Further Information

About the artist

Bergþóra began studying music at an early age but later took a decade-long break from the clarinet. At age 25, she decided to return to music — she bought a new clarinet and enrolled in studies once more.

In 2023, she graduated with a BA in New Media Composition from the Iceland University of the Arts. She has created works and taken part in diverse projects that combine electronics and live instruments. Among other things, she released the single Sonmnolence with the duo KateandCathy (with Stefanía Pálsdóttir) and founded the band Gargan with Hulda Ragnheiður Hjálmarsdóttir, where clarinet and electronic sounds merge through pedals and live processing.

Bergþóra has contributed to albums such as Our Daily Apocalypse Walk by MSEA (nominated for the Kraumur Awards), Kröflueldar by Altari, and While We Wait by Zaar, RAKEL, and Salóme Katrín (nominated for the Icelandic Music Awards).

About the Album – Drýpur

Drýpur is Bergþóra’s debut full-length album — a dark and emotional record where clarinet, strings, and electronics meet in a raw and haunting sonic landscape. The album features eleven tracks where beauty and inner tension collide. Bergþóra guides the listener through a deeply personal and brooding journey, where the voice of the clarinet is allowed to break apart and bloom at the same time.

The idea for Drýpur was born during her studies at the Iceland University of the Arts and has been in the works for more than four years. The clarinet is at the forefront, exploring all sides of the instrument. The sonic world is marked by darkness, softness, and fragility; a delicate tension seeps beneath the surface. The work paints an inner landscape of conflict, anxiety, and longing, reflecting what the composer herself has faced in her own life.

In 2024, the album was recorded at Sundlaugin Studio in close collaboration with a group of exceptional musicians. During the process, space was created for unrestrained and wild instrumental performances where the instruments were allowed to scream and wail.

Release

The album will be released by Smekkleysa (Bad Taste) in November 2025 as a limited-edition vinyl.

By supporting this project, you help me complete the final step: releasing the album on vinyl. Your contribution will help cover:

· Pressing and packaging the vinyl

· Artwork and packaging design

· Final audio post-production and design

Credits and thanks

Musicians and collaborators:

Atli Snær Ásmundsson – electric bass
Edda Óskarsdóttir – clarinet
Diljá Finnsdóttir – viola
Íris Orradóttir – clarinet
Rut Sigurðardóttir – cello
Rún Árnadóttir – cello and double bass
Sólrún Svava Kjartansdóttir – violin

Úlfur Hansson – recording engineer
Albert Finnbogason – mixing and mastering
Smekkleysa – release
Hulda Sól Magneudóttir – graphics
Hlynur Sævarsson – photography
Eva Schram - photography

Special thanks to other musicians and my teachers:

Jón Aðalsteinn Þorgeirsson
Guðni Kjartan Franzson
Sóley Stefánsdóttir
Pétur Ben
Steindór Grétar Kristinsson
Borgþór Jónsson
Ásmundur Jónsson
Stefanía Pálsdóttir