Doors @ 18:00
FREE ENTRY
Mengi will be celebrating it’s 11th year in operation on Saturday, December 14th with a concert featuring artists dear to the Mengi family.

Artists include:
Andervel
Bára Gísladóttir
Bjarni Daníel
Magnús Jóhann
Ronja

Doors 19:30 / Performance 20:00
2.500 Kr.

John McCowen's Mundanas VII-XI for 2 contrabass clarinets
performed by John McCowen & Madison Greenstone

In the late Winter of 2021, John McCowen was recording demos in his basement studio. He was aiming to record each part in one circular-breathed take. This turned out to be virtually impossible to achieve. This was due to a constant onslaught of earthquakes.These were earthquakes preceding the Fagradalsfjall volcanic eruption of March 2021 near his home in Reykjavík, Iceland. For weeks leading up to the eruption, there was a persistent pulse of earthquakes - sometimes only minutes apart. The sensation of these earthquakes were incredible. At first, from silence, there would appear an incredibly low, sine-like tone. As this tone began to crescendo, it would be accompanied by an ever-increasing vibration. These vibrations would then become visceral as the building shook (there are a slew of outtakes where this is audible as well as the accompanying “goddamnit”). With the epicenter located near to Reykjavík, one could visualize the initial grinding of tectonic plates and the subsequent, earth-rattling waves emanating from the volcanic center. For John, feeling these rolling vibrations unconsciously shaped the music of Mundanas VII-XI.

The parallels between this experience and the music are unambiguous - two contrabass clarinets emanating low, sine-like tones with shifting harmonics activated by these rumbling swells. When these two contrabass clarinets are combined, there emerges a wave of combinatorial frequencies - an acoustic stream of sound almost tactile. All this said, there exists an orchestra of sound waiting to be observed as the listener goes deeper.

This forty-five minute document exhibits John McCowen & Madison Greenstone at a height of ensemble entanglement - operating as a singular organism. The record has a unified aura from beginning to end - variations on a theme - silence to culmination and back. The music is more akin to the rolling waves of tectonic activity than to McCowen’s more strident works. This showcases the performers ability to remain placid with an ability to shimmer and sonically multiply at a moment’s notice.

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John McCowen’s musical life has become an obsession with discovering a polyphonic language on a historically monophonic instrument - the clarinet. This has led him to a unique acoustic vocabulary that is akin to a shifting soundscape of electronic feedback. John's multiphonic approach is based in drones, difference tones, and beating harmonics as a means to showcase the compositional potential within a single, acoustic sound source. His work has been described by The New Yorker as “the sonic equivalent of microscopic life viewed on a slide” and “an astonishing demonstration of pure sound and human will” by The Wire. He began playing in the American DIY circuit in a number of groups. These years led to international rock tours as a saxophone & flute player in his early 20’s. After burning out, he decided to pursue classical clarinet performance with contemporary clarinet pioneer, Eric P. Mandat. His first record of solo contrabass clarinet music, SOLO CONTRA, was released by International Anthem Recording Co. in 2017.

John has been artist-in-residence at Headlands Center for the Arts in 2024, ISSUE Project Room in 2020, and Lijiang Studio in 2017/19. He has released documents on International Anthem, Edition Wandelweiser, Sound American, Astral Spirits, Dinzu Artefacts, Superpang, and others. He has performed in spaces such as Borealis Festival, Jazzfestival Saalfelden, Cafe OTO, Edition Festival, Sequences Festival, Dark Music Days Festival, Roulette Intermedium, LAMPO, ISSUE Project Room, Q-O2 Oscillation Festival, and others. He currently resides in Reykjavík, Iceland where he teaches Music Improvisation at the Iceland University of the Arts.

John has collaborated extensively with the composer and instrumentalist, Roscoe Mitchell. He has orchestrated, arranged, and transcribed Mitchell’s works for orchestras and other ensembles as well as performing as a duo of bass saxophone and contrabass clarinet.

John remains stubbornly dedicated to acoustic phenomena. His works do not utilize amplifier feedback or electronically-generated sounds unless specified.

www.johnmccowen.com

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Madison Greenstone is a New York based clarinetist whose ‘beautiful and haunting’ playing ‘creeps noisily away from the void’ (Foxy Digitalis). They perform across a wide range of experimental music contexts as a soloist, improvisor, and chamber musician. Madison’s solo performance practice, exstatic resonances, pushes the limits of innate instrumental expressivities by treating the meeting of instrument and embodied technique as creative of a site of indeterminacy and generative instability. Their approach to the clarinet embraces and instigates chaotic timbral actions, difficult-to-reign sonorities, and the harmonically rich and noisy resonances that have a vivid inner life and movement. Their practice embraces responsive listening as a mediator between embodied technique and latent instrumental agency.

Madison is the clarinetist of TAK Ensemble, “one of the most prominent ensembles in the United States practicing truly experimental music” (I Care If You Listen), and a founding member of the [Switch~ Ensemble]. Madison performs as a guest with Alarm Will Sound, Nunc New Music, Either/Or, Argento New Music Project, Contemporaneous, Wavefield, amongst others in New York and abroad. They can be heard on labels such as Wandelweiser Editions, Another Timbre, TAK Editions, Unknown Tapes, New Focus Recordings, eë editions (AT), Impakt Collective (DE), and upcoming on Relative Pitch Records (solo) and Dinzu Artefacts (TAK ensemble).

As a soloist, Madison has been presented by the Vigeland Mausoleum (Oslo), ISSUE Project Room (NYC), Fire Over Heaven (NYC), Night of Surprise (DE), Silo City (Buffalo), Petersburg Art Space (DE). Other notable performances have been as a soloist in Brian Ferneyhough’s La Chute d’Icare (conducted by Steve Schick), as presented by the New York Philharmonic Kravis Nightcap Series with TAK Ensemble, as part of the Merce Cunningham Centennial in Los Angeles. Madison has performed in the KKL Luzern (CH), Elbphilharmonie (DE), and Walt Disney Concert Hall (LA).

Madison has been in residence as a guest artist and educator at Harvard University, Stanford University, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Bard, University of Chicago, University at Buffalo, Wesleyan and many others. Madison is currently a doctoral candidate at UC San Diego, where they learn greatly from the mentorship of Anthony Burr, Charles Curtis, and Amy Cimini. They hold a Bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music, where they studied with Jon Manasse and Kenneth Grant. Between 2012-2018, Madison pursued periodic studies with Ernesto Molinari in the context of the Lucerne Festival Academy and the Darmstadt Ferienkurse für Neue Musik.

As a writer, Madison has contributed a catalog essay for the Museum of Neuchâtel’s exhibit Sur Papier exploring surface, temporality, and material agency in the work of Sivan Eldar. Their writing also appears in Contemporary Music Review’s edition on Éliane Radigue in an essay co-authored with Charles Curtis and Anthony Vine titled Toward an Anti-Ideal: Radigue, Recording, and the Paradoxes of Representation.

Aðventugleði Ólafar Arnalds og Guðrúnar Evu

Frumsamin jólalög Ólafar Arnalds í bland við gamalt og gott. Upplestur höfundar úr glænýrri bók Guðrúnar Evu Mínervudóttur og samræður með frjálsri aðferð. Jólaglögg og piparkökur í boði hússins. Áritaðar bækur til sölu.

