá Húsavík. Síðastliðin áratug hefur hann verið virkur í tónlistarlífinu á Íslandi sem og erlendis. Hann gaf út sína fyrstu smáskífu, Forest Fires, árið 2015, sem hlaut góðar viðtökur.

Síðan þá hafa margar ár runnið til sjávar, en tónlist Axels einkennist ennþá af fallegum melódíum og einlægum textum, kassagítar og kósíheitum (með smá dramatík, auðvitað!)

Síðast gaf Axel út plötuna Away from this dream, sumarið 2024

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Axel Flóvent is a singer-songwriter from Húsavík, Iceland.  For the last decade, he has been active in the music scene in Iceland, as well as abroad. He released his first EP, Forest Fires, in May 2015 which was very well received. 

Axel's music is characterized by beautiful melodies and sincere lyrics, acoustic guitar and cozy songs.

Most recently, he released the album Away from this dream, in the summer of 2024.

NIGHT OF IMPROVISED MUSIC: Björg Brjánsdóttir, Magnús Trygvason Eliassen, & Tumi Árnason


Mengi’s new monthly Improvised Music Series for January:

Björg Brjánsdóttir - flutes
Magnús Trygvason Eliassen - drums
Tumi Árnason - saxophones, winds

+ special guest

Róberta Andersen: Solo Guitar

More info TBA