Þeyr
Encyclopedia
Þeyr (ˈθeːir̥) was a renowned Iceland
ic New Wave
band from the early 1980s. Shrouded under a veil of mystery, their three-year existence was characterized by a deep interest in ancient wisdom. Þeyr helped bring about the New Wave movement in Iceland and became one of the first Icelandic bands to be known abroad.
(drums and synthesizer) were playing in a garage band called Fellibylur (Hurricane). The band was expanded with vocalist Elín Reynisdóttir, who at the time was singing at a church choir, guitarist Jóhannes Helgason
from a rock band called Piccolo, and drummer Sigtryggur Baldursson
from Hattimas. They called themselves Frostrósir (Frostroses) and played rock music and some Icelandic songs at dancehalls in Reykjavík
and its surroundings.
After a while they decided to change the band’s name and came up with Þeyr, which was drawn from a poem by Skuggi and it means Wind or Thaw in old Icelandic. Interestingly, Þeyr is exactly pronounced as þeir, which means they (male gender).
. “There was a concert in Iceland with the group Clash
which had a lot of effect on us, specially Magnús. That was the turning point as we started the New Wave rock, and the band was taking a roller-coaster in music searching for something out of the ordinary”, says Sigtryggur Baldursson.
The band also recorded other works which were not published, like a song to Hindin, a poem by Davíð Stefánsson
, sung by Elín and Eiríkur Hauksson
and with some backing vocals added by Magnús. Svavar Gestsson was reluctant to publish the record as he did not like the music nor even the cover design, however, his wife persuaded him to release it.
The album, titled Þagað í Hel
, was heavily influenced by progressive rock, disco music and late 1970s pop. The pressing of the vinyl was flawed when it arrived in Iceland, and only about 500 copies were released in December 1980. Þagað í Hel has never reissued because a few years later, the masters and other recordings were lost in a fire at Tóntækni, making this record widely unavailable today. The only song to survive from the album was the opening track "En...", which resurfaced later on Nælur, a compilation album of Icelandic new wave bands released in 1998.
Right after this album, they were joined by guitarist and polytechnic engineer Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson
. They played together for a while, but Jóhannes withdrew from the band in order to finish with his aeronautical studies. Elín followed him and withdrew from the music scene to work at Impra.
Guitarist Þorsteinn Magnússon, from the band Eik joined the band and Magnús remained as the lead vocalist.
, punk
, heavy metal
and pop
style with preponderance of guitars and drums. Musical influences spanned over a wide range of seminal artists such as Joy Division
, Holger Czukay
, The Birthday Party
, Killing Joke
, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Nina Hagen
, David Byrne
, Yes
, Genesis
, Grateful Dead
, and John McLaughlin
.
On January 28, 1981 Þeyr played at Hótel Saga, a date referred to as the reincarnation of Þeyr, where free haircuts were offered to the audience during the break. The band started to be acclaimed not only for their stage performances, but also by their accessible and at the same time creative music. The band was strengthened with the management of Guðni Rúnar Agnarsson, who was the host of the radio show Áfangar, and Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, who also collaborated with the lyrics, some art works and served as an influential figure whose interest on obscurantism
was embodied in the lyrics.
(also known as Útfrymi), which was released through their own label, Eskvímó
in 1981. It contained two songs: the title song, which was the first work they sang in English, and “Heima er Bezt”. Later, they collaborated on the soundtrack to Brennu-Njálssaga, a film about the Njáls saga which was directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson
, toured Iceland and played along with Þursaflokkurinn
and Baraflokkurinn in Akureyri
. After these concerts, they went back to the recording studio and prepared Iður til Fóta
, a 10-inch vinyl single which contained four tracks.
By December and after 140 hours of recording sessions in studio Hljóðriti, Þeyr released their second album, Mjötviður Mær
, in which songs like "Iss", "Þeir" and "2999" were outstanding examples of their of attempts to create a futuristic pop style with use of voice distortions, keyboards and additional rhythms. The track “Úlfur” stands out due to having a more angry style of singing and “Rúdolf”, an antifascist rock song, became into one of the most popular songs. This album received good reviews by the critics who said it fulfilled the expectations.
"When speaking about the LP, it's perhaps more correct to talk about 'state of mind'. These recordings are the product, or rather the preservation of the feelings and mental state of mind of the band for the last few months. And what months! We've verified that asceticism does indeed enrich the spirit, and the spirit is being recorded on a steel-thread which in turn will be put into vinyl which will be released as Þeyr's second LP in the middle of next month, God and a certain somebody in that company willing.” (Þeyr in an interview with Þjóðviljinn on October 11, 1981).
By 1982, singer and keyboardist Jaz Coleman
from Killing Joke
had visited Iceland many times, and become an acquaintance of Þeyr. This resulted in an opportunity for the Icelandic band to travel to London in November where they were offered a support slot with The Cure
on a six-month tour. However, Þeyr felt that they were not yet ready, and returned to Iceland to sign a record deal with label Shout instead. In the Spring of 1982, As Above...
was released. The album contains mixed versions of previous songs, as well as the new song "Killer Boogie" and “Rúdolf”, which was misinterpreted and lead to accusations of nazism
. After this, Þeyr went on with a series of gigs throughout Scandinavia
and were featured on Friðriksson’s documentary Rokk í Reykjavík
, performing two songs: “Killer Boogie” and “Rúdolf”, along many important bands like Purrkur Pillnikk
and Tappi Tíkarrass
among others.
Jaz Coleman decided to move to Iceland with guitarist Kenneth 'Geordie' Walker
, with the ambition of resurrecting the Icelandic rock scene. While there, Coleman and Þeyr, with the exception of Magnússon, formed a new band originally called Iceland, but later named Niceland
by Guðlaugur Óttarsson. After rehearsing for weeks Niceland was ready to record 5 songs in Hljóðriti in 1983, but two of them were never finished; the three songs recorded were: “Guess Again”, “Catalyst” and “Take What’s Mine”. But as Þeyr decided to write their own songs, Jaz moved away and joined guitarist Árni Kristjánsson and drummer Þórarinn Kristjánsson from the band Vonbrigði for a while, before returning to England to reestablish Killing Joke. The songs recorded by Niceland remain unpublished.
Magnússon returned to Þeyr, and the band toured Scandinavia. By this point, Guðni and Hilmar decided to leave the band’s management, and were replaced by Guðmundur Sigurfreyr Jónason. With the tour, the band gained more popularity and even managed to appear on radio and television in Denmark
, they also went to a studio and recorded a few songs which were released on the 12-inch EP The Fourth Reich
, in memory of Wilhelm Reich
whose books had been banned by the Nazi regime. The image cover was alleged Nazi incitation because it depicted Wilhelm Reich wearing a Nazi-styled armband and the British label Shout was obligated to change the cover. However, it should be said, that the armband shown on the cover contained the symbol of the orgone
physics, which represented duality
and its origins in unity, referred by Reich as functionalism. On The Fourth Reich the use of percussions and rhythmical efforts were far more important than in earlier works. In this respect, the song “Zen” was particularly important due to its marked rock style, but the album did not have the impact of earlier works because the music was less accessible. The Icelandic version of this EP was released by label Mjöt, which had been created by Magnús.