Miðaverð kr. 3000,-
doors 19:30, performance 20:00

Ólöf Arnalds hóf feril sinn sem söngvaskáld með hljómplötunni Við og við, sem hún hlaut Íslensku tónlistarverðlaunin fyrir. Á erlendri grundu var hún valin ein af bestu plötum ársins af Paste Magazine auk þess sem eMusic valdi hana meðal bestu platna fyrsta áratugarins. Fyrir „Innundir skinni“ hlaut Ólöf Íslensku tónlistarverðlaunin sem tónsmiður ársins. Þá var platan tilnefnd til Norrænu tónlistarverðlaunana. Næst komu „Sudden Elevation“ og „Palme“ og hlutu mikið lof gagnrýnenda. Ólöf hefur lagt stund á að túlka lög eftir aðra, m.a. á smáskífunni „Ólöf Sings.“ Hún hefur leikið á tónleikum víðsvegar um Evrópu, Bandaríkin og Ástralíu. Fjöldi dagblaða, tímarita, vefmiðla, útvarps- og sjónvarpsstöðva víðsvegar um heim hafa fjallað um hana og verk hennar. Má þar nefna The New York Times, The Guardian, Vanity Fair, Paste, BBC, KEXP og Uncut. Samvinna Ólafar og Skúla Sverrissonar hefur getið af sér margar hljómplötur, m.a. hinar dáðu Seríu plötur. Þá söng Ólöf verkið Kaldur sólargeisli eftir Skúla með Sinfóníuhljómsveit Íslands. Meðal annarra listamanna sem Ólöf hefur átt ánægjulegt samstarf við eru Erna Ómarsdóttir, Ragnar Kjartansson, Víkingur Ólafsson, Björk og Davíð Þór Jónsson.

Guðrún Eva er fædd í Reykjavík árið 1976 en alin upp víðs vegar um landið, meðal annars í Mosfellssveit, á Kirkjubæjarklaustri og í Garði í Gerðahreppi. Hún lauk stúdentsprófi frá Menntaskólanum við Hamrahlíð árið 1996 en útskrifaðist árið 2007 frá Háskóla Íslands með BA í heimspeki. Guðrún Eva hefur fjórum sinnum verið tilnefnd til Íslensku bókmenntaverðlaunanna og fékk þau árið 2011 fyrir skáldsöguna Allt með kossi vekur. Hún hefur þrisvar verið tilnefnd til Menningarverðlauna DV og fengið þau tvisvar; árið 2005 fyrir Yosoy og árið 2014 fyrir Englaryk. Einnig hlaut hún Fjöruverðlaunin í byrjun árs 2019 fyrir smásagnasafnið Ástin Texas. Hún var tilnefnd til Norrænu bókmenntaverðlaunanna árið 2021 fyrir skáldsöguna Aðferðir til að lifa af. Hún hefur einnig hlotið viðurkenningu RÚV fyrir ritstörf. Meðfram sagnaritun er Guðrún Eva í hlutastarfi sem ritlistarkennari við LHÍ.

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Ólöf & Eva’s Jule Evening

Original seasonal songs by Ólöf Arnalds along with some good old Icelandic classics. Live reading from an all new book by Guðrún Eva Mínervudóttir followed by an open discussion. Gingersnaps and glögg on the house. Book signing and more. (CVs in English below).

Tickets kr. 3000,-
doors 19:30, performance 20:00

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.

Guðrún Eva Mínervudóttir (1976) was born in Reykjavik and spent her childhood partly in the city, partly in various villages around the country. In her youth she was a cow-herdess, sheep-minder and bartender. After publishing her first book in 1998, While He Looks at You, You Are Virgin Mary, she became a full time writer, surviving on book sales and state grants. She has now written and published nine novels and two collections of short stories. Since 2010 she has taught creative writing in The Iceland Academy of the Arts. Her work has been translated into several languages and received some formal recognition such as The DV Cultural Prize for Literature in 2005 for Yosoy and 2014 for Angel Dust, The National Prize for Literature in 2011 for her novel Everything With a Kiss Awakens, The Icelandic Literature Prize for Women for the short story collection Love, Texas in 2018 and the National Radio Lifetime Award for Literature in 2019. Mínervudóttir was nominated for the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2021.

Sölvi/Hilmar/Magnús

Húsið opnar 19:30 | Miðaverð 2.500 kr

Sölvi, Hilmar og Magnús flytja nýja tónlist eftir Sölva en tríóið er á leiðinni í hljóðver helgina eftir.

Saxófónleikarinn Sölvi Kolbeinsson og slagverksleikarinn Magnús Trygvason Elíassen hafa spilað saman sem dúó síðan árið 2015. Þeir hafa gefið út eina plötu (Sölvi Kolbeinsson, Magnús Trygvason Elíassen) og haldið fjölda tónleika á Íslandi og víðar. Þeir komu fyrst fram sem tríó með gítarleikaranum Hilmari Jenssyni á Djasshátíð Reykjavíkur 2020. Tónleikarnir vöktu mikla lukku og tríóið hefur síðan haldið þó nokkra tónleika á Íslandi, í Mengi og á Múlanum. Til að byrja með einbeittu þeir sér að djass-standördum en núna eru tónsmíðar Sölva í brennidepli. Tónlistin er innblásin af dvöl hans í Berlín og Kaupmannahöfn auk endurkomu hans til Íslands 2023. Flæðandi laglínur blandast við hráa rytma og stóra hljóma sem tríóið dansar í kringum. Persónuleiki flytjenda er í fyrirrúmi og það er alltaf nóg pláss fyrir túlkun.

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Sölvi, Hilmar and Magnús perform new music by Sölvi that will be recorded the weekend after.

Doors 19:30 | Tickets 2.500 kr

Saxophonist Sölvi Kolbeinsson and percussionist Magnús Trygvason Elíassen have played together as a duo since 2015. They have released one album (Sölvi Kolbeinsson, Magnús Trygvason Elíassen) and played numerous concerts in Iceland and elsewhere. They first performed as a trio with guitarist Hilmar Jensson at Reykjavík Jazz Festival 2020. The concert was a great success and the trio has since performed several times in Iceland, in Mengi and Múlinn Jazz Club. To begin with, they focused on jazz standards but now the focus has shifted to Sölvi´s compositions. The music is inspired by his stay in Berlin and Copenhagen as well as moving back to Iceland in 2023. Floating melodies mix with raw rhythms and big chords that the trio dances around. Each personality is in the foreground and there is always plenty of space for interpretation.

An afternoon full of new music, fun, dandyism and laughter.

Premieres by:

Wesley Stephens, Blóm 3
Cornelius Hirsch, Meditation
Chihchun Chi-sun Lee, Aurora and Sea of Stars
Ingibjörg Ýr Skarphédinsdóttir, Flýg ég og Flýg
Willem de Vries Robbé, Happy Place (1974, Icelandic premiere)
Topped off with:
Þórbjörn G. Kólbrunarson, The Coldest Season

Doors 2:30 ~ Tickets 2.500 kr

Nordic Affect frumflytur fjögur ný verk eftir tónskáldin Ásu Önnu Ólafsdóttur, Anna Troisi, John McCowen og Lilju Maríu Ásmundsdóttur. Efnistök þeirra eru ólík og það er því spennandi kvöld framundan. Jafnframt munu tvö tónskáldanna, eða John sem leikur á blokkflautu og kontrabassa klarinettu og Lilja María sem leikur á hljóð- og ljósskúlptúrinn Hulda stíga á svið með Nordic Affect. 

