GusGus

Being a quirky nine-piece co-ed band from Reykjavik, Iceland, GusGus were almost bound to inspire comparisons to the Sugarcubes, though a different decade caused the group to inherit the influences of electronic fuzz and trip-hop rhythms rather than the bout of post-punk lunacy that inspired the Sugarcubes during the late '80s. Formed as a cinema collective in early 1995 by filmmakers Stefán Árni and Siggi Kjartansson, the group was gradually expanded to include musicians such as DJ Herb Legowitz and programmer Biggi Thórarinsson, as well as singer/songwriters Daníel Ágúst, Hafdís Huld, and Magnús Jónsson (former actors all), cinematographer Steph, and producer Baldur Stefánsson. The band's decidedly indie sensibilities led to its signing by 4AD after a four-part series of dance mix EPs in 1996.

Among a handful of groups in the late '90s with access to both close-knit dance circles as well as the notoriously uptight indie community, the group gained support from LFO (with Mark Bell's remix of "Believe") and one of London's most celebrated DJ stores, Fat Cat Records, while playing its first date in England. Awarded a combined U.S./U.K. release due to 4AD's agreement with Warner Bros., GusGus' debut album, Polydistortion, hit international stores in April 1997. This Is Normal followed in 1999, and one year later the anthology release Gus Gus vs. T-World appeared. Released in 2002, Attention featured a slimmed-down band -- the lineup had been downsized to four members, all of them DJs -- and an appropriately focused sound. Mixed Live appeared a year later, and the group returned with new material in 2007, funneling its mix of acid-inspired synths and streamlined dance tracks into Forever. GusGus then linked with Cologne, Germany's Kompakt label, where they released 2009's sprawling 24/7 and 2011's relatively song-oriented Arabian Horse.

from Wikipedia:

GusGus are a band from Reykjavík, Iceland. They were founded in 1995. Their discography consists of eight studio albums and one live record.

History

Initially formed as a film and acting collective, the group became mostly known for their electronic music. GusGus have had a varied lineup, including:

Stephan Stephensen (a.k.a. President Bongo, Alfred More, or President Penis)Birgir Þórarinsson (a.k.a. Biggi Veira or Biggo)Sigurður Kjartansson (a.k.a. Siggi Kinski)Stefán Árni ÞorgeirssonMagnús Guðmundsson (a.k.a. Herb Legowitz, Hunk of a Man, Buckmaster De La Cruz, The Fox, Fuckmaster, or Herr Legowitz)Daníel Ágúst HaraldssonMagnús Jónsson (a.k.a. Blake)Hafdís Huld ÞrastardóttirBaldur StefánssonEmilíana Torrini DavíðsdóttirRagnheiður AxelHeiðrún Anna BjörnsdóttirUrður Hákonardóttir (a.k.a. Earth)Högni Egilsson

Several lineup changes have occurred, and their current incarnation consists of three members (President Bongo, Biggi Veira and Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson). After their third album, This Is Normal, the filmmaking arm of GusGus (Kjartansson and Árni Þorgeirsson) split off to form the production company Celebrator, now known as Arni & Kinski, which has produced award-winning advertisements and videos. A few former members such as Hafdís Huld, Blake, and Daníel Ágúst have gone solo, most notably though Emilíana Torrini, who provided a song for the soundtrack to Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

GusGus' music is eclectic, and although primarily classified with techno, trip-hop and house music, they have experimented with numerous other styles. They have also remixed several famous artists, including Björk, Depeche Mode, Moloko, and Sigur Rós. Added to this they released the song "Desire" with Ian Brown in January 2004. A remix of the track "Purple" appeared in remixed form on Paul Oakenfold's successful trance compilation called Tranceport.

The band's name refers to the 1974 German film Ali: Fear Eats the Soul by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, where a female character is cooking couscous for her lover, pronouncing it "Gus Gus". The band regards it as a "sex reference".