Mark Fell & Rian Treanor
Sep
12
8:00 PM20:00

Mark Fell & Rian Treanor

Friday, September 12th
MARK FELL & RIAN TREANOR
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
3000kr / free for workshop participants

+ John McCowen - clarinets, recorders and others tba

MARK FELL

Mark Fell is a multidisciplinary artist based in Rotherham (UK). His practice draws upon electronic music subcultures, experimental film, contemporary philosophy and radical politics. Over the past 30 years Fell’s output has grown into a significant body of work - from early electronic sound works and recorded pieces, to installation, critical texts, curatorial projects, educational systems, and choreographic performances.

In 2022 Fell published “Structure and Synthesis, The Anatomy of Practice”, with Urbanomic press, bringing together the various strands of his philosophical and political thinking into an analysis of creative practice.

In recent years Fell curated a major exhibition of sound art for V-A-C foundation Moscow “The Geometry of Now” (2017), and the Serralves Foundation Porto premiered “Intermetamorphosis" (2017), featuring a collection of new commissions as well as retrospective pieces. Recent commissions and projects include: “Protomusic#1” (2018) for Sage Gateshead, forming their flagship contribution to the Great Exhibition of the North; “Frameworks” (2018) at Palazzo delle Zattere, Venice; “Hominin” (2019) (Rewire, Den Haag/Bergen Kunsthall); the solo exhibition “The Concept of Time is Intrinsically Incoherent” (2019), Focal Point Gallery, South End on Sea; “Against Method” (2019) Pirelli Hanger Bicocca, Milan; “Time Diagram for the Nondimensional Listener” (2021) Wiener Festwochen; "Systemic Peripheralism (2022) Beaconsfield Gallery, London; "Finger Systems for Organ" (2022) Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche, Berlin; and "Every non-empty ultra-connected compact space has a largest proper open subset" (2023) performed by explore ensemble, Centro Pecci, Prato, Italy.

The diversity and importance of Fell's practice is reflected in the range and scale of institutions that have presented his work: VAC Foundation Palazzo delle Zattere (Venice), Hong Kong National Film Archive, The Baltic (Gateshead), Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona, La Casa Encendida (Madrid), Laboral (XIxon), The Institute of Contemporary Art (London), Royal Festival Hall (London), The Serpentine (London), Victoria and Albert Museum (London), Whitechapel Gallery (London), The Institute of Contemporary Art (London), Barbican (London), Raven Row (London), Seville Biennale, The Australian Centre For Moving Image (Melbourne), Artists Space (NYC), Moma (NYC), Issue Project Room (NYC), Corcoran (DC), Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (NY), Lampo/Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts (Chicago), Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie (Karlsruhe), Pirelli Hanger Biccoca (Milan) among others. Fell's work is in the collection of the Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary (Vienna) and has been recognised by ARS Electronica (Linz). He has worked with a number of artists including: Yasunao Tone, Laurie Spiegel, Keith Fullerton Whitman, Okkyung Lee, Luke Fowler, Will Guthrie, Peter Gidal, Terre Thaemlitz, John Chowning, Ernest Edmonds, Peter Rehberg, Oren Ambarchi, Carl Michael Von Hausswolff and Mat Steel (as SND).

RIAN TREANOR

Rian Treanor re-imagines club culture, experimental art and computer music, presenting an insightful and compelling musical world of fractured and interlocking components.

Having left a vivid impression with a string of releases on The Death of Rave & Warp sub-label Arcola, his debut album 'ATAXIA' for Planet Mu in 2019 established him as both a disruptive and essential new voice in British underground club music.

His latest album 'File Under UK Metaplasm' takes inspiration from his residency at the Nyege Nyege collective's Boutique Studio in Kampala in 2018. Incorporating the high-def bass weight of his home town Sheffield with the enigmatic energy of Tanzanian Singeli and Footwork.

Using the programming language Max/MSP he develops bespoke software to explore extended rhythmic techniques and algorithmic processes, building devices that enable spontaneous pattern modulation within various collaborations, workshops, live performances and installations.

With recent live shows at the Aphex Twin Curated Warehouse Project (UK), Nyege Nyege Festival (UG), WWW (JP), Unsound (PL), CTM (DE), Le Guess Who? (NL), Mira Festival (SP), Rewire (NL), GES-2 (RU), Serralves (PT), Berghain (DE), No Bounds (UK), Cafe Oto (UK), Glasgow Centre for Contemporary Arts (UK), Empty Gallery (HK), Irish Museum of Modern Art (IRL), Summerhall (UK). He has also taken part in artists residencies at yU+co[lab] in Hong Kong, Counterflows in India and Shape Platform 2020.

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Thomas Morgan & Emi Makabe Duo
Sep
13
8:00 PM20:00

Thomas Morgan & Emi Makabe Duo

Saturday, September 13th
THOMAS MORGAN & EMI MAKABE DUO
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
4000kr
TICKETS: https://blink.blikk.tech/43c9b2be-7c26-49fb-922c...

Based in New York, Thomas Morgan and Emi Makabe perform original compositions, jazz standards, and Japanese folk music.

Thomas Morgan (Double Bass): Described by The New York Times as “a jazz musician whose presence in a recording or performance almost automatically makes it worth your time,” Thomas Morgan, born in California and now residing in New York, is one of today’s most sought-after jazz bassists.

Known for his telepathic synchronicity, melodic and expressive phrasing, precise touch, and amber sound, he has performed alongside a number of the most trendsetting artists in jazz, including Bill Frisell, Jakob Bro, Craig Taborn, Masabumi Kikuchi, Paul Motian, Dan Weiss, Jim Black, John Abercrombie, Dave Binney, Steve Coleman, Ethan Iverson, Aaron Parks, Fred Hersch, Charles Lloyd, Henry Threadgill, Joe Lovano, and Tomasz Stanko, among others. He has released two duo albums with Bill Frisell—Small Town and Epistrophy—on ECM Records.

Emi Makabe (Vocal/Shamisen): A composer, vocalist, and shamisen player, Emi Makabe has been based in New York since 2008. After graduating from the City University of New York, she began performing across New York, Europe, and Japan. Her quartet—featuring Vitor Gonçalves (piano), Thomas Morgan (bass), and Kenny Wollesen (drums)—has released two albums. Her second album, Echo (2025), released on Sunnyside Records, features guest appearances by Bill Frisell, Jason Moran, and Meshell Ndegeocello. Her debut album, Anniversary (2020), was released on Dave Douglas’s Greenleaf Music label.

New York Music Daily described her work as “joyful, adventurous jazz influenced by Japanese folk music, blending jazz, pop, classical, and improvisational music.” She was invited to perform at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival in 2018 and awarded a residency at the Millay Colony for the Arts in August 2020. She has also received grants from Chamber Music America in 2021 and 2024. In addition, she is a Steinway-affiliated educator, teaching voice, piano, and music theory.