〜 Húsið opnar kl. 19:30

〜 Tónleikarnir hefjast kl. 20:00

〜 Miðaverð kr. 3.000 // Börn, nemendur og eldri borgarar 2.500 ISK

Nordic Affect gives a world premiere of works by Ása Anna Ólafsdóttir, Anna Troisi, John McCowen and Lilja María Ásmundsdóttir. Each composer presents an exciting compositional voice and so there is an exciting evening ahead. And as an added bonus, two of the composers will share the stage with Nordic Affect, or John McCowen on recorder and contrabass clarinet and Lilja María with the sound and light sculpture Hulda. 

〜 Door at 19.30

〜 Concert starts at 20.00

～ Tickets 3.000 ISK // Students, children and senior’s discount 2.500 ISK

Marey feat. Daníel Helgason
Tónleikar í Mengi

Þetta verða fyrstu tónleikarnir í Marey feat. röðinni. Á þessum tónleikum bjóða þær til liðs við sig hljóðfæraleikarann og tónskáldið Daníel Helgason. Þau ætla að spila, spinna, syngja og gera alls konar tilraunir með tóna og hljóð.

Systurnar Lilja María og Anna Sóley Ásmundsdætur skipa dúóið Marey sem blandar tilraunakenndri spunatónlist við rafhljóð og ljóðalestur. Áhrifa gætir frá samtímaklassík, hljóðlist og alþýðutónlist. Lilja María spilar á hljóðskúlptúrinn Huldu, hljóðfæri sem hún hannaði sjálf, og býr til hljóðmyndir. Anna Sóley spilar á fiðlu, syngur og hannar hljóðmyndir.

Lilja María er með doktorspróf í tónsmíðum frá City, University of London. Hún hefur skrifað fyrir ýmsa hljóðfærahópa í Evrópu og sömuleiðis komið fram sem hljóðfæraleikari með alls konar hljómsveitum. Hún er meðlimur í Hlökk en plata þeirra Hulduhljóð hlaut Kraumsverðlaunin 2019. Lilja María gaf út hljóð- og sjónlistaverkið Internal Human árið 2022 í samstarfi við dansarann Inês Zinho Pinheiro.

Anna Sóley útskrifaðist með BA próf frá ArtEZ Tónlistarháskólanum í Arnhem, BA gráðu í almennri bókmenntafræði frá Háskóla Íslands og mastersgráðu í bókmenntafræði frá Háskólanum í Utrecht. Hún sendi frá sér plötuna Modern Age Ophelia, árið 2022 og hefur komið fram víða í Evrópu bæði sem söngvari og fiðluleikari. “Tónhöfundurinn syngur á ensku og íslensku, og skilur eftir rými fyrir spuna og lýrísk ljóðræn flug,” -úr umfjöllun sem Matthieu Jouan skrifaði fyrir Citizen Jazz um Modern Age Ophelia tónleika Önnu á Jazzhátíð Reykjavíkur.

Daníel Helgason hefur komið víða við í íslensku tónlistarlífi bæði sem hljóðfæraleikari og tónskáld. Hann útskrifaðist úr Tónlistarskóla FÍH á rafgítar og með BA próf í tónsmíðum frá Listaháskóla Íslands. Daníel hefur komið fram víða um Evrópu og samið tónverk sem hafa verið flutt á Íslandi og í Skandinavíu. Árið 2023 kom út breiðskífa með frumsömdu efni eftir Daníel sem ber nafnið Particles. Sama ár kom út platan ¡Mambó! með hljómsveitinni Los Bomboneros sem Daníel er meðlimur í. Daníel var valinn Bjartasta vonin í Djass og blús á Íslensku Tónlistarverðlaununum árið 2018 og það sama ár einnig tilnefndur sem flytjandi ársins í sama flokki.

Tónleikarnir hefjast klukkan 20:00 en hurðin opnar 19:30.
Miðaverð 2.500 kr.

Tvískiptir tónleikar með akústískum blásarakvartett og elektrónísku dúói raftónlistamanns og trommara. Nýtt frumsamið efni og spuni í belg og biðu. Óræðar hugvekjur. Samhæfðir hljóðskúlptúrar. Óvæntir árekstrar. Þeysireið á ótroðnar slóðir.

Dyrnar opnast kl. 19:30, aðgangseyrir eru litlar 3.500 krónur og leikar hefjast kl. 20:00.

Tu Ha? Tu Bjö!

Tu Ha? Tu Bjö snýr aftur! Tveir trompetar, tveir saxófónar, tveir Tumar og ef Hannes héti Björgvin eða Björgvin héti Hannes væri þessi kvartett fullkomlega samhverfur en blessunarlega er hann það ekki. Innan um kosmós þarf kaós, í listigarðinn órækt og innan um samhljóm óhljóð. Þessi lúðraflokkur hóf leika hér í Mengi við Óðinsgötu og hefur síðan komið meðal annars fram á Jazzhátíð Reykjavíkur. Nú stefnir sveitin í hljóðver og upptökur á debútplötu sinni þar sem liðsmenn flétta tónsmíðar sínar saman við frjálsan spuna. Kosmós við kaós. Tu Ha? Tu Bjö!

Tumi Torfason – trompet
Hannes Arason – trompet
Tumi Árnason – tenór saxófónn
Björgvin Ragnar Hjálmarsson – tenór saxófónn

Knackered/SMK

Tónskáldið og hljóðlistakonan Ida Schuften (Knackered) og trommarinn Sólrún Mjöll Kjartansdóttir (SMK) byrjuðu að spila saman í dúói snemma sumars 2024. Þetta munu vera þeirra fyrstu tónleikar þar sem þær koma saman og mun spuni, hljóðgervlar, áhugaverðir taktar og furðuhljóð koma við sögu. Allt er leyfilegt og ekkert er rangt.

Ida Schuften Juhl – elektróník
Sólrún Mjöll Kjartansdóttir – trommur

Doors 19:30 ~ Tickets 2.500 kr

EYRA is a safe space, therapy and playground: a band that takes risks and shows vulnerability.

Each concert is a unique experience between band and audience, allowing deep insights into the people involved. EYRA is not afraid of intimacy as well as strong expressivity, but rather enjoys the raw honesty of the moment.

When DANIEL SAUER (saxophone, composition) plays on stage together with SEBASTIAN MINET (guitar), MORITZ LANGMAIER (piano), MORITZ HOLDENRIED (bass) and FELIX ECKENFELDER (drums), you can feel the friendship, trust and courage that connects the five musicians. Oscillating somewhere between jazz, rock and folk, the music of the five young musicians develops a power that excites jazz fans and rock fans alike.

In a time of increasing split and doom scrolling, EYRA would like to invite you to experience a shared resonance that connects people and opens up discourse instead of nipping it in the bud. Daniel Sauer (sax, comp); Sebastian Minet (git); Moritz Langmeier (p); Moritz Holdenried (b); Felix Eckenfelder (dr)

Mengi is delighted to announce the screening of the film ‘Soft Rebellion in Paradise’ by Chloë Brown (UK), 2019.

‘A Soft Rebellion in Paradise’ focuses on the voices of women that are too often silenced and lost in the retelling of histories around the world. Following in the wake of the ‘Me Too’ movement, the film questions the systematic contemporary and historical silencing of woman’s voices.

Over 200 women, and those who identify as female, participated in creating the film, performing a series of ‘Soft Rebellions’, a term used by Brown to describe her on-going exploration of artistic actions. Previous ‘Soft Rebellions’ have included working with participants who dance, eat, meet and applaud in places where it is unusual, or even forbidden, to do so. At the heart of the film is the poem, Soft Rebellions in Paradise Squared by poet, Geraldine Monk. This part chant, part song and part incantation sits alongside a goose bump-inducing silence and an ear-splitting yell by the crowd. It is a call to action by ‘The Unquiets’ (the women in the crowd) who urgently chant as Monk performs from a balcony where, in the past, political and religious leaders once addressed the all-male masses who gathered in a town Square called Paradise. Alongside this, a group of four women perform a discordant ‘song’ that references both historian Mary Beard’s lecture, ‘Women & Power’ and author Henry James’ criticism of the female voice, which he described as ‘a mumble or jumble, a tongue-less slobber’.

