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Hello and welcome to the drop in.
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We're here at the Vikovic Grapefun offices.
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Talk to people who drop in at the office.
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Although the other thing still happens.
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By our request, you mean.
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Our request, yeah.
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So this time around we have with us Pan Torensen, who organizes a music festival in Iceland called Extreme Chill, which is taking place September 2nd to 6th this year, and is the 17th incarnation of that festival.
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Pan has been running this festival uh since its beginning.
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Yep.
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And today we'd like to talk about the history of the festival a bit.
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And most notably who you're running the festival with, which I think is.
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And the fact that you also run a store, a label, and you're also a musician.
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Yeah.
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So that's uh we'll try to get through all of these things.
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Uh yeah, let's start though with the the fact that you run this festival.
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Welcome.
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Sorry.
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Thank you.
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Thank you for having me.
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Welcome, Pam.
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Thank you.
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Yeah.
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But you run this festival with your father, which is I find fascinating because uh, you know, like usually music is such a clash between generations, and this is kind of a music that I would think would clash with generations.
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But instead, you and your father and your wife run this together, am I right?
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Yes, that's true.
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And that's that's been the case more or less since the beginning?
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From the beginning, yes.
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From uh basically uh 2008.
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Me and my father we were like recording a new album.
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Uh we are in this uh Ampian trio called Stereo Hypnosis.
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Yeah.
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It's me and my father and and and Thorky Latlason, uh the guitarist.
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Uh 2008 we were in Hadley Santus, it's nevisness, and we were re recording our our second album, Kip Nagokia.
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Okay.
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And uh we stayed in uh in a house that like a family house.
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Uh so we built like a studio there inside.
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And we were there for some weeks recording it.
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And uh remember like one of our breaks, we went outside for a walk.
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And uh I think it was Saturday or something, that was like in the in the summer.
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And uh we walked by this uh strange uh small uh like uh music house, like a community house at Hadlessenter.
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And they had like a concert there.
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We we could hear the music outside.
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So we went inside and and check it out, and it was like this crazy cool stage.
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Okay.
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And people playing and and people in town having fun, partying.
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And it was really funny, like playing like old Icelandic songs uh on the stage.
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What what what instrumentation were they using for this?
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Sorry?
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Uh what what what instruments were they using to play the old Icelandic songs?
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It was like no, it was live band.
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Yeah, yeah, okay.
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You know, on the stage.
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And we just went inside because we were just like curious to see what was.
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I think like straight away when we walked in, it was like really cool old cinema, like really really cool house.
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So we had this idea to have our release concert there 2009.
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And uh so 2009 we had a concert there in Hattle Center and it was amazing.
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Like a lot of people came from uh Reggie Wake.
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We had Snorra Housmans on with us and Reptilecus and like a lot of cool artists before we played.
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And then after the concert, of course we went back to Reggie, but I went home and uh we were like uh talking about it some weeks after.
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We need to do something more.
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It was so much fun.
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Maybe bigger, like maybe a small festival.
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And uh then 2010 we we uh started you know the first edition in Hadless Hunter.
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There's something special about the the accessibility of snifflessness from Reykjavik.
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It makes it like the ideal escape.
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Yeah, like Hadless Hunter is really it's uh really I don't know, it's a strange place a little bit, you know.
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It's like uh we always called it like Sompy Town.
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Yeah.
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It's nobody on the streets.
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No, you know, it's you know it's summer, it's good weather, but nobody's everywhere is inside.
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It's so it's so strange.
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And it's not many tourists there during that time.
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It was not many tourists, like 2008-9.
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Right.
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Because it's not a ring road, you know.
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You need to take like a you know the other direction, baby.
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The other direction.
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And the tourists at the time they all only went their their wing road.
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But today, of course, Sniper's Nest is more busy, of course.
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Well, today it's today it's a little bit busy.
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In a couple of days it's gonna be very busy.
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Yeah.
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Yeah.
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That's because we're we're speaking uh just before the August falls eclipse.
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So it was really I mean it's it's also like Snipersness on the north side of the peninsula, which has Hatless Hunter also has uh Stickisholmer and Olaswik.
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Uloswick, uh Grunterfirr.
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And Grunterfiller.
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So it has four villages, variously sort of lively, so to speak, but all sort of like old villages.
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Stickisholmer being the UNESCO World Heritage fishing village.
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Yeah, and and in those places that used to be quite lively uh during the middle of the last century and into the eighties when we had the quota system arrive, they would build community halls.
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They would have swimming pools usually.
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Like these would like these places would have infrastructure, and then as you describe it, you then have a kind of a sleepy-esque town, but it still has things, like that community hall you were mentioning.
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Yeah, like if you're talking about like because I heard you talk about swimming pools.
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Because it it in this in this area on Snavisness, it's no hot water.
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So that's why it's it's it's no swimming pools in Snevisness.
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And we say no hot water because most of the country has essentially free geothermal hot water that's run off.
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Well, the north side is scarce on on hot water.
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The south side has some.
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So there's like uh Well, I can't remember the name now.
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Lisohslög has that's still open, I think.
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That's like a pool, natural pool that they have and built probably to teach kids how to swim.
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And then there's um is it called Hettlelo next to Eltburg, which is kind of like well, almost not on the peninsula.
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It's almost in Mirar, but it's technically I think a part of the peninsula.
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So there's some down there, but not a lot on the north side.
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I think it's one indoor swimming pool in Olesvik.
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Yeah.
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Oh yeah, I I mix those up all the time.
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Ah yeah, yeah.
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Me me too.
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Uh is it Olasvr or Olesvik?
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It's Olaf's Fjörder.
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It's Olaf.
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No, no, it's Olazvik because it's Alvik and Olazfjörder.
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So that's how I remember it.
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That one is weak and the other is further.
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So it must be the same.
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I think so.
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The other Olaf's thing is in the north.
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I'm sorry.
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Yeah.
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So so you did it.
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So you had the festival in 2009, and then the release concert in 2009 and it becomes a festival, yeah.
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Yeah, it's sorry, in 2010.
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Yeah.
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2009, 10, and then, you know, yeah.
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It starts mainly 2010.
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Yeah.
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So when did you start deciding it's gonna be just nothing but drugs?
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Now I'm just joking, but this became a scandal later on.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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Somehow it became uh it became uh like a culture clash because so many key people from the city of Reykjavik came out.
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It seems like we had some kind of weird incident where uh you know, is this like uh locals versus townies versus uh out of townies when one day is the they kind of get rated at the at the festival.
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So yeah, that's that's the big big quote unquote scandal, the 2015 rate, police rate.
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Yeah.
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We should put it in quotes because nothing much was found, but it was raided.
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No, it was a lot of ransacking and a lot a little not that much turned up.
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Uh no, but it's it's it's almost I don't know.
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It's like let's call it what it is.
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It's basically police harassment in a sense.
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It was, yeah.
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Yeah.
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And I mean, uh you feel uncomfortable about that statement.
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Uh take a deep breath whenever we talk about police.
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Uh yeah, but well, I mean uh it's it was I think it was disproportionate.
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And I we were talking about it before recording that you know, if you if you take took like first of all any festival happening outside of Reykjavik and you decided to basically frisk every single person, you would find something.
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And as you pointed out, if you went to a a music venue as posh as our concert hall here and r frisked everybody, something would come up.
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So it became like a big story at the time, and then went to the courts and it kinda like yeah, it didn't really go exactly the way police the police wanted to go.
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It was but it kind of puts you off sniffers' nest, yeah, at least for the time being.
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But in the end it was.
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I'm really happy now, you know, it happened.
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Really?
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Because now we're in Reykjavik, you know.