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Nordic Affect: Hljóða Hvarf
Sep
18
8:00 PM20:00

Nordic Affect: Hljóða Hvarf

Thursday, September 18th
NORDIC AFFECT: HLJÓÐA HVARF
works by Anna Thorvaldsdóttir, Lidia Zielinska, Bára Gísladóttir, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Mirjam Tally and Bergrún Snæbjörnsdóttir
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
3000kr / 2500kr for students

Nordic Affect heldur tónleika sem upptakt fyrir tónleikaferðalag þeirra til Póllands. Á efnisskrá eru nokkur af þeim frábæru verkum sem hópurinn hefur pantað á 20 ára ferli sínum eftir Önnu Þorvaldsdóttur, Báru Gísladóttur, Hildi Guðnadóttur, Mirjam Tally og Bergrúnu Snæbjörnsdóttur. Jafnframt verður frumflutt verk eftir Lidia Zielinska sem hátíðin Warsaw Autumn pantaði og styrkt er af Adam Mickiewicz Institute í Póllandi.

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Nordic Affect gives a concert as a prelude to their concert tour to Poland. The programme includes some of the fantastic works that the group has commissioned during their 20-year career by Anna Thorvaldsdottir, Bára Gísladóttir, Hildur Guðnadóttir, Mirjam Tally, and Bergrún Snæbjörnsdóttir. Additionally, a new work by Lidia Zielinska will be premiered, commissioned by the Warsaw Autumn festival and supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Poland.

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.

Photo credit: Eva Schram

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Ensemble Adapter plays Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson
Sep
19
8:00 PM20:00

Ensemble Adapter plays Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson

Friday, September 19th
ENSEMBLE ADAPTER:
A CONCERT CELEBRATING THE RELEASE OF "CLAVIS METRICA" BY GUÐMUNDUR STEINN GUNNARSSON
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2500kr / 2000kr for students
pay what u can

Ensemble Adapter - Útgáfutónleikar Háttatals Guðmundar Steins / A Concert Celebrating the release of Clavis Metrica by Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson

Platan Clavis Metrica þar sem Ensemble Adapter flytur samnefnt verk eftir Guðmund Stein Gunnarsson kemur út um þessar mundir. Á tónleikunum munu meðlimir Ensemble Adapter leika ný og gömul verk eftir Guðmund Stein, auk þess sem höfundurinn mun ásamt öðrum sannreyna þá staðhæfingu að verkið byggi á íslenskum rímnaháttum og bjóða upp á lauflétt rímnakareoke, við undirleik hljómplötunnar. Platan verður til sölu á tilboðsverði en hún kom nýverið út hjá hinni virtu col-legno nútímatónlistarútgáfu í Austurríki

Um Háttatal:
Um leið og gömlu hættirnir kynntust rími hófst öld mikillar sýndarmennsku í íslenskri ljóðlist. Hættir gátu farið áfram og afturábak, fyrripartur gat rímað í heilu lagi við seinnipart, vatnsheld sléttubönd með afslætti og hvað þetta nú allt heitir. Ljóðstafirnir voru samt alltaf á samastað og atkvæðafjöldinn líka, fyrir utan eitt og eitt forskeyti.

Þó ekki sé nema smávegis auka innrími bætti inn í aðra hverja línu fær hátturinn nýtt nafn og nýjan blæ. Tónlist, ljóðlist og frásögn voru eitt. Mikið af merkilegum skáldum rituðu háttatöl eða háttalykla, eða á latínu: Clavis Metrica. Síkur lykill var venjulega með dæmum um helstu hætti og sýndi hvernig þær virkuðu með vísum eftir höfundinn sjálfann. Lyklarnir útskýra og kenna en áttu
jafnframt að sýna hvers skáldið er megnugt.

Þrátt fyrir allar reglurnar um rím, hákveður og lákveður, ljóðstafi og hvaðeina er tónlistarlega hrynjandin oft mjög teygjanleg í flutningi. Sá þröngi stakkur sem skáldskaparmálið setur tónlistinn býr í rauninni til mjög skýra tilfinningu fyrir endurtekningu sem í rauninni eykur möguleika á sveigjanlegum flutningi þegar kemur að tónlistarlegri hrynjandi, þó tónlistarlega hrynjandin sé toguð og teygð, þekkist form háttanna alltaf, fyrir þá sem fengið hafa fiskinn í eyrað ef svo má að orði komast.

Í Háttatali (2022) Guðmundar Steins Gunnarssonar fylgir hann í fótspor rímnaskáldanna og háttatalsskrifaranna gömlu. Þráður er ofin úr gömlu rímnaháttunum með öllu því skrauti og flúri sem einkenndi gömlu hættina, og allt það án orða eða nokkurs texta. Ýmis hljóð eru dregin fram úr hljóðfærum og hljóðgjöfum ýmiss konar - ljóðstafir, víxlrím, innrím og hvaðeina fær nýtt líf í tungumáli hljóðfæranna. Úr þessu verður til talnaband þar sem hver og ein perla er bara örlítið ólík þeirri síðustu.
Verkið var samið með dyggum stuðningi Starfslaunasjóðs listamanna. Verkið er tileinkað Ensemble Adapter, Svend Nielsen og Atla Ingólfssyni.

Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson hefur fundið sig knúinn til að þróa með sér nótnaskrift á tölvuskjá til þess að koma hrynmáli sínu og öðrum ætlunum skýrt til flytjenda. Tónlist hans notast oft við nýja hljóðgjafa í bland við gamla en einnig fornar tónstillingar. Ásamt sínum eigin hópum, Steinöldu og Ferstein hefur hann unnið með hópum á borð við

Ensemble Adapter, Apartment House, l'Arsenale, Caput, Crush, Decibel, Defun, Ligeti Quartet, Nordic Affect, Notabu og Riot Ensemble.

Ensemble Adapter er þýsk-íslenskur kammerhópur fyrir samtímatónlist með aðsetur í Berlín. Hópurinn er rekinn af stofnendunum Matthiasi Engler (slagverksleikara) og Gunnhildi Einarsdóttur (hörpuleikara). Þau sérhæfasig í samstarfsverkefnum með fólki með mismunandi listrænann bakgrunn, hvaðanæva að úr heiminum.

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The album where Ensemble Adapter performs Clavis Metrica by Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson is released a week prior to this concert. During this event, members of Ensemble Adapter will play new and older pieces by Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson, but guests will also be invited to participate in a traditional Icelandic rímur folk singing Kareoke in order to verify the legitimacy of the authors claims of authentically working with traditional Icelandic rímur poetic meters in this piece. The CD will be for sale at a special price, but it is being released by the renowned col-legno label in Austria.

