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GusGus

{{Short description|Icelandic electronic band}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = GusGus

| image = gusgus_daniel-august_birgir_DSC04890.jpg

| landscape = yes

| alt = GusGus performing in Aarhus, Denmark 2016

| caption = GusGus performing in Aarhus, Denmark 2016

| alias =

| origin = Reykjavík, Iceland

| genre = {{Flatlist|

}}

| years_active = 1995–present

| label = {{Flatlist|

}}

| website = {{URL|gusgus.com}}

| current_members =

| past_members =

| background = group_or_band

}}

GusGus is an electronic music band from Reykjavík, Iceland.{{Cite web|url=https://api.discogs.com/artists/231513|title=Gusgus|website=Discogs.com|access-date=7 December 2019}} Although initially a film and acting collective, the group is mostly known for its electronic music. The group's discography consists of twelve studio albums.

History

GusGus was initially formed in 1995 as a film and acting collective.{{cite book|title=The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music|editor=Colin Larkin|editor-link=Colin Larkin (writer)|publisher=Virgin Books|date=2000|edition=First|isbn=0-7535-0427-8|page=183}} The band's name refers to the 1974 German film Ali: Fear Eats the Soul ({{langx|de|Angst essen Seele auf}}) by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, where a female character is cooking couscous for her lover, pronouncing it Gusgus.[http://nuflicks.de/index.php/archiv/action/listSingle/cId/2/singleID/32/ Gusgus Interview with Nina Asseng, Berlin 2007] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714181306/http://nuflicks.de/index.php/archiv/action/listSingle/cId/2/singleID/32/ |date=2014-07-14 }} (comment by Daníel Ágúst, starting at 5:30) GusGus' music is eclectic, and although primarily classified as techno, trip hop, and house music, the band has experimented with other styles. They have remixed songs of popular artists such as Björk, Depeche Mode, Moloko, and Sigur Rós.

Membership in the band has varied, and included:

  • Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
  • Emilíana Torrini Davíðsdóttir
  • Magnús Jónsson (aka Blake)
  • Hafdís Huld Þrastardóttir
  • Urður Hákonardóttir (aka Earth)
  • Högni Egilsson
  • Birgir Þórarinsson (aka Biggi Veira or Biggo)
  • Magnús Guðmundsson (aka Maggi Lego, Herb Legowitz, Hunk of a Man, Buckmaster De La Cruz, The Fox, Fuckmaster, or Herr Legowitz)
  • Stephan Stephensen (aka President Bongo, Alfred More, or President Penis)
  • Sigurður Kjartansson (aka Siggi Kinski)
  • Stefán Árni Þorgeirsson
  • Baldur Stefánsson (Director of Financial Arts, aka DJ Tekno Jörgensen)
  • Ragnheiður Axel
  • Páll Garðarsson

In 1997, the band performed in Toronto. They returned for a second visit as part of a tour supporting their second album, Polydistortion.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20000203032032/http://chartattack.com/road/reviews/1999/19990509-gusgus.html "Live Reviews: Gus Gus May 6, 1999 Lee's Palace, Toronto"]}}. Chart Attack, by Mike McCann

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,{{Cite web|url=http://www.arniandkinski.com/bio/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127185905/http://www.arniandkinski.com/bio/|url-status=dead|title=Arni & Kinski | Biography|archive-date=November 27, 2007}} 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.{{Cite web|url=https://18.203.49.15/blog/new-gusgus-album-premiered-onboard-icelandair-flights/|title=New Gus Gus Album Premiered Onboard Flights | Icelandair|website=18.203.49.15|access-date=2019-12-07|archive-date=2019-12-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191207165117/https://18.203.49.15/blog/new-gusgus-album-premiered-onboard-icelandair-flights/|url-status=dead}}