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And it's it's it's more fun and and and we have you know it's getting bigger and like everything is more easy, of course, to organize.
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It feels more influential, maybe now that it's in Reykjavik.
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Is that possible?
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It's it's it's you know, now we can use the venues we have here.
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Yeah.
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Oh, and uh it's more easy set up, of course.
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And you're not gonna be as influenced by like the weather when it comes to everything is indoor.
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Yeah.
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And when you started, it was maybe an escape, like a vacation, but now it's like a part of the um culture of the community.
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I feel like it's uh I was saying to you before we started recording, which is always smart for an interviewer to do all the interview before you interview.
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Uh anyway, that looking at your lineup, this is kind of the heart of Reykjavik music now.
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It's like um these are actually you you mentioned that at one point this was a chance for people who did a different kind of music to play, but now this is kind of the dominant form of live music.
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Uh do you feel that's true?
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Like that the the the people you're that are performing this year are the more influential, active, like what we say in the business, working musicians in town.
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Yeah.
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Yeah, good say.
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Yeah.
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And also the festival now is it's so changed.
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It's more like uh I call it I call it like more like a concert venue festival.
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You know, it's it's it's all always we have seated.
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Uh it's it's seated concerts all the time.
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Okay.
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And uh it's only up to twelve max, eleven thirty, so it's you know it's not much party anymore.
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It was more it was more party in the beginning, of course.
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Uh now it's more concerts.
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Uh it's light it, you know, amazing visuals, lights, and it's like really you know it's uh I w I will I will say more professional then in the beginning.
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Absolutely.
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In fact, it seems to be one of the more professional music festivals probably running because you've been doing it for so long and you're professional in all other regards.
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Yeah.
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Um yeah, the music thing is like given the we were looking at the grapevine and and noting that we had the stupid coverage of um this this drug bust, and I'm like, you know, this is the least likely place to see drugs in the in the city now.
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But if but if but if you go back to 2015 with the with the cop best.
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Yeah.
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In the end, it was the best PR I I've ever got.
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Oh, okay.
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Yeah.
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You know, it was in the news for almost two weeks.
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I was like, I was I wasn't I can't I can't believe it.
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Like I was I was opening media like every day for two weeks, it was always something about it.
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Yeah and you know, people were calling me interviews like endless, and people talking about it on Facebook and it was so good, PR.
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And you know, now people cravel and like in some strange places in Iceland.
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I'm I'm I'm I I'm not saying cravelers is a strange place.
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Right.
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But like all these suburbs and like also small villages all over like people that didn't know about electronic music.
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Now everybody knows Aston Chill.
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Yeah, yeah.
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You know, I'm meeting people like randomly on the streets, like just you know, normal people that you know don't understand Ampian music or something.
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But they they but they know what Axe Chill is?
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Ah, the corpus, yeah, yeah.
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You know, pro proving the the saying all publicity is good puzz publicity.
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That's the thing.
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I guess.
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Yeah.
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Because I because when it happened, I was so scared because because this is our our baby, you know, it's like in our festival, and I was I was really scared like it's they're gonna ruin it.
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Yeah.
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And then in the end, like, I don't know, it it's it's it's great.
00:13:18.799 --> 00:13:36.559
I think I want to touch upon a point which has to do with uh how a lot of creative projects in this country uh are essentially not financially feasible, uh but are still done.
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We're gonna refer to your life's work now and ours.
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And ours, yeah, yeah.
00:13:41.200 --> 00:14:09.519
And I think I think it's worth framing it as as as what it is, and with regards to a lot of different things we're not gonna mention, like you know, culturally, yeah, that the fact they take place is not because you can make money out of them very much, but because people want to to make them happen or do the thing, whether it's music, art, festivals, a magazine, or whatever else.
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I think it's important to like for an international audience to understand that within that tiny um economic system that Iceland is, that is usually the the resource.
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That's that's how it happens.
00:14:22.399 --> 00:14:29.519
Yeah, this is uh this is something this is something we talk we talk about uh around our uh Mocha Master Coffee Maker.
00:14:29.679 --> 00:14:29.919
Yeah.
00:14:30.080 --> 00:14:33.039
Um that uh sounds more expensive than it is.
00:14:33.440 --> 00:14:44.799
We we do get a lot of questions from foreign journalists uh that frame the discussion in an awkward way where they say, how can there be so much talent in a small country to have produced so many musicians?
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And uh I uh you know I grew up in a music community in Wisconsin and uh we all played at probably at the same level that you see around here.
00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:58.000
However, do you bother putting it out?
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Do you bother showing up?
00:14:59.279 --> 00:15:01.200
Do you bother running a festival every day?
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Do you have the uh I wouldn't say it's not work ethic, it's uh but it's something similar to work ethic.
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It is an ethic, um, like a social ethic.
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Do you have the ability to force people to come and and participate?
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Um, and that might be um I that's something that is lacking elsewhere, and that is those those muscles are kept up here.
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I mean, through people like you.
00:15:23.360 --> 00:15:33.679
And I think our social ethic of running a newspaper when obviously we're taking a huge pick at to run a newspaper instead of going doing legal decisions like Yondi and I did when we weren't doing this.
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Paid a lot better.
00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:35.759
Yeah.
00:15:36.000 --> 00:15:41.759
Um yeah, but it's it's uh you know, you are a good example of of exactly this.
00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:51.360
I mean, um, because you not only do you run this festival out of sheer love, uh you also run a store downtown and you run a label.
00:15:51.600 --> 00:15:51.840
Yeah.
00:15:52.000 --> 00:15:55.919
Me and my my wife Kurun, we we are running Space Odyssey together.
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Yes, which is uh in Pakistas across the street from uh Cafe Baron.
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Our our best bar.
00:16:02.159 --> 00:16:02.240
Yeah.
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Cafe party.
00:16:05.440 --> 00:16:06.639
Or or or not?
00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:10.399
Wow, that's well cafe barren and this is my favorite bar.
00:16:10.799 --> 00:16:11.279
It is your favorite bar.
00:16:11.440 --> 00:16:11.840
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:16:12.080 --> 00:16:18.399
It's it's it is it is uh an institution, it's been there for 30, whatever, how many years at this point?
00:16:18.720 --> 00:16:24.879
It is it is our old bar, it is our old habit, and and it it is famously featured in isn't it's in one-on-one Reykjavik movie.
00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:25.440
Yes.
00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:26.799
Um what other movies?
00:16:27.360 --> 00:16:27.840
Yeah.
00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:29.679
Probably in some other movies.
00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:42.799
And I know I know Space Odyssey well because uh I was shopping at at Reykjavik record shop and Yonni, who's a fantastic record store owner and releases music, demanded I walk across the street to your record shop.
00:16:42.879 --> 00:16:43.360
Yeah.
00:16:43.840 --> 00:16:46.320
Which I think says a lot again about the community here.
00:16:46.399 --> 00:16:49.120
They're like, oh, if you like this record store, you'll love that one.
00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:50.399
What?
00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:53.360
You're sending me out of your shop to go shop somewhere else?
00:16:53.600 --> 00:16:56.320
Um this is this is typical Reykjavik.
00:16:56.559 --> 00:16:57.200
It's I love it.
00:16:57.360 --> 00:16:57.519
Yeah.
00:16:57.919 --> 00:16:59.919
Be all friends, you know, have having fun, you know.
00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:00.240
Yeah.
00:17:00.399 --> 00:17:00.879
You know what I mean?
00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:01.759
There's no competition.
00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:02.559
It's not.
00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:19.599
And you only uh Reykjavik record shop is a great place for me when I'm looking for, I believe I was picking up uh uh Muddy Waters record uh because uh I am uh sometimes slightly a dad in my tastes.