About Clavis Metrica:
As the scaldic meter would merge with rhyme, an age of olympic virtuosity in poetry started in Iceland. Meters that can go backwards and forwards, where a whole couplet rhymes with the next one entirely - all this and much more, keeping a strict number of syllables and meanwhile adhering to strict rules of alliterations.
Every variant of every meter has a name and a style. Music, poetry and storytelling were one and the same. Various significant poets would write a Háttatal or a Háttalykill or in latin: Clavis Metrica. A clavis metrica would usually consist of a catalog of meters with poems written by the author. They teach and explain each meter but also display the poet's virtuosity.

Despite the elaborate and somewhat strict rules of these types of poetic meters the musical rhythm can be very fleeting and elastic in performance. The clear patterns of color and emphasis generated by the rules of the meter make for a flexible canvas for live performance as the meter can withstand a lot of variation as regards to rhythm and melody and still be recognizable by the trained poetic ear.

In the Clavis Metrica (2022) of Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson (IS), the author follows in the footsteps of the poets of old. A string of poems with all the embellishments and variations is written for instruments only without any text. Various sounds made by instruments signify different vowels and consonants, emphasis and articulation. Out comes a long rosary of many beads with each being only slightly different than the previous one.

The composition of the piece was generously supported by the Artist Salary Fund of Iceland Ministry of Culture and Education. The piece is dedicated to Ensemble Adapter, Svend Nielsen and Atli Ingólfsson.

In his search for a pathway for musical expressions that know neither grids nor straight lines, Guðmundur Steinn Gunnarsson has had to incorporate digital dynamic screen scores or animated notation (or related digital methods) to express his inability to adapt to the convenient society. He has worked with a variety of ensembles including his own Steinalda and Fersteinn as well as groups such as Ensemble Adapter, Apartment House, l'Arsenale, Caput, Crush, Decibel, Defun, Ligeti Quartet, Nordic Affect, Notabu and Riot Ensemble.

Ensemble Adapter is an experimental music group based in Berlin. Driven by its founders Matthias Engler (percussion) and Gunnhildur Einarsdóttir (harp), it focuses on collaborative work with partners from various artistic backgrounds worldwide.

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Hekla
Sep
26
8:00 PM20:00

Hekla

Friday, September 26th
HEKLA
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2500kr / pay what u can

“Eerie, wailing sounds over distorted feedback drones… Vibrato-heavy harmonies chirrup and throb in agonisingly slow motion.”
The Guardian, Album of the Month

“Cinematic...carefully orchestrated...delicately explores unfamiliar territory with uncanny finesse.”
The Wire

Acclaimed Icelandic theremin musician Hekla returns with Turnar, her third album of devastatingly heavy, spectral soundscape-songwriting, entering a sublime paranormal plane of haunting dread. Wails with ghostly harmonics while distorted drones crash together in a stormy and blackened netherworld sea. Delicately places sonic artefacts about a desolate negative space, creating a dense inverse gravity.

Hekla Magnúsdóttir graduated from LHí with a BA in composition and then a MA in art teaching. She regularly has theremin workshops where she mixes graphic notation with theremin playing.

https://open.spotify.com/album/3kqK5jz1OUU5TUG2lQ8Fht...

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Arto Lindsay & Friends
Sep
27
8:00 PM20:00

Arto Lindsay & Friends

Saturday, September 27th
ARTO LINDSAY & FRIENDS
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
4000kr

THE LEGEND IN THE FLESH
Arto Lindsay - voice, guitar
+
Skúli Sverrisson - electric bass
Örlygur Steinar Arnalds - electronics
John McCowen - clarinets, recorders
+ special guests?

Arthur Morgan “Arto” Lindsay was born in Virginia in 1953 but was raised between the US and Brazil due to his parents’ work. Considered one of the intellectuals of rock music, he is influenced by giants like Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, by the free jazz and American experimental music.

Arto made his debut on the music scene when at the beginning of the Eighties, he founded, together with keyboardist Peter Scherer, the dance-pop band Ambitious Lovers. The band’s first album was 1984’s Envy, a record presenting an elegant rhythm that perfectly balanced the noise music tendencies of the artist and the traditional Brazilian music influences. Envy was followed by Greed in 1986 and Lust in 1991.

During the Nineties, Lindsay was even more involved in the Brazilian music movementand began collaboratingwith luminaries of the genre like Tom Zè, Marisa Monte, and Joao Gilberto, who brought him to publish his first solo album. He released Aggregates 1-26 in 1995 which presented itself as a collection of vanguard songs, establishing the record as the noise genre’s standard. Arto released his following effort, Mundo Civilizado with Bar/None Records, a label with which he would collaborate until 1998.

Lindsay became the first artist to publish an album with Ani Difranco’s label Righteous Babe. He started with The Prize in 1999, followed by Invoke in 2002 and Salt in 2004, each of them exhibiting his distinctive summary of Brazilian music and vanguard guitar arrangements.

The following years were a succession of collaborations, from his contribution to the Anarchist Republic of Bzzz’s debut album to the performance in Rio de Janeiro along with drummer Paal Nilssen-Love in 2013.

DO NOT MISS THIS ONE

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Ólöf Arnalds fagnar hausti í Mengi
Sep
6
8:00 PM20:00

Ólöf Arnalds fagnar hausti í Mengi

Saturday, September 6th
ÓLÖF ARNALDS FAGNAR HAUSTI Í MENGI
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
3000kr

Söngvaskáldið Ólöf Arnalds fagnar sínum uppáhalds árstíma í Mengi og flytur áhorfendum m.a. ný lög af væntanlegri breiðskífu sinni, Spíru, í bland við gamalt og gott eftir sjálfa sig og aðra.

Ólöf Arnalds hóf feril sinn sem söngvaskáld með hljómplötunni Við og við, sem hún hlaut Íslensku tónlistarverðlaunin fyrir. Á erlendri grundu var hún valin í hópi bestu platna ársins af Paste Magazine, auk þess sem eMusic valdi hana eina af bestu plötum fyrsta áratugarins. Fyrir aðra sólóplötu sína, Innundir skinni, hlaut Ólöf Íslensku tónlistarverðlaunin sem tónsmiður ársins, auk þess sem platan var tilnefnd til Norrænu tónlistarverðlaunanna. Þá hefur Ólöf gefið út plöturnar Sudden Elevation og Palme en báðar hlutu þær mikið lof gagnrýnenda víða um heim. Fimmta breiðskífa Ólafar er væntanleg í byrjun desember. Á farsælum ferli sínum hefur Ólöf einnig lagt stund á að túlka lög eftir aðra, m.a. á smáskífunni Ólöf Sings.

Ólöf hefur leikið á tónleikum víðsvegar um Evrópu, Bandaríkin og Ástralíu og komið fram í útvarpi og sjónvarpi. 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.

Singer-songwriter Ólöf Arnalds returns to Mengi to celebrate autumn by playing some new songs from her upcoming album Spíra along with other classics from her 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.

