The experimental Icelandic band Múm was in Istanbul at Salon IKSV on the 18^th and 19^th of October for two nights of impressive music.

Hailing from Iceland, Múm is one of the country’s best indie bands, which has been active since 1997 with its original members Gunnar Örn Tynes and Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason. This experimental group blends a variety of genres, especially playing with electronica and folktronica.

If you are familiar with Icelandic music and musicians, such as Björk and Sigur Rós, you probably know Múm and are already a fan. But if you have never come across Múm and stepped into their enchanted world of music before, here is the amazing concert experience that the Istanbul audience had on the first night of Múm’s performance at Salon IKSV.

In the past year, Salon IKSV has become a hot spot for concerts, with its ambiance and great choice of musicians. And the venue was home to yet another great night during the Múm concert. For the Icelandic band, the concert area was decorated like a jazz bar with round black tables and chairs directly facing the stage; the dark color of the walls was softened with red lights, creating an intimate atmosphere.

Anticipation was growing stronger right before the concert began as the concert area was so dark that nothing on the stage was visible to the audience. Finally the stage got lit with green, blue, and yellow lights, which resembled the northern lights, and along with the lights appeared seven talented musicians and their various instruments placed all around the stage.

Gunnar Örn Tynes was on guitar, piano, and vocals and Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason was on electric guitar, electric keyboard, and vocals. Róbert Reynisson was on guitar and vocals; Eiríkur Orri Olafsson was on trumpet, electric piano, and moog; Hildur Gudnadottir was on cello, ukulele, violin, harmonica, and vocals; Mr.Silla was on ukulele, harmonica, electronic guitar, and vocals; and Samuli Kosminen was on drums and percussion.

Even before they started playing, the stage and the band’s energy gave signals that the concert would feel like a jam session. And it truly did! 

The songs performed in the concert represented a great selection from Múm's last two albums Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy and Sing Along Songs You Don't Know!. The order of the songs was also arranged perfectly; slow songs and vibrant songs were coming one after the other, including “Whistle for Rain,” “Marmalade Fires,” and “Hullaballabalu.” 

The slower songs called the audience into naive fairy tales, whereas the upbeat songs kept them tapping their feet. The band's energy and interaction with the audience was also mesmerizing. I’m pretty sure that at some point every woman in the audience was taken away by Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason’s charm. He looked really cute playing a rectangular-shaped guitar! 

Múm’s trademarks of soft, high-pitch vocals, electronic glitch beats, and flickering effects embedded into every song made for an inspiring night. Every sound and every movement seemed really theatrical under the lights falling on the stage. Every member of the band played at least two instruments, some traditional and some unconventional, and it was merely impossible not to be impressed by this talent and quality of music.

There is no denying that Múm is a group of amazing musicians who have a striking passion for making music in their unique and utopic way. If you’ve missed this impressive performance, be sure to buy a ticket if they are in town again! Just keep checking the Agenda section to stay up-to-date on what’ going on in Istanbul.

For those who weren’t there, here is what Múm is all about: