Iceland has always been a breeding ground for high-quality music in a variety of genre contours. Young Möller Records takes the electronic formula to new levels by injecting a plethora of styles including panoramic drum’n bass, skittering low-end rumbling, acoustic ambiences, tribal atmospherics, folk extractions, polished electronics, subdued instrumental hip-hop and chilled experimental grooves into the mix. Delving through the labels output is quite simply a massage for the senses as an avalanche of musical strains somehow meld into one uniform, unique and contagious vision of sound. Co-owner and Public Relations Director Árni Grétar answered igloomag.com’s Five questions recently.
Igloo Magazine :: When did Möller Records start up and what was your inspiration?
Árni Grétar (Möller) :: Möller Records was started in 2011 by Jóhann Ómarsson (Skurken) and Árni Grétar (Futuregrapher). Our inspiration was our own music—we needed a label. Simple as that. When we decided to do it our friends Prince Valium and Steve Sampling wanted us to release their music as well. Which we did. More artists followed soon after.
Igloo :: Who were some of your initial artist relations and did your location help or hinder progress?
MR :: Artists relations have always been very good. Every Möller inductee has to take few steps before entering the family; sharing a tobacco snorting ceremony with Árni Grétar and to eat Jóhann’s pizza and drink his beer. If all that goes well—then you’re Möller (…and if you make good music). Our physical location hasn’t hindered anything at the moment, since all artists on the label are Icelandic.
Igloo :: What were some of the challenges (if any) starting up a label? …and how did you envision the label to stand apart?
MR :: The only challenge to start a label is to find the time to take care of good releases and to believe in the label yourself. We just imagined the label to be a household name in the Icelandic music scene and to be recognized. Our vision is going well at the moment.
The only challenge to start a label is to find the time to take care of good releases and to believe in the label yourself. We just imagined the label to be a household name in the Icelandic music scene and to be recognized. Our vision is going well at the moment.
Igloo :: What is your motivation in keeping the label moving forward into the next decade?
MR :: Just to help others to get their music out there. Basically to give people guidance and to help them to put out their music, because so many people can write and record music—but they just don’t have the knowledge to take it further. It gives us a good feeling to be able to release quality stuff and to see smiley faces in the progress. Hard work—but worth it.
Igloo :: Tell us more about how you (and your staff?) take the label’s “sound” to the listeners and fans. Distribution, campaigns, live shows, word of mouth etc.
MR :: Möller was first named TomTom Records—but a company from Holland threatened legal action over the use of that name.
Möller Records will be looking into signing other artists to the label in the near future and will also remaster and re-release some early works of Icelandic producers. Artists on label include Bistro Boy, Fu Kaisha, Futuregrapher, Intro Beats, Murya, Prince Valium, Skurken, Subminimal, Steve Sampling and Yoda Remote.
Released ::
Helga001: Andefni (Prince Valium) – CDR / Digital
Helga002: Snapshot One (Tonik) – Digital
Helga003: The Optimist (Steve Sampling) – CDR / Digital
Helga004: Porth / Mangaster (Fu Kaisha) – CDR / Digital
Helga005: Gilsbakki (Skurken) – CD / Digital
Helga006: Crystalline Substances (Murya) – CDR / Digital
Helga007: Compilation Helga (Various Artist) -Digital
Helga008: Halftime (Intro Beats) – CDR / Digital
Helga009: Distance (Steve Sampling) – CDR / Digital
Helga010: Microfluidics (Subminimal) – CDR / Digital
Helga011: Sólheimar (Bistro Boy) – CDR / Digital
Helga012: LP (Futuregrapher) – CDR / Digital
Helga013: Elísa (Futuregrapher Featuring Fu Kaisha) – Digital
Möller Records staff ::
Jóhann Ómarsson – The President / co-owner
Árni Grétar – Public Relations / co-owner
Stebbi Sampling – Distribution
Frosti Jónsson – Marketing
For more information about Möller Records, visit their website at mollerrecords.com.
