Mikael Kahrle
Albums
Legend: ”Fearless”
I have visited Iceland several times in recent years but I must have missed Legend. Iceland has only 320 000 inhabitants but a really creative scene.
Grimes: ”Visions” 
To be perfectly honest, Claire Boucher sounds quite annoying at first but I keep returning to this magnetic album. The loops and layers are created mostly late at night, more or less directly from the subconcious. It shows.
Trust: “TRST”
I’m still amazed over Austra’s debut and Robert Alfons’ related twisted dark electronic pop just sounds so right.
Dead Can Dance: ”Anastasis”
I’m so happy Brendan and Lisa returned and stick to what they do best. I still remember when I heard them for the first time: a similar song, “Anywhere out of the Word”, on the radio in, what was it, 1987?
The Birthday Massacre: ”Hide and Seek”
Sounds fantastic and sends shivers down my spine everytime I put it on on high volume in me headphones. Finetuning their energetic formula and it works well from beginning to end.
Ultravox: “Brilliant”
I like but do not love the hit albums of old from these legends but I was really impressed with this comeback album with its updated but classic Ultravox sound.
Dead When I Found Her: ”Ragdoll Blues”
An electronic, heavy and wide sound image I have loved since the golden years of Skinny Puppy/Doubting Thomas/Tear Garden/Cyberaktif etc but Michael Arthur Holloway’s second album is not a Cevin Key clone.
Susanne Sundfør: ”The Silicone Veil”
A female indie/electropop artist that avoids being too weird, too pretentious, too mainstream, too laidback, too… – you name it. Another talented Norwegian artist, Karin Park, was close to making it into my album list but Susanne grabbed the spot in the end.
Iamamiwhoami: “Kin”
Jonna Lee did an acoustic Nitzer Ebb (“Violent Playground”) cover in 2009 but her new arty project is powered by machines. These cool songs works well without the visual companions.
Agent Side Grinder: “Hardware”
Not perfect but refreshingly vintage. Sounds like something really old and raw from Belgium or maybe Germany or Canada. That’s a good thing in my book.
Songs
Röyksopp feat. Susanne Sundfør: ”Ice Machine” (Depeche Mode cover performed live)
The best Depeche Mode cover ever.
Henric de la Cour: ”Grenade”
Fantastic song, fantastic video, and not even on the album. Finally de la Cour does what I want him to do (yes I was not that fond of Strip Music).
Grimes: ”Circumambient”
Hypnotizing, unpolished and strange music from another dimension.
Front Line Assembly: ”AirMech”
Finally Bill Leeb composes a soundtrack. And here we go again: this is my fourth entry from Canada.
And One feat. Douglas McCarthy: ”The End of Your Life”
Sounds like Alan Wilder was here; reminds me of when they worked together in the past. After the disaster “Tanzomat”, And One’s new album “S.T.O.P.” was a step in the right direction.
Live artists
Psyche
I played Psyche’s first albums all the time when they were new, so I was happy when Darrin Huss sent shivers down my spine with his voice at Electronic Summer in Gothenburg. We’re not treated with strong, unique vocals that often in this scene.
Newcomers
Legend
Everyone that get to listen to Legend seem to embrace this newcomer from Iceland and I am no different.
Ostrich
Long time in the making, but in the end we got a good quality synthpop album. They pulled it off on stage at Romo Night in Gothenburg as well.
Artists
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13-track Spotify Playlist with tunes from the Album and Song categories