Ice Ice Baby
Welcome dudes.
Hvernig hefur þú það?
“Við höfum það fínt takk.”
You formed in 2005 as a studio project until the Iceland Airwaves Festival in 2006 came around and you became a full on live set – what’s the story there, how did you all meet – and what’s the story about the Christmas present for friends which maybe created this brilliant band?
“Here is the family tree of how we met…
Árni V and Örvar met in school
Árni R and Árni V met in a hospital
Árni R and Lóa met at a fleamarket. Árni R had a booth where you could record your voice and then he made a song for you in around 15 minutes.
Lóa and Örvar met on a bus when they were teenagers.
Árni V and Lóa met in Árni R´s appartement.
Árni R and Örvar met at a school but not their school.
Our first song was ‘Pump’ (a cover of ‘Pump Up The Jam’) and we made it for our friends Inga and Bóas for Christmas. The track is on our album and is the original recording. It was made before we became a band. Árni R was making a song and Lóa was making fun of it by singing the lyrics of ‘Pump Up The Jam’ over his track.”
Your live set up varies up to anything to 30 members depending who is around at the time – who are the core members and what are their roles?
“The basic core are Árni R (vocal, computer, synths), Árni V (vocals, drum machine), Örvar ( vocals) and Lóa (vocals).”
Over here in the UK, we don’t hear much about the Icelandic music scene, sure we hear about Rekjavik and the partying, but there seems to be a cool scene in your country with some great artists covering different genres – Bjork, obviously. Hafdis Huld, Mugison, Hjaltalm, GusGus and Steed Lord are making names for themselves in different areas – who are the people we should be looking out for this year from your icy shores?
“Seabear, Retro Stefson, Reykjavík!, Kria Brekkan, Nolo, Skakkamanage, Sin Fang Bous and Sykur.”
Do Icelandic people actually think Bjork is bonkers or brilliant? Over in Britain we think she’s batty.
“It just depends who you ask. But I think the general opinion is that she is brilliant.”
What do you think are the best three albums ever made?
“‘Wowee Zowee’, ‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots’ and ‘Knock Knock’. This answer is also a music quiz!”
So onto the current story, January has seen ‘How To Make Friends’ released on Morr Music/Kimi Records. You quoted Dr Seuss on your press release with one of his famous literary quotes ”Be Who You Are and Say What You Feel Because Those Who Don’t Matter And Those Who Don’t Matter Don’t Mind'”. On his ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ piece released in 1960 he brought us this…
Sam I am
I am Sam
I am Sam
Sam I am
I would not like them here or there.
I would not like them anywhere.
I do not like green eggs and ham.
I do not like them Sam I Am.
Say!
I like green eggs and ham!
I do! I like them, Sam-I-am!
Thoughts on that?
“I´m so glad Doctor Seuss was Doctor Seuss, I would have been a really lousy one.”
The new album covers everything from the VHS (a stage on from The Buggles), to Love, to a Tropical, Exotic Rocky Island, to Running Down The Street In Your Underwear…plus cover versions (re-working Rage Against The Machine and Technotronic). Madness, but great fun. Talk us through the album, whart are your highlights…
“‘Frequency’ Is a song we made after one of us had to be the designated driver after a family gathering. Gruesome ordeal.
‘Underwear’ is about boredom and the beauty of desperation. And how you can invent your own fun. ‘I Can Feel Love’ is is a love song, but a friend kind of love. When you suddenly realize how much you actually like the people around you. ‘Tropical’ – we made it when we were going to the Faeroe Islands. They aren´t very tropical but it was nice to think of them as tropical. ‘Pump’, As said before, our first song. ‘Par Avion’. one cold winter afternoon we read about some lady that moved from Iceland to the Caribbean. We wondered why on earth we were still living on our frozen little island. ‘VHS’ – a love song about obsolete formats. ‘Lotus’, a sweet version of Killing in the name of. ‘Optical’ – getting your vision back by buying a pair of glasses. ‘Synthia’, it´s about a synthesizer we met. She had a very neglectful owner and we wanted to save her. ‘President’ – it´s about our friend. She can do anything.
The highlight of the album was when we listened to all the tracks in Arni V´s car and decided that it all made sense in a way. To us at least.”
Have you ever pissed in the snow?
“I think so. I don´t remember everything that happens in winter.”
So you are on the tour bus, what are the big 10 tunes on your iPods?
1. Catch the Light- Sin Fang Bous
2. Clangour and flutes- Sin Fang Bous
3. Papa Paulo III (Re-edit)- Retro Stefson
4. Flames of fire- Skakkamanage
5. Bee XLaura- Kria Brekkan
6. When I grow up- Fever Ray
7. Transformation Fantasy-Joy Zipper
8. Help me make it through the night- Johnny Cash´s version
9. Troubled Waters- Cat Power´s version
10. Hope there´s Someone- Antony and the Johnsons
You are having a dinner party – what 5 dead or alive famous people would you invite?
“Julius the Chimpanzee even if he´s not really a person, Chris Farley, Simon Amstel, Tina Fey and Richard Pryor.”
Ten Icelandic people we may know that you would invite to one of your birthday parties?
“We don´t know who you know but we would invite the Icelandic handball team, their coach, masseuse and their driver.”
Magazines such as Rolling Stone USA, NME and Q site you as a ‘must see live act’ – what makes your show so electric?
“Maybe because it is kind of random and a bit allover the place. It can also have something to do with our unprofessional dancing.”
Icelandic synth, Pop or Kitch – which genre are you nearest to?
“Hmm we like both. I think we are nearest to pop though.”
Aren’t you bloody cold all the time over there?
Nope, our apartment is pretty cold but our winters aren´t very cold. And winter clothes are a lot nicer looking than summer clothes.”
You are known in your home country as Electro Pop ravers – who in the current Electro scene do you rate worldwide?
“Fever Ray.”
What is the best live gig outside of Iceland have you performed at?
“We played at this small cafe in Haugesund in Norway. At first we were thinking about canceling because there was no one there at first and then it turned out to be an insanely fun party, steamy windows and crazy dancing Norwegians. It was incredible.”
Some big live shows coming up, London, Hamburg, Copenhagen and Amsterdam in the next few weeks – where are you most looking forward to?
“I don´t have a preference but I´ve never seen Amsterdam so that might be fun.”
And finally, what is coming out from you from the FM Belfast studio?
“Lots and lots of remixes.”