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Björg Brjánsdóttir
Sep
5
8:00 PM20:00

Björg Brjánsdóttir

Friday, September 5th
BJÖRG BRJÁNSDÓTTIR:
works for flute & electronics by Bára Gísladóttir, Bergrún Snæbjörnsdóttir, and more
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2500kr / pay what u can
TICKETS: https://blink.blikk.tech/6b153c41-c053-4d8e-a26c...

Björg Brjánsdóttir flytur nýleg verk fyrir flautur og rafhljóð föstudagskvöldið 5. september. Verk eftir Báru Gísladóttur, Bergrúnu Snæbjörnsdóttur og fleiri.

Björg Brjánsdóttir performs works for flutes and electronics, Friday Sept 5th. Works by Bára Gísladóttir, Bergrún Snæbjörnsdóttir and more.

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Björg Brjánsdóttir flautuleikari útskrifaðist frá Tónlistarháskóla Noregs árið 2017 og sótti frekara nám í Tónlistarháskólanum í Hannover, München og Kaupmannahöfn. Hún vinnur með ýmsum hópum þvert á tónlistarstefnur ásamt því að semja eigin tónlist og hefur hún einbeitt sér síðastliðin ár að samstarfi við ýmis tónskáld og flutningi á nýjum verkum fyrir þverflautu. Hún spilar einnig reglulega með hinum ýmsu hljómsveitum og kammersveitum. Fyrsta plata Bjargar, GROWL POWER, kom út í janúar 2024 með fjórum einleiksverkum fyrir flautur eftir Báru Gísladóttur.

Björg Brjánsdóttir graduated from the Norwegian Academy of Music in 2017 and pursued further flute studies at the Music University in Hanover, Munich and Copenhagen. She has in the past years focused on collaborations with composers and premiering new work for flute, and performs regularly with various orchestras and ensembles. Her first solo album, GROWL POWER, was released in January 2024 featuring works by Bára Gísladóttir.

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Oliver Devaney
Aug
30
8:00 PM20:00

Oliver Devaney

Saturday, August 30th
Oliver Devaney
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2500kr / pay what u can

For the first time ever, on the 30th of August, Iceland-based musician Oliver Devaney (Xiupill, Charliedwarf) will be playing a live concert of his solo music.

See less

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Pikknikk
Aug
28
8:00 PM20:00

Pikknikk

Thursday, August 28th
Pikknikk (Sigga Eyþórs & Steini Hjálmur)
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2500kr / 2000kr for students with ID

PIKKNIKK

Sigga Eyþórs er þekkt í íslensku tónlistarlífi og hefur lengst af starfað með systrum sínum í hljómsveitinni Sísý Ey. Árið 2022 unnu Sigga og systkini hennar hjörtu þjóðarinnar þegar þau kepptu fyrir hönd Íslands í Eurovision í Torino undir nafninu Systur með laginu „Með hækkandi sól“

Þorsteinn Einarsson eða Steini Hjálmur, eins og hann er oft kallaður, er maðurinn á bak við marga af helstu smellum Hjálma, hinnar góðkunnu reggísveitar. Hann hefur frá upphafi vakið athygli fyrir fallegar lagasmíðar og einstaka söngrödd.

Árið 2007 stofnuðu Sigga og Steini dúettinn Pikknikk og 2008 gáfu þau út plötuna Galdur. Tónlistinni má lýsa sem sálmaskotinni sveitatónlist. Platan hlaut mikið lof gagnrýnenda fyrir fallegan samhljóm og einlægan flutning.

Nú, eftir langt hlé, hafa þau sameinað krafta sína á ný til að endurvekja Galdurinn.

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Sigga, a well-known and beloved figure in the Icelandic music scene, has worked closely with her sisters Beta and Elín, better known as Systur. In 2022, they captured the hearts of the nation by winning Iceland’s national music competition with their song “Með hækkandi sól,” going on to represent Iceland at Eurovision in Turin.

Þorsteinn Einarsson or Steini Hjálmur, as he is often called, is the man behind many of the biggest hits by Hjálmar, Iceland’s renowned reggae band. Known for his soulful voice and unique musicality, Steini has left a lasting mark on Icelandic music.

In 2008, Sigga and Steini joined forces as the duo Pikknikk and released the album Galdur (Magic), a collection of country inspired songs with a delicate, hymn-like feel. The album received critical acclaim for its rich harmonies and heartfelt performances, earning a place as a hidden gem within Icelandic music.

Now, after a long hiatus, Sigga and Steini have reunited ready to bring the Magic back to life and share their timeless collaboration with audiences once again

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Benni Hemm Hemm - Sneriltrommusóló
Aug
22
8:00 PM20:00

Benni Hemm Hemm - Sneriltrommusóló

Friday, August 22nd
Benni Hemm Hemm: Sneriltrommusóló
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2500kr / 2000kr for students with ID

Benni Hemm Hemm er listamannsnafn Benedikts H. Hermannssonar. Fyrsta útgáfa Benna Hemm Hemm var smábreiðskífan SummerPlate, sem gefin var út í 30 eintökum árið 2003. Síðan þá hefur Benni Hemm Hemm gefið út 14 breiðskífur, 4 smábreiðskífur, eina plötu með leikritatónlist og tvær ljóðabækur og flutt tónlist sína á margvíslegum vettvangi í öllum mögulegum hljómsveitarmyndum og einn síns liðs.

Benni Hemm Hemm is the artist name of Benedikt H. Hermannsson. SummerPlate EP, released in 30 copies in 2003 was Benni Hemm Hemm´s first release. Since then Benni Hemm Hemm has released 14 LPs, 4 EPs, one theatre music album, two poetry books and has performed his music in various different band setups and solo performances.

***

Sneriltrommusóló eru tónleikar þar sem leikið er á margar sneriltrommur án þess að snerta þær. Verkið varð til í tengslum við opnunarviðburð 5 Radio Stations á Paris International á vegum frönsku listastofnunarinnar Lab´Bel en fyrir það bjó Benni til 24 tíma langan hljóðskúlptúr úr upptökum sem gerðar voru víðsvegar um Ísland sem tvinnað var saman við tónlist sem samin var fyrir verkið.

Sneriltrommusóló is a performance where many snare drums are played without being touched. The piece was originally made for the opening ceremony for 5 Radio Stations, a project produced by the french art institute Lab´Bel, for which Benni made a 24 hour long sound sculpture from field recordings made all over Iceland as well as music written for the project.

