Jóel Pálsson on Finding Your Authentic Voice

Kári Halldórsson is a Reykjavík-based musician, computer scientist, educator, and inventor working at the intersection of music, technology, and interaction design. In 2023, he founded LOVE Synthesizers, an Icelandic company creating hardware instruments designed to make electronic music more intuitive.  In this episode, Michael and Kári explore the role of curiosity, experimentation, and collaboration in turning an idea into something others can play. Their conversation begins on a milestone day for Love Synthesizers: Kári has just delivered the production firmware for its first instrument, First Love. He traces its beginnings to an experiment at home, where a desire to understand FM synthesis led him to program sounds and draw waves on a touchscreen. Moving those waves around was fun—and sharing that discovery with a friend opened the possibility of making an instrument. They discuss how his experience teaching computer graphics informs First Love’s interface, which uses no words or numbers. Inspired by acoustic instruments, it invites musicians to learn through playing, discover unexpected sounds, and develop their own relationship with it. The conversation also follows the unlikely evolution of his band, Retrön, from homemade computer music to a video game and then a live act featuring two guitarists trying to keep up with a computer. Each new version brought different collaborators and possibilities, revealing a process much like the development of the synthesizer. Finally, Michael and Kári explore product development as a form of music-making: finding the song, bringing together a band, shaping the arrangement, and getting through production. Kári reflects on using his first grant to build a team, sharing rough prototypes with people who could help, and knowing when to set new ideas aside long enough to finish the one already underway. Music in this episode is made with First Love, composed and performed by Kurt Uenela.  

Magnús Jóhann is a Reykjavík-based musician, composer, arranger, and producer whose work moves fluidly across jazz, ambient, neoclassical, electronic, film, and pop music. Over the past decade he has collaborated with artists including GDRN, Moses Hightower, ADHD, Skúli Sverrisson, and Ólafur Arnalds while developing a distinct creative voice of his own. Alongside his work as a performer and composer, he is also a cultural entrepreneur, co-founding State of the Art, a festival dedicated to unexpected encounters between genres, audiences, and artistic disciplines. In this episode, Michael and Magnús explore the role of play, curiosity, and experimentation in creative practice. Their conversation begins with Magnús’s recent concert with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, where he simultaneously served as composer, arranger, and soloist, premiering a new work, somewhat ironically titled Very Serious Music. What begins as a discussion about orchestration and performance quickly expands into a broader reflection on artistic identity, humor, and the ways titles, labels, and expectations shape how audiences experience music. They also explore Magnús’s musical journey from jazz student to genre-defying composer, including the formative influence of Skúli Sverrisson, the making of his album Without Listening, and his fascination with the creative possibilities that emerge at the boundaries between genres. In addition to mixing genres, Magnús mixes instruments on stage in the style of Nils Frahm. The conversation turns to his growing relationship with the rare Ondes Martenot, an early electronic instrument whose expressive possibilities continue to inspire new artistic directions. Finally, Michael and Magnús discuss State of the Art and the challenge of creating cultural platforms that encourage audiences to step outside familiar boundaries. Along the way, Magnús reflects on collaboration, improvisation, and why some of the most interesting creative work happens when people are willing to embrace surprise. He also promises that his upcoming 30th birthday concert will be clearly titled—while remaining just as playful. (This will make sense to you once you listen!)

