Unun were an
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 ...
ic pop-rock band from
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the Capital city, capital and largest city in Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland on the southern shore of Faxaflói, the Faxaflói Bay. With a latitude of 64°08′ N, the city is List of northernmost items, the worl ...
. It was formed by Gunnar Lárus Hjálmarsson and Þór Eldon Jónsson (Thor Eldon) in 1993. They were joined by Ragnheiður Eiríksdóttir (Heiða) in 1994. The group disbanded in July 1999.
Biography
The group was formed in 1993 by guitarist Þór Eldon Jónsson (formerly Fan Houtens Koko, of
The Sugarcubes
The Sugarcubes () were an Icelandic alternative rock band from Reykjavík formed in 1986 and disbanded in 1992. For most of their career, the band consisted of Björk Guðmundsdóttir (vocals, keyboards), Einar Örn Benediktsson (vocals, trumpe ...
, aka Thor Eldon, and former husband of
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 ...
), bassist Gunnar Lárus Hjálmarsson (Dr. Gunni, former SH Draumur, ex-Bless). The name appeared during a game of Scrabble. They were then joined by Kristín Jónsdóttir on vocals, then the trio goes back to Gunni's apartment. On April 1, 1994, they began recording their first studio album, titled ''Æ''. During their sessions, the singer Ragnheiður Eiríksdóttir (Heiða) becomes a member of the group. In November 1994, their first album was released on the label Smekkleysa (Bad Taste).
Jóhann Jóhannsson
Jóhann Gunnar Jóhannsson (; 19 September 1969 – 9 February 2018) was an Icelandic composer who wrote music for a wide array of media including theatre, dance, television, and film. His work is stylised by its blending of traditional orchest ...
(formerly of Daisy Hill Puppy Farm), co-produces and plays keyboards on this album.
In the spring of 1995, the Icelandic lyrics of ''Æ'' are translated into English and the English version, ''Super Shiny Dreams'', is released on the Bad Taste label in November 1995 in the United States and Europe.
[.] Björk is supported by Unun for three British dates, including an appearance at
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena () (originally the Empire Pool, currently known as OVO Energy, OVO Arena Wembley for sponsorship reasons) is an indoor arena next to Wembley Stadium in Wembley, Greater London, England. The 12,500-seat facility is Greater Lond ...
in January 1996. In 1997, the group participates in the Roskilde Festival in Denmark. In 1998, the group lost its contract with the label Deceptive, but managed to publish a four-track EP called ''Bones''. Thor performs his last concert with Unun at the Midt Fyn Festival. Back in Iceland, the band records their second album, ''Ótta'', with Birna on keyboards, Viddi (ex-Quarashi) on bass, and Doddi (Kanada) on drums. The following year Unun toured Norway, Lithuania, Estonia and Finland. The group disbanded in July 1999.
Unun (Dr. Gunni, Heiða and Elvar) reunited briefly in 2007 for a concert dedicated to
Lee Hazlewood
Barton Lee Hazlewood (July 9, 1929 – August 4, 2007) was an American country and pop singer, songwriter, and record producer, most widely known for his work with guitarist Duane Eddy during the late 1950s and singer Nancy Sinatra in the 1960s ...
.
Discography
*1994: ''Æ'' (Bad Taste)
*1995: ''Super Shiny Dreams'' (Bad Taste)
*1998: ''Bones'' (Bad Taste, EP)
*1998: ''Ótta'' (Bad Taste)
References
{{The Sugarcubes
Icelandic rock music groups
Musical groups disestablished in 1999