To accompany these ‘Soft Rebellions’, Belfast-based musician and performer, DIE HEXEN, (or The Witches) has composed an evocative soundscape that builds to an intense and powerful crescendo.

‘A Soft Rebellion in Paradise’ offers a unique perspective on subversion, exploring themes of resistance, identity, and the pursuit of freedom.

The film was created with an all-female crew, production team and cast, and was commissioned by Arts Council England. Filmed on location in Paradise Square, Sheffield, UK.

This film is screened in Reykjavík to coincide with the anniversary of the Women’s Strike or ‘kvennafrí’ (women’s day off), which took place on October 24th 1975. 90% of Icelandic women refused to work on this day, leading to pivotal change in Iceland, including the world’s first female elected president of a country.

‘A Soft Rebellion in Paradise’ takes place on Saturday October 26th 2024

From 1pm - 6pm: Film screening on to the public (free drop-in event)

Duration of film: 9mins 24 seconds looped

Contact

Mengi: booking@mengi.net

Or

Chloë Brown: cbchloebrown@gmail.com

Hvernig hljómar snjallfiðluflytjendaverkvangur? Þann 25. október næstkomandi er möguleiki að heyra dæmi um slíkt því þá stígur fiðluleikarinn Halla Steinunn Stefánsdóttir á svið í Mengi. Tónleikarnir veita innsýn í vinnu hennar við Intelligent Instruments Lab í Reykjavík sem helgað er skapandi starfi með gervigreind. Sem lið í þeirri tilraunamennsku hefur Halla Steinunn valið efni sem lagt er til grundvallar þjálfunar á módelum gegnum m.a. svokallaðan Neural Audio Synthesis af Victor Riley Shepardson og Nicola Privato og Neural Spectral Synthesis af Davíð Brynjar Franzsyni. Módelin sem unnið er með í Mengi, hafa verið þjálfuð m.a. á efni frá mismunandi flytjendum en einnig á mannfræði upptökum frá ÍSMÚS vefnum sem tengist íslenskri músík og menningararfi. Einnig stígur Victor Riley Shepardson með Höllu Steinunni á svið og tekur þátt í spuna. 

〜 Húsið opnar kl. 19:30

〜 Tónleikarnir hefjast kl. 20:00

〜 Miðaverð kr. 2.500 // Börn, nemendur og eldri borgarar 2.000 ISK

What does an intelligent violin performance platform sound like? Come and find out, at a concert with violinist Halla Steinunn Stefánsdóttir. The event shares some of the experimentation with such a performance platform at the Intelligent Instruments Lab in Reykjavík. The project includes models trained through Neural Audio Synthesis and Neural Spectral Synthesis on both a corpus of work and heritage data and so the evening promises to be of a varied sort! As a special bonus, Stefánsdóttir will be joined by Victor Riley Shepardson in improvisation. 

〜 Door at 19.30

〜 Concert starts at 20.00

～ Tickets 2.500 ISK // Students, children and senior's discount 2.000 ISK

Nánar um flytjendur//More info:

http://www.hallasteinunn.com

http://victor-shepardson.github.io

(English below)

Ástralska píanistinn, tónskáldið og raftónlistarmaðurinn Anthony Pateras snýr aftur í Mengi og flytur áhorfendum ný sólóverk í sínum einstaka stíl sem er virtúósískur og persónulegur í senn. Auk þess mun landi hans, hið magnaða tónskáld og klarinettuleikari Anthony Burr, spila sólóefni með eigin tónsmíðum en hann er þekktur fyrir samstarf sitt við Alvin Lucier, Jim O’Rourke og Skúla Sverrisson. Loks munu þeir nafnar gefa áhorfendum innsýn inn í hið meditatíva tónmál sem einkennir fyrstu plötu þeirra saman, The Long Exhale sem kom út hjá Immediata árið 2016 og vakti frábærar undirtektir á alþjóðlegum vettvangi.

Húsið opnar 19:30 | Miðaverð 4.000 kr

Ferilskrár Pateras og Burr má lesa á ensku hér aðeins neðar.

Internationally acclaimed composer, pianist & electronic artist Anthony Pateras returns to Mengi for the first time in 5 years to present new solo works & a duo with veteran clarinettist Anthony Burr. This concert will showcase Pateras’ ongoing interrogation of his highly personal pianistic virtuosity, as well as his meditative duo language with Burr, as heard on their acclaimed 2016 Immediata debut The Long Exhale.

Bios:

Stretching from his early releases on John Zorn’s Tzadik label, through his four solo/collaborative albums on flagship Austrian label Editions Mego, via his own Immediata music/text project to his more recent records on seminal imprints Another Timbre & Shelter Press, Pateras’ music over the last two decades is slippery & ever-changing. Spanning grindcore bands, glitched out hip hop, delicate ensemble works, full-on orchestral pieces, mise-en-abyme musique concrete, maximalist noise, acousmatic diffusions and more recently, drone-y Italian prog, Anthony’s musical identity is aurally located solely at a nexus of the desire to explore, the will to interrogate, the highest level of craft, and minimal bullshit.

Doors 19:30 | Tickets 4.000 kr

Anthony Pateras // Djaara Country

Bandcamp // IG archive // YT channel

Clarinetist Anthony Burr works across and beyond traditional chamber

music, contemporary classical, recording engineering, and musical

production. Along the way he has worked with Alvin Lucier, Brian

Ferneyhough, Jim O’Rourke, Helmut Lachenmann and many others in the presentation of their work. Ongoing collaborations include a duo with Skúli Sverrisson and The Clarinets with Chris Speed and Oscar Noriega. Burr currently teaches in the music department of the University of California, San Diego, where he collaborates frequently with cellist Charles Curtis.

Wednesday October 23rd 2024

11am - 5pm: Film and installation.

8pm - 11pm: Northern Soul DJ set

Mengi is excited to announce the upcoming art event, ‘Are You Ready?’ at Óðinsgata 2, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland on Wednesday October 23rd 2024. This event by artist Chloë Brown (UK) is a thought-provoking installation that reflects on the post-industrial city of Detroit, soul music and societal upheaval.

During the 1960s, the US city of Detroit contained over 400 record companies that were keen to follow the global success of Motown Records. In excess of 60 recording studios created uplifting yet melancholic soul music on a huge scale. This rare and raw version of the Motown Sound is known as Northern Soul, so called because of its popularity within the underground music scene in the North of England in the 1960s - ‘70s.

In 1967, in the wake of the devastating Detroit Uprising (or Detroit Riot), the recording studios and record labels began to close. They became silent. Over time the buildings were either repurposed, became derelict or were destroyed. This disintegration was an echo of the breakdown of the city overall, and by 2013 Detroit was bankrupt, with high rates of unemployment, poverty and violence. However, there were always individuals and groups of activists who continued to develop the city in innovative and positive ways. ‘Are You Ready?’ brings together these forgotten studios, and the memories and sounds they hold, with the citizens, society and the transformative power of music.