00:17:21.440 --> 00:17:25.359
But um and he reminded me that I should uh take check out some.
00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:30.480
Yeah, yeah, with the Muddy Waters uh music taste, but it means you like you have a dad's dat.
00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:32.640
Yeah, I'm like a boomer dad sometimes.
00:17:34.160 --> 00:17:37.359
Yeah, that kind of it's a great album though.
00:17:37.519 --> 00:17:39.200
Uh anyway.
00:17:41.920 --> 00:17:48.799
But Space Odyssey is is this yeah, more cutting-edge store with custom selections that everybody in town knows about and everybody in town goes to.
00:17:48.880 --> 00:17:57.119
And if you're coming to Reykjavik and you're getting because the Reykjavik record shop, they have their their picture was on um Finn Wolfhard's uh live performance.
00:17:57.200 --> 00:17:59.200
Here's wearing uh here's wearing this.
00:17:59.519 --> 00:18:00.400
Yeah, the t-shirt, yeah.
00:18:00.640 --> 00:18:00.960
Yeah.
00:18:01.200 --> 00:18:12.319
And uh and that's one thing, you know, like you want something that says Reykjavik, but when you're in Reykjavik, you want to do space odyssey for actual like some final pressings that you really are gonna have trouble accessing.
00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:14.880
Even I moved here from Seattle, it'd be hard to get in Seattle.
00:18:15.119 --> 00:18:19.359
Yeah, like like we do, like you know, how many record shops is now Reiki?
00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:21.200
It's like five shops, right?
00:18:21.359 --> 00:18:22.480
It's five record shops?
00:18:23.119 --> 00:18:24.799
No, not five or six, like downtown.
00:18:24.880 --> 00:18:25.039
Yeah.
00:18:25.359 --> 00:18:27.039
Plus the new one coming investor buyer.
00:18:27.119 --> 00:18:27.920
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:18:28.559 --> 00:18:32.079
I mean, you could I guess you can't count Alta being in Taiwan.
00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:34.240
And then you have it's many.
00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:36.640
It's not it's it's still relatively few.
00:18:36.880 --> 00:18:43.359
Yeah, but but uh like tourists that come to you know to Ray, they're in shock how many record shops is in Rio.
00:18:43.599 --> 00:18:44.000
You know what I mean?
00:18:44.079 --> 00:18:45.680
Like and it's true, you know.
00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:46.960
I was like, yeah, that's true.
00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:58.079
It's it's quite well it's I think it's the direction things will go in the future in the rest of the any in the rest of the world where they're moving away from kind of disposable culture.
00:18:58.240 --> 00:18:58.400
Yeah.
00:18:58.640 --> 00:19:07.200
I think uh physical media is clearly making a comeback and the record shop is the is the first embodiment of it.
00:19:07.599 --> 00:19:16.960
I mean you can an example of a a similar thing is, you know, we had more bookstores traditionally than we have had in the past two years.
00:19:17.200 --> 00:19:21.920
But just in the past three or four years, I think three or four small bookstores opened up.
00:19:22.160 --> 00:19:24.480
Yeah in and around 101 Recolig, certainly.
00:19:24.720 --> 00:19:27.039
Which is uh kind of in that lane in a sense.
00:19:27.279 --> 00:19:27.519
Yeah.
00:19:27.680 --> 00:19:27.839
Yeah.
00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:34.480
So uh that's that uh that that that would agree with that, with that uh with the same sort of thing.
00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:44.160
And one thing the record stores remind me of though is uh the what they used to say about Icelandic music is uh the reason there's so many good Icelandic musicians is nobody wants to sound like the other person.
00:19:44.319 --> 00:19:44.400
Yeah.
00:19:45.839 --> 00:19:49.839
And uh the record stores are not mirror images of each other.
00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:54.240
There's not there's no, you know, it's night and day difference in each well.
00:19:55.039 --> 00:19:59.119
No, that it's it's the thing I love about these record shops.
00:19:59.279 --> 00:20:07.759
We have downtown now, like nobody is it's it uh everybody has their like their specialty, like you know what I mean.
00:20:07.839 --> 00:20:32.559
It and like space on the you know, we are more focusing on like uh experimental ambient, electronica, jazz, world music, really limited editions, how to get a lot of Japanese music, uh and then you have you know like a record shop and Toltona and all the shops, you know.
00:20:33.440 --> 00:20:49.920
You know, it's it's it's beautiful and and like uh and also that we do, like if somebody comes to my shop they are looking for some music I don't have, I just tell them to go to Yone or you know Laurence in Toltona or or Smackless Sour, you know what I mean?
00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:52.480
Yeah, you know, I'm I'm just pushing them.
00:20:52.799 --> 00:20:55.279
Yeah, you're gonna find your favorite record shop in the world.
00:20:55.359 --> 00:20:55.839
It's gonna be here.
00:20:55.920 --> 00:20:56.640
It's gonna be one of the things.
00:20:56.799 --> 00:20:58.720
Yeah, and they and they do the same, you know.
00:20:58.880 --> 00:20:59.279
Yeah, yeah.
00:20:59.440 --> 00:21:04.559
If people walk to Toltona or something and they're I'm looking for this on Peter, yeah.
00:21:05.359 --> 00:21:07.359
Go to Space Odyssey to come to think of it.
00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:11.519
I mean, it's a relatively easy, uh quick walk to hit each of those four.
00:21:11.920 --> 00:21:13.359
Like it's uh it's an article.
00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:15.680
Yeah, like these four.
00:21:15.839 --> 00:21:16.079
Yeah.
00:21:16.319 --> 00:21:18.720
It's a m you know, it's Space Odyssey Toltonar.
00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:18.880
Yeah.
00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:22.799
Yeah.
00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:23.039
Wow.
00:21:23.279 --> 00:21:27.200
And then of course Lucky Records is a little bit little bit uptown.
00:21:27.920 --> 00:21:37.680
And I Lucky Records is a little bit less um God bless them, but it's it's more of like uh quantity over quality in my opinion.
00:21:38.079 --> 00:21:39.680
It's less specific, I would say, yeah.
00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:42.000
It's less specific in the selection.
00:21:42.319 --> 00:21:42.799
Less curated.
00:21:42.960 --> 00:21:43.839
Yeah, less curated.
00:21:43.920 --> 00:21:57.119
Uh and like I I probably shouldn't be bringing the major label into this, but uh I did want to pick up a very specific rock album from the eighties uh that uh that I got there.
00:21:57.759 --> 00:21:58.079
In Lucky.
00:21:58.240 --> 00:21:58.559
In Lucky.
00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:00.640
Yeah.
00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:01.119
Oh okay.
00:22:04.880 --> 00:22:06.960
And yeah, they had two copies of it.
00:22:07.200 --> 00:22:09.359
But you could probably also find it in in Lucky Records probably.
00:22:09.599 --> 00:22:09.839
I tried.
00:22:10.079 --> 00:22:24.559
I thought you know, sometimes you get get lucky that you've so I mean if you're looking for major label stuff that is kind of off the beaten major label track kind of if that makes sense.
00:22:24.720 --> 00:22:25.119
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:27.599
You know, niche major label stuff.
00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:28.000
Yeah.
00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:39.680
But um uh while running this festival now for the 17th time, so it starts by you and your father recording an album out in Hadisantur.
00:22:39.920 --> 00:22:40.079
Yeah.
00:22:40.240 --> 00:22:42.880
You have been a recording artist for quite some time.
00:22:43.039 --> 00:22:43.359
Yeah.
00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:49.039
Uh and we should like let's let's uh get a get a bit into that.
00:22:49.119 --> 00:22:59.759
I feel like like if memory serves me right, you've been doing this as a recording artist longer than this magazine has existed, and therefore my personal presence in this town.
