Reykjavík Grapevine - 18.06.2010, Blaðsíða 34

The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 08 — 2010
22
dr. Gunni’s History Of Icelandic Rock | Part 19
In 1981, a flock of serious men came out
of the woodworks—often wearing long
grey or black overcoats. They probably
clutched a Joy Division or a Þeyr record
under their arms. Þeyr hadn't started out
as the deep thinking young dudes’ pre-
mium choice though. No sir, in 1979 they
had approached Svavar Gests, a record
mogul from another dimension, bearing
two corny pop songs that were repre-
sentative of the music they were making
at that time. Svavar liked the songs well
enough to agree to finance a Þeyr album
to be released on the SG label that he'd
run since the early sixties.
Þeyr (usually called Theyr by people
deprived of the letter Þ) were a group of
friends who had been dabbling in music
since the mid-seventies. They started to
record their pop songs during the winter
of 1980, and had about half of a LP ready
when they decided to take the summer
off. During the summer of 1980, the band
got hip to all kinds of new sounds through
friends and relatives—both progressive
new wave and modern art music such as
Schönberg’s. When the recordings com-
menced in the fall, Þeyr's sound had to-
tally changed. Also there had been a line
up change: those who didn't surrender to
the new sound had to go.
CUT THE MULLET!
The band had kept Svavar from the stu-
dio, but when he finally heard the al-
bum and saw the artwork for the cover
he simply snapped. His wife, legendary
Icelandic singer Ellý Vilhjálms, loved the
album though, and with her blessing
the first Þeyr LP came out late in 1980.
It was entitled ‘Þagað í hel’ (“Silenced to
death”)—which was a fitting name as the
album was released in a very small quan-
tity and has since become a much sought
after vanity item.
The new Þeyr were on a roll. The
band added two guitarists to their ranks,
Guðlaugur—"Godkrist"—Óttarsson and
Þorsteinn Magnússon, who had played in
Eik, a progressive band that the Þeyr boys
had loved during their formative years.
His transformation to the new style was
celebrated with a ceremony during a Þeyr
concert in February of 1981. He spoke of
being "freed" as his hippie long hair was
cut off on stage.
ICELANd’S FIRST NEW WAvE BANd
Þeyr were called the first "new wave"
band in Iceland and had a very "new
wave"-ish stage presence. The members
behaved like spastic robots and some-
times the gigs would start with the mem-
bers carrying in a coffin with the tall sing-
er Magnús Guðmundsson inside. During
the first song he'd rise from the coffin,
and then stand like a cross between
Frankenstein and Dracula in a long black
leather coat, gravely singing and frozenly
staring at a far away point.
Þeyr and their close circle of friends
got involved with all kinds of mysterious
ideologies. Occultism and mysticism
coloured the music and the band's out-
look. The regular Þeyr fan tried his best to
understand what Alistair Crowley, Tesla,
Reich, the Illuminati and all the other stuff
Þeyr harped on was all about.
The first 7" was called ‘Útfrymi’ (“Ec-
toplasm”)—and included ‘Life Transmis-
sion,’ an ode to Joy Division's Ian Curtis,
who had taken his life the year before.
The record came with a propaganda
sheet where Þeyr declared that the band
wanted to have spiritual intercourse with
the Icelandic nation. The record came out
on the band's own label, Eskvímó, like
most of the band's other records.
INdUCING TROPICAL CLIMATES
Þeyr were pranksters. When ‘Iður til fóta’
(“Innards at feet”)—a 10" with four ac-
cessible new wave songs came out in
September of 1981—the band sent out a
press release that claimed the album was
equipped with a weather control devise.
At that time there was only one radio
station in Iceland. "It is remarkable that
during the days that the radio plays the
record, it is almost a tropical climate in
Iceland," stated band’s the press release.
The band's second LP came out in
December of 1981. It is called ‘Mjötviður
Mær’ (“Mjötviður Maiden”) "Mjötviður"
being something from the Old Norse my-
thologies. The band's ideologist, Hilmar
Örn Hilmarsson, would much later be-
come the high priest of Ásatrúarfélagið,
the religious organisation for those who
practice belief in the Old Norse gods.
It is a diverse album, its songs rang-
ing from the soft instrumental song
‘Mjötviður’ to the driving ‘Rúdolf’—soon
to be every drummer's favourite, due to
drummer Sigtryggur Baldursson's signa-
ture beat. Also to be found on the album
are experimental tracks such as ‘Iss’ and
‘2999’, which features the sounds of a
bulldozer that happened to pass the stu-
dio. The album got rave reviews in the
Icelandic media, the consensus being
that Þeyr were now in the top league of
Icelandic rock bands, along with Þur-
saflokkurinn.
By now, as is want of Icelandic bands,
Þeyr had their eyes on greener pastures:
"We've been playing for the same group
of 1.000 people in Iceland and we want to
expand our horizons. Besides, there are
sheep in other nations and it is our holy
duty to visit them. In the name of justice!"
the band said in an interview. More of
Þeyr's export experiments next time.
- dR. GUNNI
By Dr. Gunni, based on his 2000 book Eru ekki
allir í stuði? (Rock in Iceland).
Þeyr Has Spiritual Intercourse
With The Nation
1. A Þeyr collage, based on pictures
taken at their concert at Hótel Saga
in February 1981.
2. Mjötviður Mær, Þeyr's master-
piece.
1
Music | Album Reviews
Me, the Slumbering
Napoleon
The Bloody Core Of It
slumberingnapoleon
Like a dry-hacking weasel. Put it
out of its misery with a shovel.
A while ago I reviewed MTSN´s debut
EP and gave it a cautious thumbs up
for its scuzzy rock sound. Now I’m
taking it all back. I had really high
hopes with this album, but after
listening to it, it becomes obvious that
they put only their good songs on the
EP.
God this was like being sprayed
with hot faeces while listening to
those awful school bands that would
jam in the music department during
lunchtime. The guitar sound may be
heavy, but I wasn’t getting any passion,
spark, nothing that made me go
“YEAH! Brilliant! Destroy!”.
The nadir is “I hate to fuck”, where
they play some notes on a scale VERY
SLOWLY with interminable gaps
in between. Then it’s followed by a
“hangers on applause,” like they’re
the fucking Red Hot Chilli Peppers
or something. And that sort of thing
makes a little bit of me die inside every
time ...
- BOB CLUNESS
2
ENJOY UNSPOILT NATURE
IN THE CAPITAL AREA
You = Cash
Us = Car
We just can’t help ourselves. We just opened a new
sales office at Laugarvegur 97. So bring us your cash, and
we’ll bring out one of our sweet rides and you’ll be rollin’
in no time.
www.geysir.is
Suðurgata 41 · 101 Reykjavík · Tel. +354 530-2200 · www.natmus.is
The country’s largest
museum of cultural
history featuring a
permanent exhibition on
Iceland’s extraordinary
history from settlement
to present day.
Opening hours:
Summer
(May 1st – September 15th)
Daily 10–17
Winter
(September 16th – April 30th)
Daily except Mondays 11–17
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