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Masaya Ozaki/Hiroki Kamoshida/Hlökk
Aug
21
8:00 PM20:00

Masaya Ozaki/Hiroki Kamoshida/Hlökk

Thursday, August 21st
Masaya Ozaki / Hlökk / Hiroki Kamoshida
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2500kr / pay what u can

Masaya Ozaki is a New York/Iceland-based composer born in Niigata, Japan. His work is deeply influenced by the transient nature of space and the subtleties of sound within physical environments. Ozaki views sound not just as a medium, but as a form deeply intertwined with the spaces it inhabits, something that he explores extensively in site-specific projects like "Echoes," which involved live performances inside a lighthouse. Ozaki’s latest album, Mizukara (2024), is a reflection of his personal and artistic journey, primarily shaped by his experiences in Iceland. The album embraces minimalism and introspection, incorporating field recordings, sparse instrumentals, and the textures of the Icelandic landscape to explore the fluid relationship between self and environment. In recent interviews, he emphasized his shift from purely sound-based compositions to ones that deeply consider the environment and space. His relocation to Iceland has profoundly influenced his work, encouraging him to further merge the boundaries between music, nature, and architecture. Masaya Ozaki holds a B.Mus degree in film scoring from Berklee College of Music and an M.Mus degree in composition from Iceland University of the Arts in Reykjavík, Iceland. He is also a member of the Reykjavík-based emo anime doom metal band MC Myasnoi.

https://www.masayaozaki.com/

Hlökk
Ingibjörg Ýr Skarphéðinsdóttir and Lilja María Ásmundsdóttir will perform on piano, langspil, and Hulda, an instrument designed by Lilja. The performance will also incorporate their voices, featuring poetry by Ragnheiður Erla Björnsdóttir.

Ingibjörg Ýr Skarphéðinsdóttir, Lilja María Ásmundsdóttir and Ragnheiður Erla Björnsdóttir met during their studies at Iceland University of the Arts. They formed the ensemble Hlökk in the year 2015 and started out by performing Icelandic folk songs, improvisations and their own compositions along with old poetry. Now the ensemble has developed into the art collective Hlökk where they use different types of art forms, mainly music, visual arts and creative writing, to create new compositions. Their audio-visual album, Hulduhljóð, received the Kraumur Awards in 2019. The album was also nominated for the Icelandic Music Awards as album of the year in open category.

https://www.instagram.com/hlokkmusic/

Hiroki Kamoshida

Reykjavík most beloved performs sound art

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indek / KNACKERED
Aug
14
8:00 PM20:00

indek / KNACKERED

indek / KNACKERED
doors 19:30 / show 20:00

indek is a multimedia artist based in Kent, Ohio who channels elements of braindance, drill & bass, acid, electro, breakcore, and beyond into raw, frenetic live sets. Each performance is shaped by an unpredictable mix of styles, textures, and tempos, filtered through a lens of radical surrealism. Rhythms fracture, patterns convulse, and structures deform in real time as they are pushed to the edge of collapse and pulled back again.

Unlike the meticulously sculpted nature of indek’s studio recordings, the live sets are volatile and unstable. Focused on transformation, each performance deconstructs fragments of past and future compositions, stretching and reassembling them under pressure. Sounds are processed, reshaped, and recontextualized on the fly, forming fragile rhythmic structures where each element is vital and every moment one step from unraveling.

These performances are paired with surreal visuals composed of 3D scans of the artist’s face and body, merged with natural textures. Frozen in time yet set in motion, these forms drift through strange environments, distorting and reforming in sync with the sound. The result is an immersive experience that blurs the line between rhythm, body, and dimension.

KNACKERED

INFO TBA


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SuperCollider Session
Aug
9
8:00 PM20:00

SuperCollider Session

SuperCollider Session

6 performances worked in  Supercollider. 

Supercollider is a programming environment and language for real-time audio synthesis and algorithmic composition, widely used in experimental music and sound-based practices.

Throughout the evening, each performer will present a short set composed and executed entirely through code, using techniques in synthesis, pattern generation, and real-time control.

Performers:
Baldur Snær Bachmann,
Fanný Hrund Þorsteinsdóttir,
Karólína Einars Maríudóttir,
Katla Heimisdóttir,
Konrad Groen,
Steindór Grétar Kristinsson

doors 19:30 / show 20:00

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PUNCH IN THE MOUTH FROM THE INSIDE IV: Kira Kira, Lindy & Ronja, <333 Trio
Aug
8
8:00 PM20:00

PUNCH IN THE MOUTH FROM THE INSIDE IV: Kira Kira, Lindy & Ronja, <333 Trio

PUNCH IN THE MOUTH FROM THE INSIDE IV:

Kira Kira
Lindy Lin & Ronja
<333 Trio (Salóme Katrín Magnusd, Erla Hlín Guðmunds, & Maria-Carmela Raso)

doors 19:30 / show 20:00
pay what u can


Kira Kira:
To Kira Kira, music is a super power she approaches with curiosity and reverence. A saving grace to be of service to when music allows. Playful sound explorations in a meditative space form the core, then gentle voice and a gathering of friends embrace this core with trumpets, lap steel guitar, synths, strings, accordion, bass and all kinds of warmth. It's ambient music, but created with live instruments and voices, using medicinal lyrics, sometimes mixing in with field recordings. Kira has been developing this dreamsoundscaping through 6 solo albums and 10 LPs all together, released by Morr Music in Berlin, Ancestor Media and Time Released Sound in California, Letra Recs in the UK, Afterhours in Japan and Smekkleysa in her home, Iceland. Kristín Björk Kristjánsdóttir was named Kira Kira in a dream when she was living in Japan around the time she founded Kitchen Motors -An experimental music collective with Hilmar Jensson and Johann Johannsson. She grew up musically with artists from all traditions within this collective; Improvised jazz, noise music, melodic electronica, celestial film music, analog synth metal and wild audio visual pranks. They toured together all over the world for about 10 years and released 6 compilations with live recordings from the adventurous concerts they curated with kindred spirits. And from this colourful playground, Kira started releasing her solo albums, which aren't very solo because most of them host a big family of friends who generously pour their artistry into her soundscapes. Kira also writes and directs films. Grandma Lo-fi is a hybrid animated music doc about legend Sigríður Níelsdóttir and We The Lightnings and Flowers To The Bone are dreamlike shorts featuring Kira's music. She is now recording her 11th LP and preparing to make her first feature fiction film, while living in a little village in the South of Iceland called Stokkseyri and working in a flower shop.

Lindy and Ronja:
The duo is going to present new electronic materials that they have been working on since their first collaborative concert last March.

<333 Trio:
<333 trio is an improvised vocal trio made up of Salóme Katrín Magnúsdóttir (Salóme Katrín), Erla Hlín Guðmundsdóttir (Amor Vincit Omnia) and Maria-Carmela Raso (MSEA). Exploring the textural possibilities of the voice, they sharpen their ear while working together to build new worlds. Every performance is an expansion of their musicality as they allow themselves to fall into a pure state of creation.