00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:00.160
Yeah.
00:23:00.319 --> 00:23:02.720
So you've been so you've been you've been around for a while.
00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:04.000
A while, yeah.
00:23:04.240 --> 00:23:05.200
A long, long time.
00:23:05.519 --> 00:23:09.279
In in many projects and and uh and many names.
00:23:09.920 --> 00:23:12.880
Yeah, it's like yeah, like with Iceland Irvice.
00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:18.400
I I I always look, you know, when you think like how how many years I've been to music?
00:23:18.640 --> 00:23:20.160
Then you always think about Iceland Iris.
00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:21.200
It's so funny, you know.
00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:27.200
Like like ah, you know, when when you first played Iceland Iris, what year was it?
00:23:27.680 --> 00:23:29.119
For me, it was 2004.
00:23:29.519 --> 00:23:30.160
Yeah.
00:23:31.279 --> 00:23:32.960
Also, also 2004.
00:23:33.359 --> 00:23:33.920
Okay, there you go.
00:23:34.240 --> 00:23:36.559
Or four or five, or five, maybe five for me.
00:23:36.799 --> 00:23:39.279
So it's so like okay, then I was that old.
00:23:39.359 --> 00:23:40.480
It's like okay.
00:23:40.720 --> 00:23:43.440
So it's it's really I don't know, it's it's good to see it.
00:23:43.599 --> 00:23:44.160
Those were good years.
00:23:44.480 --> 00:23:55.599
It's good to see it through the time frame of Iceland Iris sometimes like because it's and like you know, Iceland I was 2004, it was 2004, five, six.
00:23:55.680 --> 00:23:56.720
These were really good years.
00:23:56.960 --> 00:23:57.519
Amazing.
00:23:57.680 --> 00:23:59.119
Uh it was it was.
00:23:59.200 --> 00:24:04.720
I mean you mentioned also seven and eight and nine, you know, but when Krimur came in, it was really good.
00:24:04.880 --> 00:24:05.519
Yeah.
00:24:06.240 --> 00:24:14.000
Oh, I I think we were we had a ended up with an interesting role in the airwaves that Rake of the Grapevine did with our daily papers.
00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:17.759
And then but I also felt like we kind of made it into almost a fishbowl.
00:24:17.839 --> 00:24:32.559
Like even for me performing it was a number a level of attention that I wasn't comfortable with because you would be a small band, but then you'd be in a huge stage and surrounded by like music journalists, and everybody knew everything you did suddenly.
00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:35.599
And um it was more than I could tolerate as a young person.
00:24:35.839 --> 00:24:37.279
But it was so cool, you know.
00:24:37.519 --> 00:24:44.000
As in Tabus at the time, in the beginning, and and with and with the grapevine, it was so close, you know.
00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:46.000
You know, they worked so close together, you know.
00:24:46.160 --> 00:24:46.559
Yeah, we did.
00:24:46.720 --> 00:24:51.119
And Grapewine, they wrote article for each day, you know.
00:24:51.359 --> 00:24:53.920
Yeah, and it was it was my favorite, you know.
00:24:54.319 --> 00:24:54.720
Thank you.
00:24:54.960 --> 00:25:03.119
After after you know, if after I played or my friends, you know, to find the paper and read how how did they like it?
00:25:03.279 --> 00:25:03.920
Which paper was.
00:25:08.000 --> 00:25:10.400
Sometimes they were like, ah, it was shit, uh, it was amazing.
00:25:10.720 --> 00:25:11.920
Like, yeah, you know, you know what I mean.
00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:12.720
I do.
00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:25.759
It was just fun to read, and you and you I think it was an interesting moment also because it was it was literally for those years, it was uh whatever it's called, like a discovery festival or whatever you call these things where um Nobody knew anybody.
00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:27.759
Showcase festival?
00:25:28.079 --> 00:25:28.480
Ah, yeah, yeah.
00:25:28.640 --> 00:25:29.279
It was a showcase festival.
00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:30.160
It was showcase festival.
00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:40.960
So it was a time that random quote unquote rap bands that had never played outside of Iceland were kind of uh exposed to uh basically journalism.
00:25:41.279 --> 00:25:43.440
Both local and international.
00:25:44.400 --> 00:25:49.440
Yeah, and the audience was really eager, and there was not the same ability to even consume the music before you got there.
00:25:49.599 --> 00:25:52.480
You literally had no idea what you're going to get.
00:25:52.880 --> 00:25:53.119
Yeah.
00:25:53.279 --> 00:25:56.799
There was uh the yeah, you couldn't Spotify your way through it at that time.
00:25:57.519 --> 00:25:58.240
Exactly Spotify.
00:25:58.799 --> 00:26:02.079
So you wouldn't know much, so you kind of had to take this on.
00:26:02.799 --> 00:26:08.799
Well, you would just have to decide whether or not you like the name of the band or the short description somebody wrote for on the band.
00:26:09.279 --> 00:26:13.680
Or check out the line in front and see if the line of the people did you want to go into a concert with?
00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:20.319
And then you had like uh, you know, everybody who had gotten off stage would then rush off to the next show.
00:26:20.559 --> 00:26:22.559
So you would be playing four other bands.
00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:25.599
It was like an amazing period of time in internship.
00:26:26.960 --> 00:26:28.319
And we had so many cool venues.
00:26:28.559 --> 00:26:28.960
Oh yes.
00:26:29.279 --> 00:26:30.400
That is now closed down.
00:26:30.640 --> 00:26:30.880
Yeah.
00:26:31.599 --> 00:26:35.279
What was so what was what was the first band you played airwaves with?
00:26:35.680 --> 00:26:41.599
Uh I think it I think it was under my my my solo project, uh uh Beatmakin' Trooper.
00:26:41.759 --> 00:26:42.160
It was called.
00:26:42.480 --> 00:26:42.880
That makes sense.
00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:43.119
Yeah.
00:26:43.599 --> 00:26:44.319
2005.
00:26:44.400 --> 00:26:47.839
I think my first my first album came in 2005 with that project.
00:26:48.079 --> 00:26:48.480
Yeah.
00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:51.039
And what venue did you play at Airwaves that first year?
00:26:51.440 --> 00:26:55.680
It was maybe 2004 with my hip-hop band, uh Twisted Minds.
00:26:56.160 --> 00:26:56.319
Okay.
00:26:56.640 --> 00:26:57.119
Yeah, okay.
00:26:57.440 --> 00:26:58.799
But but uh I'm not sure about this.
00:26:59.759 --> 00:27:03.839
But I think I think about uh 2005 when I put with Pitman Trupper.
00:27:04.240 --> 00:27:15.920
But uh and then you know with uh different projects with with Ionis Parmazone and then uh of course with my father.
00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:24.799
Yeah we played there I think we played first Airways together 2007 until every year, until 2016.
00:27:25.039 --> 00:27:26.000
And you stopped at that point?
00:27:26.240 --> 00:27:27.279
Because Greamer quit.
00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:30.720
And I was like, now it's over.
00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:31.599
Now it's over.
00:27:32.160 --> 00:27:32.799
You know, for me.
00:27:32.880 --> 00:27:33.200
Yeah, yeah.
00:27:33.359 --> 00:27:33.920
You know what I mean?
00:27:34.000 --> 00:27:42.079
And and and and and I and it and what and it and it was true for you know for me, you know, you know, music-wise.
00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:46.559
Yeah, I think uh But they're a little bit, I think they're a little bit there again.
00:27:47.200 --> 00:27:47.680
Getting there again.
00:27:47.839 --> 00:27:50.319
I was gonna say we were really surprised this year with the quality.