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

class="toccolours" border=1 cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 style="width: 500px; margin: 0 0 1em 1em; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid #E2E2E2;"
bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 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
bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 1996–2000

|

  • Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
  • Magnús Jónsson
  • Hafdís Huld Þrastardóttir
  • Birgir Þórarinsson
  • Magnús Guðmundsson
  • Sigurður Kjartansson
  • Stefán Árni Þorgeirsson
  • Stephan Stephensen
  • Baldur Stefánsson
bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 2001–2007

|

  • Urður Hákonardóttir
  • Birgir Þórarinsson
  • Stephan Stephensen
  • Magnús Guðmundsson
bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 2008–2010

|

  • Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
  • Birgir Þórarinsson
  • Stephan Stephensen
bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 2011–2013

|

  • Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
  • Högni Egilsson
  • Urður Hákonardóttir
  • Birgir Þórarinsson
  • Stephan Stephensen
bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 2014–2016

|

  • Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
  • Högni Egilsson
  • Birgir Þórarinsson
bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 2016–2020

|

  • Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
  • Birgir Þórarinsson
bgcolor="#E7EBEE" | 2021–present

|

  • Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson
  • Birgir Þórarinsson
  • Margrét Rán Magnúsdóttir

Timeline

ImageSize = width:1200 height:800

PlotArea = left:200 bottom:120 top:0 right:25

Alignbars = justify

DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy

Period = from:01/01/1995 till:01/01/2024

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:1

ScaleMajor = increment:1 start:1996

ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1996

Colors =

id:act value:red legend:Years Active

LineData =

at:01/01/1995 layer:back

at:01/01/1995 width:1.5 layer:front

PlotData =

width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,–4)

bar:Baldur Stefánsson from:start till:31/12/2000 color:act

bar:Birgir Þórarinsson from:start till:end color:act

bar:Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson from:start till:31/12/2000 color:act

bar:Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson from:01/01/2008 till:end color:act

bar:Emilíana Torrini Davíðsdóttir from:start till:31/12/1995 color:act

bar:Hafdís Huld Þrastardóttir from:start till:31/03/2000 color:act

bar:Högni Egilsson from:01/01/2011 till:31/12/2016 color:act

bar:Magnús Guðmundsson from:start till:31/12/2007 color:act

bar:Magnús Jónsson from:start till:31/12/2000 color:act

bar:Páll Garðarsson from:start till:31/12/1995 color:act

bar:Ragnheiður Axel from:start till:31/12/1995 color:act

bar:Sigurður Kjartansson from:start till:31/12/2000 color:act

bar:Stefán Árni Þorgeirsson from:start till:31/12/2000 color:act

bar:Stephan Stephensen from:start till:31/12/2013 color:act

bar:Urður Hákonardóttir from:01/01/2001 till:31/12/2007 color:act

bar:Urður Hákonardóttir from:01/01/2011 till:31/12/2013 color:act

bar:Margret Rán Magnúsdóttir from:01/01/2021 till:end color:act

Discography

= Studio albums =

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"

|+ List of studio albums, with selected chart positions

! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Title

! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Album details

!

! colspan="4" |Peak chart positions

scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| ISL
Tónlist chart positions:

  • Mobile Home: {{cite web |title=Tónlistinn – Plötur, Vika 22 – 2021 |url=http://plotutidindi.is/tonlistinn/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614060212/http://plotutidindi.is/tonlistinn/ |archive-date=14 June 2021 |access-date=1 October 2023 |website=Tónlist |language=is}}

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| FRA
{{cite web |url=https://lescharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Gus+Gus |title=Discographie GusGus |website=Les Charts |access-date=1 October 2023 |language=fr}}

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| GER
{{cite web |url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/suche?artistId=gusgus |title=Discographie von GusGus |website=Offizielle Deutsche Charts |access-date=1 October 2023 |language=de}}

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| SWI
{{cite web |url=https://hitparade.ch/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Gus+Gus#charts |title=Discographie GusGus |website=Hitparade |access-date=1 October 2023 |language=de}}

