Bad Taste

Bad Taste, known in Icelandic as Smekkleysa, is an independent Icelandic record label and cultural publishing venture based in Reykjavík. It was established in 1986 after the bankruptcy of Gramm Records and the dissolution of the experimental band Kukl. Its founders included Einar Örn Benediktsson, a former Kukl vocalist, and Ásmundur Jónsson, who had been associated with Gramm, alongside former Kukl musicians and members of the surrealist artistic group Medúsa. The label’s name was later presented in English as Bad Taste, reflecting a quotation attributed to Pablo Picasso: “Good taste and frugality are the enemies of creativity.” The label’s early activities combined music with visual art and independent cultural production. Its first project was not a conventional record but a postcard designed by Friðrik Erlingsson, then guitarist of Sykurmolarnir, the Icelandic band later known internationally as The Sugarcubes. The image referred to the Reykjavík Peace Summit scheduled for 1986 and depicted Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan against a background incorporating an Icelandic map and the flags of the Soviet Union and the United States. Approximately 5,000 copies were sold, providing funds for Bad Taste’s first musical release: Sykurmolarnir’s 7-inch single “Einn Mol'á Mann,” containing Icelandic versions of “Birthday” and “Cat.” Although that single had limited initial sales, it became historically important because the songs later appeared in English on The Sugarcubes’ debut album, Life’s Too Good. The album was released internationally through Elektra Records in 1987, while the band’s English breakthrough was supported by its relationship with One Little Indian Records. “Birthday” received prominent British music-press attention, helping establish The Sugarcubes as Iceland’s most visible alternative-rock export of the period. Bad Taste used income associated with the group to finance additional cultural projects and support emerging Icelandic bands, including acts that accompanied The Sugarcubes on tour. The Sugarcubes’ breakup in 1992 reduced the label’s growth, but Bad Taste continued operating as a platform for Icelandic music. It subsequently had a contractual relationship with Sigur Rós and continued to handle the band’s Icelandic market even after the group moved to an English label. The label’s artist agreements emphasized creative autonomy. According to the available account of its later practice, Bad Taste retained first rights to a subsequent album from artists it produced while continuing to give those artists broad artistic freedom. Bad Taste’s activities have extended beyond recorded music. The organization has published poetry books, short films, greeting cards and Icelandic gifts. It has also operated a Reykjavík record store and maintained a mail-order service offering Bad Taste releases together with selected Icelandic music issued by other labels. Proposed side projects included a radio station called Skratti and a restaurant called Drullupytturinn, although neither project came to fruition. The label is best understood not simply as a commercial imprint but as an independent Icelandic cultural institution linking music, publishing, design, retail and artist-led experimentation.

Bad Taste emerged from Reykjavík’s underground arts and music scene in 1986. Its creation followed two institutional disruptions: Gramm Records had gone bankrupt, and Kukl, the experimental band associated with several of the label’s founders, had ended. Einar Örn Benediktsson and Ásmundur Jónsson joined with former Kukl musicians and members of Medúsa to establish Smekkleysa. The venture was later identified in English as Bad Taste, a name intended to express opposition to restrictive ideas of refinement and commercial taste. The organization’s first project illustrated its hybrid character. Rather than beginning with an album, it issued a politically themed postcard by Friðrik Erlingsson. The design referenced the Reykjavík Peace Summit of 1986, presenting the faces of Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan with Icelandic and Cold War imagery. Sales of roughly 5,000 copies generated money for the group’s first record, a 7-inch Sykurmolarnir single titled “Einn Mol'á Mann.” The record contained Icelandic versions of songs that would later become associated internationally with The Sugarcubes. The single did not initially reach a broad audience. Icelandic alternative music was commonly sold through cafés and informal underground channels, and Bad Taste lacked the scale of a mainstream distributor. Its importance increased after The Sugarcubes developed an international career. The band’s debut album, Life’s Too Good, appeared internationally through Elektra Records in 1987, while One Little Indian Records helped release and promote the group in England. The English-language single “Birthday” received strong critical attention in the British music press. Revenue connected with The Sugarcubes was directed largely toward further projects and toward assisting other Icelandic bands, including groups involved in touring activity. As The Sugarcubes approached the end of their career, Bad Taste’s activities broadened. Björk’s 1990 jazz project with Tríó Guðmundar Ingólfssonar formed part of the wider musical context surrounding the label, although it was not simply a continuation of The Sugarcubes’ rock catalogue. The Sugarcubes ended in 1992, and Bad Taste’s expansion slowed. The label nevertheless retained a role in Icelandic music, including a later relationship with Sigur Rós. Although Sigur Rós moved to an English label for subsequent work, Bad Taste continued to represent or handle the group’s Icelandic market. The label’s contractual model emphasized artist independence. Earlier agreements allowed artists to choose another label for their next work. Later arrangements reportedly gave Bad Taste first rights to a succeeding album from artists it produced, while preserving substantial artistic freedom. This balance between preferential rights and creative autonomy became part of the label’s identity. Bad Taste also developed activities outside conventional label operations. Its catalogue and cultural output included poetry books, short films, greeting cards and Icelandic gifts. A Bad Taste-branded record store operated in central Reykjavík, and a mail-order service distributed the label’s available releases as well as selected music from other Icelandic companies. Plans for a radio station named Skratti and a restaurant named Drullupytturinn were considered but did not materialize. The surviving business model therefore combines independent music publishing with cultural retail and archival or mail-order distribution. Its historical significance rests especially on its role in the emergence of The Sugarcubes and in the international visibility of Icelandic alternative music.