The band began to fall apart when Þorsteinn Magnússon left. He released a solo album Líf
in 1982, under the name Stanya. The remaining four members continued playing together, however the band broke-up in June 1983. Soon after, a small EP was released through label Gramm
, with the title Lunaire
, which featured the title song as well as two other tracks recorded in Copenhagen
. In 1992, Þeyr albums were about to be reissued by Smekkleysa, but the negotiations were abandoned. However, a CD titled Mjötviður til Fóta
was released in 2001. This compilation featured tracks taken from Mjötviður Mær and Iður til Fóta and is currently the only CD released by Þeyr.
Þeyr’s earlier releases have never been reissued since the masters are lost. Their original records have become into rare collectors items, all of them currently out of public reach.
to bring about those changes and several tools were employed, including experiments from guitar strings made to vibrate in the "atmosphere of Jupiter" to recording studios underwater. Guitarist Guðlaugur created all sort of devices aimed to affect the audience in a wide range of forms.
The Scriabin was one of them. It was named after Russia
n composer Alexander Scriabin
. The music was used as organized sound. The Scriabin was programmed with a 13-note chord (some of them microtonal, for example, out of the ordinary 12-tone scale) and this chord could be displaced either above or below the range of human perception. The instrument would sound at an ultrasonic level before each concert, thus creating a subtle unity among the audience. A later Shout Records
press release calls the Scriabin "The Fourier". It sums up:
Their philosophy was transmitted through both tonal and verbal means, whose basis was obscure to those who were not familiar with this band. Þeyr considered themselves as a “state within the state”, a position considered elitist as it excluded those who did not lend their ears and minds to what Þeyr had to say and play.
“We were very keen on all kinds of conspiracy theories
and tales of lost knowledge and lost worlds. We were certain that some awful truth was laying hidden somewhere; that we were being brainwashed by the state, schools and church” says Guðlaugur Óttarsson. The band held interest into ancient Norse
wisdom, as well as alchemy
, paganism
, magic
, Ancient Egypt
, the secret society of the Illuminati
, the Pythagorean School
and the Galilean
/Newtonian
thinking complemented with the present era of Einstein
/Heisenberg
. But the press release quotes:
Þeyr bolstered a stance against fascism and performed along various antifascist groups in the United Kingdom like Crass
and The Fall.
The funds gathered by the band were intended to finance the scientific projects of Guðlaugur, who has worked not only as a polytechnic engineer but as an inventor and as a mathematics expert.
(With the Naked), which released an album titled Skemmtun in 1985. He collaborated on Hjálpum Þeim
, a charity album recorded in 1986 to fight child poverty in Africa and withdrew from the music scene until late 2005 when he collaborated on Guðlaugur’s solo album. Magnús has also worked for an insurance company and has been raising Icelandic ponies
. He currently works for the insurance division of Landsbankinn (the National Bank).
Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson and Sigtryggur Baldursson joined singer Björk Guðmundsdóttir
from Tappi Tíkarrass
, trumpet player and vocalist Einar Örn Benediktsson
from Purrkur Pillnikk
, keyboardist Einar Arnaldur Melax from Medúsa
and bassist Birgir Mogensen from Spilafífl and dived into gothic rock
with the band KUKL in August 1983.
After KUKL, Sigtryggur followed up with The Sugarcubes
achieving big success abroad. Other music projects followed such as Bogomil Font, and by 1993 he moved with his wife to Madison
, Wisconsin
, where he collaborated with some local bands and from Chicago
, set up a sublabel for Bad Taste, called Bad Taste USA, created his own drum session studio called The Slaughterhouse
and recorded a few sampler discs at Laughing Cat and Æthen and Butch Vig's Smart studios. He collaborated with Jóhann Jóhannsson
and released an album called Dip, then with Emilíana Torrini
on her album Love in the Time of Science
. He also played in Grindverk with Einar Örn and Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, and more recently in a duet called Steintryggur with Steingrímur Guðmundsson.
Sigtryggur has also written articles for the radiostation Bylgjan, and newspapers Mannlif, Morgunblaðið
, Vísir and Bleikt og Blátt.
Guðlaugur and Björk also worked together in a parallel project to KUKL known as The Elgar Sisters
. Guðlaugur currently works as a session player and has as well released a few albums as a solo player, like Dense Time
in 2005. His scientific activities have also taken an important part of his life, with theoretical research on subatomic particles, several inventions and the creation of Varmaraf, a thermoelectric company.
After leaving Þeyr, Þorsteinn Magnússon’s attention was fixed on his solo project Stanya, which evolved into a band playing along with Haraldur Þorsteinsson, Ásgeir Óskarsson, Birgir Baldursson, Hjörtur Howser, and Kjartan Valdimarsson. He worked with different bands like Með Nöktum, Upplyfting, Frakkarnir, and Bubbi & MX-21, among others. He is currently playing in his band Stanya, and works as a session player.
Hilmar Örn Agnarsson went to Germany to study music and church organ, and he is currently working as an organist at the Cathedral of Skálholt
, as a music teacher and as a choir conductor.
to play thirteen psalms taken from Passíusálmar, a fifty-psalm poetry work by Hallgrímur Pétursson
. The band was joined by singer Megas
, who had composed the music for the psalms back in 1973, a choir, guitarist and engineer Guðmundur Pétursson
, and eleven other instrumentalists.
Singles/EPs:
Unpublished material - Niceland
:
Featuring:
Films:
Video clip:
Downloads:
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic New Wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
band from the early 1980s. Shrouded under a veil of mystery, their three-year existence was characterized by a deep interest in ancient wisdom. Þeyr helped bring about the New Wave movement in Iceland and became one of the first Icelandic bands to be known abroad.
Origins
The origins of Þeyr date back to the late 1970s when singer Magnús Guðmundsson, bassist Hilmar Örn Agnarsson and Hilmar Örn HilmarssonHilmar Örn Hilmarsson
Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson , also known as HÖH , is a musician, an art director, and allsherjargoði of Ásatrúarfélagið ....
(drums and synthesizer) were playing in a garage band called Fellibylur (Hurricane). The band was expanded with vocalist Elín Reynisdóttir, who at the time was singing at a church choir, guitarist Jóhannes Helgason
Jóhannes Helgason
Jóhannes Helgason , was a guitar player known by his work in the band Þeyr and currently works as a pilot for Icelandair.-Early bands:...
from a rock band called Piccolo, and drummer Sigtryggur Baldursson
Sigtryggur Baldursson
Sigtryggur Baldursson is an Icelandic drummer and singer.Sigtryggur was born in Norway to Icelandic parents. He was a founding member of the Sugarcubes and has been a longtime fixture on the Icelandic punk and alternative music scene. Other bands he has played in have included Þeyr, KUKL,...
from Hattimas. They called themselves Frostrósir (Frostroses) and played rock music and some Icelandic songs at dancehalls in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
and its surroundings.
