I re-entered the vinyl world in 2011 after what was about a 15 year hiatus. I don’t remember precisely what prompted me to get a new record player, though I know some of the music I wanted to explore simply never came out on CD, so that was part of it. If I’m being completely honest there was probably a dose of nostalgia too, and, well, a way to scratch that collector itch that has always been just under the surface for me.
Our first international trip after getting the new turntable was to Reykjavik for Iceland Airwaves ’11. I arrived armed with a wantlist of 1980s era Icelandic punk and new wave records I managed to cobble together from various online sources and took it with me to Lucky Records. I’ve written about this visit in the past because of the friendships that came out of that first meeting with Ingvar and Gestur, and if you’ve read even just a handful of posts on Life in the Vinyl Lane you’ve probably seen them mentioned as they continue to be a major source of Icelandic music for me. But on this particular day the most important moment was being handed a copy of the record at the top of my list – Purrkur Pillnikk’s debut full-length album Ekki Enn (1981).1 It wasn’t cheap even back then, but I was thrilled to have it. And so began my infatuation with Purrkur Pillnikk, one of the earliest and most seminal bands in the Icelandic punk scene, and by default with their lead singer Einar Örn.2
Speaking of Einar Örn, the man himself agreed to answer some questions from Life in the Vinyl Lane about Purrkur Pillnikk and the box set!
Tell us a bit about how Purrkur Pillnikk came to be. What was the experience like being in a punk band in Reykjavik in the early 1980s?
“The roots of Purrkur Pillnikk are in the friendship of the members, we had been friends since 12 years of age. In college we got the idea of getting together and rehearse and compose songs for a festival at the college. On the first rehearsal day we composed nine songs and performed them the day after.
Purrkur Pillnikk was never a punk band as we formed in March 1981. We were a post-punk band. The experience was fun. Lot of activity. In our 18 months of existence we played two concerts a week. Recorded two LP’s, one single and one 10-track 7”. This might come to the total of 56 songs.”
Most of the original band got back together in 2023 and re-recorded of the band’s songs. How was the experience of getting back together in the studio to record again? Were there any surprises?
“During Purrkur Pillnikk’s lifespan, we recorded all our songs apart from a 5-song suite which we performed only once in august 2024.3 Bragi got the idea in 2022 to record these songs. To manifest them. This idea we put into action in May 2023 and then thought we should get all our releases together in a box as the vinyls of the original were all sold out. Original members of me, Bragi and Frikki took part. Ásgeir Bragason passed away in 2016. So we got Sigtryggur Baldursson in, who had previously done a gig with Purrkur Pillnikk in 1995.”
One of the most exciting things about the box set is the inclusion of two previously unreleased live sets, one from 1981 and the other from 1985. How did these recordings come to light and become available?
“We always knew of these recordings. The 1981 set was when we supported The Fall in Reykjavik. The 1995 set was from a cassette and has Sigtryggur drumming with us.”
Are there any future plans for Purrkur Pillnikk? Perhaps some new songs or live performances?
“We are releasing a documentary in Bio Paradis in November 2024 called Sofandi Vakandi Lifandi Dauðir. It has some rare unseen footage and new footage. It was premiered earlier this year at Skjaldborg documentary festival.
https://vimeo.com/933435244
https://skjaldborg.is/mynd/purrkur-pillnikk-sofandi-vakandi-lifandi-daudur
“We have no idea of any new songs or concerts. We are easy.”
The box set is extremely well-done. The five records are pressed on 180 gram vinyl and all five slid out of the inner sleeve in pristine condition. Three of the covers are of the same design as their corresponding LP originals, the only difference being they are printed in grayscale. Another cover includes the original 7″ covers alongside the box design, while the fifth is entirely new (this record has previously unreleased live material). As for the sound quality, you know when you see Mastered By Curver you’re getting only the best, and that holds true on these records – they sound absolutely fantastic. Also included is a beautiful 12″ by 12″ 48-page full-color booklet with photos, text, and lyrics. Alas, everything (other than the lyrics for No Time To Think) is written in Icelandic, but there’s still a lot to look at.
Orð Fyrir Dauða includes all of Purrkur Pillnikk’s previously published output from 1981-82. In addition we get two never-before-released live recordings, one from 1981 and the other from 1985. And as if that wasn’t enough, last year the band re-recorded some of their songs. Even if it only had the original releases this box set would be worth it, because buying all those on vinyl, using the median Discogs sales prices, would run you $367 as of today, so with all the extras it’s well-worth the roughly $180 price tag (based on current exchange rates). You can buy it directly from the label Smekkleysa HERE.
VINYLL #1 – Orð Fyrir Dauða 2023 + Afturgöngur 2023 + Tilf + No Time To Think
The surviving members of Purrkur Pillnikk got together in 2023 to re-record some songs (drummer Ásgeir Ragnar Bragason passed away in 2015), including the band’s last five songs, “Orð Fyrir Dauða A-E”. Originally written in their final days they were only performed twice live, though they did appear on the live album Maskínan and were included as part of the 2001 double-CD band comp Í Augum Úti. The new recordings definitely have that Purrkur Pillnikk sound, albeit perhaps with a bit of additional polish that comes from decades of additional experience. Have no fear though, friends – these tracks retain their energy and the interesting sonic elements that make Purrkur Pillnikk hard to describe, but that you recognize the moment you hear them. The gents also re-recorded four of their classic tracks, perhaps most notably “Augun Úti” with it’s guitar part that was famously sampled by countrymen Gusgus on “If You Don’t Jump (You’re English)” in 2008.
