 |
|
at a glance...
Hometown: Reykjavik, Iceland
Year Formed: 1995
Personnel:
Daniel Agust -vocals
Stefan Arni -arrangments
Hafdis Huld -vocals
Magnus Jonsson -vocals
Siggi Kjartansson -lyricist
Biggi Veira -programming
Herb Legowitz -programming
Alfred More -programming
Baldur Stefansson -manager
Steph -photographer
Bands In The Family:
Björk, Hooverphonic, Tricky, Happy Mondays, Paul Oakenfold, Lhooq, Massive
Attack
, Depeche Mode, Q Burns' Abstract Message, Sasha
Notes:
gus gus is a nine-person collective of Icelandic musicians, filmmakers,
photographers, actors, politicians, and other jacks-of-all trades. The group
came about through the filmmaker brothers in the group, Siggi and Stefan. In
between shooting short films, the brothers collected a few friends to make a record. The mix included the duo T-World (Herr and Biggi, both DJ's) and Daniel Agust, whose previous band Nydonsk had several gold records in Iceland. Within 11 days, an entrancing record called
Polydistortion had been completed. Only after the record was done was the group
("a happy accident" whose name is a misspelling of the side dish, cous cous)
signed to a record deal. Released only in their homeland in 1995, the record
was later picked up for worldwide distribution by the British indie label 4AD in
1997. Emphasizing a multimedia package of music, video, photography, and
performance art at their live shows, the group received much praise from critics and musicians alike, particularly for the
single "Purple." Touring coalesced the group: they collaborated on remixes and
singles for soundtracks and compilations, started their own fashion company
called Cry Lab, and began recording their
second album at their newly constructed studio and record label, Elf 19, in
Reykjavik. On the eve of their worldwide tour in 1999, Hafdis Huld was fired
(or quit, depending on whom you ask) from the collective, leaving the band
without a female member.
|
|
 |
|
gus gus
This Is Normal
4AD/Warner Bros, Released 1999
|
|
|
 |
|
The first time around, gus gus hardly knew what they were doing. When you give
yourself less than two weeks to make a record, if it is even remotely worth
listening to, you're onto something. As luck would have it, the
trance-like Polydistortion made weird and cool work together beautifully, picking up a who's who list
of industry fans. gus gus's follow-up, This is Normal, is a bit more planned
and perhaps a bit more cynical.
This is Normal is a step forward for the collective but, for fans of the first
record, a potentially alienating departure. The sensual unity and oneness of
Polydistortion have been replaced (for the most part) with a collection of jazzy
house songs. It's an unsurprising move: the first album didn't reach many
people and, with proper radio singles this time around, the album will play to a
larger audience. gus gus bring in vocals for every track, most of which add a
depth absent from the spacy, floating sounds found on their first record. And
much like fellow Icelander Björk did on Post, gus gus' second effort bombs the
bass and beefs up the house beats to add some punch. In particular, the singles
"Starlovers" and "Ladyshave" benefit from studio treatment.
Let no one think, however, that gus gus have completely abandoned the jazzy
elements of their debut. While many of the songs on This is Normal have been
given shots of Ecstasy-spiked adrenaline, "Very Important People" and "Blue Mug"
remain as cool as ice, recalling the slower rhythms of Polydistortion.
Lyrically, you can't help but feel a few winces here
and there. Some of the charm of Polydistortion gets lost on Huld's tracks, mainly due to such uninspiring fare as "You are beyond my imagination/Gee, I love you so much." While the vocals could have added a human quality to all the inorganic programming, her breathy female delivery has been
done better elsewhere (perhaps this explains why Huld is out of the collective).
This is Normal is a worthy listen, and alongside the debut, could provide the blueprint for a breakout third effort.
If you like gus gus, check out:
gus gus Polydistortion
Björk Post
Tricky Maxinquaye
Paul Oakenfold Tranceport
Hooverphonic Blue Wonder Powder Milk
Talvin Singh OK
Beth OrtonTrailer Park
-- Pierre Stefanos
Ink Blot Home
about | archives | contact | links
Copyright © 1997-2002 Ink Blot Magazine. All rights reserved.
|
|
 |
|
|