After a while they decided to change the band’s name and came up with Þeyr, which was drawn from a poem by Skuggi and it means Wind or Thaw in old Icelandic. Interestingly, Þeyr is exactly pronounced as þeir, which means they (male gender).
First release and internal changes
By 1979, they introduced two of their songs to Svavar Gestsson, owner of SG-Hljómplötur, who sent them to Sigurður Árnason, a record producer from Tóntækni, the studio of SG-Hljómplötur, and the recording sessions started in January 1980 but were interrupted in February when the band decided to take a long break to come back in September with New Wave musicNew Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
. “There was a concert in Iceland with the group Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
which had a lot of effect on us, specially Magnús. That was the turning point as we started the New Wave rock, and the band was taking a roller-coaster in music searching for something out of the ordinary”, says Sigtryggur Baldursson.
The band also recorded other works which were not published, like a song to Hindin, a poem by Davíð Stefánsson
Davíð Stefánsson
Davíð Stefánsson from Fagriskógur was a famous Icelandic poet and novelist, best known as a poet of humanity....
, sung by Elín and Eiríkur Hauksson
Eiríkur Hauksson
Eiríkur Hauksson is an Icelandic heavy metal vocalist who is educated as a teacher.Eiríkur is considered to be a talented vocalist, able to adopt various styles...
and with some backing vocals added by Magnús. Svavar Gestsson was reluctant to publish the record as he did not like the music nor even the cover design, however, his wife persuaded him to release it.
The album, titled Þagað í Hel
Þagað í Hel
Þagað í Hel, was the first album released by Icelandic band Þeyr in December 1980 through label SG-hljómplötur.By late 1979 Þeyr members contacted Svavar Gestsson, the owner of SG-Hljómplötur, and introduced him a few songs of disco music...
, was heavily influenced by progressive rock, disco music and late 1970s pop. The pressing of the vinyl was flawed when it arrived in Iceland, and only about 500 copies were released in December 1980. Þagað í Hel has never reissued because a few years later, the masters and other recordings were lost in a fire at Tóntækni, making this record widely unavailable today. The only song to survive from the album was the opening track "En...", which resurfaced later on Nælur, a compilation album of Icelandic new wave bands released in 1998.
Right after this album, they were joined by guitarist and polytechnic engineer Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson
Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson
Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson , guitar player and engineer. He is a mathematician, an inventor, a practising polytechnic engineer, lecturer and the author of several scientific papers....
. They played together for a while, but Jóhannes withdrew from the band in order to finish with his aeronautical studies. Elín followed him and withdrew from the music scene to work at Impra.
Guitarist Þorsteinn Magnússon, from the band Eik joined the band and Magnús remained as the lead vocalist.
Starting anew
As time passed by and thanks to the final line-up, Þeyr developed an experimental rockRock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
, heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
style with preponderance of guitars and drums. Musical influences spanned over a wide range of seminal artists such as Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
, Holger Czukay
Holger Czukay
Holger Czukay is a German musician, probably best known as a co-founder of the krautrock group Can. Described by critic Jason Ankeny as "successfully bridg[ing] the gap between pop and the avant-garde," Czukay is also notable for creating early important examples of ambient music, for exploring...
, The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party (band)
The Birthday Party were an Australian rock band, active from 1973 to 1983.Despite being championed by John Peel, The Birthday Party found little commercial success during their career...
, Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen
Nina Hagen is a German singer and actress.-Early years:Hagen was born as Catharina Hagen in the former East Berlin, East Germany, the daughter of Hans Hagen , a scriptwriter, and Eva-Maria Hagen, an actress and singer...
, David Byrne
David Byrne (musician)
David Byrne is a musician and artist, best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the American new wave band Talking Heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography,...
, Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
, Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, and John McLaughlin
John McLaughlin (musician)
John McLaughlin , also known as Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, is an English guitarist, bandleader and composer...
.
On January 28, 1981 Þeyr played at Hótel Saga, a date referred to as the reincarnation of Þeyr, where free haircuts were offered to the audience during the break. The band started to be acclaimed not only for their stage performances, but also by their accessible and at the same time creative music. The band was strengthened with the management of Guðni Rúnar Agnarsson, who was the host of the radio show Áfangar, and Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, who also collaborated with the lyrics, some art works and served as an influential figure whose interest on obscurantism
Obscurantism
Obscurantism is the practice of deliberately preventing the facts or the full details of some matter from becoming known. There are two, common, historical and intellectual, denotations: 1) restricting knowledge—opposition to the spread of knowledge, a policy of withholding knowledge from the...
was embodied in the lyrics.
Popularity and success beyond Iceland
The band’s following release was a 7-inch vinyl called Life TransmissionLife Transmission
Life Transmission, also known in Icelandic as Útfrymi was an single released by Icelandic band Þeyr in 1981 through label Eskvímó....
(also known as Útfrymi), which was released through their own label, Eskvímó
Esquimaux Management
Esquimaux Management was an Icelandic independent record label created around 1981 by renowned composer Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson and Gunnar Ruðni Agnarsson, manager of New Wave band Þeyr....
in 1981. It contained two songs: the title song, which was the first work they sang in English, and “Heima er Bezt”. Later, they collaborated on the soundtrack to Brennu-Njálssaga, a film about the Njáls saga which was directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson
Friðrik Þór Friðriksson
Friðrik Þór Friðriksson , sometimes credited as Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, is an Icelandic film director....
, toured Iceland and played along with Þursaflokkurinn
Þursaflokkurinn
Þursaflokkurinn , often written in a simplified way , is an Icelandic progressive rock group that was mainly active in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
and Baraflokkurinn in Akureyri
Akureyri
Akureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
. After these concerts, they went back to the recording studio and prepared Iður til Fóta
Iður til Fóta
Iður til Fóta was a single released in 1981 by the Icelandic New Wave/rock group Þeyr through Eskvímó and it was edited in 10" format. The title translates as "Moving Your Feet" but in Icelandic also forms a pun which can equally translate as "Guts at Your Feet".This record was never reissued since...
, a 10-inch vinyl single which contained four tracks.
By December and after 140 hours of recording sessions in studio Hljóðriti, Þeyr released their second album, Mjötviður Mær
Mjötviður Mær
Mjötviður Mær, released in 1981, was the second album by Icelandic New Wave/rock group Þeyr. It was edited through Eskvímó in 12” vinyl.Mjötviður Mær was Þeyr's most important work, according to the repercussions achieved in the media...
