In just over a week’s time, Reykjavik will be gearing up to host another edition of Sónar. The Icelandic city will be overrun by a plethora of talent including Giggs, Moderat, and De La Soul, as well as a hefty smattering of homegrown talent.
The three-dayer, taking place through February 16th-18th, is centred around Reykjavik’s Harpa Concert House, an architectural masterwork that will boast a programme of showcases from RBMA, high energy performances and lo-fi electronics.
To fully whet our appetites for the cutting-edge festival, Sónar Reykjavik’s lead booker Steinthor Helgi Arnsteinsson has given us his top artist picks for the event…
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Blawan b2b Exos
“Blawan is one of my favourite musicians and DJs. To be able to team him up with local legend Exos is both an honour for the festival and the Reykjavík music scene. I expect their performance to be a somewhat religious experience.”
SiGRÚN
“New solo project by a girl that has toured and played with artists like Sigur Rós, Björk and Florence & The Machine. This is beautiful, experimental music led by abstract harmonies enhanced with heavy electronic beats.”
Sturla Atlas
“The local hip-hop scene in Iceland has really been booming over the past few years. Sturla Atlas is one of the leading artists of the scene” (check our interview with him here) “but I could have also mentioned Emmsjé Gauti, GKR and/or Aron Can, who are also playing the festival. Watch out for all these guys, and the girls (Alvia Islandia, Cyber etc) as well.”
Marie Davidson
“Marie will play the RBMA stage at Sónar, which is always one of the most exciting sections of the festival. Her album, ‘Adieux Au Dancefloor’, was one of the finest of last year. Cool and smooth are the words that best describe her music.”
Giggs
“Can't wait to see him perform. I think the local hip-hop scene in Iceland, which is really strong, will go berserk. I probably will as well.”
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More information on the festival can be found here: https://sonarreykjavik.com/
