1996 · EP · Lax Records

Switchstance

Switchstance The record that started it all. Switchstance was Quarashi's first official foray into releasing music as a band — a five-track EP released on Lax Records in November 1996 that introduced Iceland to their unmistakable collision of rap, rock and electronic production. And then there was the title track. Switchstance changed everything. What had started as music made by a handful of young guys in a Reykjavík garage suddenly propelled Quarashi into the spotlight almost overnight. Even the name Quarashi itself dates back to this pivotal release, making Switchstance not just the band's first record, but the beginning of the Quarashi story as the world would come to know it. Only 500 copies were ever pressed and they sold fast. Today, an original Switchstance is one of the most coveted pieces of Quarashi history, a genuine collector's item and notoriously difficult to find. In fact, the EP has become so rare that even some of the band members themselves don't have a copy. From a freezing Reykjavík garage to a sold-out first pressing in the blink of an eye, Switchstance was the spark that set everything in motion. Five tracks. 500 copies. One band about to change everything.