Einar Örn

Benediktsson

Einar Örn Benediktsson (born 29 October

1962), often billed as Einar Örn, is an
Icelandic popular music singer, trumpet
player, artist and politician, best known as
a former member of the Sugarcubes and a
current member of Ghostigital. He served
as a member of the Reykjavík City Council
between 2010 and 2014.[1]
 Einar Örn Benediktsson

Einar Örn

Background information

Birth name Einar Örn

Benediktsson

Born 29 October 1962

Reykjavík, Iceland

Origin Reykjavík, Iceland

Genres Punk, anarcho-punk,

alternative rock,
electro, electronica,
experimental music
Instruments Trumpet, vocals

Years active 1981–present

Associated acts Purrkur Pillnikk, Kukl,

The Sugarcubes,
Ghostigital, Damon
Albarn, Björk

Website http://www.siberia.is
 Einar Örn Benediktsson
Member of the Reykjavík, Iceland City Council
In office
May 2010 – June 2014

Personal details

Born 29 October 1962

Reykjavík, Iceland

Political party Best Party

Alma mater Polytechnic of Central

London (B.A., 1986)

Occupation musician and artist

With Björk and the

Sugarcubes
Einar has been described as the first punk
in Iceland. He claims he became
interested in punk rock after reading about
Johnny Rotten vomiting on an aeroplane
and listening to John Peel on his mother's
car radio. Einar spent the summer of 1977
in London, where his father worked.
Through this, he was able to make
contacts enabling the Reykjavík arts
festival to book The Clash in 1980.[2]

In the early 1980s, Einar was the lead

singer of the short-lived punk group
Purrkur Pillnikk. Following Purrkur
Pillnikk's demise in 1983, Einar became a
member of the anarcho-punk Kukl along
with the already notable Icelandic singer
Björk Guðmundsdóttir. During this period,
whilst studying media at the Polytechnic
of Central London (now the University of
Westminster) he got in touch with several
punk groups such as Flux of Pink Indians
and the anarchist band Crass. This
eventually led to the release of Kukl's two
studio albums, 1984's The Eye and 1986's
Holidays in Europe, on Crass' in-house
label Crass Records.
In June 1986, Smekkleysa SM or Bad
Taste SM ltd was formed by a group of
friends which included Einar, Björk,
Sigtryggur, Einar Melax from Kukl, Bragi
Ólafsson and Friðrik Erlingsson from
Purrkur Pillnikk, Þór Eldon, Ólafur
Engilberts and Sjón from the surrealist
group Medúsa and lastly Ásmundur
Jónsson from Gramm Records. Out of this
group the Sugarcubes were formed, with
Einar sharing vocal duties with Björk. While
with the Sugarcubes, some critics scorned
him for his bizarre spoken-word rants and
discordant singing, which often
overshadowed Björk's more popular
vocalizations. Others, however, defended
his contributions as an essential
component of the group's free-spirited,
chaotic ethos. Einar remained with the
Sugarcubes until the band's breakup in
1992.

In 2006, Einar reunited with the

Sugarcubes for a one-off performance at
the Laugardalshöll arena in Reykjavík.[3]

Post-Sugarcubes
After the breakup of the Sugarcubes, Einar
wrote a newspaper column "Close
Encounter" ("about daily life in Reykjavík"),
promoted records for the Sugarcubes'
former Icelandic label, Bad Taste
(Smekkleysa), which he had co-founded,
and worked as a bartender. Music went on
the backburner: "I was discovering other
things, like family life. I wanted to make
music a hobby again."

He recorded with Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson

(HÖH) in 1992: "We were great friends who
decided to make music for the hell of it,
and it turned into a record" (Frostbite, on
One Little Indian). He also worked in
concert promotion (two Björk shows, The
Prodigy, Fugees and Massive Attack) and
co-founded Reykjavík's first cybercafe The
Siberia Cafe: 'We were too early. Those
who knew what it was all about preferred
to do their Internet hacking at home."

Einar worked for the Reykjavík Arts

Festival before moving back to London in
late 1997 to set up OLI's Web sites: "I saw
this gap, which I could fill. It's always good
to get a new perspective."

