Agent Fresco

Agent Fresco

Agent Fresco are a Reykjavík, Iceland-based band active since 2008. The group’s line-up includes Arnór Dan, Hrafnkell Örn Guðjónsson, Þórarinn Guðnason and Vignir Rafn Hilmarsson. Their music spans alternative rock, art rock, indie rock, math rock, progressive metal and progressive rock, and is also described as drawing on jazz, pop, rock and hardcore.

Sound and style

The band combines lyrical intensity with elaborate melodies, shifting polyrhythms and sudden bursts of aggressive guitar. Their drumming ranges from jazz-influenced playing to heavier rock patterns, and their performances are noted as working in both electric and acoustic settings, on stage and in the studio.

Early recognition

Agent Fresco form in 2008 for the annual Musíktilraunir Battle of the Bands in Iceland. They win the competition’s grand prize, as well as individual awards for best guitarist, best drummer and best bassist. Their 2008 EP Lightbulb Universe later receives a Kraumur Award, and they are named Best New Band at the Icelandic Music Awards in 2009.

Albums, songs and acclaim

The band release their first full-length album, A Long Time Listening, in 2010. It is a 17-track concept album and is shortlisted for album of the year by Icelandic music critics, as well as for the Kraumur Award and the Nordic Music Prize. It also reaches number one on the gogoyoko download chart. The title track features backing vocals from several prominent Icelandic performers. Their song Eyes of a Cloud Catcher becomes closely associated with their live shows and audience singalongs.

Live profile and wider exposure

Agent Fresco play festivals and concerts in Iceland and abroad, including Iceland Airwaves, England, France, the Netherlands, Denmark and Czechoslovakia. Their appearances at Iceland Airwaves draw attention from media including KEXP in Seattle and Kerrang! in London, and footage of the band appears in the documentary Where’s the Snow?!, which premieres at the Reykjavík International Film Festival in 2010. They also feature in two episodes of Bowen Staines’ Don’t Panic TV web series.

Awards and nominations

The band receive a Kerrang! five-K review, a DV Culture Award nomination, and three Icelandic Music Awards nominations in 2011: Performer of the Year, Vocalist of the Year for Arnór Dan Arnarson, and Rock Album of the Year for A Long Time Listening.