Singapore Sling (band)
| Singapore Sling | |
|---|---|
| Origin |  Reykjavík, Iceland |
| Genres | Shoegaze, Alternative rock, Neo-Psychedelia, noise pop |
| Years active | 2000–present |
| Labels | |
| Associated acts | Bang Gang Bellatrix Jakobinarina Hudson Wayne |
| Website | www.stinkyrecords.com |
| Members | |
| Henrik Björnsson Einar Þór Kristjánsson Ester Bíbí Ásgeirsdóttir Hallberg Daði Hallbergsson Björn Viktorsson |
|
| Past members | |
| Þorgeir "Toggi" Guðmundsson Helgi Örn Pétursson Siggi Shaker Bjarni Friðrik Jóhannsson Hákon Aðalsteinsson |
|
Singapore Sling is an indie band from Reykjavík, Iceland.
As of 2011 they have released five albums and a best of compilation. Singapore Sling have supported The Brian Jonestown Massacre on their North American tours and covered Dirty Water a 1966 garage rock hit by The Standells in their debut album. They have also covered The Monks' I Hate You in the 2006 compilation Silver Monk Time: A Tribute to the Monks.
Their Neo-Psychedelia sound has often been compared by the media to acts such as The Velvet Underground, My Bloody Valentine, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Raveonettes, BRMC and Serena Maneesh, although the band's tongue-in-cheek frontman Henrik Bjornsson defines it as "a cross between Simon and Garfunkel".[1]
The band's latest release is called Singapore Sling Must Be Destroyed and was released in 2010 on Outlier Records.
Contents |
[edit] Name origin
Despite the band's frontman Henrik Bjornsson's job as a bartender,[2] the band's name doesn't come from the Singapore Sling cocktail but from an infamous black and white B movie by Greek director Nikos Nikolaidis.[3]
In a June 2003 interview with VRT Radio 1, Henrik Bjornsson stated:[2]
| “ | We had a first gig. It was booked and we didn't have a name and I had been looking for a film called "Singapore Sling" for a long time. I couldn't find it anywhere. It sounded cool, so that became the name of the band. It's some kind of dark, perverse Greek film from 1990. I haven't found it yet, so if you know someone who has it, please let me know. I hope it's good. A dark perverse noir film and a guy who has sex with a corpse. And he's called Singapore Sling. | ” |
The movie has been described by most European and American professionals as "disturbing", but director Nikolaidis declared he had been inspired by Greek tragedy, European film noir and Kammerspiel. Main cast includes Greek actor Panos Thanassoulis (as Singapore Sling), French actress Michèle Valley (as the mother) and American actress Meredyth Herold (as the daughter).[4] Despite being forbidden in United Kingdom, it has been premiered in Canada in 1990 and was released in DVD in the United States in 2006.
[edit] Formation
[edit] History
Singapore Sling was formed in Spring of 2000 in Reykjavík, capital of Iceland with the reunion of Henrik Bjornsson (singer, songwriter, guitarist) and Einar Kristjánsson (lead guitarist). Henrik had some 8-track demos and wanted to create a band, one of these demos was Overdrive that surfaced online in the Iceland Airwaves 2001 official website and that would later become Overdriver, the opening track for the debut LP.
The band evolved to a sextet formation with changing lineups performing at Iceland Airwaves, Reykjavík's main music festival created in 1999, before getting a record deal with the local label Hitt Records (Edda) in 2002. The lineup was then as such:
- Henrik Björnsson: vocals / guitar / keyboard
- Einar Kristjánsson: lead guitar
- Þorgeir Guðmundsson: bass
- Helgi Örn Pétursson: guitar / keyboard
- Bjarni Jóhannsson: drums
- Sigurður Magnús Finnsson aka Siggi Shaker: tambourine / maracas
[edit] Line-up
Recently the lineup changed, as of May 2005 current members are:
- Henrik Björnsson: vocals / guitar / keyboard
- Einar Kristjánsson: lead guitar
- Bibi: bass
- Hákon Aoalsteinsson: guitar
- Bjorn Viktorsson: drums
- Sigurður Magnús Finnsson aka Siggi Sniff: tambourine / maracas
[edit] Career
[edit] Debut album (2002-2003)
Singapore Sling released its debut album The Curse of in August 2002, then the band performed at Iceland Airwaves 2002 music festival.
