Iceland's Bloodgroup in Poznań

From Iceland, but not what you'd expect

Bloodgroup isn't what a typical band from Iceland sounds like. It's more international and globalized - dynamite synth pop that is being whipped up from Toronto to Manchester as you read it. Comparisons to classic Icelandic sounds like Sigur Ros, Björk, Olafur Arnalds or even Seabear are justified only as a marketing gimmick.

It was a tiny little concert Bloodgroup gave tonight in Poznań. They were ready to leave after about 45 minutes on stage. Whether they really did or came back for more, as the audience demanded, I can't attest. I left after the last piece in their regular time and could only hear from afar the lead singer Lilja Jonsdottir playing around with the fans.

I enjoyed the energy. If you can't offer something out of the ordinary by means of music alone, it's a good idea to put some effort into stage movement and contact with the audience. Bloodgroup were especially good at the former. It was Janus Rasmussen, the male vocal and the guy behind electronic percussion and synths, who was oozing excitement that naturally spread over to the crowd. Their stage presence reminded me, to an extent, of the Canadian duo Handsome Furs.

I'm quite sceptical about no-guitar, no-drums bands. For me, they face a much steeper incline to steal my heart. I know it'd be madness to dismiss electronica altogether and in fact there are some synths-based artists I adore, like Frou Frou. But it's much more difficult to achieve freshness by relying on computer-generated sounds alone. Bloodgroup were absolutely decent with their short setlist. I got what I wanted from their gig - a break during a week snowed under work. But they were nothing to write home about.

Apart from genuine energy from the stage, I kind of appreciated richness and variety in their own breed of synth pop. There were times when they sounded more like some new romantic band from the 1980s Britain, there were times when they sounded like Faith No More, there were times when their vocal harmonies made them sound melodramatic and touchy-feely. I went home with a reset mind and a little broader idea what music from Iceland is like, two major gains from the Wednesday evening in Blue Note.