While searching for the old website for one of my favorite record stores–the Iceland indie shop Hjollmalind (spelling? It’s been so long since they disappeared)–I found a web series called Sleepless In Reykjavik, which focuses on the most excellent Icelandic music scene.

I’ve long been hooked on Icelandic music since finding a copy of the Enigma Records compilation Geyser, which was a snapshot of the 80s Icelandic indie landscape featuring a variety of groups including Bubbi & Das Kapital, Hoh, and many others. And yes, Bjork appeared on several tracks–but not as a Sugarcube.

Icelandic music has a particular vibe not found in other places, and I’m an enthusiastic collector of groups like Baraflokkurin, Vonbrigði, and other groups that never saw the light of day in the USA, but certainly deserve their day in the sun.

So here’s an update on the Icelandic music scene–which I’ve fallen sadly out of touch with since the rise of Bang Gang and Bardi Johansson a few years ago. Sleepless in Reykjavik is a very well-produced series and I’d love to see more….the music in this episode is a bit more sedate than I expected–I’m more a Rokk I Reykjavik fan, and if you haven’t seen that documentary concert film, you’re missing quite a bit–but it’s definitely worth a look.

Does Sleepless In Reykjavik get noisier? Only future episodes (which I haven’t seen yet) will tell….
–Joe Wallace