Iceland Airwaves: Friday's Picks

After a day of hot dogs and hot tubs we left the confines of our hotel in the eye of the storm to see some incredible artists, here are our favourites.

Moonface with Siinai

Midnight’s just crept by, and we’re in Reykjavik’s Þýski Barinn/Deutsche Bar to witness one of our most highly anticipated performances of the weekend. A packed room awaits the arrival of Wolf Parade’s Spencer Krug, performing under his solo moniker of Moonface along with Finnish band Siinai. Passionate and engaging as ever, Spencer Krug captivates his audience instantly with his distinct vocals, his graceful, poetic lyrical style and his intense, stirring performance. ‘Quickfire, I Tried’ and ‘Teary Eyes, Bloody Lips’ are stand out tracks this evening, with the gritty setting of Þýski Barinn/Deutsche Bar lending itself perfectly to the songs. Ending with an immersive rendition of ‘Yesterday’s Fire’, the band depart the stage, leaving resonances of what was a truly special show vibrating around the room.

Photograph by Sebastien Dehesdin

Ólafur Arnalds

I last saw Ólafur Arnalds play a show around two weeks back, at a turn-of-the-century East London music hall. He was then, as is his tonight, his usual affable self: sensitive, funny and poignant. Tonight’s set is generously arranged to pay tribute to the talents of each performer (Arnalds and two incredible musicians on cello and violin respectively) and also the patience of the audience. There’s a distracting amount of camera noise during the quieter moments of ‘Poland’ and when Arnalds gently scalds the photographers, it’s for the benefit of everyone in the room, not just the trio onstage. Kudos must also go to Viktor Orri Árnason’s incredible violin work, which is given a unique mid-set chance to shine. The performance is ultimately a stunning reminder of the magic that exists in Iceland that such a unique and beautiful music can come into being; Ólafur Arnalds should be a fixture at every Airwaves.

Photograph by Sebastien Dehesdin

FM Belfast

Delivering the best set of my evening, the Icelandic electro-pop five-piece transform Harpa into a rave and what their slightly kaleidoscopic electro pop lacks in depth it makes up for in euphoria. Pure distilled euphoria seen through a serious 90s lens. In fact everything they do seems indebted to 90s, mixing the Balearic elements of St. Etienne with unmistakable R&B keys to create something that harks back to the glory days of Eurovision, hell in an alternate universe these guys could even win.