In August 2009 the artists Pan Thorarensen and his father Óskar Thorarensen in the Ambient trio Stereo Hypnosis held a release concert in Hellissandur (Iceland), a village on the Snæfellsnes peninsula. That is when the idea to locate the music festival at Hellissandur saw the light of day. One year later Extreme Chill Festival  - (Undir Jökli (under the glacier),
was held the weekend 6-8 August 2010.

The festival has been held both in Berlin, Prague and across Iceland—in Hellissandur, VÍK in South Iceland and the capital, Reykjavík—and has joined forces with various festivals, both in Iceland and abroad.

The fundamental aim of the festival is to create connections between Icelandic and foreign musicians, conjoining different art forms—from electronic music to visual arts—and to draw attention to electronic Reykjavík, the Electronic Music Capital of Iceland.

Extreme Chill and the festival's numerous sub-events have begotten multiple releases, concerts, friendships and collaborations between Icelandic and foreign musicians.

Artists like: Tangerine Dream, The Orb, Hans-Joachim Roedelius, Roger Eno, Biosphere, Plaid, Kali Malone, Gigi Masin, Puce Mary, Felicia Atkinson, Patricia Wolf, Mixmaster Morris, Thomas Fehlmann, Jan Jelinek, Fennesz, KMRU, Klara Lewis, Meitei, Maria W. Horn, Eraldo Bernocchi, Hüma Utku, Stereo Hypnosis, Marcus Fischer, Jana Irmert, Solar Fields, Banco De Gaia, Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, Christopher Chaplin, Sóley, Yagya, Sebastian Studnitzky, Finnbogi Pétursson, Gyða Valtýsdóttir, Ingibjörg Turchi, Hermigervill, Þóranna Björnsdóttir, Dj Flugvél og Geimskip, Hekla, SiGRÚN, Bára Gísladóttir, Astrid Sonne, Jónas Sen, Ragnhild May, Kristín Anna,
Borgar Magnason, Kjartan Hólm, Reptilicus, Futuregrapher, Skurken,
BJARKI, IDK IDA, Úlfur, aYia,
and many, many more have performed last years. 

"Extreme Chill is a yearly festival in Iceland. Established in 2010, it is now Iceland longest running festival, focussing on experimental music and Sonic Arts”

“Extreme Chill is now partakes in the newly established “Up Node Network”, a platform for collaboration between a network of Nordic experimental music and sonic arts festivals. Extreme Chill is also part of ” NERDS” – north European resonance and dissonance society, an open network for experimental music organisations in baltics and north Europe”.

Extreme Chill Festival has in the past been funded by Kraumur, Ýlir, Rannís Tónlistarsjóður (the Icelandic music fund), Iceland music Export (IMX) as well as local funds in each area that it has been held in.