Konami / Sanity (Live from Reykjavík)

1    Konami (feat. Dj. Flugvél Og Geimskip)
2    Sanity

Two seemingly opposite Icelandic bands — Apparat Organ Quartet and HAM — came together to form a one-off megaband: HAMPARAT, created for a special concert at Harpa Concert Hall.

At first glance, the pairing appears unlikely. Apparat Organ Quartet is known for its joyful hand-played electronic music, performed on vintage combo organs and synthesizers. HAM, by contrast, are the uncompromising masters of dark guitar-driven rock. Yet beneath the surface, the two bands share more than expected: they have the same drummer, and a shared history through composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, who was a member of both groups. The bands fit together like yin and yang, with Apparat adorning HAM’s songs with romantic synth flourishes and vocoder chants, while HAM grounds Apparat’s music in a rock-solid foundation of guitars, bass, and brooding vocals.

Konami, originally an Apparat Organ Quartet piece, is  tribute to the Japanese video game company Konami and its legendary “Konami Code” — the famous cheat-code sequence (↑ ↑ ↓ ↓ ← → ← → B A) that unlocks hidden features in countless games. The piece advocates for the Konami Code to be embedded into far more aspects of life - calling up on the great founding fathers of the tech-brotherhood, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs to include them in their products.

The live performance features a special guest appearance by Steinunn Eldflaug Harðadóttir (a.k.a. D.J. Flugvél & geimskip) on vocals, adding another distinct voice to this singular collision of electronic precision and raw rock power.

The song will also be released on a split 7" with the HAM song Sanity on the other side. Fan's will have a second chance to see HAMPARAT's unique live performance in Harpa Reykjavík on March 6th with an extra date in Hof, Akureyri on February the 20th.