Arena  1996-03

By Graham Goldwater


"Bjork's an Airhead"


   Iceland's hyperventilating siren gets breathless about breathing


"Most people have something: claustrophobia, fear of heights, something
they can't explain. My thing has always been oxygen, ever since I was a
kid. My brother used to tease me by flicking a scarf across my face and
I would freak out. When I was about five I accidentally got locked in an
accordian box and it developed into a sort of phobia. Basically it 
starts off by being into oxygen.

In music school I learnt the flute, I am really into instruments with
oxygen in them. I like brass instuments and all pipe organs and 
accordians. I'm not fond of pianos, I prefer to write on organs.

In a way it's very connected with singing because for me to sing is a
physical need. If some people don't sleep for a week or eat they go
bonkers. If I don't sleep or eat for a week I just go mad.

I can't deal with smoke, same way some people are scared of spiders. 
Over the years I have trained myself but not long ago I wouldn't have 
been able to do this photo shoot (there's a smoke machine present). In
rock 'n' roll it's common to have smoke machines but I have to be a 
prima donna and say 'Listen, I'm gonna lose the plot'. I have a lighting
guy who's sneaky and uses smoke, but if I don't know about it, I don't 
freak out.

When I used to play small clubs with The Sugarcubes I used to have a fan
on stage and people thought I had a Marilyn Monroe complex. I didn't 
have to spend time in front of it, just know it's there and I could run
around and sing, whatever, just to know I've got oxygen there.

I haven't been everywhere, but the best air I have ever breathed is in
Iceland. People who are brought up in cities come to Iceland and get 
dizzy; they are ODing on oxygen. I am so obsessed with it that I get a 
deeper kick out of singing than other people; it is like a celebration 
of oxygen"