Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.05.2013, Blaðsíða 26

26The Reykjavík Grapevine
D.I.Y Or Die!
A new music label has been birthed in
the cultural swamp of 101
So what motivated you to start up Skeleton Horse
in the first place, Frímann?
Frímann: I felt that it was something that was needed
in the area, that there wasn’t a certain platform where
people could express themselves. There is the Grapevine
and then there’s the Internet. But I really liked the idea of
self-publishing a small circulation zine. You don’t need
anyone’s permission to do it.
How did it all actually come about?
F: I simply sent a mass e-mail to everyone I knew. I told
them that I was setting up a paper and that they were
free to do what they wanted to do and I’d print it. At the
time I was asking people for reviews, articles about their
favourite bands, designers doing sketches, food recipes.
Nicholas even put some computer code in there.
You’re about to publish your tenth issue.
What’s it been like?
F: Hmm… I would say that the first couple of issues were
quite hard, but once I got the ball rolling, and everyone
was in some sort of a rhythm, then it was rather easy.
I still have to chase people up every day to tell them to
hand their stuff in. I would say that’s the hardest part of
it all.
And now you and Nicolas have set up a music label,
Ladyboy Records. How did you two meet up initially?
N: Well I was working for the designer Sruli Recht at the
time, and one day Frímann came to the studio to buy a
bow tie. And I was the only one there!
F: Yup, it was love at first sight!
N: After that, we’d bump into each other at places like
Kaffibarinn and the old Bakkus. We started making music
when Frímann was in London and I was asked to provide
the music for an art show. I said yes to this, but I remem-
bered speaking with Frímann in the past about making
some music together. I sent him an e-mail and he said,
‘yes let’s do it.’ So when he got back, we got together and
created the group Pyrodulia.
At what point did it go from making music
to creating a record label?
F: Well we were looking at the labels around in Iceland
and the majority of it was really crap. It’s all this pre-
packaged indie bullshit that’s ready for export. I found
we didn’t have anything musical in common with these
labels. But we didn’t want to go abroad to get stuff re-
leased. I wanted to keep it in Iceland so I approached
Nicolas with the concept of making the label ourselves.
N: He dropped this name, ‘Ladyboy Records,’ and I really
liked it. I slept on the idea overnight, and I came back to
him saying that I wanted to do something slightly differ-
ent. As a designer I have several projects that have to do
with sound. And I wanted to see if there was some way
we could combine music closely with design. That way it
would give me something more to do with the label.
How does the dynamic work? Who does what?
N: For the art direction we’re 50/50. We decide and con-
firm everything together. I’m more involved with visual
artwork, but if Frímann doesn’t like it, then we don’t do
it. I’m more into the designs, the graphic visuals and the
stencilling and Frímann is this energetic, hyper guy who
runs around and gets things organised. He’s the one
who’s listening to everything and coming to me saying,
‘Hey there’s this guy who wants to do something with us.
We should check him out.’ He’s the one who deals with
people.
Your first release was a compilation on a tape where
the info was laser etched onto the casing. How im-
portant is the idea of formats and music to you and
the label in general?
F: It’s so important. I believe formats such as cassettes
are a far more intimate way of listening to music than just
pressing play on your MacBook and going to wash the
dishes. You press play sit down and stay with a cassette.
Then after a while you have to get up and physically
change the side. You’re much more involved.
N: There’s also the collectable value of some formats.
And while I don’t collect that much myself, I do like to
make items that are collectable. I like this aspect. With
this cassette release we had songs released that I
wouldn’t have released on other formats, but on cassette
it works because of the sound quality it provides.
With both a label and a zine in action,
what can we expect from you in 2013?
N: I think we can sneak a couple more releases in this
year. I think there will be one release on vinyl. That will be
a recording from playing sessions from Lady Boy Record
nights and a retreat with some musicians. We’ll record
everything over a couple of days, sort everything out and
see what comes from that.
F: As for Skeleton Horse, after the first 12 issues I’m look-
ing to set the magazine up as an independent publishing
entity that will look to publish poetry, short stories and
comics. In fact, one of the first releases will be a book of
poetry from Skeleton Horse contributor and Spacemen 3/
Spiritualized bass player Will Carruthers.
- Böb Clúenéss
Music
Skeleton Horse is available to buy from the Útúdúr bookshop
on Hverfisgata 42. Check out Lady Boy Records on Facebook,
as well as their first release on Bandcamp.
Photo: Alísa Kalyanova
It’s been a rather busy 12 months for DJ/musician Frímann Ísleifur Frímannsson and designer Nico-
las Kunysz. Frímann launched Skeleton Horse, a magazine of art, music and other assorted para-
phernalia that harks to the classic era of the DIY punk/hardcore zine movement. Meanwhile Nicolas
set up The Makery, a consultancy design studio that has produced items for Icelandic designers
such as Mundi. Now the two have teamed up together to create Lady Boy Records, a DIY music
label that seeks to create a symbiosis between experimental music and format/graphic design, re-
cently releasing their first record, a compilation of local musicians on limited cassette.
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