Bang Gang

Bang Gang functions as the alias adopted by the singular Icelandic producer, songwriter, and vocalist Barði Jóhannsson, who first began issuing recordings under that moniker during the closing years of the 1990s. The project’s sonic identity mirrors the singular character of its creator by blending falsetto-centered indie pop reminiscent of Montt Mardié with brooding, atmospheric electronica in the manner of Portishead. On Bang Gang sessions Jóhannsson regularly collaborates with vocalists Esther Talia Casey, M83’s Anthony Gonzalez, and Keren Ann; the last of these partners with Jóhannsson separately under the name Lady & Bird. The act achieved its initial breakthrough during a performance at the Midem Festival, when the track “Sleep” drew the interest of a representative from East-West France. Promptly summoned to the studio, Jóhannsson saw his debut single, “So Alone?,” issued in summer 1999. That release climbed the Icelandic charts and, buoyed by local radio play, entered rotation on MTV Europe. One year afterward the first Bang Gang album, You, appeared. Over the ensuing two years Jóhannsson pursued multiple endeavors that encompassed further Bang Gang material, songwriting and production for other artists, and the creation of a television program for the Screen One channel. The second Bang Gang album, Something Wrong, reached stores in 2003. For its third long-player, Ghosts from the Past, the project shifted to Cod Records; the record surfaced in France during 2008.