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Marey / Anna Sóley
Aug
7
8:00 PM20:00

Marey / Anna Sóley

Marey / Anna Sóley

 

Thursday, August 7th

Marey / Anna Sóley
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2.500kr / 2.000kr for students with ID

 

Dúóið Marey mun hefja tónleikana á frumsömdu efni þar sem gerðar verða alls konar tilraunir með tóna og hljóð. Þar á eftir flytja Anna Sóley, Lilja María og gítarleikarinn Daníel Helgason blöndu af nýjum og gömlum lögum í söngvaskáldastíl eftir Önnu með það að markmiði að mála upp hugljúfa stund með áheyrendum.

Systurnar Lilja María og Anna Sóley Ásmundsdætur skipa dúóið Marey sem blandar tilraunakenndri spunatónlist við rafhljóð og ljóðalestur. Áhrifa gætir frá samtímaklassík, hljóðlist, skandinavískum jazzi og söngvaskáldatónlist. Lilja María spilar á hljóðskúlptúrinn Huldu, hljóðfæri sem hún hannaði sjálf, og býr til hljóðmyndir. Anna Sóley spilar á fiðlu, syngur og hannar hljóðmyndir. Árið 2025 heldur dúóið tónleika á Íslandi, í Hollandi, Þýskalandi og Bretlandi. Þar má nefna tónlistarhátíðina Lost in the Hills og tónleikaseríur eins og Classic Jamming og Bruitkasten.

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. „Ef þú heldur að enginn geri plötur lengur sem minna á fyrstu fjórar plötur Joni Mitchell, leggðu við hlustir hér.“ – David Fricke um Modern Age Ophelia.

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.

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.

www.liljamaria.com/marey
www.anna-soley.com/

///


The concert starts with works by Marey, where the duo improvises, plays, sings, and experiments with sounds. Following that, Anna Sóley, Lilja María and guitarist Daníel Helgason will perform a set of original songs by singer-songwriter Anna Sóley, where they strive to create a cozy atmosphere and memorable moments with the audience.

 Marey plays improvised experimental music mixed with electronics and poetry, where contemporary classical music, sound art, Scandinavian jazz, and folk music meet. Lilja María plays Hulda, a string instrument of her design. Anna Sóley plays the violin and sings, exploring different soundscapes and extended techniques, using her voice at times somewhere between spoken words and singing. They both design electronics, and Anna Sóley writes the poetry. This year, the duo will perform in Iceland, The Netherlands, Germany and the UK at festivals such as Lost in the Hills and various concert series, for example Classic Jamming and Bruitkasten.


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. “If you think nobody makes records like those first four Joni Mitchell albums anymore, listen here, and think again.” – David Fricke about Modern Age Ophelia.

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. She is a member of the art collective 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 dancer Inês Zinho Pinheiro.

Daníel Helgason has been active in the Icelandic music scene both as a guitarist and composer. He graduated from Tónlistarskóli FÍH on electric guitar and holds a BA degree in composition from Iceland University of the Arts. Daníel has performed across Europe. In 2023, he released his solo album Particles. That same year, the album ¡Mambó! was released with the band Los Bomboneros, of which Daníel is a member. In 2018, Daníel received the Brightest Hope Award in the Jazz and Blues category at the Icelandic Music Awards.

 

www.liljamaria.com/marey

www.anna-soley.com/

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Ólöf Arnalds
Jul
31
8:00 PM20:00

Ólöf Arnalds

Thursday, July 31st
Ólöf Arnalds í Mengi
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
3000kr / 2500kr for students with ID

Ólöf Arnalds í Mengi

Singer-songwriter Ólöf Arnalds returns to Mengi to play some new songs from her upcoming album Spíra along with other classics from her 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.

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Söngvaskáldið Ólöf Arnalds mætir til leiks á ný í Mengi og flytur áhorfendum m.a. ný lög af væntanlegri breiðskífu sinni Spíru í bland við gamalt og gott.

Ólöf Arnalds hóf feril sinn sem söngvaskáld með hljómplötunni Við og við, sem hún hlaut Íslensku tónlistarverðlaunin fyrir. Á erlendri grundu var hún valin í hópi bestu platna ársins af Paste Magazine, auk þess sem eMusic valdi hana eina af bestu plötum fyrsta áratugarins. Fyrir aðra sólóplötu sína, Innundir skinni, hlaut Ólöf Íslensku tónlistarverðlaunin sem tónsmiður ársins, auk þess sem platan var tilnefnd til Norrænu tónlistarverðlaunanna. Þá hefur Ólöf gefið út plöturnar Sudden Elevation og Palme en báðar hlutu þær mikið lof gagnrýnenda víða um heim. Fimmta breiðskífa Ólafar er væntanleg í byrjun desember. Á farsælum ferli sínum hefur Ólöf einnig lagt stund á að túlka lög eftir aðra, m.a. á smáskífunni Ólöf Sings.

Ólöf hefur leikið á tónleikum víðsvegar um Evrópu, Bandaríkin og Ástralíu og komið fram í útvarpi og sjónvarpi. 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.

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Laglegt: spilað og spjallað
Jul
30
8:00 PM20:00

Laglegt: spilað og spjallað

Wednesday, July 30th
LAGLEGT: SPILAÐ OG SPJALLAÐ
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2500kr / 2000kr for students with ID

come play a little cozy card with me, just me and the guitar and most all my songs . I get to talk as much as I want and give a lot of context.

so if you want to have your own interpretation of my songs, this is not the concert for you.

----

komið í smá kosý spil með mér, bara ég og gítarinn og flest öll lögin mín . ég fæ að tala eins mikið og ég vil og gefa mikið samhengi.

svo ef þið viljið vera með ykkar eigin túlkun á lögunum mínum þá eru þetta ekki tónleikar fyrir þig.

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Lóa
Jul
27
3:00 PM15:00

Lóa

Duo Lóa , flautist April Clayton and harpist Kristi Shade, perform works by Arnold Bax, Atli Heimi Sveinsson, Daniel Dorff, Jean-Michel Damase, Harald Genzmer and Þórð Magnússon. The repertoire is the majority of an album that is expected later this year. Duo Lóa is a newly formed duo, but April and Kristi have played together in the trio Hat Trick since 2013.    

 

Kristi Shade  began studying and playing the harp at a young age, graduating from the Manhattan School of Music and the University of Florida. She is the principal harpist of the New York City Chamber Orchestra and frequently appears in Broadway musicals in New York City. She teaches at the Manhattan School of Music and also at the Brearley School and the Spence School. Kristi has appeared as a guest with symphony orchestras across the United States. She has released albums with the flute, viola, and harp trio Hat Trick ( Garden of Joys and Sorrows , 2017 and Big Sky , 2024), and with the harp duo Duo Scorpio ( Scorpion Tales , 2012 and Two Bridges , 2017). Her album with April Clayton is due out later this year.  