In 1998, Einar teamed up with Hilmar Örn

and former Sugarcubes drummer
Sigtryggur "Siggi" Baldursson as Grindverk.
"It's dance music for people who cannot
dance. It'll probably be instrumental too.
It's not because people have criticised me,
I just don't think I've written anything I want
to sing." Grindverk released a single album,
Gesundheit Von K, on the British-based Fat
Cat Records.[4]

In 2000, Einar collaborated with Blur lead

singer Damon Albarn on the soundtrack
for the acclaimed Icelandic film 101
Reykjavík. The soundtrack was released by
EMI the following year.[5] Einar also worked
with Albarn's project Gorillaz on the song
"Stop The Dams." The track originally
appeared as a 2006 B-side on the single
"Kids With Guns" / "El Mañana." It was re-
released on the 2007 compilation album D-
Sides.

Einar has not ruled out future musical

projects stating, "I'm waiting to see if the
occasion arises. The Sugarcubes wasn't
scripted, remember. Of course, I'm older
but I would treat the occasion with the
same passion!"

Ghostigital
In December 2003 Einar embarked on his
first solo project. He debuted with an
album called Ghostigital, recorded with the
New York City-based Icelandic producer
Curver. It was released by Honest Jon's
Records in December 2003. The name of
this first album would later turn into the
name of a band, comprising Einar and
Curver and a host of collaborators.[6] The
music is described as "electronic beat
music", drawing in elements of dub, hip-
hop, Rock and noise, combined with
Einar's idiosyncratic worldview.

In 2005 Ghostigital signed with the

California-based label Ipecac Recordings
co-founded by Faith No More singer Mike
Patton. Their first Ipecac release, In Cod
We Trust, was released in March 2006.[7]
On this record Einar's son Kaktus
(currently frontman of Fufanu) plays
trumpet. It also features contributions
from Mark E Smith, Sensational, Ásgerður
Júníusdóttir and KatieJane Garside.

Ghostigital released their third studio

album called Division of Culture & Tourism
on Smekkleysa SM/BadTaste Records on
12 November 2012. It features
contributions from Damon Albarn, David
Byrne, Nick Zinner, Dälek, and King Buzzo.

Art practice
In his art practice Einar Örn has utilized a
wide range of media; sound art,
performance, words, music and
multimedia but is currently focusing on
works on paper, large scale murals and
textile prints. All connected through his
playful way of telling stories that
simultaneously amuse and baffle. Einar
Örn has exhibited internationally and in
Iceland.

Politics
Although he had no prior political
experience, Einar was elected to the
Reykjavík City Council in May 2010 as a
member of the satirical Best Party (Besti
flokkurinn) along with Reykjavík Mayor Jón
Gnarr and others.[8] Einar is second on the
party's list behind Jón.[9] Einar and other
Best Party members were part of the
governing coalition in Reykjavík along with
the Social Democratic Alliance
(Samfylkingin). He chaired the city's
committee for culture and tourism. The
Best Party did not run for re-election in
2014, instead choosing to disband.

References
1. "Úrslit úr stærstu sveitarfélögum" .
Kosningar 2010. Retrieved 3 April
2016.
2. Simpson, Dave (8 January 2015).
"Northern souls: the anarcho-punks
who made Iceland a pop
powerhouse" . theguardian.com.
Retrieved 8 January 2015.
3. MacInnes, Paul. "Sweet reunion for
Sugarcubes" , The Guardian, 20
November 2006. (accessed 24
January 2012)
4. FATCAT RECORDS | ARTISTS
(accessed 24 January 2012)
5. Amazon.com: 101 Reykjavik: Damon
Albarn, Einar Örn Benediktsson:
Music (accessed 24 January 2012)
6. Ghostigital | AllMusic (accessed 24
January 2012)
7. Ipecac Recordings – Ghostigital
(accessed 24 January 2012)
8. Haddad, Emmanuel. "Comedian and
new mayor Jon Gnarr spoofs politics
in Reykjavik" , Cafebabel.com, 23 June
2010. (accessed 24 January 2012)
9. Besti Flokkurinn – Pólítískt Partí |
Frambjóðendur Archived 9 October
 2011 at the Wayback Machine
(accessed 24 January 2012)

External links
Official website of Einar Örn
Official website of Ghostigital
City of Reykjavík site (in Icelandic)
Ghostigital interviewed in Chaos Control
Digizine
Ghostigital at MusicBrainz
Interview with Einar Örn Benediktsson
in Chief Magazine
Retrieved from
"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?
title=Einar_Örn_Benediktsson&oldid=979121541"

Last edited 2 months ago by Ser Amantio di Nicolao

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