Ása Dýradóttir is a Reykjavík-based musician and cultural leader working at the intersection of live performance and music policy. As a bass player, she has been a central figure in Iceland’s independent music scene, performing with Mammút and collaborating across a wide network of artists including Rakel, Kaktus Einarsson, Benni Hemm Hemm, Salóme Katrín, and Nanna from Of Monsters and Men. Alongside her work as a musician, she serves as Director of Tónlistarborg (Music City | Reykjavík), where she works to strengthen the conditions for live music in Reykjavík by connecting artists, venues, policymakers, and industry stakeholders. In this episode, Michael and Ása explore what it means to be a “bass player” in both music and civic systems. She reflects on Mammút’s return to the stage at Iceland Airwaves after several years apart, and how the band’s relationship has shifted from ambition to presence, reclaiming the simple act of playing together. She describes their early process of writing without demos or sheet music, relying instead on memory, intuition, and the physical experience of sound, and contrasts that with the more fragmented, individual workflows that came later. Across the conversation, she returns to the idea that true creative work emerges through shared time, friction, and trust. They also discuss her role at Tónlistarborg, where she operates less as a front-facing leader and more as connective tissue by supporting venues, advocating for policy change, and working to sustain a fragile live music ecosystem. Ása speaks candidly about the erosion of venue infrastructure in Reykjavík, the pressures facing artists and promoters, and the importance of maintaining momentum in the face of structural challenges. Finally, she shares a deeply personal account of using music as a form of connection while caring for her parents during illness, reflecting on the relationship between sound, memory, and the brain, and why music remains one of the most powerful ways we understand and reach one another.

Úlfur Hansson is an Icelandic composer and multidisciplinary artist working across contemporary classical composition, experimental electronic music, and immersive studio craft. Based between Reykjavík and Brooklyn, his practice spans solo releases, film scoring, ensemble commissions, and production. He has collaborated with internationally recognized artists including Björk, Jónsi (Sigur Rós), Ólöf Arnalds, Anna von Hausswolff, Skúli Sverrisson, and producer Randall Dunn, with performances and works presented at festivals such as Tectonics and by the Iceland Symphony Orchestra. His work is further distinguished by his design of original instruments—including the electromagnetic Segulharpa featured in Björk’s Cornucopia—reflecting an ongoing exploration of how sound, technology, and perception intersect. In this episode, Michael and Úlfur explore creative leadership as the ability to create conditions rather than control outcomes. He reflects on his shift from tightly structured composition toward improvisation, where leadership becomes an act of facilitation—establishing the frame, then allowing something unexpected to emerge. Through his collaboration with Gyða Valtýsdóttir in the duo RÓR, he describes leadership as shared perception: recognizing when two people are oriented toward the same intangible goal and building trust around that alignment. He also discusses designing his own instruments as a form of leadership through constraint—removing excess to enable more direct, intuitive interaction with sound. Across his work in film, production, and collaboration, he moves between roles: at times serving the needs of a larger system, at others supporting an artist’s vision as a “midwife,” helping bring something fragile into form without imposing his own authorship. Throughout, he frames creative leadership not as direction, but as sensitivity—to people, to context, and to the subtle signals that indicate when something real is beginning to take shape. 

Sunna Margrét is an Icelandic artist and songwriter whose work has earned international recognition for its blend of experimental pop, electronic textures, and strong melodic structure. Her debut album Finger on Tongue received widespread critical acclaim, with The Quietus describing it as “oddball Icelandic pop that packs a dense punch, heavy with ideas.” In 2019, she co-founded No Salad Records with her partner, Stéphane Kropf. Their vinyl-focused DIY label, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, operates as a curatorial platform releasing work unified by artistic intent, independence, and experimentation.  In this episode, Michael and Sunna explore her curatorial mind. She reflects on heading out for a UK mini-tour and what she’s testing in the live space right now—how performance becomes a laboratory for choice, tension, and restraint. She revisits her 2025 set at Iceland Airwaves and walks through the craft of building a set list—where she applies preferences and constraints, and which songs she deliberately holds back—before comparing that process to sequencing an album and the discipline of setting certain tracks aside. They also discuss her founding of No Salad Records as a quiet act of resistance within a monetized, patriarchal music culture. Finally, they explore the unlikely but formative influences of Can and Frankenstein, and what they reveal about experimentation, atmosphere, and control in her work.

In this first episode of Season 2, Michael interviews Hildur Maral. Hildur is an Icelandic-Iranian music industry executive, artist manager, and co-founder of OPIA Community which is a record label, traveling festival series, and creative platform. With over two decades of experience across artist, event, and label management, she has worked with major music institutions including Universal Music Group, Coachella and Roskilde Festival, and is part of the management team for acclaimed composer and producer Ólafur Arnalds. Season 2 shifts focus from entrepreneurial behavior of artists to their creative leadership—helping others unlock their creative potential. The two discuss the launch of OPIA and how Hildur's wildly diverse career prepared her for artist development, community development, and label development. She shares how artist development is like dating and why different modes of leadership—foreground, background and "side-by-side"—are necessary in community development regardless of one's role. They discuss the importance of both "learning by doing" and "learning by education" and how she values her experiences at Kaospilot and Berklee College of Music. The conversation closes with an exploration of grassroots organizations as communities of care.  Recorded in front of a live audience on January 7, 2026 at Huldunótur in Reykjavík. 

