World Domination Or Death!
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The Sugarcubes and Their Protégés The Sugarcubes in August of 1986. From left: Einar Örn, Sigtryggur, Björk, Einar Melax, Friðrik, Þór and Bragi. Photo: Unknown. World Domination or Death! A few years after Mezzoforte Reptile; inescapably their fame making music. Guitarist Guðlau- Björk and Þór bore a son in June cracked international pop markets also brought light to their country gur “Godkrist” Óttarsson made of 1986, so life was taken easy on Iceland’s behalf, the nation fi- of origin, which few people knew some music that featured Björk during that spring and summer. Ein- nally got its international pop stars: much about. singing lyrics by Þór Eldon, her ar Örn finished his studies in Lon- The Sugarcubes. The band would boyfriend since 1983. They called don and moved to Iceland. During survive six years before implod- Pop Group for Money themselves The Elgar Sisters, long meetings at Björk’s and Þór’s ing and giving way to the biggest The obscure artists of Kukl were and three of the songs would place at Nesvegur, Einar, Björk, Icelandic star ever, Björk. of course as far removed from much later turn up as B-sides on Þór and other friends eventually pop music as possible, even Björk singles. Björk and drummer came up with the idea of forming The Sugarcubes released sever- though they had performed a Sigtryggur Baldursson also made a collective that they would call al well-received hits, and toured few “melodic” songs in their some music together under the Smekkleysa (“Bad Taste”). “Bad the world over on numerous earliest incarnation. In the spring name Ást ríður (“Passion”) and taste and extravagance,” would occasions. Alongside, they used of 1986, the band lay in ruins made one appearance, support- be Smekkleysa’s motto. Various their newfound recognition to due to personal squabbles and ing Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds plans were attached to the group: promote likeminded bands and inter-band friction. Smaller units at a notoriously dissipated gig in it would be a record label and a collaborators, such as Ham and from the band tried their hand at Reykjavík. book publishing company. The 108 | BLUE EYED POP restaurant Mudpit would open The Bad Taste postcard for 1986’s in its name, as well as the radio “Peace Meeting.” station Radio Devil (unfortunately neither happened). Also, the com- Sykurmolarnir’s debut release, the pany would hand out “Bad Taste single Einn mol’á mann. awards” to people that excelled in extravagance and bad taste. Björk and Einar Örn posing in a supermarket. Photo: Unknown. Various friends joined Smekkley- sa, and a pop group was formed solely to make money and finance its ventures. Björk, Einar and Þór got bassist Bragi and guitarist Friðrik from Purrkur Pillnikk to join along with drummer Sigtryggur and keyboard player Einar Melax from Kukl. “We started playing pop songs that we thought were similar to what other people were playing. It was a total surprise to us that nobody else thought this was pop. Everybody just thought of it as weird music,” Einar remarked many years later. The new band’s first appearance was on July 18, 1986. The band was advertised as Kukl in Morgunblaðið, but called themselves Þukl (“Frisk”) for their second gig, a week later. Einar Örn had brought along a gigantic plastic lobster when he came back from London. Pop band Stuðmenn finance the release, Smekkleysa in Icelandic)), was pressed in Ice- ed would be an international hit fancied the lobster and made Einar sold postcards bearing the image land at the Alfa pressing plant, the a while later. “Cat” was a bit more Örn their manager so they could use of Reagan and Gorbachev, drawn only vinyl pressing plant that has understandable, people thought. the plastic crustacean in concert. by guitarist Friðrik. Reagan and the been operated in Iceland. In fact, Despite his earlier plans, Einar Örn Þukl was called Sykurmolarnir Russian leader had met for a widely theirs was the last ever record to decided to spend the winter of (“The Sugarcubes”) when the band publicized peace talk in Iceland in be pressed there. Alfa was never a 1986-1987 in London. An old pal supported Stuðmenn in the sports October of 1986, and the postcard very good pressing plant, and most from the Crass days, Derek Birkett, arena Laugardalshöll. Very few sold very well, as nobody else had of the pressing was defective upon formerly a bass player with anar- people showed up, so Stuðmenn jumped at the opportunity and made arrival—only around 300 copies cho-punk band Flux of Pink Indians, paid their support act in studio hours merchandise. or so were presentable enough to was working in a studio, so he and at their