Hörður Bragason
Sighvatur Ómar Kristinsson
Úlfur Eldjárn"},"past_members":{"wt":"[[Jóhann Jóhannsson]]
Þorvaldur Gröndal"}},"i":0}}]}" id="mwBA">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}
Apparat Organ Quartet | |
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![]() Apparat Organ Quartet at Iceland Airwaves 2006 | |
Background information | |
Origin | Reykjavík, Iceland |
Genres | Electronica |
Years active | 1999–present |
Labels | 12 Tónar, Skelt Music, Crunchy Frog Records |
Members | Arnar Geir Ómarsson Hörður Bragason Sighvatur Ómar Kristinsson Úlfur Eldjárn |
Past members | Jóhann Jóhannsson Þorvaldur Gröndal |
Website | Apparat Organ Quartet on Facebook |
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. They were soon joined by drummer Þorvaldur Gröndal, replaced in 2001 by Arnar Geir Ómarsson, drummer of the Icelandic rock band HAM. Lacking the time to dedicate himself to the group because of his solo projects, Jóhann Jóhannsson left the band in 2012; [1] he died in February 2018. [2]
The band was originally conceived by Jóhann Jóhannsson as a collaborative project for a concert series curated by Kitchen Motors, a record label and art collective founded by Jóhannsson, Hilmar Jensson and Kristín Björk Kristjánsdóttir. [3] 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. [4]
Apparat Organ Quartet's members (and former members) and their extra curricular activities include:
Apparat Organ Quartet was one of many Icelandic bands documented in Ari Alexander Ergis Magnússon's 2005 film Screaming Masterpiece (Gargandi Snilld in Icelandic).
The music of Iceland includes vibrant folk and pop traditions, as well as an active classical and contemporary music scene. Well-known artists from Iceland include medieval music group Voces Thules, alternative rock band The Sugarcubes, singers Björk, Hafdís Huld and Emiliana Torrini, post-rock band Sigur Rós, post-metal band Sólstafir, indie folk/indie pop band Of Monsters and Men, blues/rock band Kaleo, metal band Skálmöld and techno-industrial band Hatari. Iceland's traditional music is related to Nordic music forms. Although Iceland has a very small population, it is home to many famous and praised bands and musicians.
Crunchy Frog is an independent record label, established in 1994 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Jóhann Gunnar Jóhannsson 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 orchestration with contemporary electronic elements.
Rokk í Reykjavík is the soundtrack to the Icelandic TV documentary directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson during 1981-82 winter and released in 1982.
The soundtrack, which was released in April 1982 as a 2 LP released through Hugrenningur, features the performances of several Icelandic bands of the post-punk/new wave scene.
Bands such as Þeyr, Tappi Tíkarrass, Purrkur Pillnikk, among others, were considered some of the most important bands at the moment. The image cover for this release is a picture of singer Björk performing with Tappi Tíkarrass.
The record sold over 2000 copies. Ira Robbins from Trouser Press stated that the album is a good compilation album to get to know Icelandic music.
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.
12 Tónar is a record shop in Reykjavík, Iceland, and also a record label for Icelandic artists. It is located on Skólavörðustígur 15, in downtown Reykjavík.
HAM is an Icelandic rock band formed in 1988. They are often listed as a heavy metal band but have never categorized themselves as such. They have gradually come to be acknowledged as an important part of Icelandic rock history. Today they command a cult following among many Icelandic rock enthusiasts.
Skúli Sverrisson is an Icelandic composer and bass guitarist.
Apparat Organ Quartet is the debut album of the Icelandic band Apparat Organ Quartet. It was originally released in 2002 on the Thule Records label in Iceland; in 2005, this self-titled album was re-released on the Icelandic 12 Tónar label in a remastered version. The cover and liner notes contain several paintings of the band members as figures resembling those of Playmobil.
Life Is Killing My Rock 'n' Roll is the second studio album by Icelandic neo-psychedelia band Singapore Sling. The album was released in 2004 by Sheptone Records in Iceland and, shortly after, distributed in the United States by the independent label Stinky Records.
Kitchen Motors Family Album 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 features mostly previously unreleased songs by the artists and bands who have worked with Kitchen Motors since it started in 1999. For some artists this marks their debut under a solo name, e.g. Sigur Rós front man and vocalist Jón Þór Birgisson contributes a track under the name Frakkur, while Múm band member Gunnar Örn Tynes makes a contribution under the name illi vill. While Auxpan is contributing with a song called "Ugla" and Amiina has composed a song of the same name they bear no resemblance to each other.
Kraumur Awards is a music prize, organized by the Kraumur Music Fund, awarded for the best albums being released in Iceland.
Fordlandia is the sixth full-length studio album by Icelandic musician Jóhann Jóhannsson. The album was released on 3 November 2008 via 4AD, his second new release for the record label.
Pólýfónía is the second album by Icelandic Apparat Organ Quartet, released by the Icelandic label 12 Tónar on 9 December 2010. A digital version was released on 3 December 2010. The cover was designed by Siggi Eggertsson. According to the band, the album is "more accessible and more suited to the musical tastes of the masses. The working title was at one point 'Fanfare for the Common Man.'"
The Icelandic Music Awards are the official annual music awards given in Iceland to commemorate the musical achievements of the year.
Stranger Things is the eleventh solo studio album by the British singer/songwriter Marc Almond. It was released by Blue Star Music, in conjunction with XIII BIS Records, on 18 June 2001.
Hilmar Jensson is an Icelandic guitarist.
Ásgerður Júníusdóttir is an Icelandic singer, mezzo-soprano, and performer who has performed on stage and released music in Iceland and abroad.