GR.A.M.M.

Gramm was an independent Icelandic record label established in Reykjavík in 1981 by Ásmundur Jónsson and Einar Örn Benediktsson. The label emerged from the early Icelandic punk and underground music environment, at a time when local artists had limited access to established recording and distribution channels. Its first release was Tilf, a ten-track 7-inch vinyl record by Purrkur Pillnikk, a punk group led by Benediktsson. Gramm subsequently became closely identified with the group and released its recorded output. The label's catalogue extended beyond straightforward punk. Gramm issued music by Psychic TV, the English experimental group, and supported several important Icelandic acts connected with the development of the Reykjavík alternative scene. These included Tappi Tíkarrass, Björk's first band; Kukl, the politically charged experimental group featuring Björk and Einar Örn; the rock band Þeyr; and punk groups such as Vonbrigði. Through these releases, Gramm documented a period of unusually inventive activity in Icelandic popular music, linking local punk and post-punk artists with experimental practices and an international underground audience. Gramm's significance rests less on its commercial scale than on its role as an early platform for artists who later became influential beyond Iceland. Its association with Björk's early bands and with the musicians who would form The Sugarcubes gives the label an important place in the history of Icelandic alternative music. The label also released Skytturnar, a soundtrack connected with Friðrik Þór Friðriksson's film of the same name, featuring a broad selection of Icelandic performers including The Sugarcubes, Bubbi Morthens, and Megas. Gramm became bankrupt in 1987 and is no longer active. Following the collapse, Ásmundur Jónsson and musicians involved with Kukl helped create Smekkleysa, the label later known internationally as Bad Taste. Bad Taste became associated with The Sugarcubes and continued the independent-label tradition that Gramm had helped establish. Gramm is therefore best understood as a defunct Icelandic record label whose compact catalogue captured a formative stage in the country's punk, experimental, and alternative music culture.

Gramm was founded in Reykjavík in 1981 by Ásmundur Jónsson and Einar Örn Benediktsson. Its creation coincided with the rise of Iceland's punk and independent music communities, which operated outside the country's established commercial music infrastructure. The label's first release was Tilf, a ten-track 7-inch vinyl record by Purrkur Pillnikk, the punk band led by Benediktsson. Gramm went on to issue all of Purrkur Pillnikk's records, establishing a close relationship with one of the most visible groups in Iceland's early punk movement. Although punk formed an important part of its identity, Gramm was not limited to one style. The label released recordings by Psychic TV, an English experimental group, and worked with Icelandic artists whose music connected punk energy with post-punk, rock, and avant-garde experimentation. Its catalogue included Tappi Tíkarrass, Björk's first band, and Kukl, the group featuring Björk and Einar Örn. Gramm was also associated with Þeyr and the punk group Vonbrigði. These activities made the label an important vehicle for Reykjavík's small but highly productive alternative scene. Gramm's historical importance was reinforced by the later careers of artists connected with it. Björk's early recordings for Tappi Tíkarrass and Kukl preceded her international career, while musicians and organizers from the same environment later helped build The Sugarcubes and the Smekkleysa label. Gramm therefore formed part of the institutional background from which Iceland's internationally recognized alternative music culture developed. The label also issued Skytturnar, a soundtrack associated with Friðrik Þór Friðriksson's film. The release brought together several Icelandic performers, including The Sugarcubes, Bubbi Morthens, and Megas, demonstrating Gramm's role in documenting music beyond a single band or scene faction. Gramm became bankrupt in 1987 and ceased to operate as an active label. After the bankruptcy, Ásmundur Jónsson and musicians who had played in Kukl helped create Smekkleysa, which later became known worldwide as Bad Taste. That successor label was associated with The Sugarcubes and carried forward the independent, artist-centered approach visible in Gramm's catalogue. Gramm is now remembered as a defunct but influential Icelandic record label that helped preserve and disseminate the country's early punk and experimental music.

• 1987

  Bankruptcy and closure

  [1]Gramm (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  Gramm became bankrupt and ceased operating as an active record label.

• 1981

  Label founded in Reykjavík

  [1]Gramm (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  Ásmundur Jónsson and Einar Örn Benediktsson established Gramm as an independent Icelandic record label.

• 1981

  First release issued

  [1]Gramm (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  Gramm released Tilf, a ten-track 7-inch vinyl record by Purrkur Pillnikk.

An independent Icelandic label focused on punk, experimental, rock, and alternative music, with a strong connection to Reykjavík's underground scene.

• 7-inch vinyl release · 1981

  Tilf

  A ten-track 7-inch vinyl release by Purrkur Pillnikk and Gramm's first documented issue. The record represented the label's initial commitment to Icelandic punk and established its relationship with the band led by co-founder Einar Örn Benediktsson.

• Film soundtrack

  Skytturnar

  A soundtrack release connected with Friðrik Þór Friðriksson's film Skytturnar. It brought together multiple Icelandic performers, including The Sugarcubes, Bubbi Morthens, and Megas, reflecting Gramm's broader role in documenting the country's alternative music culture.

• Punk recordings

  Purrkur Pillnikk catalogue

  Gramm released the records of Purrkur Pillnikk, an Icelandic punk group led by Einar Örn Benediktsson. These releases formed a central part of the label's early catalogue and connected it directly to Reykjavík's emerging punk movement.

• Experimental rock recordings

  Kukl recordings

  Recordings by Kukl, the experimental Icelandic group featuring Björk and Einar Örn. The releases extended Gramm's activity from punk into more confrontational and avant-garde forms of alternative music.

• 1987

  Label ceased operations after bankruptcyOther

  Background

  Gramm became bankrupt after several years of independent record-label activity in Iceland.

  Action taken

  The label stopped operating; members of its creative network subsequently helped establish Smekkleysa, later known as Bad Taste.

  Aftermath

  The successor label became associated with The Sugarcubes and continued the independent music infrastructure developed around Gramm's scene.

  Source

1. 1Gramm (record label)en.wikipedia.org