, in which songs like "Iss", "Þeir" and "2999" were outstanding examples of their of attempts to create a futuristic pop style with use of voice distortions, keyboards and additional rhythms. The track “Úlfur” stands out due to having a more angry style of singing and “Rúdolf”, an antifascist rock song, became into one of the most popular songs. This album received good reviews by the critics who said it fulfilled the expectations.
"When speaking about the LP, it's perhaps more correct to talk about 'state of mind'. These recordings are the product, or rather the preservation of the feelings and mental state of mind of the band for the last few months. And what months! We've verified that asceticism does indeed enrich the spirit, and the spirit is being recorded on a steel-thread which in turn will be put into vinyl which will be released as Þeyr's second LP in the middle of next month, God and a certain somebody in that company willing.” (Þeyr in an interview with Þjóðviljinn on October 11, 1981).
By 1982, singer and keyboardist Jaz Coleman
Jaz Coleman
Jeremy "Jaz" Coleman is a musician, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is notable for his vocal contributions to rock band Killing Joke...
from Killing Joke
Killing Joke
Killing Joke are an English post-punk band formed in October 1978 in Notting Hill, London, England; other sources report the band formed in early 1979.Related news articles: Founding members Jaz Coleman and Geordie Walker have been the only constant members.A key influence on industrial rock,...
had visited Iceland many times, and become an acquaintance of Þeyr. This resulted in an opportunity for the Icelandic band to travel to London in November where they were offered a support slot with The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
on a six-month tour. However, Þeyr felt that they were not yet ready, and returned to Iceland to sign a record deal with label Shout instead. In the Spring of 1982, As Above...
As Above...
As Above... was an album released in 1982 by Þeyr, a legendary Icelandic New Wave and rock group and it was issued through Shout on a 12" vinyl record.Formed by 12 tracks, As above... contained English versions of the group’s hits...
was released. The album contains mixed versions of previous songs, as well as the new song "Killer Boogie" and “Rúdolf”, which was misinterpreted and lead to accusations of nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. After this, Þeyr went on with a series of gigs throughout Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
and were featured on Friðriksson’s documentary Rokk í Reykjavík
Rokk í Reykjavík
Rokk í Reykjavík was a documentary directed by Icelandic Friðrik Þór Friðriksson during the Icelandic winter of 1981-1982 and released for the local television the same year....
, performing two songs: “Killer Boogie” and “Rúdolf”, along many important bands like Purrkur Pillnikk
Purrkur Pillnikk
Purrkur Pillnikk is a rock band from late punk era in Iceland. The band existed for 18 months and were very active as they released at least two LPs, one live-album and two EPs...
and Tappi Tíkarrass
Tappi Tíkarrass
Tappi Tíkarrass was a famous Icelandic punk/pop band which added elements of funk, disco and jazz to their music, marking a difference from other traditional bands at that time...
among others.
Jaz Coleman decided to move to Iceland with guitarist Kenneth 'Geordie' Walker
Geordie Walker
Kevin "Geordie" Walker is a rock musician, best known as the guitarist from the post-punk group Killing Joke.-Life and career:...
, with the ambition of resurrecting the Icelandic rock scene. While there, Coleman and Þeyr, with the exception of Magnússon, formed a new band originally called Iceland, but later named Niceland
Niceland
Niceland, formerly Iceland, was a heavy metal Icelandic group established in 1983 by Jaz Coleman from Killing Joke and the Icelandic band Þeyr.-Origins:...
by Guðlaugur Óttarsson. After rehearsing for weeks Niceland was ready to record 5 songs in Hljóðriti in 1983, but two of them were never finished; the three songs recorded were: “Guess Again”, “Catalyst” and “Take What’s Mine”. But as Þeyr decided to write their own songs, Jaz moved away and joined guitarist Árni Kristjánsson and drummer Þórarinn Kristjánsson from the band Vonbrigði for a while, before returning to England to reestablish Killing Joke. The songs recorded by Niceland remain unpublished.
Magnússon returned to Þeyr, and the band toured Scandinavia. By this point, Guðni and Hilmar decided to leave the band’s management, and were replaced by Guðmundur Sigurfreyr Jónason. With the tour, the band gained more popularity and even managed to appear on radio and television in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, they also went to a studio and recorded a few songs which were released on the 12-inch EP The Fourth Reich
The Fourth Reich
The Fourth Reich was an EP released by the Icelandic New Wave group Þeyr through Mjöt in 12" vinyl format.For this work Þeyr recurred to a stronger use of percussion and rhythmic efforts than previous works, where the songs "Metamorphosis" and "Blood" outstands due to their deep percussive...
, in memory of Wilhelm Reich
Wilhelm Reich
Wilhelm Reich was an Austrian-American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, known as one of the most radical figures in the history of psychiatry...
whose books had been banned by the Nazi regime. The image cover was alleged Nazi incitation because it depicted Wilhelm Reich wearing a Nazi-styled armband and the British label Shout was obligated to change the cover. However, it should be said, that the armband shown on the cover contained the symbol of the orgone
Orgone
Orgone energy is a theory originally proposed in the 1930s by Wilhelm Reich. Reich, originally part of Sigmund Freud's Vienna circle, extrapolated the Freudian concept of libido first as a biophysical and later as a universal life force...
physics, which represented duality
Dualism
Dualism denotes a state of two parts. The term 'dualism' was originally coined to denote co-eternal binary opposition, a meaning that is preserved in metaphysical and philosophical duality discourse but has been diluted in general or common usages. Dualism can refer to moral dualism, Dualism (from...
and its origins in unity, referred by Reich as functionalism. On The Fourth Reich the use of percussions and rhythmical efforts were far more important than in earlier works. In this respect, the song “Zen” was particularly important due to its marked rock style, but the album did not have the impact of earlier works because the music was less accessible. The Icelandic version of this EP was released by label Mjöt, which had been created by Magnús.
The band began to fall apart when Þorsteinn Magnússon left. He released a solo album Líf
LIF
LIF, LiF or Lif may stand for:* Leukemia inhibitory factor, a cytokine that affects cell growth and development* Laser-induced fluorescence, a spectroscopic method* Low insertion force sockets* Leirvík ÍF a Faroese football club...
in 1982, under the name Stanya. The remaining four members continued playing together, however the band broke-up in June 1983. Soon after, a small EP was released through label Gramm
Gramm
Gramm was an Icelandic record label created by Ásmundur Jónsson and Einar Örn Benediktsson in 1981.Located in Reykjavík, Gramm’s first release was a 10-track 7" vinyl titled Tilf by Purrkur Pillnikk, a punk group led by Einar Örn....
, with the title Lunaire
Lunaire
Lunaire was the fourth single released by Þeyr, a Icelandic New Wave/rock group in 1983. The single was recorded in June 1982 and issued by Gramm Records on a 7" vinyl record including three songs....
