Bjork
Björk’s was born and raised in Reykjavík, Iceland. Her musical career began when she was 11, beginning with her study of classical piano in elementary school. One of her instructors sent a recording of Björk singing Tina Charles’ song “I Love to Love” to RÚV, then the only radio station in Iceland. The recording was broadcast on radio nationally; after hearing it, a representative of the record label Fálkinn contacted Björk to offer a record contract. An album “Björk” was recorded and released in 1977.
In her teens Björk was influenced by punk rock; at 14 she formed the all-girl punk band Spit and Snot, shortly followed by a jazz fusion group Exodus in 1979. In 1980 she graduated from music school. In 1981 she and bassist Jakob Magnússon formed another band called Jam-80, which later became Tappi Tíkarrass (which means “Cork the Bitch’s Arse” in Icelandic), and released an extended single, “Bítið Fast í Vítið” in the same year. Their next album, Miranda, was released in 1983.
Afterward Björk collaborated with Einar Örn Benediktsson and Einar Melax from Purrkur Pillnikk, and Guðlaugur Óttarsson, Sigtryggur Baldursson and Birgir Mogensen from Þeyr. After writing songs and rehearsing for two weeks, the new band, KUKL (”sorcery” in Icelandic), worked well together, developing a sound described as Gothic rock. Björk began to show indications of her trademark singing style, which was punctuated by howls and shrieks.
KUKL toured Iceland with anarchist UK punk band Crass, and later visited the UK in a series of performances with Flux of Pink Indians. They produced two albums as a result of these collaborations: The Eye in 1984, and Holidays in Europe in 1986, both on Crass Records.
The band was eventually dissolved, in part due to the closure of their label, Gramm. In the summer of 1986, several members of KUKL and the surrealist group Medusa got together to create the arts collective Smekkleysa (Bad Taste). They created a musical division, a band again called KUKL, but soon changed the name to The Sugarcubes. Smekkleysa and the Sugarcubes were officially started on the same day as the birth of Björk’s son, Sindri.
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