See What Happened When We Touched Down in Iceland for the Latest Edition of Sónar Reykjavík
Photos from our stage, radio pop-up and lectures with Moderat and Múm
Red Bull Music Academy joined forces with the Sónar team in scenic Reykjavík for the second year running to host a stage, a radio pop-up and a series of lectures at the Icelandic edition of the internationally renowned festival series.
Ringing in our 13th year of collaboration with Sónar Festival – a symbiotic relationship based on a shared commitment to nurturing local scenes – we were honored to provide a platform for a host of local and international talent as well as Academy alumni at the 2017 edition of Sónar Reyjkavík, which took place at the city’s renowned Harpa Concert Hall.
Sónar Reyjkavík Live on RBMA Radio
RBMA Radio set up a pop-up booth on the stairs inside the astounding Harpa, broadcasting conversations, highlight moments and special guests live throughout the duration of the festival. RBMA Radio hosts Shawn Reynaldo and Lauren Martin were joined by a plethora of Icelandic and international musicians and Academy alumni including Sleigh Bells, Blawan, GusGus, Marie Davidson, Oddisee, Pan Daijing, Sapphire Slows and more.
A Conversation with Moderat
“The most important advice I can give is to stay independent, which means not selling your soul to anyone else, and try to invest a part of the money you make into new things and new projects.”
Berlin super-group Moderat (comprised of Modeselektor and Apparat) joined RBMA co-founder Torsten Schmidt for a talk on the Friday of the festival. The band gave some exclusive insight into their live set-up and reminisced on the first instruments they ever bought, while also revealing their musical process as a band and describing the experience of touring their massive live show.
Throughout the lecture, the trio also shared some anecdotes and gave context to the photos featured in band member Sebastian Szary’s Backstage Tritesse book, which gives an intimate perspective into the band’s life on the road.
RBMA presents SonarComplex
At this year’s Sónar Reyjkavík, we once again hosted the SonarComplex stage, welcoming a hand-picked selection of trailblazing talent – many of them alumni or close friends of the Academy.
Besides hip-hop veteran Oddisee, noise and techno master Dominick Fernow under his Vatican Shadow guise, Dev Hynes collaborator BEA1991 and Japan’s phantasmagoric performer Sapphire Slows, a major focus of our lineup lay on recent alumni of the 2016 Academy: Montréal producer Marie Davidson, Danish composer Johan Carøe, Berlin-via-Shanghai sound sorceress Pan Daijing and Iceland’s own R&B vocalist Auður all stunned the audience with their magnetic performances.
In addition, we were excited to host the debut solo performance of Örvar Smárason from Múm, new hip-hop sensations HRNNR & Smjörvi, and abstract electronic composer SiGRÚN – all key contributors to the vibrant Icelandic music scene.
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A Conversation with Múm
“When there is that collaboration between the audience and the artist during a show, a chemistry builds up and it becomes magic. It’s like some sort of a weird orgy – everybody’s happy.”
Örvar Smárason and Gunnar Tynes, founders of Iceland’s electronic band Múm, joined host Matthias Már Magnússon of Iceland’s RÚV Radio station for an RBMA Session on the Saturday of the festival. The duo gave an inspiring talk, reflecting on their DIY ethos and how starting out in the “electronic Dark Ages” of the ’90s influenced their sound. They also revealed how breaking up as a band can kickstart a productive process of developing new perspectives.