Chloë Brown first visited Detroit in 2015, arriving out of curiosity for a place that had seemingly lost its way after the heights of joyful, heartfelt expression that is soul music. Detroit (the Motor City) connected strongly to her upbringing in the city of Sheffield (the Steel City) in the North of England and to her love of soul music. During the following years she visited five times and developed a series of artworks to reflect her experiences. Brown forged strong connections with many of Detroit’s citizens (Detroiters), both individuals and groups of activists, and put them at the centre of a series of artworks, including three films, two vinyl records and a performance event.

One notable Detroiter is Martha Reeves of Motown icons ‘Martha and the Vandellas’. It is Brown’s recording of Reeves’ description of Detroit and the impact of soul music that features powerfully in ‘Are You Ready?’ Another Detroiter featured in the film is Shanice S. Rollins who is seen dancing in the street listening on headphones to Martha and the Vandella’s song ‘Dancing in the Street’. One of the most intriguing aspects of ‘Are You Ready?’ are the portraits of citizens and activists either waiting or clapping. The collective act of clapping serves as a reminder of the universal language of rhythm to bring people together as a social or political act.

The film combines these elements, (the sites of the recording studios, the citizens, the dancer), with the sound of Martha Reeves and of the recording studios, (backing vocals, claps, finger snaps), and it uses the structure of the soul song, (intro, verse, chorus, bridge), to create a compelling artwork. The installation also features banners made of velvet and satin, hinting at the homemade glamour of this music business to showcase the names of the lost recording studios. Combined they create a world of rhythm, harmony, hope, love, longing and broken hearts.

‘Are You Ready’ takes place on Wednesday October 23rd 2024

From 11am-5pm: the installation will be open to the public.

From 8pm-11pm the artist will play a Northern Soul DJ set alongside the installation.

Contact

Mengi: booking@mengi.net

Or

Chloë Brown: cbchloebrown@gmail.com

Austin Larkin: solo violin
John McCowen: solo contrabass clarinet

Doors 19:30 ~ Tickets 2.500 kr

Austin is on tour from the USA and John will perform a new set of solo music from an upcoming album.

Austin Larkin is a composer and violinist focusing on elemental experiences of tone - fields, durations, and patterns that emerge through resonance and distortion. His performance and practice is informed by research into dimensions of vibrating bodies. Recent work centers inner ear shapes, visceral violin sound, and rendering space as material in addition to medium.

John McCowen is a composer/clarinetist focused on extending the possibilities of the contrabass clarinet. John's multiphonic approach embraces drones, difference tones, and beating harmonics as a means to expose the compositional potential within a single, acoustic sound source. His work has been described by The New Yorker as "the sonic equivalent of microscopic life viewed on a slide" and "an astonishing demonstration of pure sound and human will" by The Wire.

Doors 19:30 | Tickets 2.500

Dalin Waldo. Your local electricity witch: Dalin WaldoOoOoOoOo an esoteric engineering enthusiast, one of the founders of the neo-fluxus anti-art movement Nægtularism with a big heart for old soviet synthesizers. She/he/they has an x-pertise in eloptic engineering and uses this knowledge in designing more organismic synthesizer interfaces together with SOMA Laboratory. She/he/they is the designer of the Ethermorphic FM Analyzer and the ENNER synthesizer. Which are both machines that can transmit your direct emotional energy and make the operator become a part of the circuitry, becoming oneself an Emotion Machine Activator indeed, indeed. X-citing.

((((((

Jesper Pedersen is a multifaceted experimental musician that creates new music as a composer, improviser, and performer. He has been part of the experimental music scene in Iceland for well over a decade, and performs his electronic emissions on modular synthesizer and electronics. His music ranges from quiet and slow evolving ambient, noise and electroacoustic music to works for acoustic instruments using animated notation.

He collaborates with Harp & Arp, Stormkrókur, Resterne af Rigsfællesskabet, Slátur and more and his works have been performed internationally.

))))))

Húsið opnar 19:30 | Miðaverð 2.500 kr

Dalin Waldo er esóterísk syntanorn, áhugamanneskja um rafrásir og sóvíeska hljóðgervla. Hún/hann/hán hefur skapað sér nafn sem hljóðfæraskapari hjá fyrirtækinu SOMA Laboratory og er á bakvið hönnun hljóðfæra á borð við ENNER hljóðgervilsins og Ethermorphic FM Analyzersins, en það sem þessar vélar eiga sameiginlegt er að ganga fyrir beinni tilfinninga orku þar sem notendur geta sameinast hljóðfærinu. Svo sannarlega spenn-andi.

((((((

Jesper Pedersen er margþættur tilraunatónlistarmaður sem skapar nýja tónlist sem tónskáld, spunaleikari og flytjandi. Hann hefur verið hluti af tilraunakenndri tónlistarsenunni á Íslandi í meira en áratug og semur raftónlist sína á eininga-hljóðgervli og tölvu. Tónlist hans spannar allt frá rólegu og hægfara ambient, noise og raftónlist byggð á upptökum, til verka fyrir akústísk hljóðfæri sem spila eftir hreyfinótum.

Hann spilar með Harp & Arp, Stormkróki, Resterne af Rigsfællesskabet, Slátur og fleiri og verk hans hafa verið flutt á alþjóðavettvangi.

Chantal Acda & Borgar Magnason play album Silently Held.

Doors 19:30 | Tickets 2.500 kr

Chantal Acda is a Belgian-Dutch singer-songwriter known for her deeply emotive and atmospheric music that blends folk, ambient, and experimental sounds. Her solo work is characterized by introspective lyrics and delicate, ethereal arrangements, often incorporating sparse instrumentation and subtle electronic elements. Acda has collaborated with a range of musicians, including Nils Frahm, Bill Frisell and Peter Broderick, and is a member of various musical projects such as Sleepingdog. Her music captures a sense of quiet intimacy, exploring themes of connection, loss, and the complexities of human emotion.

Borgar Magnason is an Icelandic double bassist, composer, and interdisciplinary artist known for his work across various genres, from classical to experimental music. Trained in classical performance, Magnason brings a unique approach to his instrument, blending traditional techniques with innovative soundscapes and improvisation. He has collaborated with renowned musicians and composers, including Jóhann Jóhannsson and Björk, contributing to both studio recordings and live performances. Magnason's work often incorporates a deep sense of atmosphere and storytelling, drawing from Iceland’s rich cultural and natural landscapes.

Snorri Hallgrímsson gefur út EP-plötuna ‘Longer shadows, softer stones’ þann 4. október og fagnar því með útgáfutónleikum í Mengi áður en hann heldur í tónleikaferðalag til Evrópu. Platan er fyrsta útgáfa hans undir merkjum Deutsche Grammophon, en Snorri skrifaði nýverið undir plötusamning við hið þekkta útgáfurfyrirtæki.

Húsið opnar 19:30 - Miðaverð 2.500 kr

Snorri Hallgrímsson er tónskáld og framleiðandi. Fyrsta hljómplata hans, ‘Orbit’, kom út árið 2018 og þar komu þegar fram skýr stílbrögð sem einkennt hafa tónlist Snorra síðan – minimalískar lagasmíðar, viðkvæmur píanóleikur, tregafullar strengjaútsetningar, og brothætt söngrödd Snorra sjálfs. Síðasta plata hans, ‘I Am Weary, Don’t Let Me Rest’, fékk þrjár tilnefningar til Íslensku tónlistarverðlaunanna árið 2024 og hlaut verðlaunin fyrir bestu upptökustjórn.

Auk þess að gefa út eigin tónlist hefur Snorri samið tónlist við fjölda kvikmynda. Þar má nefna spænsku Netflix-myndina ‘Jaula’ (2022), bresku stórmyndina ‘Words of War’ (2025), og heimildamyndirnar ‘Out of Thin Air’ (2017), ‘Chasing the Present’ (2019) og ‘Innocence’ (2022).

