Four Scandinavian musicians and a Canadian banjo amateur/karate instructor cross the American South to find out whether they can become a band – somewhere between Schubert, country, and doubt.

From giant flutes to performative rituals – the anniversary edition of the Aarhus-based festival unfolded the materiality of sound and musical collaboration in new forms.

In Reykjavík, snow falls sideways, and sorrowful reindeer sing. Dark Music Days unfolds the winter darkness in experimental tones where silence and noise meet – and even a harp made of yarn tells stories.

Chaotic times call for chaotic music. But also soft techno, flutists and yoga balls. Jennifer Gersten and Andreo Michaelo Mielczarek wrap up the musical year in a conversation between New York and Aarhus.

Are commercial demands starting to influence contemporary music in the Nordic countries? James Black writes from the UNM Festival in Bergen, Norway.