Brian Eno has chosen eccentric and melodic Icelanders Múm for Punkt 2012. Múm was formed in 1997, their music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments. Brian Eno is artistic director of Punkt 2012 (6-8 September).

múm Biography

múm (pronunciation: [muːm] – moom) are an experimental Icelandic musical group whose music is characterized by soft vocals, electronic glitch beats and effects, and a variety of traditional and unconventional instruments.

The band was formed in 1997 by original members Gunnar Örn Tynes and Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, releasing a split “10 record with two songs in their first year and recording most of their first album, Yesterday was dramatic, today is OK. They were joined a year later by twin sisters Gyða and Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir and released two albums as quartet, but were aided on the second album by drummer and reggae percussion wizard Samuli Kosminen, who also joined the touring troupe. In 2002, after the release of Finally we are no one and the first world tour, Gyða left the band to return to her studies in Reykjavík. Shortly after, the third sister Ásthildur Valtýsdóttir joined for singing duties temporarily and Serena Tideman replaced Gyda on cello, for a single European tour. By then the ensemble evolved to include Eiríkur Ólafsson and Hildur Guðnadóttir (who both had guest appearances on múm recordings from the beginning) and Ólöf Arnalds. In early 2006, Kristín also left the band after releasing and heavily touring the album Summer Make Good.

Despite frequent changes in the ensemble, múm has remained together as a collective of musicians. Their fourth album recorded during 2006 was released in September 2007, entitled Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy. Outside of releasing albums and touring extensively múm has always worked on project which could be classed as unusual for a pop band or a pop collective. Among their extra curricular activity is their own soundtrack for the classic Sergei Eisenstein film, Battleship Potemkin, which the live performances of took them to film festival around the world. múm have also composed for theater, most notably two radio theater plays, winning the Nordic Radio-theater prize in 2005. The same year they were invited to Amsterdam by the Holland Festival to collaborate with the National Dutch Chamber Orchestra to create a performance piece based around various compositions of the late avant-garde composer Iannis Xenakis for one of the centre piece shows at the festival. In Japan múm has worked with pop singers Aco and Tomoyo, writing and producing songs for both of these artists albums.

In August 2009 múm released there fifth full album Sing Along to Songs you don’t Know and followed it with an extensive world tour, taking them all around Europe, to Russia, Japan, the US and Mexico. An almost whole year of touring ended in a spectacular show in Krakow, Poland where múm invited many of their friends and colleagues (Mugison, Sin Fang, Amiina, Jóhann Jóhannsson, former band member Gyða Valtýsdóttir and many more) to play along with them and the Sinfonietta Cracovia and the Polish Radio Choir for a spellbinding evening of music. The show is soon to be released on DVD.

múm recently finished scoring the film Jack & Diane which will have it’s theatrical release in autumn 2012. The film features a song collaboration between múm and Kylie Minogue.

In June 1st, múm will launch a compilation of early and rare recordings featuring 15 tracks recorded between 1998 and 2000 called Early Birds. múm are currently working on their sixth studio album which will be out in 2013.

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