Music Discovery Digest #2 | Iceland Edition

Iceland Edition: Complete musical history from 1980s punk to Oscar-winning composers. Björk, Sigur Rós, múm, plus discoveries. Beyond algorithms.

🎼 Music Discovery Digest #2: Iceland Edition Playlist

Welcome to the second Music Discovery Digest! After receiving positive feedback from the first newsletter, I decided to create something more specific and concept-based—and I had a lot of fun researching it. I need to remind you: I created this blog to learn more about the music I’ve been listening to for years and to discover new things. I’m learning alongside you, but this time I got really excited diving deep into Iceland’s music scene.

I first discovered Icelandic music through Sigur Rós after I started listening to post-rock giants like God Is an Astronaut and Mogwai. But my main curiosity came from the living nature of this island itself. How does such a small island have this massive effect on world music, creating so many amazing artists like Björk, Sigur Rós, múm, GusGus, Of Monsters and Men, and Hildur Guðnadóttir? What’s the reason behind it? They’re all futuristic and unique artists trying something completely different, not following mainstream habits. Sigur Rós, for example, produces music so unique that I can’t call it standard post-rock—they use creative elements and genuine ideas that set them apart. This week, I focused entirely on researching Iceland’s music history and discovered amazing things to share. It was genuinely fun reading and learning about their musical journey. They’re a small but brave island.