, which featured the title song as well as two other tracks recorded in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. In 1992, Þeyr albums were about to be reissued by Smekkleysa, but the negotiations were abandoned. However, a CD titled Mjötviður til Fóta
Mjötviður til Fóta
Mjötviður til Fóta was an album released in 2001 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the creation of Þeyr, one of Iceland’s most important bands of the early eighties....
was released in 2001. This compilation featured tracks taken from Mjötviður Mær and Iður til Fóta and is currently the only CD released by Þeyr.
Þeyr’s earlier releases have never been reissued since the masters are lost. Their original records have become into rare collectors items, all of them currently out of public reach.
Þeyr thinking: in search of absolute truth
Þeyr wanted to cause a change on the Icelandic society and their means varied from straight messages to subliminal persuasion. The band worked with ZeitgeistZeitgeist
Zeitgeist is "the spirit of the times" or "the spirit of the age."Zeitgeist is the general cultural, intellectual, ethical, spiritual or political climate within a nation or even specific groups, along with the general ambiance, morals, sociocultural direction, and mood associated with an era.The...
to bring about those changes and several tools were employed, including experiments from guitar strings made to vibrate in the "atmosphere of Jupiter" to recording studios underwater. Guitarist Guðlaugur created all sort of devices aimed to affect the audience in a wide range of forms.
The Scriabin was one of them. It was named after Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n composer Alexander Scriabin
Alexander Scriabin
Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin was a Russian composer and pianist who initially developed a lyrical and idiosyncratic tonal language inspired by the music of Frédéric Chopin. Quite independent of the innovations of Arnold Schoenberg, Scriabin developed an increasingly atonal musical system,...
. The music was used as organized sound. The Scriabin was programmed with a 13-note chord (some of them microtonal, for example, out of the ordinary 12-tone scale) and this chord could be displaced either above or below the range of human perception. The instrument would sound at an ultrasonic level before each concert, thus creating a subtle unity among the audience. A later Shout Records
Shout Records
Shout Records was a record label subsidiary of Bang Records, active between 1967 until 1972. When Bang was sold to Columbia Records the masters of Shout were also transferred....
press release calls the Scriabin "The Fourier". It sums up:
If there is any word which might serve as a key to the philosophical and practical aims of Þeyr it is "symmetry". They combine their belief in an inherent structure behind the manifestation of matter with intense experimental fervour that aims at unravelling at least a few practical applications of this "divine proportion" that determines the extent and amplitude of our aesthetic experience [....] The second study deals with the harmonic build up of music, and this has led to a study of the Russian composer Alexander ScriabinAlexander ScriabinAlexander Nikolayevich Scriabin was a Russian composer and pianist who initially developed a lyrical and idiosyncratic tonal language inspired by the music of Frédéric Chopin. Quite independent of the innovations of Arnold Schoenberg, Scriabin developed an increasingly atonal musical system,...
(1872-1915) whose work aimed at breaking up all classical rules of harmonic composition and ultimately at the founding of a new music that would escape the straitjacket of the 12-tone scale [...] He further sought to unite sensations such as smell, sight and hearing into one, and some of his later works were interpreted in colour as well as sound. This fascinating study is being pursued by Þeyr whose concerts have been known to reek of exotic incense and to be lighted by a certain blending of root colours. Ultimately these things will be married under the one heading which forms their third study, FOURIER. The Fourier as they jokingly refer to it is basically a machine that is being worked upon by one of the bands members who has a background in theoretical mathematics, physics and electrical engineering. However it has through time of construction (several proto-types of its main parts have already been constructed and some already discarded in favour of new ideas currently being worked on) come to represent an entirely new approach to the basic laws which underlie natural structures as ranging from the formation of crystals to harmonic scales that can be worked out of logarythmic spirals, these building in the scales 12. 17, 31, 55...n. making use of the basic laws and axioms supplied by the French mathematician and physicist J. B. FourierJoseph FourierJean Baptiste Joseph Fourier was a French mathematician and physicist best known for initiating the investigation of Fourier series and their applications to problems of heat transfer and vibrations. The Fourier transform and Fourier's Law are also named in his honour...
. He has come up with a machine that makes use of the newest advances in computer technology but is controlled through a simple set of symbols which are ultimately part of the Fourier philosophy (as they jokingly refer to it) that is slowly but steadily being constructed by the band. The future user of the Fourier will need and extensive background in the writings of such diverse personalities as R. Buckminster Fuller, Giordano BrunoGiordano BrunoGiordano Bruno , born Filippo Bruno, was an Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, mathematician and astronomer. His cosmological theories went beyond the Copernican model in proposing that the Sun was essentially a star, and moreover, that the universe contained an infinite number of inhabited...
, the alchemical writings of Newton, not to mention NyquistNyquist-People:* Arild Nyquist , Norwegian novelist, lyricist, writer and musician* Harry Nyquist , Swedish-American engineer* Kari Nyquist , Norwegian ceramist, freelance artist and designer...
, Walsh and others which have worked upon the mathematics of music. See also under Life TransmissionLife TransmissionLife Transmission, also known in Icelandic as Útfrymi was an single released by Icelandic band Þeyr in 1981 through label Eskvímó....
for their earlier explanation.
Their philosophy was transmitted through both tonal and verbal means, whose basis was obscure to those who were not familiar with this band. Þeyr considered themselves as a “state within the state”, a position considered elitist as it excluded those who did not lend their ears and minds to what Þeyr had to say and play.
“We were very keen on all kinds of conspiracy theories
Conspiracy theory
A conspiracy theory explains an event as being the result of an alleged plot by a covert group or organization or, more broadly, the idea that important political, social or economic events are the products of secret plots that are largely unknown to the general public.-Usage:The term "conspiracy...
and tales of lost knowledge and lost worlds. We were certain that some awful truth was laying hidden somewhere; that we were being brainwashed by the state, schools and church” says Guðlaugur Óttarsson. The band held interest into ancient Norse
Norsemen
Norsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
wisdom, as well as alchemy
Alchemy
Alchemy is an influential philosophical tradition whose early practitioners’ claims to profound powers were known from antiquity. The defining objectives of alchemy are varied; these include the creation of the fabled philosopher's stone possessing powers including the capability of turning base...
, paganism
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
, magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
, Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
, the secret society of the Illuminati
Illuminati
The Illuminati is a name given to several groups, both real and fictitious. Historically the name refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on May 1, 1776...
, the Pythagorean School
Pythagoreanism
Pythagoreanism was the system of esoteric and metaphysical beliefs held by Pythagoras and his followers, the Pythagoreans, who were considerably influenced by mathematics. Pythagoreanism originated in the 5th century BCE and greatly influenced Platonism...
and the Galilean
Galileo Galilei
Galileo Galilei , was an Italian physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and philosopher who played a major role in the Scientific Revolution. His achievements include improvements to the telescope and consequent astronomical observations and support for Copernicanism...
