GusGus
GusGus, Iceland's leading techno-/soul band saw the light of day for the first time in 1995, during a break in the making of the shortcut "Pleasure". Initially GusGus was as a multimedia collective that combined sexually tinged dance music with visual arts and shorts made by the group's members. A self-titled debut album appeared on their Kjól & Anderson imprint in conjunction with the screening of "Pleasure" and immediately caused a buzz on the scene in their native land.
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New Live performances from GusGus
History
GusGus are a band from Reykjavík, Iceland. They were founded in 1995. Their discography consists of seven studio albums and one live record.
Initially formed as a film and acting collective, the group became mostly known for their electronic music. GusGus have had a varied lineup, including:
* Stephan Stephensen (a.k.a. President Bongo, Alfred More, or President Penis)
* Birgir Þórarinsson (a.k.a. Biggi Veira or Biggo)
* Sigurður Kjartansson (a.k.a. Siggi Kinski)
* Stefán Árni Þorgeirsson
* Magnús Guðmundsson (a.k.a. Herb Legowitz, Hunk of a Man, Buckmaster De La Cruz, The Fox, Fuckmaster, or Herr Legowitz)
* Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
* Magnús Jónsson (a.k.a. Blake)
* Hafdís Huld Þrastardóttir
* Baldur Stefánsson
* Emilíana Torrini Davíðsdóttir
* Ragnheiður Axel
* Heiðrún Anna Björnsdóttir
* Urður Hákonardóttir (a.k.a. Earth)
Several lineup changes have occurred, and their current incarnation consists of three members (President Bongo, Biggi Veira and Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson). After their third album, This Is Normal, the filmmaking arm of GusGus (Kjartansson and Árni Þorgeirsson) split off to form the production company Celebrator, now known as Arni & Kinski, which has produced award-winning advertisements and videos. A few former members such as Hafdís Huld, Blake, and Daníel Ágúst have gone solo, most notably though Emilíana Torrini, who provided a song for the soundtrack to Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
GusGus' music is eclectic, and although primarily classified with techno, trip-hop and house music, they have experimented with numerous other styles. They have also remixed several famous artists, including Björk, Depeche Mode, Moloko, and Sigur Rós. Added to this they released the song "Desire" with Ian Brown in January 2004. A remix of the track "Purple" appeared in remixed form on Paul Oakenfold's successful trance compilation called Tranceport.
The band's name refers to the 1974 German film Ali: Fear Eats the Soul by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, where a female character is cooking couscous for her lover, pronouncing it "Gus Gus". The band regards it as a "sex reference".
GusGus - Believe
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