—

Composer and producer Snorri Hallgrímsson celebrates the release of his new EP ‘Longer shadows, softer stones’ with a concert in Mengi, before embarking on a European tour. Snorri recently signed with Deutsche Grammophon, and the EP marks his first release with the renowned record label.

Doors 19:30 - Miðaverð 2.500 kr

Snorri emerged on the scene in 2018 with debut album, ‘Orbit’, showcasing a unique blend of the characteristics that would come to define his music: minimalistic songwriting, haunting string arrangements, intimate pianos, subtle electronics, and the composer’s own fragile voice. His 2023 album, ‘I Am Weary, Don’t Let Me Rest’ received 3 Icelandic Music Award nominations, winning Production of the Year.

Besides his solo music, Snorri has scored numerous films, including the Spanish Netflix thriller ‘Jaula’ (2022), upcoming British drama ‘Words of War’ (2025), and documentaries ‘Out of Thin Air’ (2017), ‘Chasing the Present’ (2019), and ‘Innocence’ (2022).

Fersteinn snýr aftur í Mengi, í fyrsta sinn í 6 ár og er því um að ræða mega comeback sjó. Fersteinn á uppruna sinn á Njálsgötuárum S.L.Á.T.U.R. samtakanna eða frá því um 2009+ og var eins konar sproti út úr Fengjastrúts hópnum á sínum tíma. Hljómsveitin byrjaði sem tilraunastöð og þróunarmiðstöð fyrir kvartetta Guðmundar Steins Gunnarssonar en fyrr en varið var þetta orðið að hljómsveit sem hefur leikið á hátíðum, bókasöfnum farið í tvo Evróputúra og gefið út þrjár plötur auk einnar þröngskífu hjá De Player í Hollandi. Einhver náungi á bandcamp nefndi plötuna Haltrandi Rósir í þriðja sæti yfir uppaháldsplöturnar sínar þar. Þá var platan Lárviður tilnefnd til Kraumsverðlauna árið sem hún kom út 2017 þrátt fyrir dræma sölu. Síðan hefur platan hins vegar orðið að költklassík og stefnt á að gefa hana út á gylltum vínil vöfðum í klósettpappír eða eitthvað.
Í boði er drullu ágeng framúrstefna eins og hún gerist hvað svakalegust, en ekki hávært þó. Prútt og settlegt engu að síður.
hljomsveitina

Hljómsveitin bryddar þó upp á nýjung sem er eins konar sería sem heitir Ferstein plúseinn. Þá býður Fersteinn einum tónlistarmanni til að spila einleik á undan og taka svo lagið með hljómsveitinni.

Að þessu sinni er það slagverksleikarinn Matthias Engler sem mun leika frumsamið verk sem heitir Sumar áður en hann mun taka nokkur lög með Ferstein. Hann er öllum framúrstefnu unnendum kunnur eftir störf sín með hinum margrrómaða Ensemble Adapter um árabil.
Spennandi viðburður sem forkólfar framúrstefnurnar hvar sem þeir leynast, ættu ekki að láta sig missa af.
Mætið með læti!
dyr 19:30 miðar 2.500.-

- - - - - - - - -
Fersteinn is a far-avant-garde Reykjavík establishment with its roots in the S.L.Á.T.U.R. collective and Fengjastrútur ensemble. The ensemble plays music in far out rhythms using animated digital notation to capture the essence of uneven. After 3 albums, one single with De Player in Holland and 2 European tours the band has become so tight it's scary. Hard avant-garde played so tight in so much intensity and relatively low volume is a rare experience and intense and almost scary.
The group has now started a series of collaborations called plúseinn or +1 or ++. The first person the group invites to be the +1 is avant-garde veteran Matthias Engler who is best known for his work with the world renowned ensemble Adapter. He will perform a solo percussion piece and then join Fersteinn for some hard avant-garde.

Uppáhalds raffjazz tríó Þingholtsbúa, Hist Og snýr aftur í varnarþing sitt, Mengi. Á tónleikunum mun hljómsveitin leika efni af síðustu 3 breiðskífum auk óútgefins efnis. Hómsveitina skipa sem fyrr Eiríkur Orri Ólafsson, Róberta Andersen og Magnús Tryggvason Ellíassen. Hljómsveitin var stofnuð árið 2017 og einblínir á eigin tónsmíðar sem liggja einhversstaðar á mörkum, jazz, spuna og raftónlistar. Tónleikarnir hefjast klukkan 20:00 og miðaverð er 2500 krónur

Hvað gerist þegar að tónlistarmenn sem leika á barokkhljóðfæri, víetnömsk hljóðfæri og gervigreindarhljóðfæri mætast? Til að kanna það hefur Nordic Affect boðið tveimur meðlimum The Six Tone til landsins, eða Nguyen Thanh Thuy sem leikur á víetnamska sítarinn ‘dan tranh’ og Stefan Östersjö sem leikur á víetnömsku lútuna ‘dan ti ba’. Jafnframt slást Nicola Privato og Miguel Angel Crozzoli í hópinn en þeir skoða gervigreind gegnum hljóðfæri og eru meðlimir í Intelligent Instruments Lab í Reykjavík.

〜 Húsið opnar kl. 19:30

〜 Tónleikarnir hefjast kl. 20:00

〜 Miðaverð kr. 3.000 // Börn, nemendur og eldri borgarar 2.500 ISK

Nordic Affect’s first concert within their winter concert series is set to explore what happens when musicians playing baroque, traditional Vietnamese and so called intelligent instruments meet. Join us with curious ears to hear the results, as Halla Steinunn (baroque violin) and Guðrún Óskarsdóttir (harpsichord) will be joined by two members of The Six Tones, or Nguyen Thanh Thuy (dan tranh) and Stefan Östersjö (dan ti ba) as well as Nicola Privato and Miguel Angel Crozzoli from the Intelligent Instruments Lab.

〜 Door at 19.30

〜 Concert starts at 20.00

～ Tickets 3.000 ISK // Students, children and senior’s discount 2.500 ISK

Nordic Affect er styrkt af Tónlistarsjóði mennta- og menningarmálaráðuneytisins og Reykjavíkurborg // Nordic Affect is supported by the The Icelandic Ministry of Culture’s Music Fund and Reykjavík City

Kiku Day - shakuhachi
Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson - guitar
John McCowen - clarinets, recorders
Gyða Valtysdottir - cello

Doors 19:30 | Tickets 2.500

Kiku Day (PhD London, MFA Mills) is an ethnomusicologist and shakuhachi player. She studied the traditional repertoire with master Okuda Atsuya in Tokyo for eleven years before returning to Europe and is dedicated to the dissemination of the traditional repertoire as well as creating a contemporary repertoire for the jinashi shakuhachi working with composers such as Roxanna Panufnik, Takahashi Yūji, Frank Denyer, Arnannguaq Gerstrøm and
Jesper Holmen. She has performed as a soloist at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Disney Hall and Royal Festival Hall.
She is also known for her innovative playing techniques in cross-cultural settings with other performers. Day has taught shakuhachi both individual and in group lessons for more than
20 years and has organised many shakuhachi festivals. She is a visiting research fellow at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Megan Alice Clune is a musician, artist and composer based on Gadigal and Wangal lands (Sydney, Australia). Her work explores the dynamic relationships between music, technology, the body and the temporality through composition, performance and installation. Described as 'visionary ambient' (Rockerilla), 'breathtakingly intimate' (Bandcamp Daily) and 'a pristine exercise in precise simplicity' (boomkat.com), Megan's music portrays an emotional depth through a minimal sonic palette, delicately balancing textures that are at once rich and sparse.