The B side is given over to a pair of 7″ records that bookended Purrkur Pillnikk’s career – their first-ever release, the 10-song Tilf (that’s right kids, 10 songs on one 7″ record, the way punk used to be), and the four-song No Time To Think, which was released after the band’s breakup. It’s been a long time since I listened to these tracks and what strikes me the most is the urgency. Musically the approach is very intentional and thoughtful (though they do sometimes flirt with no wave on tracks like “Googooplex”). There’s nothing sloppy here – no matter how fast they play the songs retain their structure. Einar’s vocal delivery, however, breaks free from the framework the band has created, entering and exiting songs at will, sometimes forcefully, other times desperately. It’s this dichotomy that differentiates Purrkur Pillnikk from most of their peers.
VINYLL #2 – Ekki Enn
I forgot how great this record is. The influences are all over the place, from the post-punk “Flughoppið” to the straight-ahead punk of “Ekki Enn” to the classic rock Faces-esque riff of “Nú”. Purrkur Pillnikk keep you on your toes, looking cautiously around the corner to see what is coming at you next. “Vaterland” melts my brain with the simply pulsing chords, Einar’s vocals enunciating what sounds like a single word at a time, allowing four beats between each. As someone who does not speak Icelandic, I don’t get the benefit of the meaning, but there is still a power to the way the words are spoken, the urgency building slowly as the song progresses, the beat eventually catching up to it before carrying us across the threshold with a quick bit of psychedelic guitar. You don’t need to understand the words to still feel something.
VINYLL #3 – Googooplex
A number of years ago I was sitting in Lucky Records the day after Iceland Airwaves ended and a guy from Boston who I’ve gotten to know from the festival over the years came in, went straight to the display wall, and grabbed the original copy of Googooplex perched there. “Man I’m glad this is still here. I’ve been kicking myself for not getting it the other day.”
That’s the power Purrkur Pillnikk and early Icelandic punk records have on some of us.
Googooplex takes a bit of the edge off of Tilf and Ekki Enn. Songs like “Svart / Hvítt” legitimately swing and almost approach mainstream status. But have no fear, friends, because Purrkur Pillnikk haven’t lost what makes them unique, tracks like “Uppgjör” and “Mig Langar” show they can still lean into the avant-garde when they want to.
VINYLL #4 – Maskínan
This live album opens with a jazz-like “Tilfinning” before getting into a more riffy, post-punky set. The recording quality of the show is pretty decent – the mix is quite good, with all the elements finding space. The recorder was probably bouncing into the red a bit though, as the high end is a tad fuzzy. But no matter – for early 1980s live recordings, it’s excellent.
The jacket of the original record is a fold-out poster, and this is the rarest and most expensive of the originals. Only three copies have been sold on Discogs over the last 10 years, the most recent one for just over $300, though Popsike shows some copies having sold on eBay for under a $100. Regardless it’s a rarity that I know is still on collector’s wantlists, even those living in Iceland, so having it as part of the box set is a huge plus.
VINYLL #5 – Lifandi
This was the thing that excited me most about the box set – two never-before-released (outside of some tape trading, perhaps) live shows. The A side is given over to a 1981 show at Austurbæjarbíó, while the B side has songs from Félagsstofnun Stúdenta recorded in 1985. I’m cautious when it comes to live punk shows from the 1980s, as so much of what I’ve heard just sounds bad – poor quality recordings, muddy, too much crowd noise. But these two shows sound fantastic, and so does the band. I’m not sure how much clean-up had to take place, but these are near-studio quality. The balance is great, the instruments and vocals all have their place, and no single element overpowering the others. Crowd noise is minimal and not at all distracting. And most importantly, the band is tight as hell, belting out bursts of intensity, quickly moving from one song to the next. It’s every bit as good as any of the studio recordings.
This box set might be trick to find locally if you live outside of Iceland, but fortunately it’s still available from the label/record store Smekkleysa HERE. As mentioned previously this is the most affordable way to get Purrkur Pillnikk on vinyl – even ignoring all the extras (two full records and the booklet), you’d spend way more than this buying original copies, and there have been no previous vinyl re-releases. If you’re on a budget and still want physical media, then you can potentially acquire all the studio releases via two CDs – the 1993 release of Ekki Enn and the 2001 2xCD Í Augum Úti, both from Smekkleysa. I’m not sure if these are still in print, but you can track them down down.
- Listed on Discogs under the title EhgjI En:, I’m using Ekki Enn here as that is how it is presented in the box set. ↩︎
- Einar is a label owner, artist, and politician, and of course a musician. I first knew him as part of Ghostigital, but he’s best known as the male vocalist for a band you’ve probably heard of called The Sugarcubes. ↩︎
- The songs “Orð Fyrir Dauða A”, “Orð Fyrir Dauða B”, “Orð Fyrir Dauða C”, “Orð Fyrir Dauða D”, and “Orð Fyrir Dauða E” that will be discussed later. ↩︎