indietronica
Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the music they produce ...
band whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic
glitch
A glitch is a short-lived fault in a system, such as a transient fault that corrects itself, making it difficult to troubleshoot. The term is particularly common in the computing and electronics industries, in circuit bending, as well as among ...
beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments.
History
The band was formed in 1997 by original members
Gunnar Örn Tynes
Gunnar Örn Tynes is a founding member of the Icelandic experimental band múm. He is also a producer and a recording engineer
An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live pe ...
KristÃn Anna Valtýsdóttir
KristÃn Anna Valtýsdóttir (born 5 January 1982), also known as KrÃa Brekkan, is an Icelandic vocalist and classically trained multi-instrumentalist. She is best known as a former frontwoman of múm, and later on for collaborating with former ...
. According to KristÃn, the band's name was not intended to mean anything. Gyða left the band to return to her studies after the release of ''
Finally We Are No One
''Finally We Are No One'' is the second studio album by Icelandic band Múm. It was released on 20 May 2002 by FatCat Records.
In Iceland, the Smekkleysa label released ''Loksins erum við engin'', a limited edition of ''Finally We Are No One'' ...
''. In early 2006, KristÃn also left the band, although it was not officially announced until 23 November of that year. With only Tynes and Smárason remaining in the group, a large group of new musicians were brought on board:
guitarist
A guitarist (or a guitar player) is a person who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of guitar family instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselv ...
/
vocalist
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...
/
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
ist Ólöf Arnalds,
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
/
keyboard
Keyboard may refer to:
Text input
* Keyboard, part of a typewriter
* Computer keyboard
** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping
** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware
Music
* Musi ...
player EirÃkur Orri Ólafsson, vocalist/
cellist
The cello ( ; plural ''celli'' or ''cellos'') or violoncello ( ; ) is a bowed (sometimes plucked and occasionally hit) string instrument of the violin family. Its four strings are usually tuned in perfect fifths: from low to high, C2, G2, D3 ...
Hildur Guðnadóttir
Hildur Ingveldardóttir Guðnadóttir (born 4 September 1982) is an Icelandic musician and composer. A classically trained cellist, she has played and recorded with the bands Pan Sonic, Throbbing Gristle, Múm, and Stórsveit Nix Noltes, and h ...
,
percussionist
A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...
Samuli Kosminen, and
multi-instrumentalist
A multi-instrumentalist is a musician who plays two or more musical instruments at a professional level of proficiency.
Also known as doubling, the practice allows greater ensemble flexibility and more efficient employment of musicians, where ...
/vocalist Mr. Silla. The new collective of musicians recorded their fourth album during 2006; ''
Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy
''Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy'' is the fourth studio album by múm. It was released via FatCat Records on 24 September 2007. It peaked at number 8 on ''Billboard''s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.
The album marks a shift from the group's origin ...
'' was released on 24 September 2007.
Múm toured the East Coast of the US with German musician Volker "Hauschka" Bertelmann In November 2007. They returned in Spring 2008 with the same set list. Both tours included songs from the album, ''Go, Go Smear the Poison Ivy''.
On 27 August 2008, they announced on their official website that "múm is quietly but surely orking ontheir new album. No release date has been etched in stone, but every day will bring it closer." Múm also released several pictures of themselves during the recording process on their MySpace page.
During a 22 May 2009 concert in
Burgos
Burgos () is a city in Spain located in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the province of Burgos.
Burgos is situated in the north of the Iberian Peninsula, on the confluence of t ...
, Spain, Múm played songs from their newest album '' Sing Along to Songs You Don't Know''. The album, recorded in Finland, Estonia, and Iceland, was released as a
download
In computer networks, download means to ''receive'' data from a remote system, typically a server such as a web server, an FTP server, an email server, or other similar system. This contrasts with uploading, where data is ''sent to'' a remote s ...
through
Gogoyoko
gogoyoko.com was an online music store and social networking music website where artists could sell directly to their fans.Icelandic) with traditional Icelandic Christmas songs. There are two songs plus one extra track.
On 1 June 2012, Múm released a compilation titled ''Early Birds'', featuring 15 tracks recorded between 1998 and 2000. On 9 February 2013, a collaboration of theirs with
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
called "
Whistle
A whistle is an instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a small slide whistle or nose flute type to a larg ...
