Since the first edition was held in 1999 (in an airplane hangar), Iceland Airwaves has become one of the premier annual showcases for new music – Icelandic and otherwise – in the world. It's made a heap of friends and won many fans along the way, and been lavished with praise pretty much everywhere they write about music. Example: Rolling Stone magazine called it "The hippest long weekend on the annual music-festival calendar."

Some of the world's most exciting artists have performed there, too. The Shins, The Rapture, TV On The Radio, Florence and the Machine, Klaxons, Hot Chip, Flaming Lips, Wolf Parade, Bloc Party and Fatboy Slim have made the short hop from Europe or North America to share the stages with Iceland's finest talents, including bands such as Sigur Rós, FM Belfast, GusGus, múm, Singapore Sling and Dr Spock, to name but a few. And when the live bands have done their thing, top DJs from all over the world spin across the city until the crack of dawn.

But there's more to Airwaves than music. Reykjavík is quite possibly the perfect festival city – small enough to be welcoming, sophisticated enough to offer cultural, historical and nightlife diversions to rival cities ten times its size. Maybe twenty. Who knows? And it's surrounded by some of the most unique and astonishing natural beauty you're ever likely to see (this is a grand statement, but you should just see it).

Roll out of bed, hose the party remains out of your hair and hop on a bus. Before you can remember what you did the night before, you're looking at geysers, waterfalls, lava fields – all the best that a volcanic island has to offer, including the world-famous Blue Lagoon, favorite soaking spot of the international hung-over glitterati. Mmm! You can really taste the hipster! 

As one of Iceland’s most successful exports, singer-songwriter Ásgeir has always pushed the boundaries of his thoughtful brand of folk-pop. His debut album, ‘Dýrð í dauðaþögn’, became the best-selling debut in Icelandic history, leading to the English-language version ‘In The Silence’ in 2014. He continued to refine his sound with ‘Afterglow’ in 2017, ‘Bury The Moon’ in 2020, and ‘Time On My Hands’ in 2022’, earning praise from press and radio worldwide, including the likes of The Independent, MOJO, NME, The Line Of Best Fit, Clash Magazine, BBC 6 Music and Radio X.
 
In recent years, Ásgeir has embraced solo performances, playing nearly 70 intimate shows across Europe, the Nordics, and Iceland, including a UK tour with Icelandic singer GDRN. He also performed with the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra and recorded a live session for Arte TV in Berlin. His passion for live music has taken him to unique venues, including small churches, deepening his connection with audiences. He wrote a song for a Kafkaesque play that was hosted at The Reykjavik City Theatre called Sýslumaður Dauðans.
 
Ásgeir is now back with his next album, focusing on songwriting with a fresh approach; prioritizing melody and personal storytelling, exploring themes of relationships, aging, hope, and nostalgia. His influences range from Leonard Cohen and Daniel Lanois to contemporary artists like Adrianne Lenker and Dina Ögon.
 
The album’s production was a hands-on process, with Ásgeir playing most of the instruments and collaborating with a select group of musicians, including Nashville cellist Nat Smith. Recorded both solo and with a band, the songs capture an organic, heartfelt energy. With this new chapter, Ásgeir continues to evolve, offering music that is as introspective and accomplished as ever as well as deeply resonant.

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Thief is the electronic pop brainchild of PJ Wolf, who traded in his guitars for synthesizers, crafting a fresh minimalist sound that would embrace the aesthetic of contemporaries such as Metronomy, Miike Snow, Frank Ocean and N.E.R.D. 

www.thief-music.com


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