Doors 20:30 | Tickets 2.500 kr

Doors 19:30 | Tickets 2.500 kr

A premiere collaboration between Eetu Vekki and Elia Lombardini explores the crossover of the two artists practices. Vekki’s paper sound sculptures and Lombardinis feedback instruments come together with the violin and piano to fill the room with a contrast of experimental roughness and enchanting harmony.

Precision and chaos complement each other in the music where one can hear echoes of nordic contemporary minimalism blend in with field recordings and noise of self-made instruments and sounding objects.

“We’ve had some shared interests and ideas on building sound installations and experimental instruments and performing music with them. Taiat project started from the desire to create a platform where we could try out and expand these ideas and blend them with our ongoing practices. In the performance there are kinetic, visual and sculptural elements that transforms and enriches the sonic textures of live

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Elia Lombardini is a finnish-italian composer, producer and violinist. Entirely written, arranged, performed and produced by Lombardini, his debut album is a unique mix of classical music, minimalism and maximalism with (heavy) electronic overtones. On stage Elia performs adaptations of the recorded material and new works for violin and effects. Lombardini was part of the Iceland Airwaves programming in 2022 and has opened for acts such as Mary Lattimore and Ben Frost to name a few.

Eetu Vekki is a Finnish artist who works across various artistic disciplines combining his formal knowledge in music and fine arts (MA) with his experience working in performing arts collectives in theater, dance and live arts. Vekki’s artistic outputs include visual artworks, concerts, performances, and sound installations. Fascinated by the forces of nature, Vekki explores how humans perceive and react to natural phenomena beyond their comprehension, how the perception of nature shapes us, and how, in turn, we shape the nature. He aims to evoke new perspectives on the beauty and fragility of our shared environments.

Þann 4. September kemur út fyrsta plata Meraki tríós. Af því tilefni efna þær til útgáfutónleika í Mengi þann 4. September þar sem platan verður leikin í heild sinni.

Meraki tríó skipa Rósa Guðrún Sveinsdóttir á baritón saxófónn, flautu og söng, Sara Mjöll Magnúsdóttir á píanó og Þórdís Gerður Jónsdóttir á selló. Á plötunni má heyra lög eftir alla þrjá meðlimi tríósins, sem þær sömdu í samvinnu. Selló, baritón saxófónn og píanó skiptast á hlutverkum laglínu, spuna, undirspils og rytma og búa þannig til margslunginn hljóðheim sem á rætur í norrænan tónlistararf og hefðbundna jazztónlist.

Upptökur fóru fram í kirkju óháða safnaðarins í janúar 2023. Hljóðblöndun og hljómjöfnun: Jóhann Rúnar Þorgeirsson. Umslag: Gari Widodo. Gerð plötunnar var styrkt af Hljóðritasjóði Rannís og Menningarsjóði FÍH.

Meraki tríó var stofnað árið 2018. Rósa, Sara og Þórdís kynntust í Tónlistarskóla FÍH þar sem þær stunduðu nám. Allar hafa þær komið víða við í íslensku tónlistarlífi og spilað með mörgum af ástsælustu listamönnum þjóðarinnar. Meraki tríó hefur einnig komið fram víða, til dæmis á Jazzhátíð Reykjavíkur sem og tónleikaröðum eins og Freyjujazzi í Listasafni Íslands og í Fríkirkjunni.

Húsið opnar 19:30 | Miðaverð: 3500

HYDRATION WAVES, an audiovisual duo formed by Katarzyna Debska and Jerzy Mączyński, which was born in an underground abandoned spa complex with a tiny pool that emerged into a platform connected with art space and label and got name SAUNA.
https://www.instagram.com/saunaplatform

Doors 19:30 | Tickets 2.500 kr

The empty dry pool being used as a project space and lab- naturally became a place for many experiments and duo performances inspired by Mączyński and Debska research residencies at Chapala Lake, Athens and polish Mazury. Reflections on lack of water, its condition and its need
led them after a long process to gather all their material and footage together and let the project see the sunlight.
Debska and Mączyński are creating a dialogue between sound and image, bringing an immersive experience and initiating moments of letting the water, surrounding and viewer become one, generating body and mind hydration.

From Noise to Ambient. From meditation to harsh experience.
Listen and watch here: https://youtu.be/4zMZrM-YK_I

Katarzyna Dębska - visuals, concept J
Jerzy Mączyński - saxophones, ocarinas of Andes, electronic production, concept
The project can be presented as an audiovisual performance or 3-channel av installation.

Recordings took place in Berlin at Silent Green (Betonhalle). The project will be released by Sauna Records and will have a premiere on 29th of
August in Reykjavik in MENGI.

Ragnar Árni Ólafsson: spunasett (endurlýsing)

Ragnar Árni Ólafsson gítarleikari og tónskáld vinnur að upptökum plötu með eigin tónlist og er settið í Mengi hluti af lokalykkju verkefnisins. Á plötunni eru ólíkar tóneikaupptökur, stúdíóupptökur og annar efniviður þræddur saman í heild sem varpar ljósi á eineikstónsmíða- og spunavinu yfir rúmlega árslangt tímabil. Verkefnið gengur undir heitinu endurlýsing og vísar titillinn til gegnumgangandi endurnýjunar og enduruppgötvunar í spilamennsku Ragnars. endurlýsing er í sífelldri endurmótun og getur dregið til sín hvort heldur sem er algerlega nýjan efnivið og gamlar glefsur þegar svo ber við. Platan er ferð um þessi ólíku augnablik og rými, sem stundum eru útpæld en stundum mótuð í augnablikinu.

Gunnar Gunnsteinsson: Píanóspuni við valin atriði úr kvikmyndinni L'Annèe dernière á Marienbad, eftir Alain Resnais.

Gunnar Gunnsteinsson, tónskáld, lærði tónsmíðar í Amsterdam á árunum 2011-2015. Að undanförnu hafa verk Gunnars snúist um samþættingu tónlistar og frásagnar. Í gegnum frásögnina má finna ákveðið frelsi til þess að nýta tónlistaráhrif úr ólíkum áttum svo úr verði órofa heild. Nýjasta útgefna verk Gunnars er hljómplatan A Janitor's Manifesto sem kom út hjá útgáfunni Futura Resistenza í Brussel árið 2023. Í verkinu er unnið með karakterstúdíu en í því leikur skuggasjálf Gunnars, Janitorinn, aðalhlutverkið. Fyrir utan útgáfu eigin verka semur Gunnar hljóðrásir fyrir vídjóverk, kvikmyndir og sviðsverk.

Húsið opnar 19:30 | Miðaverð 2.500 kr

Húsið opnar 19:30 | Miðaverð 2.500 kr

Gulli Björnsson heldur stutta einleikstónleika í tilefni útgáfu plötunnar Landslög, safn af gítarverkum eftir Gulla fyrir klassískan gítar innblásin af íslenskum landslögum.

Á tónleikunum mun Gulli spila sín eigin lög fyrir gítar, sem flest draga innblástur í íslenska náttúru. Sum verkanna notast við rafhljóð ásamt sjónræns efnis.

