Music
Press
This is the first English release from the Icelandic band who have moved to Edinburgh. It's mainly gentle with a folky fell but it's the beauty of Church Loft that really shines, there's something in this song that reminds of This Mortal Coil and shivers down your spine. - AC - The Sunday Mail
Edinburgh via Iceland’s Benedikt H Hermannsson – that’s Benni Hemm Hemm to his many music-loving friends – has long enkindled our local stages with his gentle, warm acoustic pop. Retaliate, his first all-English language outing, is a rich, slow-burning mini-album that’s likely to captivate fans of Nick Drake, Euros Childs and eagleowl.
Embellished by some heady, measured double bass from Emily Scott, and Peter Liddle’s understated brass, Benni Hemm Hemm’s unhurried psalms are lovely: the nostalgic, pastoral folk of the title track; the wistful melody of ‘Shipcracks’. But don’t be misled by their welcome demeanour: knives, tattooed corpses and bloodshed all feature. - The List
Discography
Summer Plate EP (2003)
Benni Hemm Hemm LP (2006)
Kajak LP (2007)
Ein i Leyni EP (2007)
Murta St. Calunga LP (2008)
Retaliate EP (April 2010, EP)
Skot (April 2011, LP)
Photos
Bio
Benni Hemm Hemm was born when he released the SummerPlate E.P. in the summer of 2003. The E.P. was a solo release, produced by Benedikt H. Hermannsson. It was released in 30 copies.
The first performance of the big band of Benni Hemm Hemm, was on the 1st of May, 2004, at the 5th birthday of Kitchen Motors. And after that performance there was no turning back. In November the band started recording in Sundlaugin. There were seven songs recorded on 24 tracks on a very busy weekend. In May 2005 the band recorded five more tracks in the infamous Klink & Bank.
In September 2005 the Benni Hemm Hemm album was released in Iceland, on Smakokurnar. In early 2006 the album was released in Japan (P-Vine) and in Europe and the US (Morr Music).
In spring 2006 work started for Kajak. The album was written in a very short time, and recorded in June.
The album was released in Iceland in November, on Smakokurnar.
Early 2007 Kajak was released in Europe and in the US in May (Morr Music).
In 2008 Benni Hemm Hemm signed to newly established record label Kimi Records and has worked with them ever since.
In June 2008 Benni Hemm Hemm released his 3rd LP, Murta St. Calunga (Kimi Records). It received great reviews and was later released in Europe and USA (Kimi Records).
The EP Retaliate was released in 2010 and Benni Hemm Hemm followed it through with an extensive European & UK tour.
In May 2010 Benni Hemm Hemm premiered is Ryk á Book with Alasdair Roberts with a 25 piece wind ensemble. Ryk á Book is a piece written for that occasion.
Currently Benni Hemm Hemm is working on his 4th LP to be released in Iceland in October and in early 2011 in the rest of the world.
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