“Listening to Hania’s music over and over, I began to dream of a single sequence shot that would follow her music floating in the wind of an unreal Icelandic landscape. I asked each dancer to give a personal interpretation of Hania’s song. We were very lucky to succeed in this insane artistic performance despite the great cold (minus 7 celsius), it was such a moment of truth. Shot in Iceland on February 23, 2020”. — Neels Castillon, Director
Morning Walk ( < 30 seconds)
August 6, 2019 by 26 Comments
> > > > NOTE: Press arrow on right center of photo to advance to video.
Epic Beauty and…
December 6, 2018 by 14 Comments
The Þjórsá River—Iceland’s longest—is a glacial river, fed by the Hofsjökull glacier, Iceland. The colors and patterns are created by the glacial melt seen flowing through volcanic silt. (Photograph by Jassen Todorov, National Geographic, Pilot’s stunning aerial picture wins National Geographic’s 2018 photo contest, December 6, 2018)
“A concert violinist by trade, Todorov began soaring above the ground in the early 2000s, eventually becoming a flight instructor and igniting his passion to visually capture the aerial world below—including both epic beauty and environmental challenges…When I fly long distances, I listen to a lot of music,” Todorov says. “I’m able to combine music, flying, and photography. Music has a lot to do with structure and composition, colors and patterns, moods and characters—when I am looking at a photo, I am thinking about the same things.”
Sunday Evening
December 10, 2017 by 14 Comments
Jóhann Jóhannsson, 48, performs “The Drowned World” with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble in this clip. He was born and raised in Reykjavík, where he later went on to study languages and literature at university. He started his musical career as a guitarist playing in indie rock bands. In 1999 Jóhann co-founded “Kitchen Motors”; a think tank, art organisation and music label that encouraged interdisciplinary collaborations between artists from punk, jazz, classical, metal and electronic music. His own sound arose out of these musical experimentations.
Note: Find entire music video here. (I’ve clipped the back half above). Find Jóhannsson’s web site here.
but for someone who was kicked out of music school it sure makes you wonder what you’re doing with your life
October 28, 2017 by 8 Comments
“If you’re looking for some extra groove in your life, young Icelandic singer-songwriter Júníus Meyvant needs to be added to your playlist ASAP. Unnar Gísli Sigurmundsson, who plays under the Júníus Meyvant moniker, creates songs that get your body moving. Maybe it’s his voice, or the brass accompaniment that makes these songs epic, but for someone who was kicked out of music school it sure makes you wonder what you’re doing with your life. Although he released his LP Floating Harmonies back in July, this is definitely an album to check out now. The songs work perfectly with the changing weather, whether it be the leaves dropping, rainfall or just basking in the sun of mild temperatures while you cling to your pumpkin spice latte. If there’s one thing for sure, his voice will bring the warmth to your day.
~ Matthew Fisher, 5 Icelandic Artists You Need to Know (CBC Music)
Notes:
- Like this tune, check out Junius Meyvant with Neon Experience
- A Soulful Escape: An Interview with Junius Meyvant by Sachyn Mital (Pop Matters, 30 June 2017)
Dreaming
May 13, 2017 by 13 Comments
Ásgeir Trausti Einarsson (24) is an Icelandic singer-songwriter and musician.
His new album, Afterglow, was released on May 7, 2017.
Eric’s Excellent Adventure
January 13, 2016 by 33 Comments
Photos taken by Eric Kanigan in Iceland on January 4-6, 2016
Only the Winds
October 17, 2015 by 6 Comments
Ólafur Arnalds, 28, is a multi-instrumentalist and producer from Mosfellsbær, Iceland. Ólafur Arnalds mixes strings and piano with loops and edgy beats crossing-over from ambient/electronic to pop.
- His official web site can be found here.
- This song can be found on iTunes on his 2013 Album titled For Now I Am Winter
Related Posts: Olafur Arnaulds
Wheels take me, anyplace today
May 2, 2015 by 11 Comments
Kaleo is an Icelandic indie pop / rock / folk band established in 2012 and their first major public appearance Iceland. Firmly a phenomenon in their home country of Iceland, the four-piece band Kaleo is set to descend upon foreign shores in 2015, bringing their gorgeous blend of folk, blues, country, and rock to a wider mainstream audience in America. Best friends since attending elementary school in the small town outside of Reykjavik, the band began playing together at the age of 17. They named the band Kaleo, which means “the sound” in Hawaiian. Kaleo has since moved to Austin, TX. (Source: officialkaleo.com)
[…]You and me together riding into the sun
Live without care, with the wind in my hair
Driving through the desert, yeah I’ll go anywhere
Take me where the wheels take me, far away
Wheels take me, I can’t stay
Wheels take, any place today
Imagine myself in an automobile
a hundred miles an hour if you know how I feel.
