The Return of The Sugarcubes

Nearly 20 years ago The Sugarcubes released their first single 'Birthday' through their own label Smekkleysa SM. This release heralded the start of a splendid career for The Sugarcubes and lead to an impressive amount of releases from Icelandic artists in Iceland and abroad alike.

These first steps made by The Sugarcubes have made an everlasting impact and influence on putting Icelandic music on the international scene.

It is therefore with unbound joy that we announce the 20th anniversary concert of ‘Birthday’ and The Sugarcubes. This one off date will take place in Reykjavik on 17th November 2006. It will be the first time they have been on stage together in 14 years.

All profit from the concert goes back into Smekkleysa SM who will continue to work on a non-profit basis for the future of Icelandic music and artists.

World domination or death! Yes thank you!

This wasn't supposed to happen… The SugarCubes history

In the late 1980s The Sugarcubes, a six-person band from Iceland led by a feisty singer named Bjork blazed a new-wave trail through the world.

Before The Sugarcubes, the band members had been involved in several other Icelandic bands. Bjork has had the longest career of any of the members, recording a children's album when she was 11 years old and singing in the Icelandic post-punk band ‘Tappi Tikarrass’ in her teens. Drummer Siggi Baldursson was a member of a group ‘Theyr” and Einar Benediktsson and Bragi Olafsson formed a punk band called ‘Purrkur Pillnikk’ that released records on their own label, ‘Gramm’.

By 1984 Bjork, Einar and Siggi started a noisy, artsy, post-punk band called ‘K.U.K.L.’ ("witchcraft") with keyboardist Einar Melax, bassist Birgir Mogensen and guitarist extraordiaire God Krist.. ‘K.U.K.L.’ released two album on the independent British record label ‘Crass’.

The Sugarcubes formed June 8, 1986
In 1988 they released a funky, off-kilter, alternative album titled ‘Life's Too Good’. The record garnered huge college play and critical acclaim and the band set out on a massive international tour with ‘New Order’ and ‘Public Image’ in 1989, which raised their star even higher.

They released their second album entitled ‘Here Today, Tomorrow, Next Week’ later that year.
In 1992 the band released their third album, a slick and funky project called ‘Stick Around For Joy’; it was produced and recorded in the United States. The band also released a remix album called ‘It's It' in Europe. The Sugarcubes eventually disbanded later on in that yearbut only after having played support to U2 on their Zooropa tour in the USA.