" surfaced on
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
.
Múm released their sixth album ''
Smilewound
''Smilewound'' is the sixth studio album by Icelandic Electronic music, electronic band múm, which released on 6 September 2013 on CD, vinyl and digital download. On 7 September, it was released on cassette for Cassette Store Day.
The first sin ...
'' in September, 2013 on CD, vinyl and digital download. On 7 September, it was released on cassette for
Cassette Store Day
Cassette Store Day is an international, annual observance intended to recognise the value of Compact Cassettes as a music format. Cassette Store Day was first held in 2013. The celebration was inspired by Record Store Day, which acknowledges the im ...
.
In 2019, Morr Music celebrated the 20th anniversary of múm's debut album, ''
Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK
''Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK'' is the debut studio album by Icelandic band Múm. It was released on 23 December 1999 by TMT Entertainment.
Critical reception and legacy
Reviewing ''Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK'' for AllMus ...
'', by rereleasing it. Múm toured around Europe and China following this rerelease, and have also announced US tour that takes place in March and April 2020.
Discography
Albums
* ''
Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK
''Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK'' is the debut studio album by Icelandic band Múm. It was released on 23 December 1999 by TMT Entertainment.
Critical reception and legacy
Reviewing ''Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is OK'' for AllMus ...
Morr Music
Morr Music is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1999 by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music, electronica and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's perso ...
, 2005)
* ''
Finally We Are No One
''Finally We Are No One'' is the second studio album by Icelandic band Múm. It was released on 20 May 2002 by FatCat Records.
In Iceland, the Smekkleysa label released ''Loksins erum við engin'', a limited edition of ''Finally We Are No One'' ...
'' (
FatCat Records
FatCat Records is an English independent record label based in Brighton. The label's output reaches into many styles including experimental rock, electronica, psychedelic folk, contemporary classical, noise and post-punk. Notable artists that ...
Finally We Are No One
''Finally We Are No One'' is the second studio album by Icelandic band Múm. It was released on 20 May 2002 by FatCat Records.
In Iceland, the Smekkleysa label released ''Loksins erum við engin'', a limited edition of ''Finally We Are No One'' ...
"
* ''
Summer Make Good
''Summer Make Good'' is the third studio album by Icelandic band Múm. It was released on 12 April 2004 by FatCat Records.
The CD edition of ''Summer Make Good'' was released in a cardboard sleeve. 28 June 2004 saw the release of a "limited pre ...
'' (
FatCat Records
FatCat Records is an English independent record label based in Brighton. The label's output reaches into many styles including experimental rock, electronica, psychedelic folk, contemporary classical, noise and post-punk. Notable artists that ...
, 2004)
* ''
Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy
''Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy'' is the fourth studio album by múm. It was released via FatCat Records on 24 September 2007. It peaked at number 8 on ''Billboard''s Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.
The album marks a shift from the group's origin ...
'' (
FatCat Records
FatCat Records is an English independent record label based in Brighton. The label's output reaches into many styles including experimental rock, electronica, psychedelic folk, contemporary classical, noise and post-punk. Notable artists that ...
Morr Music
Morr Music is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1999 by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music, electronica and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's perso ...
, 2009)
* ''
Smilewound
''Smilewound'' is the sixth studio album by Icelandic Electronic music, electronic band múm, which released on 6 September 2013 on CD, vinyl and digital download. On 7 September, it was released on cassette for Cassette Store Day.
The first sin ...
'' (Morr Music, 2013)
Compilations
* '' Blái Hnötturinn'' (2001) — Soundtrack
* ''Motorlab No. 2'' (2001) — 3 tracks contributed to compilation album 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 ...
Morr Music
Morr Music is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1999 by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music, electronica and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's perso ...
, 2001) — 3 New Tracks + Remixes
* ''Remixed'' ( TMT, 2001) — Versions of Yesterday Was Dramatic – Today Is Ok
* '' Fálkar'' ( Smekkleysa Records, 2002) — contributed "Grasi Vaxin Göng"
* ''
Wicker Park (soundtrack)
''Wicker Park'' is a 2004 American romantic thriller drama film directed by Paul McGuigan and starring Josh Hartnett, Rose Byrne, Diane Kruger and Matthew Lillard. It is a remake of the 1996 French film ''L'Appartement'', which in turn is loos ...