• 1992

  The Sugarcubes break up

  [1]Bad Taste (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  The end of The Sugarcubes slows Bad Taste’s growth, although the label continues supporting Icelandic artists and related cultural projects.

• 1987

  The Sugarcubes gain international exposure

  [1]Bad Taste (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  The Sugarcubes’ debut album Life’s Too Good receives international release through Elektra Records, bringing wider attention to the label’s Icelandic music network.

• 1986

  Bad Taste is founded

  [1]Bad Taste (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  Smekkleysa is established in Reykjavík by Einar Örn Benediktsson, Ásmundur Jónsson and collaborators from the former Kukl and Medúsa circles after the collapse of Gramm Records.

• 1986

  First postcard project

  [1]Bad Taste (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  Bad Taste’s first project is a Friðrik Erlingsson postcard connected to the Reykjavík Peace Summit, raising funds for the label’s initial music release.

• 1986

  First record release

  [1]Bad Taste (record label)en.wikipedia.org

  The label issues Sykurmolarnir’s 7-inch single “Einn Mol'á Mann,” featuring Icelandic versions of songs later recorded by The Sugarcubes.

An artist-led Icelandic independent label and multidisciplinary cultural publisher focused on alternative music, creative autonomy and locally rooted cultural production.

• 7-inch vinyl single · 1986

  Einn Mol'á Mann

  Bad Taste’s first recorded release, issued by Sykurmolarnir, the Icelandic precursor name associated with The Sugarcubes. The single contains Icelandic versions of “Birthday” and “Cat,” songs that later appeared in English on The Sugarcubes’ internationally recognized debut album.

• Alternative rock recordings · 1986

  The Sugarcubes catalogue

  The Sugarcubes are Bad Taste’s best-known associated act. The label helped finance and develop the group’s early recorded work, while international labels handled major overseas releases and promotion. The group’s success significantly increased international awareness of Icelandic alternative music.

• Books and cultural media

  Bad Taste cultural publications

  Beyond music, Bad Taste has published poetry books and short films and has produced greeting cards and Icelandic gifts. These activities reflect the organization’s broader role as an independent cultural publisher rather than a narrowly focused record imprint.

• 1986

  Use a visual-art project to finance the first recordStrategy

  Background

  As a newly formed independent label with limited resources, Bad Taste needed a way to fund its first musical release.

  Action taken

  The organization sold a politically themed postcard designed by Friðrik Erlingsson and used the proceeds to finance Sykurmolarnir’s first single.

  Aftermath

  The project established the label’s cross-disciplinary identity and enabled its first record release.

  Source

• Preserve artist autonomy while retaining first rightsStrategy

  Background

  Bad Taste’s earlier artist agreements allowed musicians to move their next work to another label, limiting the label’s ability to retain developing acts.

  Action taken

  Its later practice gave Bad Taste first rights to a subsequent album from artists it produced while continuing to provide broad artistic freedom.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement supported a more durable label relationship without abandoning the independent and artist-led character associated with Bad Taste.

  Source

1. 1Bad Taste (record label)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Bad Taste official websitesmekkleysa.net