And then suddenly the rain was gone. But I’m sure it will be back. While it lasted, we made the most of it and spend most of the day indoors, browsing records and looking at works of art. Which is not a bad way to spend your day, when you think of it. Our first stop today was at Havarí, a record store/bookstore/exhibition space/design store which sells the musical goods of Kimi Records, Brak Records, gogoyoko and Skakkapopp as well as posters, art and clothing. We talked to Pétur from Brak records, who kindly agreed to an interview (so watch this space!) and invited us to an in-store show of Markús & The Diversion Sessions.

Next on our list was one of the established Icelandic record stores/labels, 12 Tónar on Skólavörðustígur, where we stopped for pictures, a chat and an excellent espresso.

When in Iceland, you can never have enough coffee – so we took a break at Nýlenduvöruverzlun Hemma & Valda (jaysus, I need to get my head around these Icelandic names) for another. As one of the institutions of Icelandic music is just around the corner, obviously our steps then took us to Bad Taste Records (or Smekkleysa), the label and record store of former Sugarcube and recent-day politician Einar Örn Benediktsson.

There I finally was able to lay my hands on the soundtrack for “Screaming Masterpiece”, the only record known to man to contain an excerpt of “Odin’s Raven Magic” by Sigur Rós and Steindór Andersen, which I had been searching for ages. Both record stores/labels sell their stuff from small, individual shops – and no big chain like HMV to be seen anywhere. Representative for Iceland?

On the way home we paid a visit to what I mistook for the former store of the Dead label – but by now it has been changed into a gallery, where owner Jón Sæmundur Auðarson and his associate Árni Valur Axfjörð are exhibiting their artworks and prints. We had a lengthy chat with Árni about his art, and they way things have changed for Icelandic artists since the economic collapse. Ah, and by the way – today we recognised (and met) many more artist and great people during our walk downtown. Seems we are improving…

Over the next days we’ll be madly busy: tomorrow we are going to meet Retro Stefson at the studios of Sigur Rós, are planning to have the chat with Brak Records in the afternoon, and have a about 750 shows to visit on Friday evening and Saturday. Plus we’ll be on a road trip to the Westfjords to attend an Abba-cover show in Djúpavík and to pay a visit to Ísafjörður at the beginning of next week. So there may be some kind of send pause here on the blog, but: we’ll be back. If not, call the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue at 112. Takk.

More photos from today: