Barði Jóhannsson
Barði Jóhannsson is an Icelandic musician, composer, writer, TV show host, clothing designer and film director. He is mostly known for his work with the groups Bang Gang, Lady & Bird and Starwalker, a collaboration with Jean-Benoît Dunckel.
In addition to these musical outlets, Barði has been involved in a number of other audio-visual projects. Most significantly, he has written music for commercials and for the National Theatre of Iceland and Centre Dramatique d'Orleans. He has appeared at the Festival Aix En Provence and he co-produced and co-directed short films.
Barði has also written scores for movies and documentaries, such as Haxan and Óskar Jónasson’s Reykjavík-Rotterdam, which won Best Original Film Score at the Icelandic Edda Awards and was nominated for the Scandinavian Film Music Awards at Giff Film Festival. He wrote the score for the film Would You Rather with Daniel Hunt, directed by David Guy Levy; and the score for the French film The Finishers directed by Nils Tavernier.
Barði has worked with many artists during his career. His co-writing credits include artists Keren Ann, Anthony Gonzales, Jean-Benoît Dunckel, Daniel Hunt, Helen Marnie, Phoebe Killdeer, Sia Furler, Anggun and many more.
Early life
Barði started playing music at a young age. He studied the piano and guitar and had a track included on a children's album. He met the singer and musician Esther Talia Casey in his teens. She became the lead singer on the first album of his most notorious band, Bang Gang. Barði and his friend Henrik Baldvin Björnsson started Bang Gang, initially making surf rock. Two years later, in 1996, Barði took the name for his own project.Bang Gang
Bang Gang is a musical project of Barði Jóhannsson formed in 1996.Lady & Bird
Lady & Bird is a collaboration between Keren Ann Zeidel and Barði Jóhannsson. They have released two albums and played special concerts with the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in Haskolabio, Orchestre Lamoureux in Salle Pleyel and a choir and harpist at the American Church in Paris. In 2011, Lady & Bird had a premier of their first opera, Red Waters, in the French opera house Opéra de Rouen Normandie.Starwalker
Starwalker is an electro-pop supergroup of the electro-pop icons Jean-Benoit Dunckel and the Icelandic composer Barði Jóhannsson. The name Starwalker is an umbrella term for the duo’s work together. Their singles include "Bad Weather", "Blue Hawaii" and "Losers Can Win EP". A full-length self-titled album was released in April 2016.Discography
AlbumsYou Something Wrong Lady & Bird- Strakarnir Okkar Original Motion Picture Score Häxan Ghosts from the Past La Ballade of Lady & Bird, A project by Keren Ann Zeidel & Barði Jóhannsson Selected Film & Theater Works Of Bardi Johannsson W Y R Original Motion Picture Score Sacred Universe EP Losers Can Win EP The Wolves Are Whispering
- "Sleep" - Bang Gang
- "So Alone" - Bang Gang
- "Sacred Things" - Bang Gang
- "Stop In The Name of Love" - Bang Gang
- "Find What You Get" - Bang Gang
- "I Know You Sleep" - Bang Gang
- "The World Is Gray" - Bang Gang
- "Bad Weather" - Starwalker
- "Blue Hawaii" - Starwalker
- "Out of Horizon" - Bang Gang
- "Silent Bite" - Bang Gang
Music for documentariesÍslenska Sveitin, by Kristinn Hrafnsson and Friðrik Guðmundsson Viets et Morts d’Andy Warhol by Jean Michel Vecchiet. Music by Lady & Bird Africa United by Olaf de Fleur Johannesson Heilabilun/Alzheimer by Lárus Ýmir Óskarsson Ama Dablam Beyond the void by Ingvar Ágúst Þórisson. In collaboration with Eberg Stelpurnar Okkar by Þóra Tómasdóttir The Still Point by Taki Bibelas
Music for TV seriesPressa 3 by Óskar Jónasson. Score.Heimsendir by Ragnar Bragason. Score.Pressa 2 by Óskar Jónasson. Score.Réttur 1 by Sævar Guðmundsson. Score.Réttur 2 by Sævar Guðmundsson. Score.Skjár Einn, main theme.Silfur Egils, theme.Svínasúpan, theme.Strákarnir, theme.Ríkið, theme and score.Mannamál, theme.Kóngur um stund, theme and score.Fóstbræður, arrangements.Innlit útlit, theme.Pressa by Óskar Jónasson. Score in collaboration with Eberg.
Music for plays Brennuvargarnir/Biederman and the Firebugs. The National Theater of Iceland. Sædýrasafnið – Museum of the Sea. The National Theater of Iceland & Centre Dramatique National Orleans.
- Hedda Gabbler. The National Theater of Iceland. Red Waters – An Opera Written by Lady & Bird
BooksLady and Bird Recording Diary – Written by Barði Jóhannsson and Keren Ann ZeidelMaley Maley, Niðurfold – Written by Henrik B Björnsson and Barði Jóhannsson under a fake name
Other work
- Daily Radio Show, Radio-FM and X-FM for 2 years Konfekt – TV show – With Henrik B Björnsson
- Black Garden. Festival Aix Provance Music for a string quartet, clavier, and electronica
- Dressing Ourselves. Triennale in Milan Clothes design for the exhibition
- Epal. Designer Shop. Music for a children choir
- Dream by Barði og Noemi Brosset for the TV show ''The L Word''