BJORKUPINE

Ahh the bjorkupine, known in some regions informally as the harrycat or the jettpack. The first sighting of the bjorkupine was reported in Los Angeles in 1987, thus the common name coinciding with release of the first popular single by Bjork with the Sugarcubes. During this time, the bjorkupine could be seen around practice spaces for new-wave and no-wave bands out of Los Angeles. It was believed that a certain frequency of electric guitar brought them out of their habitat to urban areas and as a result many bands would attempt to replicate the exact frequencies the bjorkupines were drawn to in order to see them in their practice spaces. This frequency is often credited in the magical community for the “new wave sound”. The bjorkupine was photographed often and was even on the cover of a few special release albums such as the one below with Lydia Lunch. Attempts to import specimens to Europe and release them into urban London proved unsuccessful.

As the new wave sound gave way to the grunge sound of Portland, many musicians were hoping that sightings of the bjorkupine would migrate to the north of the west coast and the population would be “groupies” for the new up and coming music scene. In fact it’s well-documented that Courtney Love had a bjorkupine trapped in Los Angeles and brought to her studio while recording “Pretty on the Inside” but the creature escaped and was not seen again.

Today, bjorkupines are extremely rare and seldom seen. During the time when bjorkupine sightings were more common, they would often eat luncheon meats and leftover pizza fed to them by practicing bands but its unclear what their food source is in the wild. They are extremely reclusive now that they’re past their heyday and do not like to be seen in the daylight. Two bjorkupines live, domesticated, in the basement of the ASPMC headquarters in Milton, MA. The basement must be kept quite dark with a constant loop of Bananarama played on cassette.