KUKL – V.I.S.A / Rebel Flux Recordings 1984

Seagull / Moonbath / He Hapes / Carlos / The Men Of The Cross / The Spire

Anna / Dismembered / Vials Of Wrath / Latin / Pokn For Begginers

Very rare tape by KUKL featuring future Sugarcube and now respected solo artist Bjork. KUKL’s performance was recorded in September 1984 somewhere in Paris and was released on Rebel Flux cassettes.

More KUKL material on this site including the debut 7″ single (if you use the search function you will come across it). Also the whole performance of ‘We Demand The Future’ festival with Crass and all the other supporting Icelandic bands uploaded, can be heard HERE

Text below ripped from hanshan.org.

KUKL were an Icelandic group created in Reykjavik in August ’83 with Einar Örn Benediktsson (vocals, earlier in Purrkurr Pillnikk); Björk Guðmundsdottir (vocals, earlier in Tappi Tikarrass); Guðlaugur Kristinn Ottarsson (guitar, earlier in þeyr); Birger Mogensen (bass, earlier in Killing Joke) ; Einar Melax (keyboards, earlier in Van Houtens Koko) and Sigtryggur Baldursson (drums, earlier in þeyr).

 

Originally the group was a project based on an idea by among others, Asmundur Jonsson from Gramm Records in Reykjavik. They debuted live on Icelandic radio and performed at the “We demand the future” festival in Reykjavik in 1983 with Crass and a host of other Icelandic bands.

 

In 1984 they performed with Psychic TV in Reykjavik and then travelled to England to perform with Flux of Pink Indians and other anarcho bands. KUKL recorded at Southern Studios in London during January 1984. The tracks were engineered by John Loder and produced by Penny ‘Lapsang’ Rimbaud of Crass. Later the same year they played at concerts in several European contries including Paris.

 

In June 1985 the band performed at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark and later the same year at some concerts in Iceland. they played with Megas, the “grand old man” of Icelandic rock.

At the turn of the year 1986 they released the  two LP’s that had been recorded previously, on Crass Records.

 

KUKL’s music is complex and rhythmic, and a mixture of punk, rock, jazz, and more experimental music, with the lyrics sometimes in English, and sometimes in Icelandic.

 

KUKL were a powerful and personal band combining qualities from three important groups in Icelandic rock from the beginning of the eighties.

6 comments
  1. JP
    JP
    July 10, 2009 at 1:40 am

    hey! Thanks alot for this. This group were really on the money, and what a line-up! I don’t suppose you’ve got ‘As Above…’ by Þeyr as well? *ahem*

    all the best jp x

  2. Mike
    Mike
    June 12, 2013 at 1:18 am

    Do you know if there are any video recordings of Kukl – other than their final performance on Icelandic TV and promo videos?

  3. DJB200
    DJB200
    February 4, 2015 at 2:59 am

    Thank you for sharing this. I was very lucky to see KUKL back in 1984 in the UK. A great sound after all the usual Crass output.

  4. dorcia
    dorcia
    April 26, 2015 at 11:11 pm

    I had the luck to see the K*U*K*L gig in Paris with Xmal Deutschland and Spear of Destiny if I remember. Can’t imagine how I found out it was Björk, then unknown! It reminds me that she laughed a lot when between two songs a guy from the audience shouted “Indiana Jones”!
    I stole one of their flag on the side of the stage that I gave later to a Icelandic friend of a friend.

    Anyway, great blog !

  5. Cloacina
    Cloacina
    February 21, 2022 at 10:16 am

    Thank you for this information about this wonderful band and this nice french label.

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