/Newtonian
Isaac Newton
Sir Isaac Newton PRS was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, alchemist, and theologian, who has been "considered by many to be the greatest and most influential scientist who ever lived."...
thinking complemented with the present era of Einstein
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
/Heisenberg
Werner Heisenberg
Werner Karl Heisenberg was a German theoretical physicist who made foundational contributions to quantum mechanics and is best known for asserting the uncertainty principle of quantum theory...
. But the press release quotes:
No sooner has their audience built up a definition (and following that, certain expectations) of Þeyr, when the band turns into the least expected direction and does something totally out of tune with their former work. It is only when their work is being observed over longer periods of time when the harmony behind their work begins to emerge: for instance Þeyr has always been a thorn in the eye of the Icelandic audience who wants to be able to define their groups as being political or apolitical, or serious (i.e. showing some social responsibility dealing with everything from "save the whales" to drinking problems) or just totally irresponsible (i.e. showing only affection for transient pleasures of life such as whaling, money.....or how to spend that money). On their first Icelandic album they defined their standpoint as being totally removed from arbitrary directive concepts such as left/right, East/West, up/down.
Þeyr bolstered a stance against fascism and performed along various antifascist groups in the United Kingdom like Crass
Crass
Crass are an English punk rock band that was formed in 1977, which promoted anarchism as a political ideology, way of living, and as a resistance movement. Crass popularised the seminal anarcho-punk movement of the punk subculture, and advocated direct action, animal rights, and environmentalism...
and The Fall.
They only take a stand against a thing if it involves a restriction of any sort and seen from that point the view the majority of their lyrics can be seen as dealing with fascism of every conceivable sort [.......] Homo-Gestalt is a tongue-in-cheek handling of the newly emerging Neuro-Fascism, Techno-Logos deals with God as he appears in the Microchip-Cosmos, Rudolf deals with Political Fascism where diverse elements are united through a common object of hate etc.....
The funds gathered by the band were intended to finance the scientific projects of Guðlaugur, who has worked not only as a polytechnic engineer but as an inventor and as a mathematics expert.
After the break-up
Magnús Guðmundsson continued running his record label Mjöt and later he started the band Með NöktumMeð Nöktum
Með Nöktum was a short-living Icelandic New Wave band from the 1980s. After the demise of the occult post punk bandÞeyr, their vocalist Magnús Guðmundsson went on to form a group which continued the musical style of Þeyr...
(With the Naked), which released an album titled Skemmtun in 1985. He collaborated on Hjálpum Þeim
Hjálpum Þeim
"Hjálpum þeim" is a song recorded in 1986 by several of the most popular musicians of Iceland to gather funds in order to combat poverty in Africa....
, a charity album recorded in 1986 to fight child poverty in Africa and withdrew from the music scene until late 2005 when he collaborated on Guðlaugur’s solo album. Magnús has also worked for an insurance company and has been raising Icelandic ponies
Icelandic horse
The Icelandic horse is a breed of horse developed in Iceland. Although the horses are small, at times pony-sized, most registries for the Icelandic refer to it as a horse. Icelandic horses are long-lived and hardy. In their native country they have few diseases; Icelandic law prevents horses from...
. He currently works for the insurance division of Landsbankinn (the National Bank).
Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson and Sigtryggur Baldursson joined singer Björk Guðmundsdóttir
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
from Tappi Tíkarrass
Tappi Tíkarrass
Tappi Tíkarrass was a famous Icelandic punk/pop band which added elements of funk, disco and jazz to their music, marking a difference from other traditional bands at that time...
, trumpet player and vocalist Einar Örn Benediktsson
Einar Örn Benediktsson
Einar Örn Benediktsson is a popular music singer and trumpet player who has worked with Björk and The Sugarcubes. Since the 2010 elections he is a member of the city council of Reykjavík....
from Purrkur Pillnikk
Purrkur Pillnikk
Purrkur Pillnikk is a rock band from late punk era in Iceland. The band existed for 18 months and were very active as they released at least two LPs, one live-album and two EPs...
, keyboardist Einar Arnaldur Melax from Medúsa
Medusa
In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
and bassist Birgir Mogensen from Spilafífl and dived into gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
with the band KUKL in August 1983.
After KUKL, Sigtryggur followed up with The Sugarcubes
The Sugarcubes
The Sugarcubes were an Icelandic alternative rock band formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1992. They received critical and popular acclaim internationally.-History:...
achieving big success abroad. Other music projects followed such as Bogomil Font, and by 1993 he moved with his wife to Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, where he collaborated with some local bands and from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, set up a sublabel for Bad Taste, called Bad Taste USA, created his own drum session studio called The Slaughterhouse
The Slaughterhouse
The Slaughterhouse is the twenty-ninth studio album by Prince released as MP3s through his website, NPG Music Club. The album's title comes from the first line of "Silicon:" "welcome 2 the slaughterhouse". The tracks consist of material previously available on the same website back in 2001,...
and recorded a few sampler discs at Laughing Cat and Æthen and Butch Vig's Smart studios. He collaborated with Jóhann Jóhannsson
Jóhann Jóhannsson
Jóhann Jóhannsson is an Icelandic musician, composer and producer. He is a co-founder of Kitchen Motors in Reykjavík, the art organization/think tank/record label which specializes in initiating collaborations, promoting concerts and exhibitions, performances, chamber operas, producing films,...
and released an album called Dip, then with Emilíana Torrini
Emilíana Torrini
Emilíana Torrini Davíðsdóttir is an Icelandic singer, best known for her 2009 single Jungle Drum, 1999 album Love in the Time of Science and for performing "Gollum's Song" for Peter Jackson's film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.-Early life:Torrini grew up in Kópavogur, where, at the age of...
on her album Love in the Time of Science
Love in the Time of Science
Love in the Time of Science is an album by Emilíana Torrini. The album was recorded and released in 1999 with a variety of collaborators, including Roland Orzabal, Alan Griffiths, Eg White, Siggi Baldursson, and Mark Abis...
. He also played in Grindverk with Einar Örn and Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, and more recently in a duet called Steintryggur with Steingrímur Guðmundsson.
Sigtryggur has also written articles for the radiostation Bylgjan, and newspapers Mannlif, Morgunblaðið
Morgunblaðið
Morgunblaðið is a newspaper published in Iceland, founded by Vilhjálmur Finsen & Olaf Björnsson, brother to the first president. The first issue, only eight pages long, was published on 2 November 1913. Six years later, in 1919, the corporation Árvakur bought out the company...
, Vísir and Bleikt og Blátt.
Guðlaugur and Björk also worked together in a parallel project to KUKL known as The Elgar Sisters
The Elgar Sisters
The Elgar Sisters was an Icelandic duo formed by singer Björk Guðmundsdóttir and guitarist Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson in 1984. The Elgar Sisters coexisted with KUKL, another group they were part of....
