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In August 2009 the artists Pan Thorarensen and his father Óskar Thorarensen in the electronic band Stereo Hypnosis held a release concert in Hellissandur (Iceland), a village on the Snæfellsnes peninsula. That is when the idea to locate the music festival at Hellissandur saw the light of day. One year later Extreme Chill Festival - Undir Jökli (under the glacier), was held the weekend 6-8 August 2010.
The festival has been held both in Berlin and across Iceland—in Hellissandur village in West Iceland, in Vík town in South Iceland and the capital, Reykjavík—and has joined forces with various festivals, both in Iceland and abroad.
The fundamental aim of the festival is to create connections between Icelandic and foreign musicians, conjoining different art forms—from electronic music to visual arts—and to draw attention to electronic Reykjavík, the Electronic Music Capital of Iceland.
Extreme Chill and the festival's numerous sub-events have begotten multiple releases, concerts, friendships and collaborations between Icelandic and foreign musicians.
Artists like: Tangerine Dream, The Orb, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Roger Eno, Biosphere, Plaid, Mixmaster Morris, Thomas Fehlmann, Jan Jelinek, Fennesz, KMRU, Klara Lewis, Meitei, Maria W. Horn, Eraldo Bernocchi, Stereo Hypnosis, Marcus Fischer, Jana Irmert, Solar Fields, Banco De Gaia, Hotel Neon, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, Christopher Chaplin, Sóley, Marsen Jules, Yagya, Sebastian Studnitzky, Finnbogi Pétursson, Gyða Valtýsdóttir, Ingibjörg Turchi, Hermigervill, Þóranna Björnsdóttir, Dj Flugvél og Geimskip, Hekla, SiGRÚN, Bára Gísladóttir, Astrid Sonne, Jónas Sen, Ragnhild May, Kristín Anna, Borgar Magnason, Kjartan Hólm, Reptilicus, Futuregrapher, Skurken, Ultraflex, BJARKI, IDK IDA, Kenichi And The Sun, Úlfur, aYia, and many, many more have performed last years.
"Extreme Chill is a yearly festival in Iceland. Established in 2010, it is now Iceland longest running festival, focussing on experimental music and Sonic Arts”
In 2012, the Guardian named Extreme Chill one of "the year's most notable music festivals" because of the events unique and seamless ability to connect music with raw, untouched natural landscapes.
“2022 Extreme Chill Festival was nominated for Iceland Music Awards for the Music Festival 2021 in Iceland.”
“Extreme Chill is now partakes in the newly established “Up Node Network”, a platform for collaboration between a network of Nordic experimental music and sonic arts festivals. The collaboration consists of seven festivals in northern Europe and aims to strengthen new emerging artistic expressions and to exchange knowledge between partners to increase mobility for Nordic artists.
Extreme Chill Festival has in the past been funded by Kraumur, Ýlir, Tónlistarsjóður Rannís (the Icelandic music fund), Iceland music Export (IMX) as well as local funds in each area that it has been held in.