Reykjavík Grapevine - Aug 2023, Page 24

The Reykjavík Grapevine 11 / 23 24Music
Music News
Iconic Ukrainian folktronica act Go_A
is set to perform in Iceland October
18. This will be the band’s second
time in the country, as they previously
performed at Iceland Airwaves 2022.
Although Go_A has been active since
2012, they achieved world renown
during the 2021 Eurovision song
contest, where they performed their
song “Shum.” There was a packed
house for their Airwaves gig, so
there’s reason to think the same will
apply this time around. Sena Live
produces the show, which will be
held in Háskólabíó. Tickets range
from 12.990 to 14.990 ISK.
Speaking of Iceland Airwaves, the
annual music festival has an-
nounced its final lineup. The fes-
tival takes place November 2-4,
with festival passes priced from
19.900 ISK. In addition to the festi-
val, Iceland Airwaves also hosts a
conference for music professionals.
As in previous iterations, Airwaves
2023 will play out in various music
venues throughout Reykjavík. Also
as has happened in years past, this
year’s festival will feature two spe-
cial shows: a performance by Ásgeir
joined by the Icelandic Symphony
Orchestra and a screening of Of
Monsters And Men’s documentary
Tíu. Both events are happening Nov.
2 – which will you choose!? Among
the artists performing are Andy
Shauf, Árný Margrét, Blondshell,
Bombay Bicycle Club, JFDR, and
Nanna.
Tickets are now on sale for the 21st
edition of the Innipúkinn Music
Festival. Happening August 4-6, the
festival highlights local acts ranging
from pop to experimental hip-hop.
The weekend the festival takes
place happens to be the Verslunar-
mannahelgi long weekend, when
many Icelanders hit the road and
leave the capital. Innipúkinn has
been a staple event for those who
choose to stay in town. The word “in-
nipúki” (literally “indoor demon”) is a
colloquial term for a person who just
wants to stay in. Among the artists
performing are Countess Malaise,
Gugusar, Kvikindi, Moses Hightower,
Torfi and Xiupill. Weekend passes
are a cool 9.900 ISK – they’re availa-
ble now on tix.is.
Go_A Returns To Iceland
Iceland Airwaves Announces
Final Lineup
Tickets On Sale For Innipúkinn
Music Festival
WORDS Jóhannes Bjarkason
IMAGE Art Bicnick
Veterans of the Icelandic un-
derground hip-hop scene, Þórður
Ingi Jónsson and Alfreð Drexler
are meeting up at Þórður’s place in
Reykjavík’s West End. Þórður, better
known by his moniker Lord Puss-
whip, is in Iceland for a few weeks
before returning to his home in
Los Angeles. “You’re not allergic to
cigarettes or anything?” they ask
me as they smoke a pack between
themselves over the course of our
conversation. They drink Tuborg
Classic from a large can but pour it
into a glass.
Þórður and Alfreð are the brains and
brawn of Reykjavík’s newest record
label, Heavy Knife Records. With a
focus on underground music, the la-
bel has demonstrated prolificacy out
of the gate, with music by unknown
artists springing seemingly out of
nowhere, fully formed and excellent.
Heavy Knife Records was formally
established in June 2022. The diver-
sity of genres represented on the la-
bel’s roster is what sets it apart from
others operating in a similar capac-
ity. They’re dabbling in everything
from indie-rock and pop to hip-hop
and electronica. “We have diverse
tastes,” Þórður explains when asked
why they represent such a breadth
of genres. Alfreð adds, “We’ve been
asked if we want to limit the music
we release. My only reply has been,
‘Why?’ We find music we like and we
think it deserves recognition.”
PERFECT TIMING
“We’ve been with each other since
the day we were born,” Þórður says
of the pair’s relationship. “First at
the maternity ward, then at the same
pre-school, then elementary, sec-
ondary and until now,” Alfreð contin-
ues his thought.
“Alfreð is the brawn. I’m the brains,”
Þórður quips.
Despite their shared upbringing,
they strike me as completely oppo-
site types. “We sometimes joke that
if we wouldn’t have raised each oth-
er, I would’ve become the jock giving
Þórður wedgies,” Alfreð jokes.
Having been active in the music
scene for over a decade, founding
a label seemed like a logical next
step. Both Þórður and Alfreð have
come up in auxiliary roles in the
scene; Þórður as a curator and men-
tor, Alfreð as a producer. “People
had been encouraging me to start a
label, but I never gave it any mind,”
Þórður mentions. Alfreð interjects,
“You’ve always been such a curator,
finding music and hyping it.”
Þórður says the project – like so
many – was borne out of COVID. “I
had fled the States when COVID be-
came a serious thing. If I remember
correctly, it was at that time when
I started seriously considering the
idea,” he says.
The duo had previously released a
few titles under the label’s name,
although the releases were fairly
informal. “I used the opportunity to
launch the label with my album, Lord
Feature Students Of The
Game
Dissecting the underground label Heavy Knife Records
If we wouldn’t have raised
each other, I would’ve become
the jock giving Þórður wedg-
ies.