. Guðlaugur currently works as a session player and has as well released a few albums as a solo player, like Dense Time
Dense Time
Dense Time is an album released on December 9, 2005 by Icelandic guitar player Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson.This album contains Guðlaugur’s compositions and features some of the most important Icelandic performers, such as Magnús Þór Jónsson , Björk, Ragnhildur Gísladóttir, among others.The music...
in 2005. His scientific activities have also taken an important part of his life, with theoretical research on subatomic particles, several inventions and the creation of Varmaraf, a thermoelectric company.
After leaving Þeyr, Þorsteinn Magnússon’s attention was fixed on his solo project Stanya, which evolved into a band playing along with Haraldur Þorsteinsson, Ásgeir Óskarsson, Birgir Baldursson, Hjörtur Howser, and Kjartan Valdimarsson. He worked with different bands like Með Nöktum, Upplyfting, Frakkarnir, and Bubbi & MX-21, among others. He is currently playing in his band Stanya, and works as a session player.
Hilmar Örn Agnarsson went to Germany to study music and church organ, and he is currently working as an organist at the Cathedral of Skálholt
Skálholt
Skálholt is an historical site situated in the south of Iceland at the river Hvítá.-History:Skálholt was, through eight centuries, one of the most important places in Iceland. From 1056 until 1785, it was one of Iceland's two episcopal sees, along with Hólar, making it a cultural and political...
, as a music teacher and as a choir conductor.
Reunion
After almost 23 years, the five-member band was reunited on April 15, 2006, at the Cathedral of SkálholtSkálholt
Skálholt is an historical site situated in the south of Iceland at the river Hvítá.-History:Skálholt was, through eight centuries, one of the most important places in Iceland. From 1056 until 1785, it was one of Iceland's two episcopal sees, along with Hólar, making it a cultural and political...
to play thirteen psalms taken from Passíusálmar, a fifty-psalm poetry work by Hallgrímur Pétursson
Hallgrímur Pétursson
Hallgrímur Pétursson was one of Iceland's most famous poets and a minister at Hvalneskirkja and Saurbær in Hvalfjörður. The Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík and the Hallgrímskirkja in Saurbær are named after him. He was one of the most influential pastors during the Age of Orthodoxy...
. The band was joined by singer Megas
Megas
Megas , is a rock and roll singer, songwriter and writer who is well-known in his native country of Iceland.-Interest in music:...
, who had composed the music for the psalms back in 1973, a choir, guitarist and engineer Guðmundur Pétursson
Guðmundur Pétursson
Guðmundur Pétursson is an Icelandic footballer. He is a forward and is currently under contract at Breiðablik. He has also played for Iceland at under-21 level.-ÍR :...
, and eleven other instrumentalists.
Performances
Þeyr had hundreds of gigs throughout Iceland and abroad. Here is a list with some of the known gigs and tours.| Date | Place - Tour/Concert | Other artists |
|---|---|---|
| November 18, 1980 | ??? | - |
| January 28, 1981 | Hótel Saga | ??? |
| 1981 | The Young Man Icelandic Tour | ??? |
| April 18, 1981 | Austurbæjarbíó | Utangarðsmenn, Start, Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk is a rock band from late punk era in Iceland. The band existed for 18 months and were very active as they released at least two LPs, one live-album and two EPs... , Grýlurnar, and Fræbbblarnir Fræbbblarnir Fræbbblarnir were formed in Iceland in 1978 and released a number of records until they quit early in 1983. A punk-pop band playing short, melodic songs fast and raw, they were inspired by the Ramones, Clash, Stranglers, Jam, Sex Pistols, Damned, Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias, Stiff Little... |
| April 23, 1981 | Hótel Borg | Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk is a rock band from late punk era in Iceland. The band existed for 18 months and were very active as they released at least two LPs, one live-album and two EPs... |
| October 1, 1981 | Selfossbíó | Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk is a rock band from late punk era in Iceland. The band existed for 18 months and were very active as they released at least two LPs, one live-album and two EPs... |
| December 19, 1981 | NEFS | Spegillspegill, Grenj, Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk is a rock band from late punk era in Iceland. The band existed for 18 months and were very active as they released at least two LPs, one live-album and two EPs... , Þursum, Sjalfsfróun, Orghestum, and Vonbrigði |
| 1982 | Rehearsal place - Rokk í Reykjavík | Vonbrigði, Egó Egó Egó was founded in Reykjavík, Iceland), in the fall of 1981. Bubbi Morthens, frontman and main lyricist in the band had just been fired from the influential punk/rock/reggie band "Utangarðsmenn"... , Fræbbblarnir Fræbbblarnir Fræbbblarnir were formed in Iceland in 1978 and released a number of records until they quit early in 1983. A punk-pop band playing short, melodic songs fast and raw, they were inspired by the Ramones, Clash, Stranglers, Jam, Sex Pistols, Damned, Alberto Y Lost Trios Paranoias, Stiff Little... , Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk is a rock band from late punk era in Iceland. The band existed for 18 months and were very active as they released at least two LPs, one live-album and two EPs... , Q4U, Bodies Bodies Bodies may refer to:* The plural of body* Bodies , BBC television program* "Bodies" , 2003 episode of Law & Order* BODIES..... , Tappi Tíkarrass Tappi Tíkarrass Tappi Tíkarrass was a famous Icelandic punk/pop band which added elements of funk, disco and jazz to their music, marking a difference from other traditional bands at that time... , Baraflokkurinn, Spilafífl, Þursaflokkurinn Þursaflokkurinn Þursaflokkurinn , often written in a simplified way , is an Icelandic progressive rock group that was mainly active in the late 1970s and early 1980s... , Friðryk, Start, Grýlurnar, Mogo Homo, Jonee Jonee, Sjálfsfróun, Bruni BB, and Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson Sveinbjörn Beinteinsson , a native of Iceland, was instrumental in helping to gain recognition by the Icelandic government for the pre-Christian Norse religion... |
| April 12, 1982 | Félagsstofnun Stúdenta | (Vonbrigði) |
| June 4, 1982 | Hafnarbíó | Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk Purrkur Pillnikk is a rock band from late punk era in Iceland. The band existed for 18 months and were very active as they released at least two LPs, one live-album and two EPs... and Vonbrigði |
| May 6, 1983 | Austurbæjarbíó | w/ the Fall and Iss. |
| 1983 | The Scandinavian Tour | ??? |
| ??? | ??? | ??? |
| April 15, 2006 | Skálholt Cathedral | with Megas Megas Megas , is a rock and roll singer, songwriter and writer who is well-known in his native country of Iceland.-Interest in music:... and Guðmundur Pétursson Guðmundur Pétursson Guðmundur Pétursson is an Icelandic footballer. He is a forward and is currently under contract at Breiðablik. He has also played for Iceland at under-21 level.-ÍR :... |
Discography
Albums:- 1980 - Þagað í HelÞagað í HelÞagað í Hel, was the first album released by Icelandic band Þeyr in December 1980 through label SG-hljómplötur.By late 1979 Þeyr members contacted Svavar Gestsson, the owner of SG-Hljómplötur, and introduced him a few songs of disco music...
