As Above...

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As Above...
As Above... cover
Studio album by Þeyr
Released 1982
Recorded  ???
Genre New Wave
Length 32:24
Label Shout
Cat. No.: LX001
Producer(s) Þeyr and Tony Cook
Þeyr chronology
Mjötviður Mær
(1981)		 As Above...
(1981)		 The Fourth Reich
(1982)


As Above... was an album released in 1982 by Þeyr, a legendary Icelandic New Wave and rock group and it was issued through Shout on a 12" vinyl record.

Formed by 12 tracks, As above... contained English versions of the group’s hits. A song that outstands from the rest is "Killer Boogie", a work deemed as an attempt by the group to achieve the international market.
"Killer Boogie" and "Rúdolf" are featured again in Rokk í Reykjavík (Rock in Reykjavík), a concert compilation released in 1982 with the presence of other renowned Icelandic bands. There is also a video for this compilation which was edited on VHS format only.

"Rúdolf" contains a sample of Hitler saying "Around us is Germany. In us Germany marches. And behind us Germany follows". It was a fragment taken from Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will), a propaganda film directed by Leni Riefenstahl in 1934. However, the record inserts credit A. Schicklgruber as the impersonator of Hitler’s voice.

The remaining songs of this album were never reissued since the masters are believed to be lost. By 2001 Þeyr’s members and friends released a CD titled Mjötviður til Fóta which included songs from their second album, Mjötviður Mær and the single Iður til Fóta, both releases from 1981.

Contents

[edit] Track listing

Track Title Length Lyrics Audio clips
Side A
01 Homo Gestalt 03:31 - -
02 Killer Boogie 02:58 - -
03 Dead/Undead 03:22 - -
04 Wolf 02:51 - -
05 Technologos 01:58 - -
06 Poème 02:48 - -
Side B
01 Current 03:21 - -
02 Rúdolf 02:49 - -
03 Are You Still There 03:08 - -
04 Enough 02:23 - -
05 Shout 03:00 - -
06 Mjötviður 02:55 instrumental -

[edit] Track notes

  • "Homo Gestalt" is another version of "Life Transmission" which appeared onLife Transmission (1981).
  • "Dead/Undead" is the English version of "Bás 12" which appeared in Mjötviður Mær (1981).
  • "Wolf" is the same as "Úlfur", from Iður til Fóta (1981).
  • "Technologos" is the same as "2999" from Mjötviður Mær.
  • "Are You Still There" is the English version of "Tedrukkinn" from Mjötviður Mær.
  • "Enough" is the same as "Það er Nóg" from Mjötviður Mær.
  • "Shout" is the English version of "Ópið" from Mjötviður Mær.

[edit] Banning

Back cover and inner sleeves of As Above…

The cover design, which is exactly the same as in Mjötviður Mær was banned in the United Kingdom because of the photographs showing drummer Sigtryggur Baldursson naked. However, Mjötviður Mær was never banned as it was only released in Iceland. The meaning of the song "Rúdolf" was the focus of controversy among many who thought it was an allegory to Nazism. It should be noted, however, that Þeyr was an anti-fascist group. Several years later, drummer Sigtryggur Baldursson said: "The song 'Rúdolf' was supposed to be a criticism, but was really interpreted as we were Nazis. We also adopted some Nazi things like clothing, but we were never real Nazis. We were just showing off, just like today."

[edit] Credits

Production: Þeyr and Tony Cook.
Music: all tracks by Þeyr.
Lyrics: Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson, with the exception of "Killer Boogie" whose lyrics were created by Þeyr.
Backing vocals: A. Schichelgruber is credited on the song "Rúdolf".
Album and sleeve design: Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson.

[edit] External links

Þeyr
Magnús Guðmundsson - Guðlaugur Kristinn Óttarsson - Þorsteinn Magnússon - Hilmar Örn Agnarsson - Sigtryggur Baldursson
former members: Elín Reynisdóttir - Jóhannes Helgason
Management: Guðni Rúnar Agnarsson - Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson - Guðmundur Sigurfreyr Jónason
Art consultant: Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson
See also
Esquimaux Management (Eskvímó) - Niceland - Killing Joke - Jaz Coleman
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