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Being a quirky co-ed nine-piece from Reykjavik, Iceland, Gus Gus was almost bound to inspire comparisons to the Sugarcubes, though the onset of ten years caused the group to inherit the influences of electronic fuzz and trip-hop rhythms rather than the bout of post-punk lunacy which inspired the Sugarcubes during the late '80s. Begun as a cinema concern in early 1995 by filmmakers Stefan Arni and Siggi Kjartansson, the group was gradually expanded to include musicians such as DJ Herb Legowitz and programmer Biggi Thorarinsson as well as singer/songwriters Daniel Agust, Hafdis Huld and Magnus Jonsson (former actors all), a cinematographer (Steph) and a producer (Baldur Stefansson). The band's decidedly indie sensibilities led to their signing by 4AD after a four-part series of dance mix EPs during 1996. Among a handful of groups in the late '90s with access to both close-knit dance circles as well as the notoriously uptight indie community, the group gained support from LFO (with Mark Bell's remix of "Believe"), and one of London's most celebrated DJ stores, Fat Cat Records, while playing their first date in England. Given a combined US/UK release due to 4AD's agreement with Warner Bros., their debut album Polydistortion hit the stores in April 1997. This is Normal followed in 1999, and one year later the anthology release Gus Gus vs. T- World appeared. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide |
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