Monks done got dark, that’s the first thing that came to mind on my virgin listen to AMFJ. With dark, heavy and industrial instrumentals topped with AMFJ blasting over the top with aggressive high energy rants, creating powerfully violent noise rock.

AMFJ is one man, Aðalsteinn Jörundsson, and his project began in 2008.  Just him, some loops and a lot of feedback smothered  with powerful and aggressive vocals that bounce and shock the beats,  akin to a defibrillator being applied one’s heart.  He has an ability to take the mundane and turn it into something darkly evocative.

For me, AMFJ’s newest album, Bæn, really encompasses his back catalog well.  There are definitely different and new sounds involved, but you get an overall feel for where he’s going and what he’s doing with the tracks.  It’s heavy, and the industrial/rock feel reminds me of post 80’s Ministry.  One of my favorite tracks is Klasar:

Other tracks such as Eg er Guð, to me, sounds akin to benedictine monks waking up on the wrong side of the wooden floor.

Gigs with AMFJ contain a lot of strobes, with a man front and center usually in a tank top blasting into a mic while twisting and toggling nobs and widgets creating dark loops and echoes.  From what I’ve read, sets tend to be intense and just under and hour.

Another great thing about AMFJ, he’s a fair play artist at Gogoyoko.  Meaning he’s allowed Gogoyoko to donate 10% or more of his album sales to the 5 charities Gogoyoko supports.  So I highly suggest listening and purchasing his stuff from them.

AMFJ will be playing Iceland Airwaves and I highly suggest you check him out.   You can find him on Gogoyoko and Facebook, he was kind enough to answer my 4 questions and here are his answers:

1. What is your favorite off-venue Airwaves, or Icelandic joint to jam at?  1. My favorite off venue to play at would be Mjódd. It’s a bus station way up in Breiðholt. I played there last year and it was so refreshing to play for people who would have otherwise never heard of you. Everyday normal commuters on their way home. Bleakly standing around, exhausted after a long week at the grind. Seemingly not caring for the music very much but stayed inside the station anyway, probably because of the storm outside. Then one guy came up to me after the set, said he loved it and bought my cd and gave me beer can from the bag of multible sixpacks he was bringing home to drown his sorrows in. Said he was going to give it a good listen when he’d get home. I’m was very glad to provide the soundtrack for his miserable evening.

2. If you combine all of your favorite colors (for you, add your bandmates if you would), what do you get?  I like primary colours. Colours that make other colours, but can also just stand on their own and be them selves. I don’t have any idea how to blend them and I don’t understand how people can come up with weird colour names such as razzmatazz. I think that’s just people desperately trying to make their lives more interesting but are looking in the wrong places. I like red. if I mix other colors into it, it would probably be a different kind of red. But still red.

3. What are 3 of your favorite little known bands of Icelandic origin?   Jóhann Eiríksson an electronic musician who’s been around experimenting with noises and field recordings since the late 80’s. He’s behind acts such as Reptilicus and Gjöll and is probably the most underrated artist of our country. I have never met anyone who has such deep understanding of how sound works and what can be done with it.

Norn a black-metal crust band that have been kicking ass lately. They bring a healthy
joyful attitude to a genre that isn’t known for having much sense of humor about them selves. They are working on an album these days and Krakkkbot, another great electronic musician you should know about – is dubbing over it some bone crushing noises to crust things up even further.

Logn Young guys who play fast and furious. Extremely refreshing fury in the midst of all the market friendly cuteness that plagues the scene these days.

4. If you could be any creature playing your favorite song, what would the creature be? And what is the song.   A Sloth, playing Last Dream of Jesus by Haus Arafna