GUS GUS - Icelandic electronica with soul

LeCornichon/Wikimedia Commons

One day my dad came for a visit and during that visit, during which ended up playing Gus Gus live at Iceland Airwaves 2011 on Youtube. From a distance I couldn't help but notice that the beats and melodies were quite infectiously catchy. I wandered over to see what was happening. The music was being produced live, which always adds something extra. To hear music made or even recorded live- done well is quite the treat. And when the first time you hear such music on laptop speakers as being immediately catchy and good, you take note.

I didn't hesitate much to grab their two latest Albums, Mexico(2014, Kompakt) and Arabian Horse(2011, Kompakt) and I'm thrilled that I did. Often when you pick up a new band and listen to it repeatedly, the novelty wears of quite quickly. Especially with much of todays music. But occasionally, you stumble across a gem so delightful it sticks with you through the test of time(repeat?) I feel like Gus Gus is one of those bands. I have only managed to check out these two albums and I have had someone tell me that their older stuff is even better! Although of course, beauty is in the eye and/or ear of the beholder. But that wasn't the first time I would have heard someone comment about the legendary-long lasting-ness of Gus Gus since starting my explorations of this bands work. And I can really understand where the praise comes from.

Hreinn Gudlaugsson/Wikimedia Commons

Gus Gus was actually formed in 1995 as a music & film collective. They have survived over two-decades in an industry where artists often quickly fade away into obscurity - even after achieving huge successes. I think a big part of their long-lasting appeal has to do with the current members of the collective, Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson AKA Daníel Ágúst , vocals and Birgir Þórarinsson AKA Biggi Veira, programming/synths. These founding members who's talent and unrelenting hard work for so many years has payed off & shines through their music. Although the band isn't a household name and they're not pop-icons per se, their success is undeniable with a strong following still to this day. I've heard from two separate people Gus Gus' music has gotten them through tough times. The group certainly does hit many spots on the emotional prodding index. Delightfully so. Even if those emotions triggered aren't always happy ones.

I hope to be able to catch them live because hearing those waveforms being produced 'raw' is something that can't be equated with a digital rendition. Gus Gus is known for their use of analog-synthesizers to generate their sound. Some of the nuances and character of these often incredibly expensive, amazing-sounding-machines are lost when recorded digitally - like any instrument. Of course their albums are all mastered beautifully and the arrangements are equally awesome in the 'studio versions.' However there's always that little bit of 'improv' that happens live and this band is very capable of that. And the 'analog live feeling' is really a thing! Gus Gus masterfully blend all these elements - synths, samples and vocals in ways that take you on amazing jour-nays. Pardon me for that one. But their music is absolutely soulful, often somewhat melancholic, beautiful, haunting, yet uplifting. Stunningly so. Daníel Ágúst delivers a solid vocal performance ten times out of ten. Biggi Veira is heralded as a mastermind producer and although they do have a little bit of a trademark sound, it spans many genres.

Four years after their 2011 Iceland Aiwaves performance, the Seattle-based radio station KEXP invited Gus Gus back for another round at the Kex Hostel. (Also embedded below) and this time the collective had shed female vocalist Urður Hákonardóttir to the genuine lament of many fans. This time Högni Egilsson joins Daníel Ágúst on vocals and although initially, watching the 2015 Iceland Airwaves with Högni I had a brief moment where I feared he was a subpar vocalist in relation to Daníel. However he quickly gained his stride and before very long, the whole crowd is in and loving it. Certainly the cries of the and catcalls of the girls(and who knows, maybe guys?) every few verses lauding his performance makes it even more memorable.

I would highly recommend checking them out. If you are into soulful electronica with more often than not vocals, please give them a go. If you are in Europe, check out their tour dates because they are Touring until the end of this year.

Having gone through a sort of Gus Gus YouTube Binge, I stumbled across what appears to be Biggi Veiras Youtube Channel. On his channel there's a video with a description that reads as the following(italics added for emphasis):

Gusgus live at Nasa, the release concert for the album Arabian Horse. The 9th track in the set and the guys are getting sweaty. As the girl is fixing her makeup in the dressing room, the overall feel is rather gay. Freddy Mercury and his dungeon slave?

It's like wait... what?!?!?! Haha. Gus Gus certainly seems to blur some lines sometimes, while I've heard Biggi Veira isn't gay, he is not afraid to 'bend the rules' such as wearing lipstick or high-heels, such as in the 2015 KEXP Iceland Airwaves Video, he performs wearing high heels. The song "Obnoxiously Sexual" contains a line that seems somewhat puzzling, coming from a guy: "when you woke up, I guess you didn't know, I would steal you from your girlfriend" and to the 'squeamish' it may initially sound like he's gay - however the video seems to suggest he is indeed stealing a girl from his girlfriend. So the 'squeamish' can rest easy, although not for long. At the end of the video, there's another 'head scratcher!' So be warned, if guys occasionally wearing lipstick and/or high heels offends your sensibilities to a great degree then maybe give Gus Gus a pass. For all I care Biggi and Högni could all constantly wear skimpy clothes push up bras with fake-sock-boobs, short skirts and more makeup than 'midnight walkers' and I'd still go see their show. Because regardless of what they're wearing, not that it even really matters, they know their craft and how to put on aforementioned show.

---

KEXP Presents: Gus Gus Live at KEX Hostel Iceland Airwaves 2011

KEXP Presents: Gus Gus Live at KEX Hostel Iceland Airwaves 2015

Gusgus - Deep Inside (live @ Nasa 2011.06.18)

Gus Gus - Obnoxiously Sexual (2014)

GusGus - Airwaves (2014)

Gus Gus - Featherlight(2017)

---

Links:

Gus Gus Official Site
Gus Gus Tour Dates
Gus Gus Wikipedia Page
Gus Gus Official FB
Gus Gus Official Twitter
Gus Gus on Discogs
Gus Gus on Soundcloud


I do not recieve any income from these links or videos - I only include them for completeness.
Thanks for checking out my article!!!
Let me know what you thought in the comments!