00:27:50.640 --> 00:27:52.319
Yeah, 2025 was pretty good.
00:27:52.559 --> 00:28:09.839
So um because I had gone in 2023 and disliked it enough not to go back in 2024, and I felt in 2025 that there had been a seismic shift in in how they were well, what bands they were booking and and what that produced.
00:28:10.079 --> 00:28:15.279
So it was a lot better, I thought, sort of an exp an experience than it had been two years earlier.
00:28:15.519 --> 00:28:16.880
So I think they're up their game.
00:28:19.599 --> 00:28:26.079
I have I have some questions about how they organize the lineups and and and and stuff like that.
00:28:26.319 --> 00:28:27.759
But at least there was a lot of good stuff to do.
00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:28.960
I I thought it was fascinating.
00:28:29.039 --> 00:28:36.400
I think the fast festivals get fascinating as we spend so much time working with them as a magazine and then uh as a performer.
00:28:36.480 --> 00:28:38.480
I've I've been at a lot of festivals.
00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:44.480
For me in general, uh a showcase festival like airwaves would be unpleasant.
00:28:44.799 --> 00:28:53.279
Whereas uh Extreme Chill, where it's um a curated uh experience, is more of a I mean, obviously it's not my genre, but in a different genre.
00:28:56.079 --> 00:29:13.279
But for what you're doing, you you mentioned like people said you know they don't know electronica, but they know Extreme Chill, because it's not exactly electronica, it's like a it's a subtype what you're doing is a little bit obscure like I don't know, mixed, you know, uh a lot of underground music, of course.
00:29:13.519 --> 00:29:25.440
But uh but like last year's uh our headliners, it's more in the beginning it was all about to have one or two huge names in electronic scene.
00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:31.680
Like you know, we had Tanton Dream, we had like Rogerino played uh the Orb.
00:29:31.759 --> 00:29:38.799
Like so many people have played here, like through S N chill Rotellius, like endless names.
00:29:39.119 --> 00:29:50.400
And then I think 2000 and uh just when we opened a Space Odyssey three years ago, uh we changed a little bit uh the the curation of it.
00:29:50.559 --> 00:29:57.119
Like you know, I I would more to represent artists that I'm selling in the shop also.
00:29:57.279 --> 00:29:59.119
So it was a little bit connected, right?
00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:04.480
And uh like upcoming artists a little bit, you know.
00:30:04.799 --> 00:30:08.319
A little bit like that uh Islet Erbage was in the beginning, you know.
00:30:08.640 --> 00:30:13.119
They had bands playing and then one year later they were like super famous.
00:30:13.359 --> 00:30:15.680
Yeah, you know, that was that was the sweet spot.
00:30:16.000 --> 00:30:18.480
So so they got them on on right time.
00:30:18.640 --> 00:30:18.799
Yeah.
00:30:19.200 --> 00:30:21.680
Yeah, that was their philosophy back then, and they were kind of doing it.
00:30:22.079 --> 00:30:23.279
So that's the thing we are doing now.
00:30:23.359 --> 00:30:28.799
We we are getting artists on on a perfect time because we know they are getting huge in one version.
00:30:29.039 --> 00:30:34.079
But I think the whole art of knowing that is the deeply difficult and hard thing to do.
00:30:34.319 --> 00:30:34.559
Yeah, yeah.
00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:37.680
You you you you that is like you need to be like dive, like really deeply.
00:30:39.839 --> 00:30:45.599
Yeah, and uh like you know, when we had Calemalone playing, you know, these uh these shoots now.
00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:49.599
And uh, you know, of course it's all about money, you know.
00:30:49.680 --> 00:30:50.880
You know, you need to pay fee.
00:30:51.440 --> 00:30:55.119
And you know, when we got cut her, we got her on on on the perfect time.
00:30:55.279 --> 00:30:58.000
Um now she is super expensive.
00:30:58.240 --> 00:31:16.400
Yeah, but if you like the being able to uh to identify almost with precision what is going to blow up is uh very hard and requires a lot of well how should I put this insight.
00:31:16.720 --> 00:31:17.440
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:31:17.839 --> 00:31:20.960
And you can't that is something you you can't prove.
00:31:21.279 --> 00:31:22.640
That is yeah, you can't buy that.
00:31:23.039 --> 00:31:23.839
No, no, no, no, no.
00:31:24.000 --> 00:31:26.319
It's just well how is if you run a record store.
00:31:26.640 --> 00:31:27.519
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:31:27.680 --> 00:31:30.000
But I mean it's just so much it's so much work.
00:31:30.240 --> 00:31:39.839
But it it's a lot of but but we are also it's one thing also that we changed 200 like four years ago.
00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:47.440
We we started uh work with uh like uh like a two network uh networking uh projects.
00:31:47.599 --> 00:31:51.440
Oh with uh all the all Nordic festivals.
00:31:52.079 --> 00:31:54.079
We have like a net a network.
00:31:54.400 --> 00:31:54.720
Okay.
00:31:55.279 --> 00:32:04.079
Uh like all the experimental festivals in in in Norway, Sweden, you know, Finland, Denmark and and Iceland.
00:32:04.319 --> 00:32:13.680
And I think that helps also because then we we can curate all the festivals, like have ideas who's playing.
00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:30.240
So we we try to not make the same lineup, but you know, we can have it's others to have idea what what we are gonna book and and uh it's also project that we can we have budgets for sent artists between the festivals.
00:32:30.559 --> 00:32:43.200
So I can get artists from Denmark over Sweden to my festival, and I will and I and I can send Icelanders Icelandic artists to the uh to other festivals, like and and and that has been like a crazy adventure.
00:32:43.440 --> 00:32:51.279
And I have been sending like so many Icelandic artists to these festivals and a lot of connections have last years.
00:32:51.839 --> 00:32:54.160
That's that sounds sounds pretty perfect.
00:32:54.400 --> 00:33:03.119
So it's a really it's an amazing network and we also visit every month in in these uh countries, you know.
00:33:03.359 --> 00:33:03.839
Oh really?
00:33:04.640 --> 00:33:15.039
Yeah, like like big meetings and so I can go and check out the festivals and you know see what what they are doing and they come to my our festival.
00:33:15.359 --> 00:33:17.839
This suggests the direction we're going as a newspaper as well.
00:33:17.920 --> 00:33:20.720
So we've been communicating with the Nordics.
00:33:20.880 --> 00:33:26.880
So it's a huge like Nordic, you know, yeah, you know, Nordic project.
00:33:27.119 --> 00:33:27.440
Yeah.
00:33:27.680 --> 00:33:33.519
And uh now we start another one, another network called Nerds.
00:33:34.240 --> 00:33:37.200
I saw that was a sponsor on the company festival.
00:33:37.359 --> 00:33:37.440
Okay.
00:33:37.759 --> 00:33:46.240
So now we are including also festivals from from Baltic from from Latvia and uh Lithuania and Germany also.
00:33:46.480 --> 00:33:49.359
So it's it's it's it's getting bigger, the the network.
00:33:49.599 --> 00:33:56.079
And you know, and we're getting more money in you know for for traveling and and and and stuff.
00:33:56.319 --> 00:33:59.119
So it's it's it's really so you can't just use Spotify?
00:33:59.200 --> 00:33:59.680
I don't understand.
00:33:59.759 --> 00:34:03.759
I thought Spotify would just curate everything and you could just Spotify.
00:34:04.000 --> 00:34:05.200
Oh, I guess what are you talking about?
00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:06.240
Wait, this is all online.
00:34:07.519 --> 00:34:10.159
I'm really trying to you know stop using Spotify.
00:34:10.239 --> 00:34:12.719
You know, oh yeah, but but it's it's it doesn't take much effort online.
