GusGus is an electronic music band from Reykjavík, Iceland.[1] Although initially a film and acting collective, the group is mostly known for its electronic music.[2] The group's discography consists of twelve studio albums.
History
GusGus was initially formed in 1995 as a film and acting collective.[2] The band's name refers to the 1974 German film Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (German: Angst essen Seele auf) by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, where a female character is cooking couscous for her lover, pronouncing it Gusgus.[3] GusGus' music is eclectic, and although primarily classified as techno, trip hop, and house music, the band has experimented with other styles.[2] They have remixed songs of popular artists such as Björk, Depeche Mode, Moloko, and Sigur Rós.
In 1997, the band performed in Toronto. They returned for a second visit as part of a tour supporting their second album, Polydistortion.[4]
In 1998, a remix of the track "Purple" appeared on Paul Oakenfold's trance compilation Tranceport.
After the group's third album, This Is Normal (1999), the filmmaking arm of GusGus (Kjartansson and Árni Þorgeirsson) split off to form the production company Celebrator, now known as Arni & Kinski,[5] which has produced advertisements and videos.
In January 2004, they released the song "Desire" with Ian Brown.
As of 2011 the band had sold over 700,000 copies worldwide.[6]
Its 2015 incarnation consists of four members (President Bongo, Biggi Veira, Urður Hákonardóttir and Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson). A few former members such as Hafdís Huld, Blake, and Daníel Ágúst have gone solo; Emilíana Torrini provided a song for the soundtrack of Peter Jackson's film The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
Band members
1995
Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
Emilíana Torrini Davíðsdóttir
Magnús Jónsson
Hafdís Huld Þrastardóttir
Birgir Þórarinsson
Magnús Guðmundsson
Sigurður Kjartansson
Stefán Árni Þorgeirsson
Baldur Stefánsson
Ragnheiður Axel
Páll Garðarsson
1996–2000
Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
Magnús Jónsson
Hafdís Huld Þrastardóttir
Birgir Þórarinsson
Magnús Guðmundsson
Sigurður Kjartansson
Stefán Árni Þorgeirsson
Stephan Stephensen
Baldur Stefánsson
2001–2007
Urður Hákonardóttir
Birgir Þórarinsson
Stephan Stephensen
Magnús Guðmundsson
2008–2010
Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
Birgir Þórarinsson
Stephan Stephensen
2011–2013
Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
Högni Egilsson
Urður Hákonardóttir
Birgir Þórarinsson
Stephan Stephensen
2014–2016
Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
Högni Egilsson
Birgir Þórarinsson
2016–2020
Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
Birgir Þórarinsson
2021–present
Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
Birgir Þórarinsson
Margrét Rán Magnúsdóttir
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
List of studio albums, with selected chart positions