I want to share something special with you—a journey that has taken me to the edge of the earth, both physically and creatively. For the past few years, I’ve been obsessed with capturing the raw and powerful sound of a volcano. It all started when I first heard a recording from the Stromboli volcano by Geir Jensen. The idea of incorporating such a primal sound into music has been a dream that felt just out of reach.
In March 2021, Iceland gave me the chance I’d been waiting for. I traveled to the Fagradalsfjall volcano in the Reykjanes Peninsula, where I got to experience its power up close. What started as a dream quickly turned into an obsession—an adventure filled with challenges, perseverance, and incredible moments.
I hope you’ll join me on this adventure and feel the thrill, frustration, and ultimate joy that comes with chasing a dream.
Episode 1: The Dream Begins
I’ve been dreaming of recording the sound of a volcano ever since I heard Geir Jensen’s field recording from Stromboli. The idea of standing close enough to hear and record a volcano’s rumbling seemed like an impossible dream.
Everything changed in March 2021, when Iceland offered an opportunity that felt like a stroke of luck and fate combined. The Fagradalsfjall volcano erupted practically in our backyard. The first morning after the eruption started, I set out alone, driven by excitement and curiosity. I didn’t have a plan or a route, and it was raining like hell. The roads had just opened, and there weren’t many people around, so I had no trail to follow. I almost got lost in the wild landscape, eventually returning home without having reached the volcano.
Back at home, I watched social media posts from friends who managed to get there, desperately asking for routes and tips. The frenzy around the eruption was palpable, and I felt like my brain was melting down from the excitement and frustration. I couldn’t sleep that night, my mind racing with possibilities.
The next morning, while my wife and I drank coffee before heading out again, I remarked how surreal it felt to be planning a hike not to reach a mountain summit, but to see a live volcano. It was unlike anything I’d ever imagined doing. At that point, I had no idea that this would become my new normal, that my hikes over the next few months would revolve around this extraordinary phenomenon.
Standing near the Fagradalsfjall volcano, I was overwhelmed by its power and presence. For the first time, I realized this dream could become a reality. The experience was exhilarating and terrifying all at once.
Episode 2: The Noise Challenge
My first recordings were a mess of sounds. There were drones, helicopters, and tourists everywhere. I was trying to capture the voice of the volcano, but all I got was noise. It was frustrating. I realized I wanted more—a pure, solo performance by the volcano. Funny. What I thought would be a dream from 10 kilometers away turned into a need to get closer, to strip away all the distractions and hear the volcano’s true voice. I became simply greedy for it.
Magdalena, my wife, who is a documentalist, rightly pointed out that my recordings were a form of documentary. She said they captured the volcanic site exactly as it sounded, with all its chaos and intensity. While her perspective comforted me a bit, I couldn’t stop obsessing over extracting the raw rumbling sound of the volcano, the splashing of the lava, and that incredible glass-breaking sound of the flowing lava. The desire to isolate these sounds made me nervous and restless.
This period was also challenging for me personally. I struggled with the idea of letting go. The volcano was erupting just half an hour’s drive from my home, visible from my window, and I felt a strange sense of guilt at the thought of not capturing it fully. Shouldn’t I be documenting it every single day? That feeling drove me to visit repeatedly, despite the physical and mental exhaustion. It was tiring, but I don’t regret a thing.
Anyway, let’s hear these first recordings. From today’s perspective I can see they are interesting in a way. All these people, helicopters, volcano in the background it really shows the madness that was going on around it over the entire Iceland.
Hear the first sounds I recorded there: Eruption in Iceland, March 2021
Episode 3: The Obsession Grows
I started hiking 20 kilometers back and forth to the volcano, determined to get the sound I wanted. The weather was the only thing that could stop me. When the roads were closed due to winter storms, my friends and I would wait in the car, hoping for a break. The volcano had become an obsession. I went there once even having a serious sinus infection. Each hike felt like a mission, driven by the desire to capture the sound I’d been dreaming of.
Episode 4: Living the Volcano
The volcano took over my life. I kept an iPad streaming the live feed at work, and I constantly checked social media and news updates on my phone. I even bought a gas mask and goggles, worried about the fumes. My routine became work, volcano, very short sleep and repeat. It was exhausting but exhilarating, like living in a world where the volcano was the center of everything.
Episode 5: Alone with the Volcano
I started going to the volcano almost every day, mostly alone. My wife Magdalena was with me most of the time, but she had her own things to do. It was getting harder to arrange hikes with friends, and some of them had had enough after a couple of visits. Not me. I decided to go in the middle of the night one day. It was summer, so the sun never set, and I didn’t have to travel in darkness. The volcano might be more impressive at night, but I was focused on the sound. My gear was always ready by the door. That night, I packed up and left, eager to hear what I’d been chasing for so long.
Despite good weather forecasts, a heavy rain started as I drove towards Grindavik. Typical Iceland. I watched the sky, hoping for a break in the clouds. Passing the Blue Lagoon, I saw lava exploding into the sky. The view took my breath away, and I smiled despite the rain. I parked and ran toward the volcano, hoping the weather would change. The rain kept most people away, leaving the path quieter. I am a mountain runner and it wasn’t the first time it came up handy while doing field recording in harsh Icelandic environment. Then, as if rewarding my perseverance, a clear blue sky appeared.
Sitting on the hill before the volcano, I realized I was alone for the first time. Fear and awe mingled as I faced this powerful force of nature by myself. The volcano erupted at intervals, and I was ready to run if needed, my backpack still on and the recorder in hand. Then it erupted, spewing lava into the air. Tiny solidified lava rocks rained down around me. I felt strangely welcomed, like the volcano acknowledged my presence. It was just me and the volcano in that moment, and I was part of something incredible.
Episode 8: The Perfect Sound
That day, I recorded the pure sounds of the volcano, the flow of lava uninterrupted by noise. It was a moment I’d longed for, just me and the volcano. As other people began to arrive, I packed up and headed back, feeling like I was flying. I listened to Ellie Goulding’s “Only You” and smiled all the way home. I felt at peace, finally free from the fear of missing the moment I’d been dreaming of. But did it mean I stopped visiting the eruption site every chance I got? Of course not. There were more stories to tell.
