Apparat Organ Quartet was founded in 1999 in Reykjavík, Iceland. It is a band that originally included the musicians Hörður Bragason, Músikvatur, Úlfur Eldjárn and

Jóhann Jóhannsson Jóhann Gunnar Jóhannsson (; 19 September 1969 – 9 February 2018) was an Icelandic composer who wrote music for a wide array of media including theatre, dance, television, and film. His work is stylised by its blending of traditional orchest ...

. They were soon joined by drummer Þorvaldur Gröndal, replaced in 2001 by Arnar Geir Ómarsson, drummer of the Icelandic rock band

HAM Ham is pork from a leg cut that has been preserved by wet or dry curing, with or without smoking."Bacon: Bacon and Ham Curing" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 39. As a processed meat, the term "ham ...

. Lacking the time to dedicate himself to the group because of his solo projects,

left the band in 2012; he died in February 2018.

History

The band was originally conceived by

as a collaborative project for a concert series curated by

Kitchen Motors Kitchen Motors is an Iceland based think tank, record label and an art collective specializing in instigating collaborations and putting on concerts, exhibitions, performances, chamber operas, producing films, books and radio shows. Kitchen Motor ...

, a record label and art collective founded by Jóhannsson,

Hilmar Jensson Hilmar Jensson (born 1966) is an Icelandic guitarist. Biography Jensson picked up the guitar at a young age. He studied at the FIH music school in Iceland from 1982 and then in 1991 attended the Berklee College of Music, in Boston. During ...

and Kristín Björk Kristjánsdóttir. In 2002, Apparat Organ Quartet released their self-titled debut album on the Thule Records label in Iceland; in 2005, the album was re-released on the Icelandic 12 Tónar label in a new remastered version. The second album of the band, ''Pólýfónía'', was released on 9 December 2010 on 12 Tónar in Iceland, and in 2011 by the Danish label Crunchy Frog in Scandinavia. The band's sound has evolved from the atmospheric and minimalistic post-rock documented on the Kitchen Motors compilations "Nart Nibbles" and "Motorlab 2" to a more robust, riff-driven sound, with a mixture of Kraftwerk-inspired electronics, Daft Punk-like robot voices, and hard rock beats. They have been compared to such different acts as Kraftwerk, Wagner, Goblin, Terry Riley, Steve Reich, Sigur Rós, the Glitter Band, Stereolab and Trans Am. Apparat Organ Quartet's members (and former members) and their extra curricular activities include: * Arnar Geir Ómarsson, a graphic designer who has worked with Magga Stina,

, Lhooq and many other artists. * Hörður Bragason, a former church organist. *

, who had a solo career as a genre-crossing composer. * Sighvatur Ómar Kristinsson, who has collaborated with

múm Múm (stylized in lowercase) () is an Icelandic indietronica band whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments. History The band was formed in 1 ...

and released several solo singles as Músikvatur. * Úlfur Eldjárn, who has composed a lot of music for theatre and TV series. * Þorvaldur Gröndal, who has been the drummer of electronic-pop/rock band

Trabant Trabant () is a series of small cars produced from 1957 until 1991 by former East German car manufacturer VEB Sachsenring Automobilwerke Zwickau. In total, four different models were made, the Trabant 500, Trabant 600, Trabant 601, and the Tr ...

and The Funerals Apparat Organ Quartet was one of many Icelandic bands documented in Ari Alexander Ergis Magnússon's 2005 film '' Screaming Masterpiece'' (''Gargandi Snilld'' in Icelandic).

Discography

Albums

* '' Apparat Organ Quartet'' (2002, Thule Records; 2005, 12 Tónar, 12T021, Re-Release, Remastered Version) * '' Pólýfónía'' (9 December 2010, 12 Tónar, 12T053; Crunchy Frog Records, 2011)

Compilations

* ''Nart Nibbles'' (1999,

) — Contributed "Nafnlaust uppklapp" * ''Motorlab #2'' (2001,

) — Contributed three songs featuring TF3IRA: "Charlie Tango no. 2," "Ondula Nova," and "Sálmur" * '' Screaming Masterpiece'' (2005, Smekkleysa) — Appeared in the documentary and contributed "Romantica" * '' Kitchen Motors Family Album/Fjölskyldualbúm Tilraunaeldhússins'' (2006,

/12 Tónar) — Contributed "Stylophonia"

Singles

* "Romantika" (2003) from '' Apparat Organ Quartet'' — Also includes "Macht parat den Apparat" and "Romantika (premix)" * "Cargo Frakt" ( Gogoyoko, 29 November 2010) from '' Pólýfónía''

References

{{Authority control Icelandic electronic music groups Musical groups from Reykjavík Musical groups established in 1999 1999 establishments in Iceland