Live Review: Iceland Airwaves - Reykjavik 2013 (Day 3)

Different Locations, Reykjavik, Iceland
30th October to 3rd November 2013
Iceland Airwaves Day 3: Samuel Jon Samuelsson Big Band, Valdimar, John Grant, Apparat Organ Quartet, Omar Souleyman

The first day of November saw 12 ON venues for Iceland Airwaves, the Amsterdam, Frikirkjan, Gamla Bio, Gamli Gaukurinn, Harlem, Harpa Kaldalon, Harpa Nordurljos, Harpa Silfurberg, Hresso, Idno, Reykjavik Art Museum and Pjodleikhus Kjallarinn. Remembering experiences of the first two days, for coming days we have chosen venues inside Harpa.

The Evening started in Silfurberg with Samuel Jon Samuelsson Big Band. These guys are playing in untypical style – afro funk. The band was quite big with fourteen people. Even though it was not my style of music it was very interesting to look at them, their instruments and their original colourful clothes. What they do really have is a great team spirit and solidarity, like one big family. The band has started to play in 2007 and for this period recorded four albums. // Rating: Music 6, Performance 7, Sound 7, Light 7, Total: 6.8 / 10



Valdimar played at the HARPA Silfurberg as well. The band was initially (in 2009) planned like solo project, but finally it became a band with six members. As it is written at the official festival web-page “the genre can be described as an electro indie mix with roots in Americana”. The audience had a real fun. Nothing to be added here. // Rating: Music 6, Performance 6, Sound 7, Light 7, Total: 6.5 / 10



Singer John Grant was the next band for us at HARPA Silfurberg. This singer I would define as a remarkable and his performance is definitely in my own TOP-list of the festival. His songs are really catchy in a good way and the history of his life is no less inspiring. Born and raised in the US, he studied in Berlin (had a band “The Czars” in that time). Some years after he spent in New York, London, Berlin and in the age of 43 he moved to Reykjavik, the city where he knew no one. And he won! John recorded an album, composing music successfully and became famous. This extremely charismatic singer was spreading his energy all around the huge Silfurberg hall. His song ‘GMF’ is in my favourites now. // Rating: Music 9, Performance 9, Sound 9, Light 8, Total: 8.8 / 10



For the next band, we changed the venue inside the HARPA to HARPA Nordurljos. Apparat Organ Quartet was founded in 1999 and recorded 2 albums (2002, 2010). I have heard about these guys before and was very excited to see them. Airwaves source calls their music “Kraftwerk-inspired”. Well, I don’t know how to identify it clearly but definitely “unusual” - 100% electronic music plus robot voices. // Rating: Music 6, Performance 6, Sound 5 (very LOUD), Light 6, Total: 5.8 / 10



After Apparat Organ Quartet, I came back to the previous venue HARPA Silfurberg to listen to the singer from Syria, Omar Souleyman. Omar Souleyman was born in Ras Al Ain , Syria in 1966 and began his career as a singer in 1994. His music is an Arabic folk mixed with electronics. Omar has six albums (the latest in 2011). The work of Omar deserves a special respect because of his unique approach to folk music and international popularization of the local culture. Something extraordinary had been happening all around during the show. Unexpectedly, the area became extremely crowded and the audience was massively (and positively) driving crazy. People liked the music very much, everyone was dancing with these southern rhythms and I was barely standing in the media zone (because it was SO tight). // Rating: Music 6, Performance 6, Sound 6, Light 7, Total: 6.3 / 10




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