recording studio, Grettisgat. distribute. Einar started processing the songs Twelve weird pop songs were re- “Oh Shit!” from the Grettisgat sessions. Derek corded during this session, and two Einn mol’á mann (“One Cube Per Few people in Iceland “got” the had just formed a record label, One of them were released on Björk’s Person”), the first Sugarcubes sin- music, certainly not “Birthday,” Little Indian, and it was decided 21st birthday, on November 21. To gle (with “Birthday” and “Cat” (both which nobody could have predict- he would release The Sugarcubes WORLD DOMINATION OR DEATH! | 109 leave, so Þór would thereafter be ple or so, roughly the same group it did. After “Birthday” got the hon- The Sugarcubes, rather mysterious the band’s sole guitarist after Árni of people that had followed Kukl. or, One Little Indian Records was looking in 1987. Photo: Unknown. from Vonbrigði declined an offer to swamped with interview requests join. Film director Friðrik Þór asked One Little Indian released Birthday and offers from record companies, the band to provide soundtrack to as a 12” on August 17, 1987. It was both indies and majors. There was his first feature film Skytturnar (AKA supposed to promote the forth- something about The Sugarcubes White Whales). The band provided coming LP. A week later “Birthday” fresh and amusing tone that songs in English. The music was some instrumental music, most of was picked as “single of the week” moved listeners. remixed, and new snippets and which didn’t make it into the film’s in Melody Maker. “Oh shit,” was sounds added to the mix. final cut. Three tracks turned up on reportedly Einar Örn’s first reaction In the same week in October 1987, a soundtrack 12” though, with the when he heard the news. the band graced the front covers Meanwhile in Iceland, the band title track sung by Bubbi Morthens of both The NME and Melody performed several times without on the A-side. Surrealistic Pop Maker. As would become custom- Einar. At the time, the band would Scoring a “single of the week” in ary, Björk was put in the forefront, play a cover version of Lou Reed’s In the summer of 1987, Einar Örn the UK music press doesn’t neces- while the band stood in the back, a “Sweet Jane” amongst other came to Iceland and the band sary mean instant access to the big bit out of focus. The band’s first UK songs. Guitarist Friðrik decided to played several times for 100 peo- time, but in The Sugarcubes’ case, gig was supporting US gloom band 110 | BLUE EYED POP Swans at a venue called Town ment after a hearty meal—was fetched war cry of “world domina- ison, as The B-52’s had always & Country. This was an unlikely released in April 1988 and scored tion or death!” been popular with the Reykjavík combination, as Swans were very glowing reviews in Europe. The hipster elite. intense and have a reputation for album contains such classic surre- In a Car with Three Lesbians playing some of the loudest con- alistic pop songs as “Cold Sweat,” After Europe, The Sugarcubes A TV crew follows Björk outside Asto- certs in history. “Deus” and “Motorcrash,” which went to conquer America. In the ria in London 1988. Photo: Dr. Gunni. were all released as singles. The states, the band’s similarity to the The Sugarcubes at Limelight in NYC As music from Iceland was an ex- video for “Motorcrash” featured jolly pop of The B-52’s was noted, in 1992. A fan has jumped on stage. otic novelty, most of the interviews the slick American sedan cars that not a totally far-fetched compar- Photo: Einar Falur Ingólfsson. with The Sugarcubes verged into the Sugarcubes had spent some of tourism promotion for Iceland—“It their record deal advance on. The is such a strange country, they video was directed by Björk’s new eat puffins and drink Brennivín all boyfriend, Óskar Jónasson, who the time, etc, etc., etc.” This would would later direct videos for Sugar- be the standard style of Icelandic cubes songs “Planet” and “Regína.” music coverage for decades to In other love affair news, guitarist come. As was to be expected, the Þór Eldon’s new girlfriend, Margrét attention from abroad increased Örnólfsdóttir (formerly of the band the band’s Icelandic fan base. Reptile), turned up playing key- Reykjavík venues were suddenly boards for The Sugarcubes that swamped with hipsters when the summer, completing the band’s band played local shows. All kinds line-up, as Einar Melax had left. of wild record deal offers were dutifully covered by the Icelandic Besides spending their new found media, and Ellert B. Schram, editor pop money on American cars, The of the newspaper DV, wrote an Sugarcubes were always very kind outraged editorial when the band and supportive to up-and-coming declined an offer that amounted to Icelandic bands.