Samaris + Acre Tarn

Combining disparate elements of electronics (Þórður Kári Steinþórsson, aka ‘Doddi’), clarinet (Áslaug Rún Magnúsdóttir) and Jófríður Ákadóttir’s enchanting voice, Samaris mix glacial electronica and pulse-like beats with haunting chanted vocals – the lyrics culled from 19th Century Icelandic poems. ‘You could say the words have been delicately sewn together and in a way they already have their song, their own melody when you read them,’ suggests Áslaug. The overall effect is simultaneously ancient and modern – a sensual sound filled with dark spaces and alien atmosphere.

Within months of forming in Reykjavik in 2011, Samaris had won both the Icelandic Músíktilraunir and Kraumur Award, before the international release last summer of their two Icelandic EPs as the eponymous ‘Samaris’ further expanded horizons. ‘We want people to experience something they haven’t experienced before,’ they told a curious Dazed & Confused while glowing reviews of the album appeared everywhere from the NME to the FT.

A brand new full-length album followed in spring 2014 in the form of the haunting and ethereal Silkidrangar.

Very quickly the original aspiration of ‘just wearing funny costumes and thinking maybe we could get a gig in a bar in Reykjavik’ seemed distant as Samaris moved into the international scene, playing European festivals like Sonar, Roskilde, Green Man and All Tomorrow’s Parties Iceland, and touring with John Grant.

Now they return for their debut headline show in Manchester in support of new single Tíbrá.

‘Samaris specialise in gorgeous, haunting nocturnes’ – Drowned In Sound

Support comes from Acre Tarn: ''We are a sum of two halves, founded by chance and brought together to realise our musical craft. We're not afraid of anything when we unleash our imagination, we love beauty and we want to create something beautiful. We're explorers.'

Price: £7 adv
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