 

April Clayton  studied flute at Oberlin College and Oberlin Conservatory, and received her doctorate from the Juilliard School in New York. She was a longtime professor of flute at Brigham Young University, and currently teaches at Snow College, Utah Valley University, and Westminster University. She has performed extensively throughout the United States and Europe, as well as in Korea, Mexico, Brazil, Haiti, and Barbados. April was a longtime member of the Orpheus Wind Quintet and currently plays with the Aspen Winds Quintet. Her flute, viola, and harp trio, Hat Trick, has released two albums ( Garden of Joys and Sorrows , 2017, and Big Sky , 2024), and she has two more albums due out later this year, one (piano and flute) with composer Miguel del Aguila and the other with harpist Kristi Shade as the duo Lóa .  

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Jun Futamata (JP) / tech x copper
Jul
26
8:00 PM20:00

Jun Futamata (JP) / tech x copper

Saturday, July 26th
JUN FUTAMATA (Japan) +
tech x copper (Leifur Björnsson & Sólrún Mjöll)
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
--
Jun Futamata is a composer and singer based in Japan. She expresses a one-of-a-kind sound world with her innocent and clear voice and her unique compositional style that builds on layers of voices.

After studying improvisation based on chord progressions in New York, she participated in numerous sessions with talented musicians from around the world.

Since returning to Japan, she has worked extensively on films, TV dramas, animation, games, commercials, and soundtracks.

Her recent career includes composition, arrangement, and vocals for the Sumitomo Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai, participation in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and vocals for popular anime series such as Pokemon and My Hero Academia. She has recently written and arranged for several primetime TV dramas and movies.

In 2021, she released her debut solo album, GRAVITY, which debuted at #1 on the iTunes New Age chart, and in 2024 she released her second album, When Your Bones Turn Into Opal, recorded in Iceland.

Her recent works weave together elements of ambient, post-classical, environmental sound, minimalism, and electronica-garnering attention for their quiet strength and emotional sophistication.

Website:http://junfutamata.com
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/junfutamata/

----

Tech x Copper is an experimental collaboration between Leifur Björnsson and drummer/percussionist Sólrún. Built from analog synth sketches, voice notes, and half-formed ideas, the project explores rhythm, memory, and fractured experience, somewhere between structure and drift.

The material has come together over time, scraps and sounds collected alongside other projects, shaped into something of its own. Sólrún's rhythmic presence brings weight and motion, nudging the music into its own shape. The upcoming debut EP is co-produced with Howie B and features vocals by Ásta Fanney.

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Skúli Sverrisson &amp; Óskar Guðjónsson
Jul
25
8:00 PM20:00

Skúli Sverrisson & Óskar Guðjónsson

Friday, July 25th
SKÚLI SVERRISSON & ÓSKAR GUÐJÓNSSON
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
3.000kr / 2.500kr for students with ID

Don't miss the rare chance to hear a legendary duo of Icelandic music!

Skúli Sverrisson (b. 1966) is an Icelandic composer and bass guitarist. He has worked with musicians Wadada Leo Smith, Derek Bailey, Lou Reed, Jon Hassell, David Sylvian, Arto Lindsay, and composers Ryuichi Sakamoto, Jóhann Jóhannsson, and Hildur Guðnadóttir. Sverrisson is also known for his work as an artistic director for Ólöf Arnalds, recordings with Blonde Redhead and as a musical director for legendary performance artist Laurie Anderson. He co-founded the performance space Mengi.

Óskar Guðjónsson (b. 1974) is a versatile tenor saxophonist and has contributed significantly to the jazz-scene in Iceland. He sees music as his vocation, be it actively as a saxophone player or as a composer and discoverer of new talent, and is regarded by his colleagues as an incredible talent. «Óskar is one of those rare individuals, a unique improviser with a very personal sound that has carved his own space inside our universal language of music» (Jim Black).

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ronja / Mineo Kawasaki
Jul
10
8:00 PM20:00

ronja / Mineo Kawasaki

Thursday, July 10th
RONJA / MINEO KAWASAKI
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2500kr / 2000kr for students with ID / PAY WHAT U CAN

Mineo Kawasaki (Japan) is a solo drummer and composer who manipulates rhythms and effects with a MIDI controller as he performs. His sets include a mixture of post-rock, indie, electronica, techno and minimal music.

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Ragnar Árni Ólafsson, che buford, &amp; Ana Luisa Díaz de Cossío
Jul
5
8:00 PM20:00

Ragnar Árni Ólafsson, che buford, & Ana Luisa Díaz de Cossío

Saturday, July 5th
Night of Improvised Music:
Ragnar Árni Ólafsson, che buford, & Ana Luisa Díaz de Cossío
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2500kr / 2000kr for students with ID / pay what u can

Ragnar Árni Ólafsson - electric guitar
che buford - violin
Ana Luisa Díaz de Cossío - violin

Ragnar Árni Ólafsson is an experimental musician variously working as a guitarist, composer or improviser. He performs his own music and the music of others, most often operating along a gradient between the two, preferring a raw and real-time exchange of musical ideas. His artistic work extends into other mediums, particularly film and text. Upcoming projects this year include a concert-length performance for solo electric guitar and the release of video work Quantongue Lessons with long term collaborator Luke Deane.

che buford (he, they) is an NYC-based artist whose work explores creating new narratives within the world of music while engaging in themes of memory and place.

che performs as a violinist in various musical settings, specializing in improvisational performance, contemporary compositions, electroacoustic work, and interdisciplinary collaborations. They have performed and presented work in spaces such as Roulette, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Joe's Pub, Antenna Cloud Farm, Haus Der Kulturen Der Welt, ISSUE project room, and National Sawdust. He has collaborated with artists including Palaver Strings, Adama Delphine Fawundu, Deborah Jack, Steph Davis, Pamela Z, and others. As a composer, their work explores the possibilities of timbre and acoustical phenomena and connects them to elements of place, memory, poetry, and the quotidian. Che has received commissions from artists and organizations including Longleash, The Rhythm Method, Midori, The Museum of Modern Art, Castle of our Skins, and others.

che is a founding member of Diaphanous Ensemble, a genre-bending composition, improvisation, and performance collective started with Abby Swidler & Aimée Niemann. Diaphanous premiered four new string quartets by its members in August 2023. They also performed with Ioanna Gika as part of Jacolby Satterwhite's A Metta Prayer, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in September 2023.

che holds a degree from Boston Conservatory at Berklee as a presidential scholar in violin performance. They are currently a DMA candidate at Columbia University in Music Composition. When Che isn't interacting with music, he enjoys taking long walks, cooking vegan food, and thrifting.

Ana Luisa Díaz de Cossío is a performer-composer whose work traverses the space between social structures, individuality, spontaneity, and explores resonance in physical as well as cultural space. Through extreme extended techniques, I challenge conventional instrument playing, exploring the possibilities and limits of sounds within an instrument. My music is informed by political, social, and cultural awareness of the systems constituting our societies.

