KUKL was: Einar Örn Benediktsson (vocals, trumpet), Björk Gudmundsdóttir (vocals), Gudlaugar Kristinn (guitars), Siggtryggur Baldursson (drums), Birger Mogensen (bass), Einar Melax (keyboards).
In 1983 Asmundur Jonsson from Gramm records (Iceland's biggest record-company) wanted to put together an Icelandic "punk-all-stars"-band. Björk Gudmundsdóttir (who was the singer of a hardcore-feminist-punk-band named Tappi Tikarras) was involved in the project and so was Einar Örn Benediktsson (singer and trumpet-player in a band named Purrkurr Pillnikk) and Siggtryggur Baldursson (drummer in a band named Theyr) to name a few. The band appeared first time on a "We demand the future"-concert in Reykjavik in 1983, but they came together again in December the same year and released the single "Söngull" with the B-side "Pökn (fyrir byrjendur)". Björk recorded one more album with Tappi Tikarrass, "Miranda", before they split up.
KUKL's frontman Einar Örn studied media at Polytechs in London. He rubbed shoulders with many underground-London-punks for example Flux of pink indians and Crass (the band who invented anarchy). KUKL released their first full-length album "The eye" on Crass' label Crass Records. The album contained an English version of "Söngull" named "Dismembered" and a song called "Anna", which a video was directed for. KUKL didn't sound a thing like any other bands on Crass Records. The music they played was a complex cross between punk, jazz and rhythmic music. The band used many different kinds of drums, bells and even trumpets when they recorded "The eye" and many people has categorized it as a cross between Siouxie and the Banshees, Killing Joke and Einstürzende Neubatzen.
"The eye" was only released in London, and though many people thought the band could get a worldwide breakthrough if they switched label, they never got very popular anywhere, not even back on Iceland. The KUKL-members had to have ordinary full-time-jobs when they didn't make music. Björk worked in a fish-factory back on Iceland and she also used to work as a background-singer on Mega's (Icelandic rock's "grand old man") albums. In 1985 the band started to tour around in Europe. They visited Holland during the Pandora's box-festival and Denmark during the Roskilde-festival. Many Icelandic bands toured around in Europe 'cause they were dreaming about a breakthrough outside their own native country.
KUKL visited France in 1985 and released the live-MC "KUKL à Paris" on the French label Flux Rebel. In 1986 the band released their second album "Holidays in Europe" and they've been remembered as the only band to release more than one album on Crass Records (except from Crass themselves) since then. "Holidays in Europe" can be categorized as post-punk or alternative indie-rock. A video was directed for the album's opening track "The outflight" and another one was directed for the album's second track "A mutual thrill". The band split up the same year and Björk got married to Thor Eldon (the guitar-player of Medusa) about the same time. Their marriage resulted in their son Síndri Thorsson. Icelandic TV wanted to make a special TV-show about KUKL and Björk appeared with a naked, very pregnant stomach. Icelandic people where very shocked about this fact. When the show was broadcasted many people called in and complained about a pregnant anarcho-punk with shaved-off eyebrows, showing her stomach on TV. There was even one woman who got a heart-attack. But Björk has made sure she didn't die....