00:34:13.199 --> 00:34:13.840
It's a terrible service.
00:34:14.079 --> 00:34:15.840
Uh you never really did use it, did you?
00:34:16.239 --> 00:34:16.559
No.
00:34:16.719 --> 00:34:21.920
Um uh but unless you listen to a podcast on it, and then it's amazing.
00:34:22.159 --> 00:34:22.400
Yes.
00:34:22.559 --> 00:34:25.280
Unless you're listening to this podcast, this is uh Spotify is amazing.
00:34:25.360 --> 00:34:27.360
If you're not torch it.
00:34:27.599 --> 00:34:36.480
Uh so um I think we should end by discussing the lineup and where you can get tickets for 20 minutes.
00:34:36.800 --> 00:34:42.639
And since it's limited seating, yeah, there's a priority to kind of hurry up and book the tickets, right?
00:34:42.800 --> 00:34:44.480
Because this isn't like airwaves with a kick.
00:34:44.719 --> 00:34:45.440
It's like five days.
00:34:45.519 --> 00:34:49.679
It's getting look, it's it's gonna be I'm gonna be tired after this.
00:34:50.000 --> 00:34:50.960
It's uh it's a long festival.
00:34:51.199 --> 00:34:54.800
Yeah, it's a long festival and it's wait that's longer than Iceland Airwaves is right now.
00:34:55.119 --> 00:34:55.679
Yeah, it is.
00:34:56.639 --> 00:34:59.599
If it's like about it, three days maybe at this point.
00:35:00.000 --> 00:35:02.639
It used to be uh five, but I think it's just three.
00:35:03.039 --> 00:35:04.079
Well, I mean it's fascinating.
00:35:04.159 --> 00:35:10.000
Yeah, I mean we're uh we're certainly talking about other festivals in Iceland Airwaves in context, but uh they're they have different goals, I feel like.
00:35:10.239 --> 00:35:12.000
Significant different goals, these festivals.
00:35:12.159 --> 00:35:27.039
Yeah, so yeah, it's possible Iceland Airwaves is shorter, but I I really Iceland Airwaves uh it played a huge role in all of our lives, and it's still going on, but it's um I think they did a smart thing in contracting that and making it more of a showcase for the city.
00:35:27.119 --> 00:35:27.280
Yeah.
00:35:28.800 --> 00:35:35.920
But uh for a true music nerd, I think music nerds actually can have a great time in Ice and Airwaves, but there's other things.
00:35:36.079 --> 00:35:45.440
This might be more something that um an aficionado might have, and the the timing is great because um because it's a slightly smaller festival than airwaves.
00:35:45.599 --> 00:36:00.880
I think you're able to get this kind of more um more uh optimal time because September 2nd through through 6th is if you were telling somebody an ideal time to visit Reykjavik, that would be it, right?
00:36:00.960 --> 00:36:03.360
Because you don't have to deal with the permanent sun.
00:36:03.519 --> 00:36:06.880
You get enough you get enough sleep, you still get the good weather.
00:36:07.039 --> 00:36:11.599
Um and you're not coming out in November, which might be out in no I mean I sketchy at best.
00:36:12.079 --> 00:36:23.920
I have so many good good feelings for November in Iceland, but uh if it's your first time or if you just yeah, want to see some of the countryside at the same time as the festival, if you're doing a week, probably the September is more ideal.
00:36:24.400 --> 00:36:26.880
It's it's it's good, it's good weather.
00:36:27.119 --> 00:36:27.599
You know.
00:36:28.800 --> 00:36:32.000
It's it's milder, it's it's definitely less blizzardy.
00:36:32.480 --> 00:36:35.599
Yeah, I don't know if you get the hotel discounts at that point yet.
00:36:35.920 --> 00:36:39.519
Well Uh the I think the problem with September.
00:36:39.920 --> 00:36:40.159
Yeah.
00:36:40.320 --> 00:36:46.880
To be organized to or or organizing a festival in September, it's getting more tough because it's still high season.
00:36:47.119 --> 00:36:49.280
Yes, high season is the so that's that cost.
00:36:51.199 --> 00:36:51.760
Yeah.
00:36:52.079 --> 00:37:03.360
And uh and we have been having we we had a meeting like two weeks ago and we we were talking about to maybe move the festival into October?
00:37:03.519 --> 00:37:04.000
Into the winter.
00:37:04.239 --> 00:37:04.880
Into the winter, yeah.
00:37:05.039 --> 00:37:05.599
Early winter.
00:37:05.840 --> 00:37:05.920
Okay.
00:37:06.239 --> 00:37:06.960
Maybe February.
00:37:07.039 --> 00:37:07.280
Yeah.
00:37:07.440 --> 00:37:08.559
Because it's nothing happening.
00:37:08.719 --> 00:37:09.360
There is nothing happening.
00:37:09.519 --> 00:37:11.920
And and it's my dream to have it in February.
00:37:12.159 --> 00:37:18.239
I mean, that is I mean, if people are coming for the music and maybe for the countryside if the weather allows it.
00:37:18.400 --> 00:37:19.679
Yeah, like Northern Lights and stuff.
00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:20.320
Why not?
00:37:20.400 --> 00:37:22.880
Because you could see northern lights, but be careful driving in February.
00:37:23.199 --> 00:37:28.159
Yeah, but uh February is is I mean, there's nothing going on.
00:37:28.400 --> 00:37:33.679
No, and also because I'm looking about all our you know, this this network with all this festival.
00:37:34.159 --> 00:37:40.880
All uh it's like 10 festivals networking, and everybody have the festival in September, you know, in the same time.
00:37:41.119 --> 00:37:41.280
Yeah.
00:37:41.440 --> 00:37:45.679
It's nothing, it's one festival in January, uh CTM festival in Berlin.
00:37:46.079 --> 00:37:48.079
So it would be perfect to have it in February.
00:37:48.400 --> 00:37:49.039
But we will see.
00:37:49.280 --> 00:37:51.679
Yeah, that's uh I think I I think that could be worked with.
00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:57.119
So maybe we will have two festivals in no September and another one in February.
00:37:57.280 --> 00:37:58.320
That's gonna be something.
00:37:58.559 --> 00:38:01.199
Uh yeah for but we will see.
00:38:01.519 --> 00:38:02.400
But uh lineup.
00:38:02.639 --> 00:38:03.519
Yeah, lineup, sorry.
00:38:03.840 --> 00:38:04.239
Lineup.
00:38:04.800 --> 00:38:10.880
Yeah, uh lineup this year, it's gonna be I'm really excited about it.
00:38:11.199 --> 00:38:14.000
It's a lot of young upcoming artists.
00:38:15.280 --> 00:38:20.079
Uh if you talk about the Headlanders, it's been a dream for a long time to have him.
00:38:20.159 --> 00:38:24.320
Uh Dito Kurs is from uh from Japan.
00:38:25.119 --> 00:38:31.199
He is one of my uh one of my heroes when I was uh started making music when I was a teenager.
00:38:31.519 --> 00:38:36.800
Okay and uh yeah I think he's turning 60 something, sixty five.
00:38:38.559 --> 00:38:42.079
He's not he's not uh a teenager anymore.
00:38:43.119 --> 00:38:44.159
But he's amazing.
00:38:44.320 --> 00:38:50.719
He's like uh he's he's he's like my one of my heroes in in in in the trip up scene.
00:38:51.360 --> 00:38:58.960
Uh like I remember when I was twenty something, I don't know, young young producer.
00:38:59.280 --> 00:39:05.519
Yeah, it was it was always this question are are you are you Titi Seato or Titi Crus guy?
00:39:06.000 --> 00:39:13.039
Oh right, the two it was like yeah, it's like yeah and and I was al always a crush guy.