(SG-Hljómplötur) - 1981 - Mjötviður MærMjötviður MærMjötviður Mær, released in 1981, was the second album by Icelandic New Wave/rock group Þeyr. It was edited through Eskvímó in 12” vinyl.Mjötviður Mær was Þeyr's most important work, according to the repercussions achieved in the media...
(EskvímóEsquimaux ManagementEsquimaux Management was an Icelandic independent record label created around 1981 by renowned composer Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson and Gunnar Ruðni Agnarsson, manager of New Wave band Þeyr....
) - 1982 - As Above...As Above...As Above... was an album released in 1982 by Þeyr, a legendary Icelandic New Wave and rock group and it was issued through Shout on a 12" vinyl record.Formed by 12 tracks, As above... contained English versions of the group’s hits...
(Shout) - 2001 - Mjötviður til FótaMjötviður til FótaMjötviður til Fóta was an album released in 2001 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the creation of Þeyr, one of Iceland’s most important bands of the early eighties....
(Esquimaux ManagementEsquimaux ManagementEsquimaux Management was an Icelandic independent record label created around 1981 by renowned composer Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson and Gunnar Ruðni Agnarsson, manager of New Wave band Þeyr....
), anniversary compilation.
Singles/EPs:
- 1981 - Life TransmissionLife TransmissionLife Transmission, also known in Icelandic as Útfrymi was an single released by Icelandic band Þeyr in 1981 through label Eskvímó....
(FálkinnFálkinnFálkinn was an Icelandic record label.The label's only well known original release was Björk's 1977 debut album Björk. Fálkinn is sometimes used as the title for the album as the album did not have an official title....
/EskvímóEsquimaux ManagementEsquimaux Management was an Icelandic independent record label created around 1981 by renowned composer Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson and Gunnar Ruðni Agnarsson, manager of New Wave band Þeyr....
) - 1981 - Iður til FótaIður til FótaIður til Fóta was a single released in 1981 by the Icelandic New Wave/rock group Þeyr through Eskvímó and it was edited in 10" format. The title translates as "Moving Your Feet" but in Icelandic also forms a pun which can equally translate as "Guts at Your Feet".This record was never reissued since...
(EskvímóEsquimaux ManagementEsquimaux Management was an Icelandic independent record label created around 1981 by renowned composer Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson and Gunnar Ruðni Agnarsson, manager of New Wave band Þeyr....
) - 1982 - The Fourth ReichThe Fourth ReichThe Fourth Reich was an EP released by the Icelandic New Wave group Þeyr through Mjöt in 12" vinyl format.For this work Þeyr recurred to a stronger use of percussion and rhythmic efforts than previous works, where the songs "Metamorphosis" and "Blood" outstands due to their deep percussive...
(Mjöt/Shout) - 1983 - LunaireLunaireLunaire was the fourth single released by Þeyr, a Icelandic New Wave/rock group in 1983. The single was recorded in June 1982 and issued by Gramm Records on a 7" vinyl record including three songs....
(GrammGrammGramm was an Icelandic record label created by Ásmundur Jónsson and Einar Örn Benediktsson in 1981.Located in Reykjavík, Gramm’s first release was a 10-track 7" vinyl titled Tilf by Purrkur Pillnikk, a punk group led by Einar Örn....
)
Unpublished material - Niceland
Niceland
Niceland, formerly Iceland, was a heavy metal Icelandic group established in 1983 by Jaz Coleman from Killing Joke and the Icelandic band Þeyr.-Origins:...
:
- 1983 - Three songs were recorded: “Guess Again”, “Catalyst” and “Take What’s Mine”.
Featuring:
- 1981 - Brennu-Njálssaga (Íslenska kvikmyndasamsteypan), soundtrack to the film directed by Friðrik Þór FriðrikssonFriðrik Þór FriðrikssonFriðrik Þór Friðriksson , sometimes credited as Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, is an Icelandic film director....
. - 1981 - Northern Lights Playhouse (FálkinnFálkinnFálkinn was an Icelandic record label.The label's only well known original release was Björk's 1977 debut album Björk. Fálkinn is sometimes used as the title for the album as the album did not have an official title....
), Icelandic compilation. - 1982 - Rokk í ReykjavíkRokk í Reykjavík (soundtrack)Rokk í Reykjavík was the soundtrack to the Icelandic TV documentary directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson during 1981-82 winter and released in 1982....
(Hugrenningur), soundtrack to the documentary directed by Friðrik Þór FriðrikssonFriðrik Þór FriðrikssonFriðrik Þór Friðriksson , sometimes credited as Fridrik Thor Fridriksson, is an Icelandic film director....
. - 1987 - Geyser - Anthology of the Icelandic Independent Music Scene of the EightiesGeyser - Anthology of the Icelandic Independent Music Scene of the EightiesGeyser – Anthology of the Icelandic Independent Music Scene of the Eighties is a compilation released in 1987 by the record label Enigma Records...
(Enigma RecordsEnigma RecordsEnigma Records was a popular rock and alternative American record label in the 1980s. It was initially a division of Greenworld Distribution, an independent music importer/distributor, which it split-off from in 1985 to become its own company...
), Icelandic compilation. - 1996 - Cold FeverCold FeverCold Fever is a 1995 Icelandic film directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson. It is a road movie set in Iceland and was the first of Friðrik's films to be made in the English language. The movie depicts the travels of a Japanese man across Iceland...
(Iceland Film Corporation), soundtrack to the film directed by Friðrik Þ. Friðriksson. - 1998 - Nælur (Spor), Icelandic compilation.
Films:
- 1982 - Rokk í ReykjavíkRokk í ReykjavíkRokk í Reykjavík was a documentary directed by Icelandic Friðrik Þór Friðriksson during the Icelandic winter of 1981-1982 and released for the local television the same year....
(Íslenska kvikmyndasamsteypan), documentary directed by Friðriksson.
Video clip:
- 1982 - “Blood”
Related bibliography
- Poppbókin: í Fyrsta Sæti, by Jens Guðmundsson. Bolungarvík (1983).
- Rokksaga Íslands, by Gestur Guðmundsson. Forlagið (1990).
- Lobster or Fame, by Ólafur Jóhann Engilbertsson. Smekkleysa (2000).
External links
- Page about Þeyr
- Website about Þeyr and other related bands
- Russian Page about Þeyr and other related bands (in Russian)
- Page about Þeyr at Tónlist.is (in Icelandic)
- Video clip of “Blood” at YouTube.com
- Official site of Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson
- Page of G. K. Óttarsson at MySpace.com
- GKÓ at Isound.com
- Page of Þorsteinn Magnússon at Isound.com
- Page of Þorsteinn Magnússon at MySpace.com
Downloads:
- “Tedrukkinn” - Mjötviður Mær (1981) / Mjötviður til Fóta (2001).
- “Killer Boogie” - Rokk í Reykjavík (1982).
- video clip of “Blood”