Alone with my mind, leave my worries behind
I might even reach the border, it’s just a matter of time
I said take me where the wheels take me, far away.
Wheels take me, can’t stay.
Wheels take me, any place today.
Ohh I’m going to San Diego, here I come.
San Fransisco, it won’t be long.
Sacramento, yeah in the sun. I just might go
I said I’m going to San Diego and San Jose
San Francisco and hang by the bay
Sacramento, yeah all the way I just might go
all the way to Mexico oho
I just might go all the way down to Mexico.
Árstíðir
February 7, 2015 by 5 Comments
Árstíðir (English: Seasons) is an Icelandic indie-folk band with classical, progressive rock and minimalist elements. The band formed in 2008 in Reykjavík.
Árstíðir became known to a wider internet audience in 2013 when a viral YouTube video showed them performing impromptu, Heyr himna smiður (“Hear, Smith of heavens”, a 13th-century Icelandic hymn) at a train station in Wuppertal, Germany. Don’t miss this Youtube video (with ~ 4,000,000 views) here: Heyr himna smiður
Find the band’s website here: arstidir.com
This tune will be found on the band’s new album to be released in March, 2015: Hvel
Background Source: Wiki
For Now I Am Winter
January 4, 2015 by 15 Comments
Ólafur Arnalds, 26, is a multi-instrumentalist and producer from Mosfellsbær, Iceland. Ólafur Arnalds mixes strings and piano with loops and edgy beats crossing-over from ambient/electronic to pop.
This song can be found on iTunes on his album titled For Now I Am Winter – which I acquired several weeks ago and have had playing on a continuous loop. Highly recommended.
For related Olafur Arnalds posts:
- Old Skin (from the same “For Now I am Winter” album)
- Near Light
- Pianists’ Live Improv (Olafur Arnalds & Nils Frahm)
Slow it Down. Slow it Down. And Breathe. (116 sec)
October 24, 2014 by 13 Comments
This beautiful short film (Inspired by Iceland) is wrapped in tune titled Lover’s Spit by Canadian indie pop band Feist.
I like it all that way
I like it all that way
I like it all that way
Ólafur Arnalds
October 17, 2014 by 8 Comments
Ólafur Arnalds, 26, is a multi-instrumentalist and producer from Mosfellsbær, Iceland. Ólafur Arnalds mixes strings and piano with loops and edgy beats crossing-over from ambient/electronic to pop. This tune features Arnór Dan who is the lead singer and songwriter of the Icelandic band Agent Fresco and collaborator of Ólafur Arnalds.
- His official web site can be found here.
- This song can be found on iTunes on his 2013 Album titled For Now I Am Winter
Related Post: Near Light
Emilíana Torrini
June 14, 2014 by 5 Comments
Emilíana Torrini, 37, is an Icelandic singer, best known for her 2009 single “Jungle Drum” (14,000,000+ Youtube views) and for performing “Gollum’s Song” for Peter Jackson’s film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Torrini grew up in Kópavogur, where, at the age of seven, she joined a choir as a soprano, until she went to opera school at the age of 15. Her father is Italian and her mother is Icelandic.
Find this tune on her September, 2013 Album titled Tookah. Find her website @ emilianatorrini.com.
Árstíðir
June 8, 2014 by 22 Comments
Árstíðir (English: Seasons) is an Icelandic indie-folk band with classical, progressive rock and minimalist elements. This tune is titled “Ljóð í sand” (Poetry In The Sand). Árstíðir became known to a wider internet audience in 2013 when a Youtube video went viral (3,000,000+ hits) showed them performing impromptu, Heyr himna smiður (“Hear, Smith of heavens”, a 13th century Icelandic hymn) at a train station in Germany. The video was shot by their PR manager after they had played a concert the venue inside the train station. The a capella was noted for improvising with the vaulted acoustics of the train station to effect the echo chambers of a monastic chapel.
Find the Icelandic Hymn that went viral on Youtube here.
Find their album on iTunes here: Svefns Og Voku Skil (Sleep & Waking Returns)
Hymnalaya
March 28, 2014 by 16 Comments
A turn or two I’ll walk
March 4, 2014 by 15 Comments
A turn or two I’ll walk
To still my beating mind.
— Shakespeare, The Tempest
Photograph: Ingolfor via Sensual Starfish. Poem Source: Mythology of Blue
Live & Learn 