00:39:13.199 --> 00:39:14.480
That's the stones or beatles.
00:39:14.719 --> 00:39:15.280
Exactly.
00:39:15.360 --> 00:39:17.039
It was it was the same.
00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:19.679
So it's so I'm by the way, I'm stones.
00:39:19.920 --> 00:39:21.679
So I'm I'm looking really forward to have him.
00:39:21.760 --> 00:39:26.880
And and and I think people are like it's yeah, it I think people need to buy a ticket really fast.
00:39:27.119 --> 00:39:30.239
And he's playing in in Kamalbeo on the third.
00:39:30.800 --> 00:39:33.039
So you also have uh youth.
00:39:33.679 --> 00:39:35.280
Oh my god, let's talk about that.
00:39:35.599 --> 00:39:36.480
Let's talk about youth.
00:39:36.559 --> 00:39:36.880
Yeah.
00:39:37.039 --> 00:39:38.639
Uh are you familiar with youth?
00:39:38.800 --> 00:39:39.199
Yeah.
00:39:39.440 --> 00:39:41.679
Uh so Killing Joke?
00:39:41.840 --> 00:39:42.079
Yeah.
00:39:42.320 --> 00:39:43.280
He's the bass player, right?
00:39:43.519 --> 00:39:45.119
He's the bass player and Killing Joke.
00:39:45.199 --> 00:39:45.280
Okay.
00:39:45.440 --> 00:39:48.639
And speaking of people who don't like uh the Beatles, Martin Glober.
00:39:48.960 --> 00:39:53.760
Uh he did three albums with Paul McCartney called Fireman.
00:39:53.920 --> 00:39:55.679
Fireman, he's in that project.
00:39:55.840 --> 00:39:56.800
Uh sorry.
00:39:56.960 --> 00:40:06.400
Why why did you know you know when I announced him, yeah, I got like missed calls from random people in Reggie.
00:40:06.719 --> 00:40:08.880
Yeah, I mean it's uh what the hell is going on?
00:40:08.960 --> 00:40:09.920
It's youth coming.
00:40:10.000 --> 00:40:19.199
It's like he's one of the no joke, he's one of the best, one of the most famous like studio guy.
00:40:19.280 --> 00:40:26.320
Like, you know, he had been recording album with metaph with with Lee uh Lee Scotch Perry, sorry.
00:40:26.480 --> 00:40:30.400
Lee Lee Le Lee Scottsperry and of course Scratch Perry, yeah.
00:40:30.480 --> 00:40:34.960
Yeah, yeah, and and of course with uh Paul McCartney, the fireman thing.
00:40:35.840 --> 00:40:41.920
And Killing Joe, he had been working with Orp, Roger, like everybody.
00:40:42.000 --> 00:40:46.719
He's and and he's running the studio called Space Mountain in Spain.
00:40:47.360 --> 00:40:54.239
And that's a legendary studio, like a lot of people are recording there in the 70s and 80s.
00:40:54.480 --> 00:40:57.199
And he's also running a music festival there.
00:40:57.440 --> 00:40:57.599
Okay.
00:40:57.920 --> 00:40:59.679
Called Space Mountain Festival.
00:41:00.239 --> 00:41:02.559
And uh Yeah, it's really crazy.
00:41:02.639 --> 00:41:07.679
Like this this is one of the these crazy things that happen with XMTL.
00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:10.719
Like sometimes things come to you, you know.
00:41:10.800 --> 00:41:13.920
He he just texts me email, you know, can I accomplish?
00:41:14.559 --> 00:41:16.079
Oh, well, that's a really difficult one.
00:41:16.320 --> 00:41:21.840
Yeah, and and it's uh and it's the same with uh last year, you know, when Matt Black came.
00:41:21.920 --> 00:41:22.400
Yeah.
00:41:22.719 --> 00:41:31.840
He's he's he he's the the other part of uh you know, he uh cold cut and uh the founder of Nintertune records in in UK.
00:41:32.159 --> 00:41:32.400
Wow.
00:41:32.639 --> 00:41:37.920
He also he just caught just phone called me and like can I come at Mix Master Morris' house?
00:41:38.400 --> 00:41:40.960
Because because this is all through Mix Master Morris.
00:41:41.679 --> 00:41:48.400
If you talk about Morris, Mix Master Morris, he's the he's our we can't say like resident teacher.
00:41:48.559 --> 00:41:50.320
He had been coming every year for Resident Evil.
00:41:50.800 --> 00:41:52.480
Okay, and and play Mix Master Morris.
00:41:52.719 --> 00:41:53.599
And is he coming this year?
00:41:53.840 --> 00:41:54.079
Of course.
00:41:54.239 --> 00:42:00.800
Of course, and and he's uh the the most legendary uh ambient lounge teacher of all time.
00:42:01.119 --> 00:42:01.440
Okay.
00:42:02.239 --> 00:42:08.159
And uh of course he's friends with uh Macht and uh and youth and everybody.
00:42:08.239 --> 00:42:15.679
So uh so it's like we're all getting friends, you know, me and Morris, we are great friends, and now we have have a new friend coming, youth.
00:42:15.840 --> 00:42:18.480
Yeah, and and and always new people coming in.
00:42:18.719 --> 00:42:28.239
So it's like that that's the thing about Aston Chill, it's it's different than other festivals because people come here, play and chill.
00:42:28.800 --> 00:42:31.679
You know, we talk, we we we talk about the future.
00:42:32.079 --> 00:42:34.239
What can we can we make some collab?
00:42:34.559 --> 00:42:35.840
Can we make music?
00:42:37.280 --> 00:42:41.760
You know, it's not it's not about just come and play and go home, you know.
00:42:41.840 --> 00:42:45.920
Like you know what I mean, like in tech festivals you you have it's it's about it's communal.
00:42:46.000 --> 00:42:46.559
It's about community.
00:42:46.880 --> 00:42:58.960
It's really yeah, it's a community, and like it's it's it's amazing and uh and people just want to have a time to talk, you know just relax, you know.
00:42:59.280 --> 00:43:02.000
And uh and that that's the beautiful thing about it.
00:43:02.079 --> 00:43:14.159
And I think uh you know, like Gary Ansen came here first time 2012 and played, you know, Piesfer from from Norway.
00:43:15.360 --> 00:43:19.679
And then he came back 2015 because he he really wants to come back.
00:43:19.840 --> 00:43:20.239
Yeah.
00:43:20.400 --> 00:43:22.159
So you know people want to come back, you know.
00:43:22.239 --> 00:43:23.199
They ask me, Can I come?
00:43:23.280 --> 00:43:24.000
You know, can I come?
00:43:24.079 --> 00:43:24.960
Can I come again?
00:43:25.119 --> 00:43:27.760
So it's it's it's uh that's so beautiful thing about it.
00:43:28.159 --> 00:43:32.400
I would love to continue this, but this is also such a perfect note to ant on.
00:43:32.880 --> 00:43:33.199
Okay.
00:43:33.679 --> 00:43:34.239
I think.
00:43:34.639 --> 00:43:44.320
Like like I I think this this aspect like, oh, you you know, we we like similar music, you come uh you come and play, we've become a community.
00:43:44.400 --> 00:43:45.280
It's a communal thing.
00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:46.079
We chill together.
00:43:46.320 --> 00:43:48.239
Yeah, we plan other projects together.
00:43:48.320 --> 00:43:55.039
So I guess Well, I think that feeling of collaboration though comes across in in your other endeavors.
00:43:55.199 --> 00:43:55.360
Yeah.
00:43:55.519 --> 00:43:57.119
And I and I'm curious, yeah.