I have participated in Manifesté-IRCAM (FR), Darmstadt Summer Course (DE), OneBeat Taiwan (TW), Experimental Institute at Antenna Cloud Farm (USA), Ensemble Evolution (USA), Karp Kamina Residency (Togo), ANMA+NordPlus Music Forum (EE), Dark Music Days (IS), Time for Music (FI), ActinArt (DK) among others. I hold degrees from Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Listaháskoli Íslands and I am enrolled at the University of California-San Diego.

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Óskar Guðjónsson, Tumi Árnason, Sölvi Kolbeinsson, &amp; Jesper Pedersen
Jul
4
8:00 PM20:00

Óskar Guðjónsson, Tumi Árnason, Sölvi Kolbeinsson, & Jesper Pedersen

Friday, July 4th
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2500kr / 2000kr for students with ID

Óskar Guðjónsson - saxophones
Tumi Árnason - saxophones/clarinets
Sölvi Kolbeinsson - saxophones/clarinets
Jesper Pedersen - electronics

When three saxophonists and one conjurer of electronic sound meet at Mengi, music becomes a conversation — each tone answering the next, until time itself loses track.” “In this first gathering of Óskar, Tumi, Sölvi and Jesper, musical ideas arise through shared listening — the moment shapes the music, not the other way around.

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„Þegar þrír saxófónleikarar og einn galdramaður í rafheimum mætast í Mengi, verður spuni að samræðu — hver hljómur svarar öðrum, þar til tíminn sjálfur gleymir sér.“ „Í þessari fyrstu samveru Óskars, Tuma, Sölva og Jespers fæðast hugmyndir í sameiginlegri hlustun — stundin skapar tónlistina, ekki öfugt.“

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Óskar Guðjónsson's MOVE
Jul
3
8:00 PM20:00

Óskar Guðjónsson's MOVE

Thursday, July 3rd
Óskar Guðjónsson's MOVE
doors 19:30 / show 20:00
2500kr / 2000kr for students with ID

Óskar Guðjónsson: tenor / soprano saxophone
Eyþór Gunnarsson: piano
Valdimar Kolbeinn Sigurjónsson: contrabass
Matthías Hemstock: drumsrt

Seven years ago, saxophonist Óskar Guðjónsson assembled a quartet where the focuse was on performing handwritten compositions that had accumulated in his meticulously kept sketchbooks over the years. It soon became clear that this was a project all members were willing to invest significant time in and truly make their own. From this collaboration, a partnership developed, taking place in Eyþór Gunnarsson's studio. The approach was to repeatedly play the pieces, explore different interpretations, and experiment with various approaches. Simultaneously, the music began to take shape, building a strong connection among the members. In addition to Óskar and Eyþór, the quartet includes Valdimar Kolbeinn Sigurjónsson on bass and Matthías Hemstock on drums, all of whom share their initials in the name "MOVE."

During the digital age, handwritten scores have become increasingly rare, yet they hold a certain delicate nuance that can make a difference.

Óskar has long cultivated a personal style in his compositions, reflected in his handwriting and choices of what to write and what not to write down. This aligns with his approach to performance, which is
structured but open to endless spontaneous directions at the same time. The element of spontaneity stems from a desire for the music to develop independently, adapting and evolving based on the passage of time and circumstances.

Although the compositions are instrumental, they carry names inspired by reflections on life, existence, people, and related phenomena. The sketchbooks also serve as a form of diaries, capturing moments that arise in life.

Nearly all of MOVE's rehearsals have been recorded, and part of the work process involves listening back to the recordings to discern the essence of each piece. There are quite a few hours' worth of material accumulated, along with many liters of sparkling water and carefully brewed coffee that have been consumed during this creative journey. After a long joyful journey the members of MOVE now share a collective realm of ideas—one that can be entered, explored, and followed
wherever it leads. Welcome aboard!!

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Fyrir sjö árum síðan setti Óskar saman kvartett til að skoða lagahugmyndir sínar. Upp úr þessu þróaðist samstarf sem fór fram í vinnustofu Eyþórs Gunnarssonar og gekk út á að spila lögin endurtekið og velta þeim fyrir sér og prófa ólíkar nálganir. Samhliða því að tónlistin fór að taka á sig mynd byggðist upp sterkt samband á milli þeirra sem eiga sína
upphafsstafi í nafninu MOVE sem auk Óskars og Eyþórs eru Valdimar Kolbeinn Sigurjónsson á bassa og Matthías Hemstock á trommur.

Á tímum tölvuvæðingar hafa handskrifaðar nótur orðið sjaldséðari en um leið tapast ákveðin fínni blæbrigði sem geta skipt máli. Óskar hefur fyrir löngu skapað sér persónulegan stíl í tónsmíðum sínum sem endurspeglast í rithöndinni og því hvað hann kýs að skrifa niður og hvað ekki. Það helst einnig í hendur við þá nálgun sem hann leitar að í flutningnum sem er vandlega mótaður en um leið opinn fyrir hinu óvænta. Þetta tengist lönguninni til að lögin öðlist sjálfstætt líf og geti fengið að þroskast og breytast eftir því sem tíminn og aðstæður bjóða upp á.

Þó lögin séu textalaus bera þau öll nöfn sem eru sprottin af
vangaveltum um lífið, tilveruna, fólk og fyrirbæri sem því tengist.
Skissubækurnar eru því einnig nokkurs konar dagbækur sem taka á málum sem koma upp í lífinu.

Nánast allar æfingar MOVE hafa verið hljóðritaðar og partur af vinnuferlinu er að hlusta yfir upptökurnar til að greina kjarnann í hverju lagi fyrir sig. Það eru ófár klukkustundirnar af efni sem hefur safnast upp og í leiðinni margir lítrar af sódavatni og úrvals kaffi sem hafa runnið niður.

Dropinn holar steininn og eftir allan þennan tíma eiga meðlimir MOVE núna sameiginlegan hugmyndaheim sem hægt er að stíga inn í og sjá hvert hann tekur bæði þá og áheyrendur í það og það skiptið.
Brottfararstaður hverju sinni liggja fyrir en svo má óvissuferðin byrja.

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SKEPNUR / CREATURES – Matthías Rúnar Sigurðsson,Tryggvi Haxan &amp; Úlfur Karlsson – featuring a live Ondes Martenot performance by Magnús Jóhann Ragnarsson
Jun
25
6:00 PM18:00

SKEPNUR / CREATURES – Matthías Rúnar Sigurðsson,Tryggvi Haxan & Úlfur Karlsson – featuring a live Ondes Martenot performance by Magnús Jóhann Ragnarsson

An exhibition of pictures and sculptures in the otherworldly atmosphere of the Ondes Martenot. By looking outward Úlfur finds creatures to inhabit his frames while Matthías finds them in the world of myth and imagination and carves them in stone. These opposite viewpoints converge in the electro-acoustic sounds of the Ondes Martenot played by Magnús Jóhann Ragnarsson.

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