Runar Magnusson

Born in Akureyri, Iceland 1971 

Moved to Copenhagen, Denmark in 1996.
Masters degree in Electronic Music Composition at the Royal Academy of Music, Aarhus 2009.

“I work a lot with field recordings, found and borrowed sounds from nature or the environment around me. I use these recordings both in the original form and manipulated. I create atmospheres inspired by nature, horror movies, noise and meditation.”

Runar has worked with electronic music in 20 years, the last 10 years Runar has made music and sound-design for many theater performances in Denmark, he has participated in numerous festivals and concerts all around the world, both solo, with his bands Vindva Mei, the collaboration with The Crying Cowboy and with the  generative music series SameSameButDifferent with Icelandic musician/software artist Thor Magnusson. Runar has collaborated with musicians from all over the world, on recordings or in concerts. In november 2011 Runar is touring USA and Canada and in december he has a been invited to work at the EMS studios in Stockholm, working with Serge modular synths and multi channel system.

The last couple of years Runar has been focusing on surround sound, playing multi channel concerts at various locations, in churces, galleries, clubs and theaters.
Runar has toured twice in Asia and played his music all over China, in Hong Kong, Philippines & Mexico. In 2009 he toured the USA, were he drove across the country and played numerous concerts and showed the dreamachine installation.
Runar is the cofounder of Hljo!aklettar, a boutique record label he founded with Sabrina Joy Winogrond for the purposes of releasing rare, limited, and collectible music and organizing events of art and music. 

Releases on the way:

Coming out: 2011/2012

  • 2011 – Runar Magnusson – Stoking (Cassette – taqueOT – Ukraine)
  • 2011 – Vindva Mei – Classics (Cassette – Hljo!aklettar USA/IS/DK)
  • 2011 – Runar Magnusson – TBA (USB – Hljo!aklettar USA/IS/DK)
  • 2012 – Runar Magnusson – Aimless Wandering of Runar Magnusson – Vinyl LP (USB – Hljo!aklettar USA/IS/DK)

“It conjures up images of plague ridden monks trudging in the snow to a witch burning at !ingvellir. (Grapevine 09/10)

“does evoke cinematic dystopias such as Blade Runner and has its own oppressive atmosphere. (Grapevine 09/10)

“…Slowly unfolding soundpieces that are at times creepy, but never without a small trace of light, a trace of humor (any good horror movie has these funny bits)  (Vital Weekly 517, FdW)

“…It’s a pretty incredible album� Jim Haynes (The Wire 09/05, UK)

“…Disturbing in more ways than one�(Aquarius, USA)

“…really intense and could be used right away for a horror movie�  (Vital Weekly 506, FdW)

“…This dreamy music is completely spellbinding…It is devastatingly beautiful in all its intriguing postures of uncanny sound ingenuity. Completely original, almost scary in the way it comes across…. (Sonoloco, SE)

Discography

Runar Magnusson
  • 2011  – Lennon, Lynch & Lang (dowload – surrism – phonoethics – Germany)
  • 2011  – From Frelserens Genkomst (download – Vacu Sessions – Portugal)
  • 2009 – Options (USB – Hljo!aklettar – USA/IS/DK)
  • 2008 – Asmundur Asmundsson & Runar Magnusson – Mega Mix – The Soundtrack of our lives (CD – Sjonauki – Magazine of visual arts – Iceland)
  • 2007  – ixidental quark variations (download – skyndo – France)
  • 2005  – Live (download – Noisejihad – Denmark).
  • 2005  – The Art of Dying in a Live Situation (CDr – Whitelabel – Iceland)
  •  2005  – The Greatest of The Great (CDr – Whitelabel – Iceland)
  • 2005  – Mixed Feelings (CDr – Whitelabel – Iceland)
  • 2004  & Thor Magnusson – SameSameButDifferent v1. (CDr – ixi label – UK)
Vindva Mei
  • 2005  – Fungi to the moon (CDr – Whitelabel – Iceland)
  • 2005  – Germans are people too (alive&kickin’) (CDr – Whitelabel – Iceland)
  • 2000  – On Fire (CD – Fire Inc – Netherlands/Iceland)
  • 1996  – Flowers are evil (Cassette – Vindva Mei – Iceland)
Compilations
  • 2010 – Johann Johannsson & Runar Magnusson – Dr.Diablo Plays the Organ (Tape – Hjo!aklettar Dress Up – USA/IS/DK)
  • 2010 – Thor Magnusson & Runar Magnusson – acne (Tape – Hjo!aklettar Dress Up – USA/IS/DK)
  • 2010 – Rudi Mueller & Runar Magnusson – Freeze No Extra (Tape – Hjo!aklettar Dress Up – USA/ IS/DK)
  • 2010 – Crying Cowboy & 2010 – Runar Magnusson (Tape – Hjo!aklettar Dress Up – USA/IS/DK)
  • 2010 – Vindva Mei – Remonia (Tape – Hjo!aklettar Dress Up – USA/IS/DK)
  • 2007 – Runar Magnusson/Thor Magnusson – kizxju ( download – Triposta – Belgium)
  • 2006 – Runar Magnusson/Thor Magnusson – Tnif ( download – Mandorla – Mexico)
  • 2004 – Ozy & Runar Magnusson – serenade for strings in c op.48 “andante non troppo – allegro moderato” – Tchaikovsky electro (CD compilation – KAMA records – Russia)
  • 2001 – Runar Magnusson – Feelings&Emotions(Island Oegrum Skori!)  – NorPol (CD compilation – Resonance.DK – Denmark)

http://hljodaklettar.com

http://runarmagnusson.wordpress.com

http://soundcloud.com/runar

http://runarm.tumblr.com/

 http://joyandthunder.com/