Kaelo, Kiasmos, Rökkurró and Samaris have been confirmed as the first Icelandic acts to play Europe’s most important live music showcase festival and conference. Iceland will be the focus country at Eurosonic Noorderslag's 29th edition taking place in Groningen, The Netherlands from January 14th to 17th, 2015.
Long acknowledged for the depth and innovation of its homegrown music talent - epitomised by bands like The Sugarcubes, Sigur Ros and Of Monsters & Men; and by festivals such as Iceland Airwaves that attract thousands of visiting music fans each year - Iceland has recently enjoyed a surge of international successes, with the number of overseas performances by Icelandic artists more than doubling between 2012 and 2013.
The four bands confirmed for Eurosonic Noorderslag are indicative of this diversity: ranging from the electronic experimentation of Kiasmos and Samaris through to the indie pop-rock of Kaleo (who were selected by European Broadcasting Union member radio station RUV/RAS2) and Rökkurró.
Sigtryggur Baldursson, MD Iceland Music Export said:
“Iceland’s music community is in the midst of some massively exciting developments, so to be invited as Eurosonic Noorderslag’s focus country for 2015 is perfect timing as well as a great honour. A combination of our homegrown festivals, a targeted export programme, Reykjavik’s establishment as an international touring destination and the continued success of Icelandic music abroad has resulted in the emergence of a new generation of artists. The likes of Kaleo, Kiasmos, Rökkurró and Samaris are all unique and individual talents, and I hope today’s announcement will offer just a small taste of what to expect next January.”
Peter Smidt, creative director Eurosonic Noorderslag added:
“For many years we have enjoyed the incredible amount of unique acts to come out of this small European country. We also have been amazed by the quality of Icelandic acts that have performed at previous editions of Eurosonic Noorderslag. We are looking forward to put a spotlight on all new Icelandic talents by doing the focus on Iceland at Eurosonic Noorderslag in January 2015.”
