Ha'fest: Hildur Gudnadottir / Liesa Van der Aa / Mugison, Pétur Ben & BOX

ICELANDIC VIBES IN POP AND ROCK/BAROQUE

The second night of Ha'fest will be dominated by the Icelandic music scene. First, the cellist and singer Hildur Gudnadottir will share her dreamy new album Saman with you; then, the big guns will follow in a collaboration between indie rock musician Mugison, composer Petur Ben and the Belgian baroque orchestra BOX.

HILDUR GUDNADOTTIR - SAMAN

Even though the name Hildur Gudnadottir may not ring a bell, bands such as Múm, Pan Sonic and Throbbing Gristle in which she played might be familiar. In other words, she is an Icelandic cellist and vocalist with a daring avant-garde track-record. In her solo work she digs into the sound spectrum of the cello, finding hidden intimate simplicity as well as bombastic soundscapes. On her latest album Saman, released in June and the fourth under the Touch label, her fleeting voice contrasts with the richness of the cello tones. A balancing act between dark and light that leaves you perplexed.

"It’s a delicate record of balances, consisting of sparse instrumentals composed of arrangements for cello and voice, a dualistic pairing that represents togetherness — thus, Saman, which is Icelandic for “together.” (Tiny Mix Tapes)

MUGISON, PETUR BEN & BOX – THE LOOM OF MIND

The Loom of Mind includes the Icelandic indie rock musician Mugison, indie baroque group BOX, and composer Petur Ben as the glue that holds everything together to create a finely woven and rich music tapestry. Each drawing from their own background, they rework some of Mugison's old material but also experiment with new work with boundless energy. Without pattern or common thread, they weave rock 'n' roll, blues, folk, trip hop and electronica into a whimsical and baroque weft of sounds.

Indie rock musician Mugison regularly unplugs his laptop to swap it against musicians of flesh and blood. His musical landscape looks like a large, cheerful and sometimes even slightly schizophrenic playground. This is how he got to be the opening act for the alternative rockers Queens of the Stone Age and elektronica wizard Matthew Herbert, or his folky countrywoman Emiliana Torrini.

With productions like 'Sága' with Dez Mona and 'You Us We All' with Shara Worden, BOX can already boast a few interesting collaborations. And that's just been the band's basic work principle: starting from ancient music and through collaborations with outside artists they seek a confrontation with today's music.

Last but not least, Pétur Ben is a classically trained, award-winning arranger and composer for film music include Children, Parents and Metalhead by Ragnar Bragason. He also toured the world as an underground Icelandic rock star. On various occasions, together with other emerging artists from Iceland such as Kippi Kaninus, Amiina, Sigtryggur Baldursson of The Sugarcubes, he already contributed to projects with Mugison.

This concert takes place in the context of Ha’fest, the music festival (13 - 16 May) in and around Handelsbeurs.