00:43:57.280 --> 00:44:07.119
I I I'm thinking more of of my background of More the singer-songwriter and uh obviously rock and roll, which can be competitive and less collaborative.
00:44:07.280 --> 00:44:08.320
I wonder if do you feel that?
00:44:08.480 --> 00:44:11.199
Like the certain genres may be more collaborative.
00:44:11.440 --> 00:44:14.320
I think these things can happen with small festivals in Orm.
00:44:15.199 --> 00:44:18.079
It's more easy to do things like this.
00:44:18.480 --> 00:44:25.199
I can also see how it's uh partly personal because you were really uh nice to hang out with.
00:44:25.519 --> 00:44:29.280
Yeah, yeah, we it's it's it's it's no stress.
00:44:30.159 --> 00:44:38.239
And and also, of course, it's Iceland, it's you know like you guys know, like everybody loves Iceland still.
00:44:38.400 --> 00:44:40.559
Yeah, and uh want to come here anytime.
00:44:42.079 --> 00:44:43.920
So that's of course also helps.
00:44:44.159 --> 00:44:47.440
But I think but so many festivals have come up and disappeared.
00:44:47.599 --> 00:44:48.480
Yeah, of course that's true.
00:44:49.119 --> 00:44:50.159
But yours has lasted.
00:44:50.239 --> 00:44:53.679
Yeah, and yours has last has formed lasting collaboration, so there's a difference.
00:44:53.840 --> 00:44:55.199
Yeah, of course, yeah, yeah.
00:44:55.280 --> 00:44:56.079
It it that's true.
00:44:56.159 --> 00:44:57.519
It's of course it's a difference, yeah.
00:45:01.679 --> 00:45:06.480
Yeah, we like like our band, Stereo Hypnosis, you know.
00:45:06.559 --> 00:45:14.079
We we I think we probably made like three or four albums just through Action Chill, you know, with artists that played here.
00:45:14.320 --> 00:45:19.039
You know, we met albums with Peter Otellius, it was recorded in a week in a church.
00:45:19.760 --> 00:45:21.119
Also with Christopher Chaplin.
00:45:21.360 --> 00:45:22.079
We met another album.
00:45:22.159 --> 00:45:27.519
We had like a concert in Fri Kirchan and Erto Bernucci, the Italian guitarist.
00:45:27.679 --> 00:45:36.320
So it's like a lot of it's not only the common play, we also meet in studio and work and and uh play live concert together with artists.
00:45:37.199 --> 00:45:50.480
And and uh so it's it's a lot of lot of cool things we can do and and uh also I think you came for the festival in in Faroe Island.
00:45:50.639 --> 00:45:51.920
Oh yeah, G Festival.
00:45:52.239 --> 00:45:54.800
No, no, G, that uh the scraft one.
00:45:55.280 --> 00:45:56.159
I didn't go I didn't go for that.
00:45:56.239 --> 00:46:02.880
No, you did not go, but we but but two I think two people came from the grapevine from yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:46:03.039 --> 00:46:07.280
Because we're also doing uh it it is unit in in Faroe Island.
00:46:07.440 --> 00:46:08.000
Oh yeah, yeah.
00:46:08.880 --> 00:46:10.400
Yeah, you as in this.
00:46:10.880 --> 00:46:11.360
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:46:14.159 --> 00:46:14.800
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
00:46:14.880 --> 00:46:19.280
And uh and it's another we are doing another festival in in November.
00:46:19.599 --> 00:46:20.400
Oh great.
00:46:21.119 --> 00:46:32.400
And it's gonna be more like it's been more like eclectic, you know, like mixed up a lot of genres like uh rock, electronic, but now it's gonna be more electronic this year.
00:46:32.639 --> 00:46:32.800
Okay.
00:46:33.039 --> 00:46:35.440
And I will tell you about more later about that.
00:46:35.760 --> 00:46:37.119
But I told you something.
00:46:37.599 --> 00:46:43.519
Like I I I like I like this community sort of like core of this.
00:46:43.679 --> 00:46:56.800
I think like for people who are interested in music and community and want to come here and attend this festival in September, it's extremechill.org for tickets and information about the lineup.
00:46:56.880 --> 00:47:00.159
We haven't we just kinda nippled at the lineup.
00:47:00.400 --> 00:47:01.840
It's quite extensive.
00:47:02.079 --> 00:47:04.480
Uh so please check that out.
00:47:04.880 --> 00:47:08.239
And uh check out Space Space Odyssey, yeah.
00:47:08.480 --> 00:47:08.800
Sorry.
00:47:09.599 --> 00:47:11.440
Check out the Space Odyssey record store.
00:47:11.679 --> 00:47:15.760
Yeah, on uh Bakstas Rate Day, uh across the street from Cafe Break.
00:47:17.119 --> 00:47:19.199
Uh check out your label.
00:47:19.280 --> 00:47:19.760
Yeah.
00:47:20.960 --> 00:47:23.599
Check out uh your body of work.
00:47:23.840 --> 00:47:28.400
Yeah, and we're also doing that's the thing we I sometimes forgot to tell about.
00:47:28.559 --> 00:47:32.000
We have a live concert in in Space Odyssey every Thursday.
00:47:32.079 --> 00:47:32.159
Yeah.
00:47:32.480 --> 00:47:33.119
Six o'clock.
00:47:34.239 --> 00:47:36.800
We have been doing that for two years.
00:47:37.440 --> 00:47:44.239
So that that's that's really so if you can't make it for the festival, you can you can make it every Thursday.
00:47:44.559 --> 00:47:48.079
If you're in Reykjavik on a Thursday, come to Space Odyssey at 6 p.m.
00:47:48.239 --> 00:47:53.199
and maybe start your day by going to the other uh record shops on the way and complete your circle at 6 p.m.
00:47:53.440 --> 00:47:53.519
Yeah.
00:47:54.079 --> 00:47:54.800
It's really perfect.
00:47:54.880 --> 00:47:58.480
It's only like 30-minute sessions, like it's it's not long.
00:47:59.280 --> 00:48:01.679
And it's of course everything recorded.
00:48:02.000 --> 00:48:04.079
Also YouTube channel and uh Oh nice.
00:48:04.320 --> 00:48:09.440
And also everybody that play, they have a tape release, like cassette release, so it's uh also recorded on cassette.
00:48:10.079 --> 00:48:10.800
Oh, beautiful.
00:48:11.039 --> 00:48:12.480
Every every performance.
00:48:15.199 --> 00:48:16.800
Yeah, let's do make it a direction.
00:48:17.039 --> 00:48:23.039
That's uh I am also I'm a I'm a huge devotee of uh physical media and trying to convince Yonny to do the same.
00:48:23.360 --> 00:48:24.400
But that's gonna be a cool idea.
00:48:24.639 --> 00:48:27.199
I mean I'm like a cassette series of podcasts.
00:48:27.519 --> 00:48:30.159
I'm trying to improve as a human being in so many ways.
00:48:30.480 --> 00:48:33.280
Uh thank you, Pan, for for dropping in.
00:48:33.519 --> 00:48:33.840
Thank you.
00:48:34.079 --> 00:48:35.440
This has been fascinating.
00:48:35.679 --> 00:48:41.519
Uh again, for tickets or more information to the lineup for extreme chill, go to extremechill.org.
00:48:41.760 --> 00:48:45.519
It takes place September 2nd through 6th this year.
00:48:46.239 --> 00:48:50.880
And it's the 17th festival, 17th festival in in uh in a row annual.
00:48:51.280 --> 00:48:53.280
So, yeah, thank you and goodbye.
00:48:53.360 --> 00:48:54.400
Thanks for listening and watching.
00:48:54.719 --> 00:48:55.199
Thank you.