For this special edition of Two Beats Ahead Live! in Reykjavik, Michael speaks with Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir at Iceland Innovation Week. Lóa is a Reykjavík-based visual artist, illustrator, and entrepreneur, known for her creative studio Lóaboratorium. Her work spans comics, visual art and design objects that often feature playful, character-driven stories. In addition to her visual art and product design, Lóa is a founding member of the electro-pop band FM Belfast, where her energy and creativity come to life on stage. In this short episode we talked about Lóa’s “accidental” careers, how the disruption of Covid was a catalyst for her entrepreneurship, and the supportive creative community in Reykjavík. We also discussed the joys of toys! See Loa's work here.

In this 10th episode of Two Beats Ahead Live!, Michael speaks with Jóel Pálsson, acclaimed saxophonist and cofounder of Farmers Market, an Icelandic design company and clothing brand. A five time recipient of Iceland’s Jazz Album of the Year, he has  performed in concerts and festivals in Europe, America, Canada and China and appeared on over 150 albums with various artists and groups. He is also a graduate of Berklee College of Music. Their discussion weaves together the similarities of jazz and fashion retail. They discuss taking inspiration from the past, finding an authentic voice, and working with trusted collaborators. They also discuss connecting with audiences, staying committed to iteration and the value of setting constraints to unlock creativity. 

In this episode, Michael interviews Haraldur “Halli” Thorleifsson, an entrepreneur, designer, musician, and philanthropist. Halli founded Ueno, a design agency that worked with Google, Uber, Airbnb, and many others and was acquired by Twitter in 2021. A musician before becoming a designer, he put music on hold until 2023 when he launched his project Önnu Jónu Son. Since selling his business, he’s launched a program to build wheelchair-accessible ramps across Iceland, opened and closed a restaurant, and launched a podcast. Halli has spoken previously about traumas that have formed him, from losing his mother during his childhood, to being confined to a wheelchair as an adult, and his struggle with alcoholism. He also made headlines when Elon Musk erroneously fired him from Twitter and then had to walk it back publicly. So I didn’t want to lead with any of these things because they have been well documented—though we did occasionally refer to them. In this episode of Two Beats Ahead Live! I went deep with Halli about his identity as a creator—how did he understand the connection between design and songwriting? Why has he taken up drawing? Why did he design and open his restaurant, Anna Jóna, and then close it in the course of a year? Our conversation covers these topics, as well as how Halli is letting go of perfection and embracing a beginner’s mind. We also discussed the chemistry of collaborating and how the early days of Ueno bore a remarkable resemblance to the making of his album, The Radio Won't Let Me Sleep. 

For the eighth Two Beats Ahead Live!, author R. Michael Hendrix interviews Siggi Baldursson, the renowned drummer and music executive, best known as a founding member of The Sugarcubes. He plays a key role in promoting Icelandic music globally, recently as managing director of ÚTÓN (Iceland Music), where he helped launch initiatives like the Icelandic Music Export Fund and the Record in Iceland program. In this episode, Siggi discusses the connection between the growth of tourism in Iceland and its impact on Icelandic music. He shares that the Sugarcubes began as a joke, albeit one that “blew up in our face!” He tells about the importance of communities as creative incubators and how Smekkleysa became this for him and his friends in the 80’s. He expands on this for other creative communities in Iceland and how relationships built in a small locale have a trust that encourages weirdness and collaboration. He also shares how the lack of knowing how to do things can actually be the secret to doing something exciting and new, which was especially important to the early post-punk scene in Reykjavik. Finally he shares about the changing nature of the music business and how new innovations are helping artist find audiences.