“Register in Iceland” and pushed for global importance “Popmatters
Two of the Iceland Airwaves of the Iceland Airwaves, the largest music festival in the country, and thus the most obvious.
The first was the breadth of the original music presented, often matching – and sometimes superior – the invited international actions. It is located in the time openings of R&b Darling Ravyn Lenae and Electropop Heatseekers Magdalena Bay, you can discover the independent band that is placed on its way in Iðno, and bombed the guitars in submission. Actress and musician Ellen Hall Shattan, Ryckavrick Museum of Art with a full band. Between her theatrical presence and writing of songs, determining what was more difficult was. At the top of the Sunday schedule, Lúpína filled the church hall on FRíkirkjan with its sleeping paragraphs on the scandal, and received an existing applause from the packed seats.
The second, in extension, is this enthusiasm, which was not only clear during the festival. Iceland may be a small country, and its ceiling may be somewhat low, but its support for its artists deepens. It is not just an audio. It is through strong government policies and initiatives. The granting of travel, educational programs, the salaries of artists, and an countless number of smaller festivals, and a group of other opportunities, help the country to turn their creativity into a profession – and the country is useful in this process.
Register in Iceland is one of these programs. The concept is simple: employing the country’s registration studio services, providing cost, and the government will support 25 % of it. Many artists residing in Iceland, from international stars such as BJörk and Ben Frost, have received smaller works like the above hall, partially payment of their projects, but not only for them; Anyone, locally or internationally, can take advantage of the program.
Livor Purinson, Director of Iceland Music, explains the power of motivation. “It is based on A very similar initiative for filmmakingHe says. “Iceland is a very attractive place to shoot movies.” It is underestimated. The amazing landscape appeared on the island – the ice pistas, the elderly basalt purposes, and the Maghra panels in Moss – in countless films and TV programs for all production budgets. According to Björnsson, the 35 % support provided to these products has benefited greatly from the Icelandic government, which strengthened tourism and increasing the country’s profile on the world stage. “We now have companies that can facilitate the production of that caliber at the highest level of Hollywood production,” he says. “It makes Iceland a very attractive place to visit as a destination.”
Based on the success of the film’s initiative, a small team of heavy experience in the music industry has drafted a note to the Icelandic conference urging a program similar to recording sound. “What is actually required for a program like this to wake up speed is that you have to run it over the highest level of the government. Congress must pass a law, so if your project fits the program standards, the law says they must pay you.”
Such a project may be linked under the typical bureaucratic obstacles in a larger country, but the law passed relatively quickly. The film program helped well, and the audio products-even the orchestra recordings, which are among the most expensive, and thus the best position to receive the percentage-often are much cheaper than that of the film, making them less than the minimum suggestion fraught with risks.
It should be noted in particular, Björnsson refers to, which is the geographical adjacent in Iceland of North America and Europe. The compulsion of getting out of the country is usually an obstacle to its original artists (“It is more expensive for us to wander instead of the bands in Europe”, because they are on the mainland, they can only take a train to the party. ” To registration abroad, this adjacent is suitable. “It makes a big difference if you are working in Los Angeles, for example, to work with us instead of a place like Eastern Europe, which is three hours in addition to travel. You can turn it more quickly, which you need. “
However, while Iceland’s record is at least partially dedicated to attracting artists abroad, it aims primarily to the advantage of those who already live in the country. Among those pressing the program, Bjornsson mentions Maria, Iceland’s music manager Maria Root Ranzdoter, who spent years before the role of the head of the Reykjavik Cultural Office. She wanted to see local artists benefit from the program, and this personally motivated her motives.
“This was the heart of the project, and this is a type of starting point,” she says. It refers to the common custom since the days they were wandering before the Icelandic signs usually help artists to finance their projects. When changing the industry and the Internet mainly, which reduces the importance of these stickers (and therefore resources), Reynisdottír felt that the government should enter and help.
“Of course, it works to strengthen studios, musicians, producers, and all of that,” she says. “But not only for people coming from abroad to Iceland. It is for you, comrades!” She uses the royal “you”, referring to a group of musicians on the Iceland Airwaves collection and those that have just started. “We have a bowl of money. Let’s use it! Let’s not leave it empty.”
It is a completely unfamiliar feeling of American ears. In 2023, in the same year of Establishing the Icelandic Music Center (With a total of 600,000,000 ISK, or approximately $ 4360,000, for its projects 2023-2025), USA National Endowment for Arts He received 226,000,000 dollars. This is a comparative amount of the king, except that it constitutes approximately 0.03 % of the government’s budget, and about 5 % of them were allocated for several music -based grants in the 50 states.
These funds are constantly at risk of evaporation, as the conservative sect in the country is more than one who wants to reduce the fund because of its ability to “waste” tax dollars on anti -America projects and sacred projects. There are additional programs, if they are minimal, are located on the basis of each case separately (Björnsson indicates Similar audio recording initiative in Louisiana). However, it is no wonder that the only successful American actions of the near past are those that allow them their treasures or their inherited ties to take this opportunity.
Of course, it is the global influence of the American music industry that weakens its government from feeling the need to provide assistance. Like many huge countries on the world stage, Iceland does not have this infrastructure. Björnsson, as a musician in works like Low Roar, remembers the move to the United States to work with managers, reservation agents and public relations companies. For him, a program like a record in Iceland is a step towards creating this type of frame locally.
However, it is worth be careful about what you wish. And as much as the local music industry in Iceland, it also allows its members to resist their creativity in the service of this. “Children here, they are not concerned about business. They are not really following the ground radio play or signing with majors. There is only this society here: creating their art and may not worry much about making it a profession.”
In fact, its small size makes the musical scene in Iceland unique and keeps its members in contact tightly. “Society here is a beautiful thing. Everyone is just one degree of separation. You can make phone calls to anyone to a large extent, and things happen very quickly. You can have an idea, and it can happen on the same day.”
This was evident at the weekend of Iceland Iceland waves; You will see one musician, such as the drama player Sólrún mjöl kjartansdótir Or dj sveinbjörn thoransen (aka Hermgervill), Emanating through several groups. Over the course of the four days at the festival, you can discover the same artists who attend the groups of others, chanting them and congratulating them after that, the smell of competition or the non -existing pursuit. As if to prove his point of view, Björnsson will lead to driving keyboards behind Klements Engelsson later on that night, as much as a participant like the facilitator.
“It is a double -edged sword, and the lack of infrastructure for the music industry here,” he confesses. “But the record of Iceland, I think it is a step in the right direction. We will be able to grow talent for a longer period, and keep more knowledge and experience here inside the island.”
