2004 · Skífan / Dennis / Sony Japan

Guerilla Disco

Guerilla Disco is the first album from Quarashi after Hössi left the band. On this album a new rapper, Tiny, joined them taking on the role of lead rapper. The album’s working title was ‘Payback’ (the name of the opening track), but was later changed to ‘Guerilla Disco’, the name of an older Quarashi instrumental. The album is a more gangsta-rap oriented album, in contrast to their previous album Jinx which was closer in style to rap-rock. Tiny's lyrics are also different from anything Quarashi had done previously, as most of them are based on true life accounts such as the song ‘Stars’. The album was released in two colors, the original green and a red version with an extra song on it, “Crazy Bastard”. There was also a special release in Japan. Released on October 13th 2004, Guerilla Disco was Quarashi’s fifth and final studio album before their hiatus and it marked the beginning of a completely new chapter for the band. Following Hössi’s departure, Quarashi welcomed a new voice into the fold: Egill “Tiny” Thorarensen, who stepped into the role of lead rapper and brought a distinctly different energy to the group. For longtime fans, it was a bold change. This wasn't an attempt to recreate what had come before but rather that Quarashi were evolving. The album's working title was Payback, after its opening track, before the name was changed to Guerilla Disco, borrowed from the title of an older Quarashi instrumental. And the music reflected that shift. Where JINX had leaned heavily into the band's trademark rap-rock sound, Guerilla Disco moved in a more hard core-rap-influenced direction, giving the record a darker, harder edge. Tiny's lyrics also brought something new to Quarashi. Many were drawn from real-life experiences and personal stories, giving tracks such as “Stars” a more intimate, autobiographical feel. It was a different side of the band, raw, personal and unapologetically direct. The album was released by Skífan and Dennis Records, with a special release through Sony Japan. The Icelandic version came in two different colours: the original green edition and a red version featuring the bonus track “Crazy Bastard.” The Japanese version had a totally different design and contained bonus tracks. For fans, Guerilla Disco is fascinating precisely because it captures Quarashi in transition. A new rapper, a new sound, a new chapter, but still unmistakably that same unpredictable spirit that had carried them from a Reykjavík garage to the international stage. And then, just as this new incarnation of Quarashi was finding its feet, the story came to an end. The final record. The final lineup. The last note before the lights went down.