Einar Örn Benediktsson (born October 29, 1962) is a popular music singer and trumpet player who has worked with Björk and The Sugarcubes. Since the 2010 elections he is a member of the city council of Reykjavík.[1]
Einar Örn was born in Reykjavík, Iceland. In the early 1980s he was a member of the Icelandic anarcho-punk group KUKL, notable for being one of Björk's first bands. Whilst studying media at the Polytechnic of Central London he got in touch with several punk groups such as Flux of Pink Indians and the anarchist band Crass, leading to KUKL’s first album, The Eye, being published through Crass Records.
Later he worked as a vocalist for The Sugarcubes where he was the subject of some controversy. Some critics scorned him for his bizarre spoken-word rants and discordant singing, which often overshadowed Björk's more popular vocalizations. Others, however, defended his contributions as an essential component of the group's free-spirited, chaotic ethos.
After the breakup of The Sugarcubes in 1992, Einar wrote a newspaper column "Close Encounter" ("about daily life in Reykjavík"), plugged records for Bad Taste and worked as a bartender. Music went on the backburner: "I was discovering other things, like family life. I wanted to make music a hobby again."
He recorded with Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson (HÖH) in 1992: "We were great friends who decided to make music for the hell of it, and it turned into a record" (Frostbite, on One Little Indian). He also worked in concert promotion (two Björk shows, The Prodigy, Fugees and Massive Attack) and co-founded Reykjavík's first cybercafe The Siberia Cafe: 'We were too early. Those who knew what it was all about preferred to do their Internet hacking at home."
Worked for the Reykjavík Arts Festival before moving back to London in late 1997 to set up OLI's Web sites: "I saw this gap, which I could fill. It's always good to get a new perspective."
He's recording again, with Hilmar Örn and Sugarcubes drummer Siggi, as Grindverk. "It's dance music for people who cannot dance. It'll probably be instrumental too. It's not because people have criticised me, I just don't think I've written anything I want to sing." Grindverk released one record for FatCatRecords[2] called Gesundheit Von K.
As for a more permanent band, "I'm waiting to see if the occasion arises. The Sugarcubes wasn't scripted, remember. Of course, I'm older but I would treat the occasion with the same passion!"
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In December 2003 Einar embarked on his first solo project. He debuted with an album called Ghostigital, recorded with producer Curver. It was released by Honest Jons Records in December 2003. The name of this first album would later turn into the name of a band, comprising Einar and Curver and a host of collaborators. The music is described as "electronic beat music", drawing in elements of dub, hip-hop, rock and noise, combined with Einar's idiosyncratic worldview.
In 2005, Ghostigital signed with Ipecac Recordings, the label run by Faith No More singer Mike Patton. Their first Ipecac release, In Cod We Trust, was released in March 2006. On this record his son Kaktus plays trumpet.
Ghostigital collaborated with Gorillaz on the track "Stop The Dams". The track originally appeared as a b-side to the single "Kids With Guns" / "El Mañana", and was later compiled on the album D-Sides.
His sexuality has been the subject of some confusion. In 1989, media reports announced that Einar and his (male) Sugarcubes bandmate Bragi Ólafsson had entered into a civil union agreement in Denmark, which was widely reported as the first gay marriage in pop music history. This was a hoax perpetuated by the alleged newly-weds themselves, who sent a fax to One Little Indian (their management in England) announcing their marriage. The office staff took their announcement at face value and released the story to the press.