Airwaves time!

It's that time of year again: Airwaves time. You're about to witness a unique community of musicians that has grown from the seeds of The Sugarcubes. Today's Icelandic music scene mixes and mashes contemporary genres; its participants often produce awe inspiring albums that defy expectations and classifications. In recent years, this sparsely populated island in the North Atlantic has produced hordes of world- class bands: the most famous artists of course being Björk and Sigur Rós, but many more have branched out of the island, obtaining record deals and cult followings internationally. The festival is such a successful event that many people come back for a second or third time once they've experienced it. A huge percentage of the festival-goers are from the international music press, much more so than at any other European festival. And Iceland Airwaves is just as beneficial to the City of Reykjavik as it is to all those aspiring musicians. Tickets to the festival sell out very rapidly and the large influx of tourists brings not only life to the city but excellent international PR. Airwaves is greatly responsible for Reykjavik's status as a cool capital. It seems to be the consistency of the festival that's so successful - it was a masterstroke when the organizers gave up the big concerts in Laugardalshöll and instead concentrated on getting as many cool bands as possible to play at various venues located in the city centre. Every year, the party draws you in deeper. You get caught up in a stream of people bar-hopping slightly more urgently than usual. Musicians all try to outdo each other living the rock and roll lifestyle. You could be forgiven for thinking that life is always like this in Reykjavik.

anna@reykjavik.com