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Interview conducted
in August 2002
LATEST RELEASE:
"Attention" |
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| |  | |   | | By Eric Semenzin | | Photos all rights reserved |
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Now reduced to the "producers" trio and joined by a new female singer (Urdur Hakonardottir aka Earth), Iceland's old collective project Gusgus is back in the limelight with "Attention", an album that will undoubtedly baffle the fans but might well conquer a new audience more attracted to dancefloors than to elegant concert halls.
You had a five-year collaboration with 4AD. How did it end?
Biggi Veira: Basically 4AD came to its end. Everybody on the label was fired and new people hired. The new people wanted to do different things with the label. They had not much interest in Gusgus and offered 2.000 pounds for the recording of "attention" so we left.
You are now on a US label. What are the differences with a structure like 4AD?
We are now doing things bit differently we are licensing "attention" to "Moonshine" for North America and "Underwater" for UK, the rest of the world is not set in motion but we will probably do some licensing deals incorporated with "Underwater" in some relation with demand from each market. Being with Moonshine has been great. The deal with them made us able to record "Attention" and Steve Levy at Moonshine (President) simply loved every track we made so we have had no problems with them and they with us:)
4AD was a indie-pop based label while Moonshine is dance music driven almost solely. This changes of course some things but not the general flow. You sign bands, press the CD, send it to stores and contact the press. Moonshine is though in better contact with the market and retail were as 4AD was a doormat for Warner Bros in the States...
Do you live in the USA?
We all live in Iceland.
What are the common points between Gusgus in 2002 and the band who produced "Polydistortion" in 1997?
The common points is that me, Buckmaster and President Bongo are original members since then and we are still using my old synths and drum machines. Gusgus still has the same gut in its production (as we are the producers) but now we are finally free:) so things will start flowing from now on.
Can we consider "Desire" as a link between old and new Gusgus?
Some have said so. It is of course the only track that is written by the old gg-writers clan (in this case Daniel August) and also sung by a former singer (in this case Daniel August) but the track started out as a groove and these hammer-cord-melody and then Daniel wrote the lyrics on top of that. That flow of work is new for Gusgus as in the past we were almost only working from demos and ready-made songs that needed the right production. Every track on this album started out as a groove and then the lyrics came.
In your mind, is "Attention" the third or the fourth Gusgus album? What do you think of the way your audience received the T-World album?
Gusgus vs T-World was a very important release for us as these were track from mine and Buckmasters past as T-World, so it has a big emotional value for us. It was also one of the steps taken to move from the old Gusgus songwriters. The reception of the album was of course bland but in most cases loved. I noticed that the people that loved "Polydistortion" but thought that "This Is Normal" was not a good move loved Gusgus vs T-World and the people that felt that "This Is Normal" was our best album did not make contact with Gusgus vs T-World. This has of course something to do with that on "Polydistortion" we the producers were mostly left alone with decision making on all production matters, we changed melodies and lyrics as we pleased but on this is normal we kept us more loyal to the songwriting. So on "Polydistortion" the feel from the producers is more emitting and "Attention" was of course a production feast.
How did you met Urdur Hakonardottir? Is she a full member of the band or an additional vocalist only for this album?
Urdur (aka ms. earth) found us basically. She was the bartender on our favorite bar and one day she heard that we were playing at some club in Reykjavik and she asked President Bongo if she could MC with us. He told her to come down to the soundcheck. After that night she was a full member in Gusgus.
You are only four members now. What does it change in your process to write music?
The music is focused on the desires of fewer people so it makes the music more direct and truthful. The flow between the members is now totally different (much easier and lovefull) than on "This Is Normal" for example.
You all have a parallel life as DJs. What is the most important for you?
To be able to create such a wonderful thing as music is a blessing. Djing is fun.
Can you say more about the mysterious "Tom Selleck Competition"?
In 1998 Tom Selleck visited Iceland to catch some salmon. But it was nice enough to give some time to host a seminar in moustache growing. President Bongo and Buckmaster attended and after the seminar they founded the Tom-Selleck-Club with some of the others from that same seminar and every year they do the Tom-Selleck-Competition to exchange ideas and thoughts on moustache growing and also voting for the "Mustache of the Year". | | | | | | | |
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