Mezzoforte is an instrumental

Instrumental

An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....

 jazz-funk

Jazz-funk

Jazz-funk is a sub-genre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat , electrified sounds, and often, the presence of the first electronic analog synthesizers...

 fusion

Jazz fusion

Jazz fusion is a musical fusion genre that developed from mixing funk and R&B rhythms and the amplification and electronic effects of rock, complex time signatures derived from non-Western music and extended, typically instrumental compositions with a jazz approach to lengthy group improvisations,...

 band

Musical ensemble

A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...

 from Iceland

Iceland

Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...

. Their biggest hit single

Hit single

A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...

  was "Garden Party" (1983). It peaked at #17 in the UK Singles Chart

UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...

. Another track, "Rockall" spent one week at #75 in the same listing in June that year.

The band was named after the traditional musical term mezzo forte, an instruction to play literally "moderately loud".

Band members

Original line-up from 1977:

• Eyþór Gunnarsson – Keyboards
• Jóhann Ásmundsson – Bass
• Gunnlaugur Briem (Gulli) – Drums
• Friðrik Karlsson (Frissi) – Guitar

Other members, present and past:

• Óskar Guðjónsson – Saxophones (1996-2003, 2005-present)
• Bruno Mueller – Guitar (2005-present)
• Sebastian Studnitzky – Trumpet & keyboards (2005-present)
• Thomas Dyani – Percussion (2004-present)

• Björn Thorarensen – Synthesizers (1980-1982)
• Kristinn Svavarsson – Saxophones (1982-1985)
• David O'Higgins – Saxophones (1985-1989, 2002-2004)
• Jeroen De Rijk – Percussion (1984-1986)
• Staffan William-Olsson – Guitar (2003-2004)
• Joel Palsson – Saxophones (2003)
• Guðmundur Pétursson – Guitar (2003)

Albums

• Mezzoforte (1979)
• I Hakanum (Octopus) (1980)
• Thvilikt og annad eins (Dreamland) (1982)
• Surprise Surprise (1982) - UK
  UK Albums Chart
  The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
  
   #23
• Sprellifandi - Live at the Dominion (1983)
• Observations (1984)
• Rising (1984)
• No Limits (1986)
• Playing for Time (1989)
• Daybreak (1993)
• Monkey Fields (1996)
• Forward Motion
  Forward Motion
  Forward Motion is an album by Mezzoforte, released in 2004.-Track listing:# "Tribute" – 4:27# "Nightfall" – 4:45# "Hardwired" – 4:42# "Forward Motion" – 4:57# "Beyond the horizon" – 5:08# "Four Corners" – 4:21# "Cruisin'" – 5:39...
  
  (2004)
• Live In Reykjavik (2007)
• Volcanic (November 2010)

Compilation albums

• Catching up with Mezzoforte - Early Recordings (1983) - UK
  UK Albums Chart
  The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
  
   #95
• The Saga so far (1985)
• Fortissimos (1991)
• Garden Party Time (1999)
• Anniversary Edition (2007)

External links

• Mezzoforte at Discogs
  Discogs
  Discogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
  
  
• mezzoforte.com (official site)
• gullibriem.com (Gulli Briem's site)
• thefeelgoodcollection.com (Fridrik Karlsson's site)
• bruno-mueller-music.de (Bruno Müller's site)
• studnitzky.de (Sebastian Studnitzky's site)
• jookraus.de (Joo Kraus' site)