Yamaha Drums Presents: Gulli Briem of MEZZOFORTE

“Yamaha drums have been in my life since I started playing at eleven years old. My first kit was a Yamaha. They are the most consistent drums that I know. On my Yamaha Recording Custom drums I can express myself freely & musically. The incredible punch from these drums, their dynamic range, consistency and clarity, improves any of my musical situation with Mezzoforte or session work."

Born in Iceland, Gulli started banging on pots and pans on the kitchen floor of the family home in Reykjavik. He played guitar for two years and sang in a school band until the original drummer got sick and was forced to leave his chair. Practiced drums in the loft of the Briem family residence, while playing in high school bands and musicals, where he met Johann Asmundsson a co-founding member of Mezzoforte (1977). The pair soon met Eythor Gunnarsson and Fridrik Karlsson in a Reykjavik music store, where Fridrik sold guitars. They recorded and toured with the band internationally from 1982. Their first big worldwide success with the group was in 1983 with the U.K. dance funk hit "Garden Party" and the Surprise, Surprise album.

Gulli has since been nominated five times as the drummer of the year in Iceland.

Besides Mezzoforte, Gulli has written several drum and percussion pieces, including a piece for 5 drummers. In 1996 Gulli was called to record with Madonna, Antonio Banderas & Jonathan Price for "Evita the Movie" in London and later appeared with Madonna that same year with her own song "All by myself”.

We visited Icelandic drummer Gulli Briem of Mezzoforte in the studio.