Icelandic duo Paddan has announced the imminent release of their latest EP, Fluid Time, and unveiled the new single Bug, offering a glimpse into their artful sound, and delving into the ethereal as they explore the enigmatic realms of time and space.
Hailing from the quaint town of Kópavogur, Sigtryggur Baldursson and Birgir Mogensen have been close friends and collaborators since their younger days. Evolving from adolescent experimentation to influential roles within the avant garde punk scene, their involvement with the iconic collective KUKL during the mid-80s solidified their status as pioneers of Iceland's underground music. KUKL was released by the Crass collective in London and featured members, apart from Birgir and Sigtryggur, like Guðlaugur Óttarsson, Einar Melax, Björk and Einar Örn, some of whom would become better known later in more celebrated acts like the Sugarcubes and their respective solo work and other projects.
On the song, the band's Sigtryggur Baldursson says: "On Bug we are working with the concept of using ideas very directly, documenting musical performances and using them more or less naturally, as they come. You could say we are putting our faith in the saying that first impressions are often correct. There is one modular synth in the background but everything else is played live on various instruments. Apart from bass, drums, and guitars we also have a harmonica and lap steel popping up in various places, played by Gaukur Davidsson."
"As a duo we trusted our musical intuition and were guided by allowing the first idea to remain unchanged during the recording process," Birgir Mogensen comments on the EP.
Fluid Time will be released by Washington DC-based label Lovitt Records.
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