Reykjavík Grapevine - 02.08.2013, Page 28

28The Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 11 — 2013
Now. Through releasing a slew of albums and
touring the world extensively, many times
over, múm have gone through quite many
line-up changes. Indeed, múm’s founders and
core-members, Gunnar Örn Tynes (Gunni)
and Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, have been
joined by many people on and off stage for
their creative endeavours under the múm-
moniker. The number of musicians that are
or have at some point been involved in the
project has reached at least twenty—some of
them have gone on to enjoy fruitful careers as
solo artists, band leaders, experimental com-
posers and the like after taking their first steps
into creative music with múm.
Both Gunni and Örvar are constantly involved
in a variety of projects. Örvar has written
lyrics for bands like Hjaltalín, Benni Hemm
Hemm and Ásgeir Trausti, and Gunni has pro-
duced at least seventeen albums for a wide
range of Icelandic bands. It doesn’t take a
rocket scientist to figure out that their impact
on Icelandic music scene is almost immeasur-
able. Nowadays, when the accepted way of
obtaining knowledge and experience in the
arts beyond the amateur level has moved from
guilds to university degrees, one has to won-
der what kind of experience lights the spark
for a young artist to start creating original
material, and whether the persistent creative
activity around múm could almost be consid-
ered an education in itself for those who have
joined in or witnessed it?
At the Grapevine’s request, I, Ólöf Arnalds,
an old friend, collaborator and former touring
member of múm, went to the band’s rehearsal
space to meet her old road buddies Gunni and
Örvar, to engage in a bit of small talk (what
Icelanders like to call “talking about the day
and the way”) and the imminent release of the
band’s fifth comeback album, ‘Smilewound.’
Submarine teeth meet
To start somewhere, let’s start with some
trivia: How long have múm been around?
ÖÞS: We don’t know.
You don’t know?
ÖÞS: At least we’re not a hundred percent
sure, 1997 I guess... Our first band, And-
héri, had a record that came out that summer
[starts noodling his guitar]. It was probably in
the fall of that same year that all it all begun.
GÖT: We released an EP with the band Spúnk,
and it was called ‘Stefnumót kafbátanna’
(“Submarines Meet”). Funnily enough, many
years later I realised that in a typically dyslex-
ic move on my behalf, half of the copies had
another title written on them: ‘Stefnumót kaf-
bátatanna’ (“Submarine Teeth Meet”). Some-
how I like the second title better.
Continues over
It Keeps Getting Better And Better
múm in conversation with Ólöf Arnalds
by Ólöf Arnalds
If Hemmi Gunn (legendary talk show host and footballer who passed away recently—bless his soul) had conducted this inter-
view, he would have started it off by saying: “For Grapevine’s readers, the band múm needs no introduction!” And he would
have been right. However, those of you who for some reason need the information, you know where to look. If you have a dif-
ficult relationship with computers and the internet, go to the Smekkleysa store on Laugavegur 35 and ask for Ási.
múm gets Riel
By Parker Yamasaki
Photo by Magnús Andersen
Layer by layer, múm puts forth their newest
single, “Toothwheels.” A thumping bass jumps
in front of crackling electronics just moments
before Gyða's ethereal vocals swiftly enter the
scene. The result is a shadowy melody that
lingers in your head after the last note expires.
Hauntingly pleasing, like a friendly ghost.
Approaching Sara Riel to design a cover for
the single was a good move on múm’s part. The
band started with a concept—something with
teeth, and a wheel, maybe?—which Sara skilful-
ly crafted into reality in one take. The design has
its obvious connections to ‘Toothwheels’—its
title—as well as some subtler correlations. The
original piece involves a coat of dripping paint,
which she burned and then layered beneath the
dimly colourful "toothwheel." The product is
mildly disturbing and entirely appealing, just
like the song.
“It helped that I am really familiar with Ör-
var's distinct aesthetics,” Sara says referring to
the design process, “and I knew when he was
making the album that he was influenced by
horror-genre movies.” In any case, it was a fruit-
ful collaboration. And a due one, as well. Sara
met Gunnar, one of the band's two founding
members, running around the neighbourhood
when they were just twelve years old. And Örvar,
the other founding member, has been a friend for
over a decade. In 2001, the group moved to Berlin
together where Sara was studying art. It was in
Berlin, Sara recognises, that these Reykjavík lo-
cals began to really cohere as a creative family.
Back home in Iceland, they continue to run
the streets together, but have matured from the
playground prowlers to creative profession-
als. When I caught up with Sara she is coating
an otherwise mediocre wall on Grandi with
the múm artwork (and Grapevine cover!). She
comes down from the lift and we climb into the
front seat of her four-runner to escape the ocean
wind. She turns the key and múm's forthcoming
album, whose cover she also designed, Smile-
wound, emanates through crackling speakers.
Music
Axel Sigurðarson