September is a stellar month on city stages, and the best part is that the best part is completely free! I refer, of course, to the annual BAM programme (22-25 Sep). The main attractions this year all come from Reykjavik, whose music scene is disproportionately productive. The live emo techno of Kiasmos goes down well with all audiences, whilst Emmsjé Gauti and the Reykjavíkurdætur megagrrrlgroup ably demonstrate Icelandic proficiency in the field of rap. Elsewhere, Samaris and JFDR produce the bittersweet electronic pop we have come to associate with the island. Collonut, Ajuntament!
Synthetic music celebrates its roots each year during Modular Day (8-10 Sep). Aficionados of these patchwork machines will gather at Hangar for workshops and a marketplace. Complicated entertainment is also at hand courtesy of international wiring experts, and will continue at Laut on the Friday night and at BeGood come Saturday, where American Mark Verbos is worth the price of admission.
Garage rock fans will be in their element at a new and improved Gambeat Weekender (15-16 Sep). On Friday night, five bands take the Sala Upload’s stage, including London old-schooler Mike Sanchez and his Portions, Canuck psych merchants The Orange Alabaster Mushroom, and well-dressed Danes The Youth. An all-day pool party looks promising on the Saturday at the nearby Pompeia tennis club with Swiss stalwarts The Monsters and the greasy Greek sounds of Acid Baby Jesus.
For you producers trying to make an honest buck in the game, the Future Music Forum could be your ticket to unpredictable riches when your 808 intro gets picked up by a Danish foot cream advert. This year the conference pals up with the London Sync Sessions to present three days of industry insider info at Antiga Fàbrica Damm (13-15 Sep). Bods from Warner, Vevo and CD Baby will be in attendance to talk success, and you may want to try to get your mixtape into the hands of Dante Ross, whose resumé includes the discovery of De La Soul, Busta Rhymes and ODB (DEP).
