Dikta
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Dikta is an
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
band from
Garðabær Garðabær () is a town and municipality in the Capital Region of Iceland. History Garðabær is a growing town in the Capital Region. It is the fifth largest municipality in Iceland with a population of 20,116 (1 January 2025). The site of Gar ...
,
Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
. The band was formed in 1999 and consists of vocalist and guitarist Haukur Heiðar Hauksson, guitarist Jón Bjarni Pétursson, bassist Skúli Z. Gestsson and drummer Jón Þór Sigurðsson. Their name is an Icelandic verb meaning "to compose or make something up". Dikta has released five studio albums.


Biography


Formation and ''Andartak'' (1999–2004)

Dikta was formed in
Garðabær Garðabær () is a town and municipality in the Capital Region of Iceland. History Garðabær is a growing town in the Capital Region. It is the fifth largest municipality in Iceland with a population of 20,116 (1 January 2025). The site of Gar ...
in 1999 by childhood friends Haukur Heiðar Hauksson, Jón Bjarni Pétursson, Jón Þór Sigurðsson and Skúli Z. Gestsson. The band is influenced by
Radiohead Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...
,
Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
and
the Smashing Pumpkins The Smashing Pumpkins (also simply known as Smashing Pumpkins) are an American alternative rock band formed in Chicago in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha, bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. The ...
, and were finalists in the Icelandic band competition
Músíktilraunir Músíktilraunir () is an annual music competition held in Reykjavík, Iceland. Winners * 1982 – Dron * 1983 – Dúkkulísurnar * 1984 – ''not held due to Strike action, teachers' strike'' * 1985 – Gipsy * 1986 – Greifarnir * 1987 – ...
in 2000. Dikta's debut album, ''Andartak'', was released in late 2002. The album was self-released in Iceland by the band members through their label Mistak Records. ''Andartak'' yielded three singles, "Taminóra," "Andartak," and "Engin orð", which were all played frequently on Iceland's largest rock station at the time, X-ið 977. The album's lyrics are in Icelandic. Dikta played at the
Iceland Airwaves Iceland Airwaves is a music festival held annually in November in Reykjavík, Iceland, since 1999. Its main focus is showcasing new music, both Icelandic and international. Background The event is promoted and produced by Iceland Music Export ...
festival for the first time in 2003 and have played there regularly since then.


''Hunting for Happiness'' and ''Get It Together'' (2005–2010)

In 2005, Dikta released their second album, ''Hunting for Happiness'', in Iceland, followed by releases in Denmark and the UK in 2006 and 2007 respectively. The album was produced by Martin "Ace" Kent of
Skunk Anansie Skunk Anansie are a British Rock music, rock band whose members include Skin (musician), Skin (vocals, guitar), Cass (bass, guitar), Ace (guitar) and Mark Richardson (musician), Mark Richardson (drums). Skunk Anansie formed in 1994, disbanded ...
and was released by the Sugarcubes-owned label, Smekkleysa SM (Bad Taste). The album artwork was made by Gabríela Friðriksdóttir, who has previously collaborated extensively with
Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct voice, three-octave vocal range, and eccentric public per ...
. Four successful singles were released off ''Hunting for Happiness'': "Chloë", "Breaking the Waves", "Someone, Somewhere" and "Losing Every Day". Each single received heavy airplay on Iceland's rock radio stations X-FM and X-ið 977, and, with the exception of "Chloë", was also played on Iceland's national radio station, Rás 2. The album's lyrics are in English. Dikta received praise for their performance at Iceland Airwaves in 2006 from
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
senior editor
David Fricke David Fricke (born ) is an American music journalist who serves as the senior editor at ''Rolling Stone'' magazine, where he writes predominantly about rock music. One of the best known names in rock journalism, his career has spanned over 40 ye ...
, who likened their set-closing performance of "Chloë" to a "Nirvana-like blowout." In 2009, Dikta released their third studio album, ''Get It Together''. Like their previous album, the lyrics are in English. The band members stated in interviews before its release that it would be a natural progression from ''Hunting for Happiness''. The album was released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in March 2010 by Smarten-Up!, a German indie label based in
Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...
. The album is certified platinum in Iceland and included the radio-hit singles "Thank You", "From Now On" and "Goodbye". In 2010, singer Hauksson featured on
Ólafur Arnalds Ólafur Arnalds (; born 3 November 1986) is an Icelandic multi-instrumentalist and producer from Mosfellsbær, Iceland. He mixes strings and piano with loops and beats, a sound ranging from ambient/electronic to atmospheric pop. He is also th ...
's song "A Hundred Reasons" off his album ''...And They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness''. During the same year, Dikta supported
The Kooks The Kooks () are an English indie rock band formed in 2004 in Brighton. The current lineup consists of Luke Pritchard on vocals and guitar, and Hugh Harris on bass, guitar, and synthesiser. Their music is primarily influenced by the 1960s Br ...
on their European tour.


''Trust Me'', ''Easy Street'' and 20th anniversary (2011–present)

In 2011, Dikta released their fourth album, ''Trust Me'', following extensive touring in Europe in the past years. The album was self-produced and released by Kölski in Iceland. Dikta was interviewed for the
National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...
series ''Islands'' and performed an acoustic version of "Thank You" in 2012. In 2014, singer Hauksson performed the song "Is It Time" with Helgi Júlíus Óskarsson on the latter's collaborative album ''Crossroads''. In 2015, Dikta released their fifth studio album, ''Easy Street'', produced by Sky van Hoff. ''Easy Street'' was recorded in Germany and Iceland, and consisted of eleven songs. The album single "Hope for the Best" reached top five in the Icelandic charts and became the most played hit on Icelandic radio in 2015. In 2019, Dikta celebrated the anniversary of their formation with the release of the single "Anniversary". In 2022, the band released the single "Dig Deeper", produced by Sky van Hoff and Magnús Árni Øder Kristinsson. The band supported Skunk Anansie on various dates of their anniversary tour in 2022.


Band members

* Haukur Heiðar Hauksson – vocals, guitar, piano * Jón Bjarni Pétursson – guitar * Skúli Z. Gestsson – bass, backing vocals * Jón Þór Sigurðsson – drums


Discography


Studio albums

*''Andartak'' (2002) *''Hunting for Happiness'' (2005) *''Get It Together'' (2009) *''Trust Me'' (2011) *''Easy Street'' (2015)


References


External links

* *
Dikta's site (archive)
{{Authority control Icelandic alternative rock groups