Ensími formed in 1996 and from the start the group was destined for something special. Original members had already made a name for themselves in other musical outfits in the Iceland rock scene. In the beginning there was no master plan and still there is none apart from making quality music.
Founding members Jonni, Hrafn & Franz started working on material with focus on mixing rock and electronica in a rehearsal space in Iceland. After fiddling randomly with ideas over a one year period a rough demo was made.
A&R from label Skifan got hold of the demo and signed Ensími although the band had never performed live. After finding remaining band members Ensími headed into the Studio.
In 1998 the debut album Kafbátamúsík was released and received critical acclaim and won newcomer and song of the year at the Icelandic Music Awards. Kafbátamúsik has since gained a cult status in Iceland and recently secured the 35th place in the 100 best albums national poll.
In 1999 legendary engineer/producer Steve Albini expressed interest in working with Ensími. The band rushed into rehersals and wrote the album BMX and recorded it with Albini. Two top ten hits and seven nominations for the Iceland Music Awards followed.
Ensími released their self titled third album in 2002. Produced and recorded by Ensími the album received critical acclaim and a number one hit single Brighter plus two Iceland Music Award nominations.
Ensími has also contributed songs for cinema, television, various compilations & collabarations and has performed in Iceland, USA & Scandinavia on various festivals, tours and showcases.
After touring the third album the band took a long break with members educating themselves abroad and working on other musical ventures. In breaks from activities Ensími recorded a lot of material and played occational shows.
In summer 2009 Ensími returned to the live circuit with a force and are currently working on the their fourth album which will see a release date in coming months.
