Hjaltalin is an exciting Icelandic band, consisting of some of Iceland's foremost pop names. Together with this year's festival profile, Silje Halstensen - Bendik, they will create brand new material for this year's Arctic Arts Festival.
Since Hjaltalín is composed of musicians from different bands, the music has also evolved as band members have come and gone. Their last album is a sparkly party for the ear, full of warmth and intimacy - but sometimes dark and gloomy. Hjaltalin's music crosses over surprisingly many genres, and features a unique chemistry between the two vocalists, Sigrid Thorlacius and Högni Egilsson. The band has an international sound and moves seamlessly between different genres and expressions, a perfect starting point for collaboration.
Bendik goes into this collaborative project with her punching pop expression - clearly inspired by an industrial cold sound. Bendik merge electronics and pop in a powerful way. She has developed a very unique sound image carried out by extreme contrasts in both text and music. Bendik balances between the sore and the strong in her message, and tops everything with her crystal clear vocal.
Bendik is the perfect match with Hjaltalín's varied soundtrack and we expect a concert characterized by two strong expressions that create musical magic together.