Quarashi

We're the band that comes from nowhere but listens to the whole world and then produces a record," says Sölvi Blondal, the songwriter/producer behind Iceland's Quarashi (pronounced "kwa-ra'-she"). "We're not from America, we're not from Europe, we're from Reykjavik, a small city in the North Atlantic. It's probably a good anthropology study: the rappers from Iceland." But Quarashi is not only geographically unique, the group's music is an eclectic blend of rap, punk, and hard rock that displays an incredibly wide array of influences. "Our goal is to mix hip-hop and industrial, but always with a live feel," says Sölvi. "To make people think this is a live band, though most of it is programmed and sequenced."