Kukl (band)

Kukl (often stylized as KUKL or K.U.K.L.)

was an Icelandic post-punk group in the
1980s, most notable for being one of
Björk's first bands.
 Kukl
Origin Reykjavík, Iceland

Genres Punk rock

post-punk
anarcho punk
no wave
experimental
avant-garde
noise rock

Years active 1983–1986

Labels Crass Records

One Little Indian
V.I.S.A.
Gramm
Associated acts Björk
The Sugarcubes
Tappi Tíkarrass
Purrkur Pillnikk
Þeyr
Megas
The Elgar Sisters

Past members Björk Guðmundsdóttir

Einar Örn
Benediktsson
Guðlaugur Kristinn
Óttarsson
Sigtryggur Baldursson
Birgir Mogensen
Einar Arnaldur Melax
History

Beginnings and first releases …

The band formed in August 1983 when

Ásmundur Jónsson from Gramm Records
wanted to create an avant-garde
supergroup to perform on the final episode
of a radio show called Áfangar. He
assembled vocalist Björk Guðmundsdóttir
of Exodus and Tappi Tíkarrass, trumpeter
and vocalist Einar Örn Benediktsson (a.k.a.
Einar Ørn) of Purrkur Pillnikk, keyboardist
Einar Arnaldur Melax from the surrealistic
group Medúsa, and bassist Birgir
Mogensen from Spilafífl, as well as
drummer Sigtryggur Baldursson (a.k.a.
Trix) and guitarist Guðlaugur Kristinn
Óttarsson (a.k.a. God Krist) from the band
Þeyr.

After two weeks of writing and rehearsals,

the band played the radio session. Their
ensuing enthusiasm for the experience led
to a decision to make the group
permanent.[1]

Kukl's first live show was on September

20, 1983, opening for Crass in Reykjavík,
followed shortly after by their first release,
the 7" single "Söngull" (Gramm).

The Eye …

Einar Ørn had studied media at the

Polytechnic of Central London, which
enabled him to come in contact with UK
anarcho-punk groups such as Flux of Pink
Indians and Crass. This led to the 1984
release of Kukl's first album, The Eye
(produced by Crass member Penny
Rimbaud) on the Crass Records label. The
title The Eye came from Björk’s favorite
book, Story of the Eye by Georges Bataille
(1928), whose plot involved the sexual
adventures of a young French couple
within a violent context. The album cover
was illustrated by Dada Nana. The Eye
contained an English-language version of
“Söngull”, retitled “Dismembered”. A video
clip was shot for the song “Anna”, directed
by Óskar Jónasson.

Kukl à Paris, touring and Megakukl …

A live performance from September 1984

at L'Eldorado in Paris, France yielded Kukl á
Paris 14.9.84, a cassette-only release
issued in 1985 by independent French
record label V.I.S.A.. Kukl toured Europe
during 1985, visiting the Netherlands
during the Pandora's Box Festival, and
Denmark during the Roskilde Festival.
Later that year, Kukl and Icelandic rock
singer Megas (Magnús Þór Jónsson)
formed a side project called Megakukl.
After creating about 20 songs, which
remain unreleased, they played several
concerts in Iceland.

Holidays in Europe and split …

Kukl released their second and final studio

album, Holidays in Europe (The Naughty
Nought), on Crass Records on January 24,
1986. Two video clips were produced,
"Outward Flight (Psalm 323)" and "France
(A Mutual Thrill)". In a manifesto published
as a Crass Records press release to
announce the album, the band said:

”The Naughty Nought” pertains to the

insignificance of the individual as being
nothing but a numb number in a
computer game of loss/profit good/evil
black/white binary pairs. You are taken
from Quintessence to the four elements
from the Holy Trinity to duality and then
from monistism to the naughty nought.
 In this process the music breaks the
scale by thundering trumpets and
pouring vials of wrath together with
subtle musical poetry. The naughty
nought is the source of all creative
energy and is manifested through
whirling cyclonic motion from the very
shatters of matter to the spiralling
galaxies. By contemplating the kinetic
aspect of this naughty ality you gain your
former potency as the master and
creator without mutilating your fellow
beings.”[2]

Later that year, the band was close to an

end, as different members pursued various
projects. Guðlaugur and Björk formed the
Elgar Sisters, a group which featured
musicians from Kukl (with the exception of
Einar Ørn) and collaborators Hilmar Örn
Hilmarsson and Þorsteinn Magnússon.
This ensemble recorded 11 songs in 1986
and disbanded thereafter.

In the summer of 1986, Einar Ørn returned

from England with two projects: the
creation of a new record label,
Smekkleysa/Bad Taste, and a new band,
Sykurmolarnir, later translated as The
Sugarcubes. As Kukl disbanded, the only
members who did not continue with the
new project were Mogensen and
Guðlaugur. The birth of the new band
coincided with the June 8, 1986 birth of
Björk's son Sindri Eldon Þórsson (fathered
by Medúsa guitarist Þór Eldon Jónsson).

Later projects …

Björk, Einar Ørn, Melax and Sigtryggur

formed the Sugarcubes in 1986 with
bassist Bragi Ólafsson and guitarist Friðrik
Erlingsson (replaced by Þór Eldon). Melax
was later replaced by Margrét
Örnólfsdóttir.
Melax later formed Exem with Þorri
Jóhannsson of Inferno 5, releasing the
album Kjöttromman in 1995 on
Smekkleysa.

After Kukl disbanded, Guðlaugur

collaborated with renowned Icelandic and
international artists and has performed
solo guitar concerts in Iceland. As a
polytechnic engineer in practice and
inventor, he has also combined his music
work with scientific projects and delved
into quantum physics, thermoelectricity
and navigational systems.
Mogensen worked for recording and video
studios and joined Inferno 5, a multimedia
ensemble founded by Þorri Jóh. He was
asked to play bass for Killing Joke and
rehearsed with them in England before
Paul Raven rejoined that band. He played
bass on several tracks on Exem's
Kjöttromman. He later worked as a
broadcast supervisor at the SkjárEinn TV
station.

Discography

Studio albums …

The Eye (1984, Crass Records)

 Holidays in Europe (The Naughty Nought)
(1986, Crass Records)

Singles …

"Söngull" (1983, Gramm)

Live albums …

Kukl á Paris 14.9.84 (1985, V.I.S.A.)

Compilation appearances …

"Dismembered" on V.I.S.A. Présente

(1985, Bondage Records/V.I.S.A.)
"Man on the Cross" on Geyser -
Anthology of the Icelandic Independent
 Music Scene of the Eighties (1987,
Enigma Records)
"Seagull" on Björk's Audiobiography
cassette (1998, self-released)
"Fuglar" on Björk's Family Tree box set
(2002, One Little Indian Records)

Related bibliography
Rokksaga Íslands by Gestur
Guðmundsson (1990, Forlagið)
Björk (Colección Imágenes de Rock,
N°82) by Jordi Bianciotto (1997, Editorial
La Máscara)
 Alternative Rock : Third Ear - The
Essential Listening Companion by Dave
Thompson (2000, Backbeat Books)
Lobster or Fame by Ólafur Jóhann
Engilbertsson (2000, Bad Taste)

See also
Music of Iceland

References
1. Aston, Martin (1996). Björk:
Björkgraphy . London: Simon &
Schuster. p. 64. ISBN 0-684-81799-3.
2. "New Release Information" (Press
release). London: Crass Records.
 January 1986. Archived from the
original on February 9, 2008. Retrieved
2016-05-09.

External links
Website about the history and
discography of Kukl
Always on the Run.net Site about Kukl
with lyrics and photographs

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