The album has been licensed by New York indie label Stinky Records for a North American release in 2003. Why this record is being released in America is because a guy came here on a festival and then he let some people hear it in America explains Henrik Bjornsson.[2] Einar Kristjansson adds "The whole idea of the Airwaves Festival is like a festival for Icelandic bands to export or be spotted. Iceland is so isolated and they have this festival. Icelandair sponsors it and they give flights and stuff like that to journalists and label people so they can come and see us. The whole festival is sponsored by Icelandair and the government to get Icelandic music to be heard outside of Iceland."[2]
About the record's name Henrik Bjornsson explained in a June 2003 interview: "We ran into a lot of obstacles while recording the record. We turned on the lights and the light bulbs would explode. On the first day of recording the tape machine broke down. There were just endless things like that. And then we were depressed one day and Einar checked his bank account. There was 666 krones. And the curse seemed appropriate.[2]
The band toured the United States and Canada in summer 2003.
[edit] Second album (2004)
Although their home label Edda left the music business and shut its branch Hitt Records, Singapore Sling released their second record Life Is Killing My Rock 'N' Roll in Iceland through Sheptone Records a vinyl records store where Einar works, and in the United States with an American support tour.
The track Curse, Curse, Curse has been picked up by British actors Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman to be featured in the 2004~2005 TV documentary series Long Way Round (LWR). Virgin released the soundtrack CD in 2004.
[edit] Third album (2005)
Sheptone Records released the third album Taste the Blood of Singapore Sling in 2005. Although it was distributed in Denmark by Reykjavik / Copenhagen based indie label 12 Tónar, it has not been licensed for the United States by Stinky Records yet.
In 2007, German label 8mm Muzik bought the rights for a European release and sold a best of anthology featuring 4 tracks for each one of the two first albums, plus two tracks taken from this third album.
[edit] Miscellaneous (2005~2006)
Singapore Sling appeared in the 2005 feature documentary Screaming Masterpiece [5] which is dedicated to the Icelandic music scene.
In 2006, German label Play Loud! Music released the 2-disc tribute compilation Silver Monk Time to The Monks. Singapore Sling covered the track I Hate You. All songs were especially recorded for this project between September 2005 and May 2006, they were mastered at Faust Studio by Hans-Joachim Irmler from the Faust.[6]
[edit] European Record Release Tour (May 2007)
In May 2007 German label 8mm Musik Ltd managed the European Record Release Tour in support to the release of The Curse, the Life, the Blood, the band's anthology especially dedicated to the European market.
Touring band supporting the release was a quintet including a female bassist called Bibi. European venues were located in Germany, France, Benelux, Denmark, Austria, Italy and Czech Republic.
[edit] Fourth album, fifth album and sixth album (2009-2011)
The band's fourth Album, called "Perversity, Desperation and Death" was released in 2009. This was followed up by the band's fifth Album, called "Singapore Sling Must Be Destroyed", which was released in October 2010 through Outlier Records. The band's most recent album, "Never Forever", was released in 2011.
[edit] Discography
[edit] LPs
- 2002: The Curse of Singapore Sling
- 2004: Life Is Killing My Rock 'N' Roll
- 2009: Perversity, Desperation and Death
- 2010: Singapore Sling Must Be Destroyed
- 2011: Never Forever
[edit] EPs
[edit] 7"
- 2008: Song For The Spirit
[edit] Best Of
[edit] Compilation tracks
- 2006: I Hate You - 4:34 (covered from The Monks) on Silver Monk Time: A Tribute to the Monks (CD-pl-02)
[edit] Demo tracks
- 2001: Overdrive (8-track) - 4:45 (demo version of Overdriver) hosted in Iceland Airwaves 2001 official website.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Official Myspace
- ^ a b c d e The Curse of Singapore Sling, Cucamonga, 6 June 2003
- ^ Singapore Sling (1990) profile in the IMDB
- ^ Singapore Sling profile on ED Distribution
- ^ Screaming Masterpiece overview at allmovie guide AMG
- ^ silver monk time – a tribute to the monks (Play Loud! Music website)
[edit] Media links
[edit] External links
- Official Myspace
- Stinky Records - U.S. label
- label play loud! productions - German label
- Band's profile on allmusic guide AMG
- Band interview
