The Beginning

In 1996, in a basement in Reykjavík, three young Icelanders — Höskuldur Ólafsson, Sölvi Blöndal, and Steinar Orri Fjeldsted — started making music that refused to fit into any single category. They called themselves Quarashi, and from the first rehearsal, the goal was simple: make the music they wanted to hear.

Their debut EP 'Switchstance', released on Lax Records, introduced the world to a genre-blending mix of rap, rock, and electronic music. Recorded on modest equipment in a country better known for volcanoes than breakbeats, the EP's raw energy and bilingual lyrics immediately set the band apart from anything else coming out of Iceland — or anywhere else.

Switchstance became a local phenomenon, and its title track remains one of the band's most iconic songs. What started in a basement would grow into one of the most unlikely success stories in Icelandic music history.