'' (
Lakeshore Records
Lakeshore Entertainment Group, LLC is an American independent film production, finance, and former international sales and distribution company founded in 1994 by Tom Rosenberg and Ted Tannebaum (1933–2002). Lakeshore Entertainment is headquart ...
, 2004) — contributed "We Have a Map of the Piano"
* ''
Screaming Masterpiece
''Screaming Masterpiece'' (''Gargandi snilld'' in Icelandic) is a 2005 documentary film directed and written by Ari Alexander Ergis Magnússon about the music scene in Iceland. It attempts to explore the reasons why Iceland has such a rich var ...
'' (2005) — Appeared in the documentary with the video for " Green Grass of Tunnel" and contributed the same song to the soundtrack.
* ''Friends of the Random Summer'' (2005) — 3 CD, Unofficial Release.
* ''
Kitchen Motors Family Album/Fjölskyldualbúm Tilraunaeldhússins
''Kitchen Motors Family Album'' (Icelandic: ''Fjölskyldualbúm Tilraunaeldhússinsis'') a compilation album released in 2006. It came into being two years after the celebration of Kitchen Motors' 5 year anniversary on May 1, 2004. The album featu ...
'' (Spring 2006) — contributed "Asleep in a Hiding Place"
* ''Early Birds'' (
Morr Music
Morr Music is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1999 by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music, electronica and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's perso ...
, June 2012) — 15 rares, lost and unreleased tracks.
EPs
* ''The Ballað of the Broken Birdie Records'' ( TMT, 2000)
* ''
Dusk Log
''Dusk Log'' is an EP from the album ''Summer Make Good'' that was released by múm
Múm (stylized in lowercase) () is an Icelandic indietronica band whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a var ...
'' (
FatCat Records
FatCat Records is an English independent record label based in Brighton. The label's output reaches into many styles including experimental rock, electronica, psychedelic folk, contemporary classical, noise and post-punk. Notable artists that ...
FatCat Records
FatCat Records is an English independent record label based in Brighton. The label's output reaches into many styles including experimental rock, electronica, psychedelic folk, contemporary classical, noise and post-punk. Notable artists that ...
, 2006) (Maida Vale 4 Studio 2002)
* ''Gleðileg Jól'' (A Number of Small Things, 2011)
* ''Mysteries'' (A Number of Small Things, 2013) 100 copies only
* ''Menschen am Sonntag - Live in Berlin'' (Morr Music, 2018)
FatCat Records
FatCat Records is an English independent record label based in Brighton. The label's output reaches into many styles including experimental rock, electronica, psychedelic folk, contemporary classical, noise and post-punk. Notable artists that ...
FatCat Records
FatCat Records is an English independent record label based in Brighton. The label's output reaches into many styles including experimental rock, electronica, psychedelic folk, contemporary classical, noise and post-punk. Notable artists that ...
, 2004)
* ''They Made Frogs Smoke 'til They Exploded'' (
FatCat Records
FatCat Records is an English independent record label based in Brighton. The label's output reaches into many styles including experimental rock, electronica, psychedelic folk, contemporary classical, noise and post-punk. Notable artists that ...
FatCat Records
FatCat Records is an English independent record label based in Brighton. The label's output reaches into many styles including experimental rock, electronica, psychedelic folk, contemporary classical, noise and post-punk. Notable artists that ...
, 2007)
* ''Prophecies and Reversed Memories'' (
Morr Music
Morr Music is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1999 by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music, electronica and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's perso ...
, 2009)
* "
Whistle
A whistle is an instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a small slide whistle or nose flute type to a larg ...
" (
Parlophone
Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...
, 2013)
* ''Toothwheels'' (
Morr Music
Morr Music is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1999 by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music, electronica and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's perso ...
, 2013)
* ''When Girls Collide'' (
Morr Music
Morr Music is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in 1999 by Thomas Morr. Most artists on the label fall into the categories of intelligent dance music, electronica and dreampop, but all reflect Thomas Morr's perso ...
FatCat Records
FatCat Records is an English independent record label based in Brighton. The label's output reaches into many styles including experimental rock, electronica, psychedelic folk, contemporary classical, noise and post-punk. Notable artists that ...