For this special edition of Two Beats Ahead Live! in Reykjavik, Michael speaks with Lóa Hjálmtýsdóttir at Iceland Innovation Week.

Lóa is a Reykjavík-based visual artist, illustrator, and entrepreneur, known for her creative studio Lóaboratorium. Her work spans comics, visual art and design objects that often feature playful, character-driven stories. In addition to her visual art and product design, Lóa is a founding member of the electro-pop band FM Belfast, where her energy and creativity come to life on stage.

In this short episode we talked about Lóa’s “accidental” careers, how the disruption of Covid was a catalyst for her entrepreneurship, and the supportive creative community in Reykjavík. We also discussed the joys of toys!

See Loa's work here.

In this 10th episode of Two Beats Ahead Live!, Michael speaks with Jóel Pálsson, acclaimed saxophonist and cofounder of Farmers Market, an Icelandic design company and clothing brand. A five time recipient of Iceland’s Jazz Album of the Year, he has performed in concerts and festivals in Europe, America, Canada and China and appeared on over 150 albums with various artists and groups. He is also a graduate of Berklee College of Music.

Their discussion weaves together the similarities of jazz and fashion retail. They discuss taking inspiration from the past, finding an authentic voice, and working with trusted collaborators. They also discuss connecting with audiences, staying committed to iteration and the value of setting constraints to unlock creativity.

In this episode, Michael interviews Haraldur “Halli” Thorleifsson, an entrepreneur, designer, musician, and philanthropist. Halli founded Ueno, a design agency that worked with Google, Uber, Airbnb, and many others and was acquired by Twitter in 2021. A musician before becoming a designer, he put music on hold until 2023 when he launched his project Önnu Jónu Son. Since selling his business, he’s launched a program to build wheelchair-accessible ramps across Iceland, opened and closed a restaurant, and launched a podcast.

Halli has spoken previously about traumas that have formed him, from losing his mother during his childhood, to being confined to a wheelchair as an adult, and his struggle with alcoholism. He also made headlines when Elon Musk erroneously fired him from Twitter and then had to walk it back publicly. So I didn’t want to lead with any of these things because they have been well documented—though we did occasionally refer to them.

In this episode of Two Beats Ahead Live! I went deep with Halli about his identity as a creator—how did he understand the connection between design and songwriting? Why has he taken up drawing? Why did he design and open his restaurant, Anna Jóna, and then close it in the course of a year? Our conversation covers these topics, as well as how Halli is letting go of perfection and embracing a beginner’s mind. We also discussed the chemistry of collaborating and how the early days of Ueno bore a remarkable resemblance to the making of his album, The Radio Won't Let Me Sleep.