Originally a duo, the band has expanded and contracted in the 12 years of being and has counted 15 - 20 people along the way.
The band was formed in 1997 by original members Gunnar Örn Tynes and Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason, their first release was a split 10" with the girl-band Spúnk and saw light in the summer of '98. They were joined a year later by twin sisters Gyða and Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir and released two albums as quartet. Following a number of collaborative projects, the group’s celebrated debut album Yesterday was dramatic - today is OK (reissued by Morr Music in October 2005) gained a wealth of glowing press and widespread praise. A remix project, Please Smile My Noise Bleed, also released on the Morr Music label in November 2001.
In 2002, after the release of Finally We Are No One and the extensive first world tour, Gyða left the band to return to her studies in Reykjavík. Shortly after, the third sister Ásthildur Valtýsdóttir joined for singing duties temporarily and Serena Tideman replaced Gyða on cello, for a single European tour. The band's third album, Summer Make Good, a darker and foggier, nautically themed work was released in May 2004, flanked by two singles, Nightly Cares and Dusk Log. By then the ensemble had evolved to include Eiríkur Ólafsson and Hildur Guðnadóttir (who had guest appearances on múm recordings from the beginning) and Ólöf Arnalds. In early 2006, Kristín also left the band after releasing and heavily touring the album Summer Make Good.
The start of 2006 saw the band's creativity start to blossom once again, starting with two remixes Goldfrapp of the tracks ‘Number 1’ and ‘You Never Know’. They followed this with two legendary DJ sets at the FatCat Festival in Belgium in February and SXSW in Austin Texas 2007. With a combination of decks, effects, laptops, toy microphones, old cassette player recordings and vocals, coupled with their own recorded material, strange electronic covers by friends, gypsy folk music and general craziness on stage. They were also subsequently invited DJ at Summer Sonic Festival in Japan as well as be headline act as DJ's in Radio 1’s Rob Da Bank tent at Bestival on the Isle of Wight. In september 2007 múm released Go Go Smear the Poison Ivy which turned out to be the bands last release for the Fatcat Records.
múm has always worked on projects which could be classed as unusual for a pop band or a pop collective. Among their extra curricular activity is their own soundtrack for the classic Sergei Eisenstein film, 'Battleship Potemkin', live performances of which have taken place in Hafnafjordur Iceland, Brooklyn Lyceum New York, and at the distinguished Gijon Film Festival Spain. múm have also composed for theater, most notably two radio theater plays, 'Svefnhjólið' (Sleeping Wheel) by Gyrdir Eliasson which won the Nordic Radio-theater prize and in 2008 Augu þín sáu mig (Your eyes saw me) by poet Sjón (which múm also worked with in 1999 on the operetta Kisa (cat). In 2005 they were invited to Amsterdam by the Holland Festival to collaborate with the National Dutch Chamber Orchestra to create a performance piece based around various compositions of the late avant-garde composer Iannis Xenakis for one of the centre piece shows at the festival.
múm released their fifth studio album, Sing Along to Songs You Don't Know, in August 2009. The collective now consists of founding members Gunnar Örn Tynes and Örvar Þóreyjarson Smárason and for touring and recording, this line-up is expanded to include their friends Eiríkur Orri Ólafsson (trumpet / piano/ keyboards), Hildur Guðnadóttir (cello / vocals), Sigurlaug Gísladóttir (Vocals / ukulele/ various), Róbert Reynisson (guitars/ukulele's) and the Finnish Samuli Kosminen (drums / percussion). The musical group sometimes extends to Ólöf Arnalds, Högni Egilsson, Ólafur Björn Ólafsson and Guðbjörg Hlín Guðmundsdóttir as well as a never ending family of friends and musicians who may join at the drop of a hat.
Official website: http://www.mum.is
Sweet Impressions
múm Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Screaming through our sweet and precious
House of loving
In the palace, dreaming mountains
Valleys climb in front of houses,
Dreaming mountains
If you took the time to look at all the signs
If you took the time to look at all the signs
You could rest your head just knowing that all is fine
Sweet impressions, house of longings
Screaming through our grassy meadow
Driving herself safe
Nifty rivers moving teardrops
Rolling down the shiny treetops
Love is all around
If you took the time to look at all the signs
You could rest your head just knowing that all is fine
If you took the time to look at all the signs
I could rest my head just knowing that
You've got time for love
You've got time for love
You've got time for love
You've got time for love
You've got time for love
You've got time for love
You've got time for love
You've got time for love
You've got time for love
You've got time for love
You've got time for love
You've got time for love
You've got time for love
You've got time for love
You've got time for love
The lyrics to "Sweet Impressions" by múm touch on themes of longing, love, and appreciation for the beauty of life. The opening lines refer to sweet impressions and looks of longing screaming through a sweet and precious house of loving. This could be interpreted as a person's desires or dreams that are expressed within the safety and comfort of a loving home. The lyrics then move to a dreaming palace and mountains that climb in front of houses, implying the enormity and expansiveness of these ideas or dreams. The following lines reference looking at all the signs and resting one's head with the knowledge that all is fine, suggesting that taking the time to appreciate one's surroundings, both physical and emotional, can bring a sense of peace.
The rest of the song continues this theme of appreciating the beauty of life, with references to nifty rivers moving teardrops and shiny treetops. The repetition of the phrase "you've got time for love" brings the message home that taking the time to appreciate the beauty around us, and to pursue love and connection, is important and worthwhile.
Overall, "Sweet Impressions" is a contemplative and introspective song that encourages the listener to appreciate life's simple pleasures and pursue love.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet impressions, looks of longing
Longing looks and sweet impressions
Screaming through our sweet and precious house of loving
Passionate voices echoing throughout our loving home
In the palace, dreaming mountains
The castle in the mountains of our dreams
Valleys climb in front of houses, dreaming mountains
Mountains lie ahead of the valleys, where our dream homes await
If you took the time to look at all the signs
By paying attention to the details of life
You could rest your head just knowing that all is fine
One can be at ease, knowing that everything is alright
Sweet impressions, house of longings
Longings within our home, leaving a sweet impression
Screaming through our grassy meadow, driving herself safe
Joyful cries heard in the tranquil meadow, feeling safe and secure
Nifty rivers moving teardrops
The swift rivers carrying tears away
Rolling down the shiny treetops, love is all around
Dripping down the glistening tree leaves, love surrounds us all
I could rest my head just knowing that
I can be at peace knowing that
You've got time for love
There is always time for love
You've got time for love
Love can always find a way
You've got time for love
No matter what, love is worth making time for
You've got time for love
Love should always be a priority
You've got time for love
Love is not something that should be rushed; take the time to cultivate it
You've got time for love
There is no excuse not to make time for love
You've got time for love
Love is always within reach if we make it a priority
Contributed by Dylan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.