! scope="col" style="width:2.5em;font-size:90%;"| UK
{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/2164/gus-gus/ |title=GusGus |website=Official Charts |access-date=1 October 2023 |language=en}}

scope="row" |Gus Gus

|

  • Released: 1995
  • Self-released

|—

|—

|—

|—

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scope="row" |Polydistortion

|

  • Released: 7 April 1997
  • Label: 4AD

|—

|—

|—

|—

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scope="row" |This Is Normal

|

  • Released: 26 April 1999
  • Label: 4AD

|—

|40

|65

|—

|94

scope="row" |Gus Gus vs. T-World

|

  • Released: 24 April 2000
  • Label: 4AD

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

scope="row" |Attention

|

  • Released: 14 October 2002
  • Label: Moonshine / Underwater

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

scope="row" |Forever

|

  • Released: 23 February 2007
  • Label: Pineapple

|—

|—

|—

|—

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scope="row" |24/7

|

  • Released: 14 September 2009
  • Label: Kompakt

|—

|—

|—

|—

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scope="row" |Arabian Horse

|

  • Released: 23 May 2011
  • Label: Kompakt

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

scope="row" |Mexico

|

  • Released: 23 June 2014
  • Label: Kompakt

|—

|—

|62

|82

|—

scope="row" |Lies Are More Flexible

|

  • Released: 23 February 2018
  • Label: Oroom

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

scope="row" |Mobile Home

|

  • Released: 28 May 2021
  • Label: Oroom

|11

|—

|—

|—

|—

scope="row" |DanceOrama

|

  • Released: 10 November 2023
  • Label: Oroom

|—

|—

|—

|—

|—

= Live albums =

= Compilations =

= Singles =

  • "Polyesterday" (1996) — UK No. 55 (as Purple EP: Polyesterday)
  • "Believe" (1997) — UK No. 154
  • "Standard Stuff for Drama" (1997)
  • "Ladyshave" (1999) — UK No. 64
  • "V.I.P." (1999) — UK No. 86
  • "Starlovers" (1999) — UK No. 62
  • "Dance You Down" (2002) — UK No. 141
  • "Desire" (2002) — UK No. 95
  • "David" (2003) — UK No. 52
  • "Call of the Wild" (2003) — UK No. 75
  • "Lust / Porn" (2005)
  • "Need in Me" (2005) — BG No. 24
  • "Forever Sampler" (2006)
  • "Moss" (2007)
  • "Hold You" (2007)
  • "Add This Song" (2009)
  • "Thin Ice" (2009)
  • "Within You" (2011)
  • "Over" (2011)
  • "Deep Inside" (2011)
  • "Crossfade" (2014)
  • "Obnoxiously Sexual" (2014)
  • "Mexico" (2014)
  • "Airwaves" (2014)
  • "Featherlight" (2017)
  • "Don't Know How to Love" (2018){{Cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/2164/gus-gus/|title=GUS GUS | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company|website=Officialcharts.com|access-date=7 December 2019}}
  • "Lifetime" (2019)
  • "Out of Place" (2020)
  • "Higher" feat Vök (2020)
  • "Stay the Ride" (2021)
  • "Our World" (2021)
  • "Love is Alone" feat John Grant (2021)
  • "Simple Tuesday" (2021)
  • "Bolero EP" feat John Grant (2022)
  • "Into the Strange" (2023)
  • "Eða?" feat Birnir (2023)
  • "When we Sing" (2023) — UA No. 55{{cite web |title=Top Radio Hits Ukraine Weekly Chart: Apr 17, 2025 |url=https://tophit.com/chart/top/radio/hits/ua/weekly/20250411-20250417 |access-date=18 April 2025 |publisher=TopHit}}

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Official website|http://www.gusgus.com}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gusgus}}

Category:Trance music groups

Category:Icelandic electronic music groups

Category:4AD artists

Category:Musical groups from Reykjavík