Gulli Björnsson er íslenskur gítarleikari og tónskáld en tónlist hans samtvinnir akústík, elektróník og sjónrænt efni í tengingu við náttúru. Tónlist hans hefur verið lýst sem “hypnotic” (News Gazette) “a knockout – wondrously inventive” (Soundboard Magazine) and “Virtuosic, modern, occasionally discordant, but still accessible” (Classical Guitar Magazine).
Hægt er að sjá lista yfir tónverk Gulla hér:
https://www.gullibjornsson.org/compositions2

Gulli hefur samið verk fyrir New Jersey Symphony, Alarm Will Sound, Sō Percussion, Aizuri Quartet, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Contemporaneous, Amanda Gookin, Dither, Jiji, Vicky Chow, Steve Cowan, New York City Classical Guitar Orchestra, Mirror Strings og fleiri.

Nýlega hafa verk hans verið flutt á Carnagie Hall, 92nd Street Y, Le Poisson Rouge, Caramoor, Green Music Center, Centre Culturen Canadian Paris, San Fransisco Performances, New York Guitar Festival, Boston Celebrity Series, Harriman-Jewell Series, Purdue Convocations, Krannert Center, Rockefeller Tri-University, KPU music, NDR Kultur, Ung Nordisk Musik, Oh My Ears Festival, Nantucket Musical Arts Society og fleiri.

Gulli er kandídat fyrir doktorsgráðu í tónsmíðum frá Princeton-háskóla og lærði áður við Manhattan School of Music og Yale. Gulli starfaði nýlega sem prófessor í raftónlist við University of Kansas og er listamaður hjá Augustine Strings.

Hægt er að fylgjast með Gulli á vefsíðum hans hér:
https://www.gullibjornsson.org/
https://www.facebook.com/gulli.bjornsson/
https://www.instagram.com/gulligitar/
https://augustinestrings.com/artist/gullibjornsson.html

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Doors 19:30 | Tickets 2.500 kr

Gulli Björnsson plays a short solo concert celebrating the release of his album Landslög, a collection of solo guitar pieces inspired by Icelandic landscapes.

Gulli will play a selection of his guitar works most of which draw inspiration from Icelandic nature. Some of the works include electronics and visuals created by Gulli.

Gulli Bjornsson (b.1991) is a guitarist, composer and programmer from Iceland whose music typically ties electronics, live instruments and visuals to experiences in nature. Gulli’s music has been described as “hypnotic” (News Gazette) “a knockout – wondrously inventive” (Soundboard Magazine) and “Virtuosic, modern, occasionally discordant, but still accessible” (Classical Guitar Magazine).
Check out Gulli’s compositions here:
https://www.gullibjornsson.org/compositions2

He has composed pieces for New Jersey Symphony, Alarm Will Sound, Sō Percussion, Aizuri Quartet, Iarla Ó Lionáird, Contemporaneous, Amanda Gookin, Dither, Jiji, Vicky Chow, New York City Classical Guitar Orchestra, Steve Cowan, Mirror Strings amongst others.

His compositions have recently been featured by Carnagie Hall, 92nd Street Y, Le Poisson Rouge, Caramoor, Green Music Center, Centre Culturen Canadian Paris, San Fransisco Performances, New York Guitar Festival, Boston Celebrity Series, Harriman-Jewell Series, Purdue Convocations, Krannert Center, Rockefeller Tri-University, KPU music, NDR Kultur, Ung Nordisk Musik, Oh My Ears Festival, Nantucket Musical Arts Society amongst others.

Gulli is currently pursuing his PhD in music composition from Princeton University and holds degrees from Manhattan School of Music, Yale School of Music and Princeton. Gulli worked as professor of Electronic Composition at the University of Kansas from 2022-24 and is an Augustine Strings Artist.

You can follow Gulli and see what he's up to on his artist pages:
https://www.gullibjornsson.org/
https://www.facebook.com/gulli.bjornsson/
https://www.instagram.com/gulligitar/
https://augustinestrings.com/artist/gullibjornsson.html

Kári Egilsson spilar.og syngur ásamt hljómsveit sinni í Mengi
miðvikudaginn 21 ágúst kl. 20. Á síðasta ári gaf hann út
plötuna Palm Trees In The Snow sem hlaut mjög góðar viðtökur og
nú vinnur hann að útgáfa annarar plötu sinnar. Hann var valin
Bjartasta vonin á Íslensku tónlistarverðlaununum í ár. Í lok
mánaðarins heldur hann til bandaríkjanna í nám, þannig að þetta
er síðast séns til að sjá hann á Íslandi í haust.

Miðaverð 4000kr

Systurnar Lilja María og Anna Sóley Ásmundsdætur skipa dúóið Marey sem blandar tilraunakenndri spunatónlist við rafhljóð og ljóðalestur. Áhrifa gætir frá samtíma klassík, hljóðlist og alþýðutónlist. Lilja María spilar á hljóðskúlptúrinn Huldu, hljóðfæri sem hún hannaði sjálf, og býr til hljóðmyndir. Anna Sóley spilar á fiðlu, syngur og hannar hljóðmyndir.

Lilja María er með doktorspróf í tónsmíðum frá City, University of London. Hún hefur skrifað fyrir alls konar hljóðfærahópa í Evrópu og sömuleiðis komið fram sem hljóðfæraleikari með alls konar hljómsveitum. Hún er meðlimur í Hlökk en plata þeirra Hulduhljóð hlaut Kraumsverðlaunin 2019. Lilja María gaf út hljóð- og sjónlistaverkið Internal Human árið 2022 í samstarfi við portúgalska dansarann Inês Zinho Pinheiro.

Anna Sóley útskrifaðist með BA próf frá ArtEZ Tónlistarháskólanum í Arnhem, BA gráðu í almennri bókmenntafræði frá Háskóla Íslands og mastersgráðu í bókmenntafræði frá Háskólanum í Utrecht. Hún sendi frá sér plötuna Modern Age Ophelia, árið 2022 og hefur komið fram víða í Evrópu bæði sem söngvari og fiðluleikari. “Tónhöfundurinn syngur á ensku og íslensku, og skilur eftir rými fyrir spuna og lýrísk ljóðræn flug,” -úr umfjöllun sem Matthieu Jouan skirfaði fyrir Citizen Jazz um Modern Age Ophelia tónleika Önnu á
Jazzhátíð Reykjavíkur.

Húsið opnar 19:30 | Miðaverð 2.500 kr

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Even though Marey is a new project, sisters Lilja María and Anna Sóley have played together since a young age. The duo focuses on improvised experimental music mixed with electronics and poetry, where contemporary classical music, sound art, and folk music meet. Lilja María plays Hulda, a string instrument of her design. Besides that, she also designs the electronics. Anna Sóley plays violin and sings, exploring different soundscapes and extended techniques, using her voice at times somewhere between spoken words and singing.

Lilja María completed a PhD in composition from City University of London. She has composed for different ensembles around Europe and performed with various groups and ensembles. She is a member of the group Hlökk, and their album Hulduhljóð (2019) won the Kraumur Awards and was nominated for the Icelandic Music Awards. Lilja María released the audio-visual album Internal Human in 2022 in collaboration with the dancer Inês Zinho Pinheiro.

Anna Sóley studied music and literature in Iceland and the Netherlands, graduating with a BA in jazz & pop vocal performance from the ArtEZ Conservatory in Arnhem and a Master's degree in literature from Utrecht University. She released her debut album, Modern Age Ophelia, in 2022. Anna has performed around Europe both as a vocalist and violinist.“Composer of the repertoire, she sings in English and Icelandic, and leaves space for moments of improvisation and poetic-lyrical flights.” Matthieu Jouan for Citizen Jazz, writing about Anna’s Modern Age Ophelia Concert at the Reyjavík Jazz Festival.

Doors 19:30 | Tickets 2.500 kr