olafurarnalds.com
olafurarnalds.com

Over the course of seven weeks in the summer 2016, Ólafur Arnalds was traveling to seven very different locations in Iceland to record a series of new compositions. In each location he collaborated with local artists to create and perform a new song. Each week one audio track and one performance video were published via Apple Music, Spotify and Vevo/YouTube. You can watch them all at islandsongs.is. CD/DVD and vinyl release of complete 'Island Songs' arrives Oct 2016.

  1. Árbakkinn
  2. 1995
  3. Raddir
  4. Öldurót
  5. Dalur
  6. Particles
  7. Doria

In his third studio album, Ólafur Arnalds expands on his original explorations of minimal sound and electronic style. This work is his first to feature a full orchestra and to introduce vocals to his soundworld.

  1. Sudden Throw 3:16
  2. Brim 4:42
  3. For Now I Am Winter 5:05
  4. A Stutter 5:09
  5. Words Of Amber 3:22
  6. Reclaim 4:01
  7. Hands, Be Still 3:39
  8. Only The Winds 5:21
  9. Old Skin 4:08
  10. We (Too) Shall Rest 2:05
  11. This Place Was A Shelter 3:50
  12. Carry Me Anew 3:50

A limited 7” vinyl single featuring two rarities from dance works.

  1. Endalaus II 3:53
  2. For Teda 4:33

As the title conveys, these tracks were performed and recorded in the living room of his Reykjavik apartment. A 7 day, one song per day, project. This time the process was documented, the recordings filmed and the songs initially released as live videos.

Visit the Living Room Songs website

  1. Fyrsta 4:16
  2. Near Light 3:28
  3. Film Credits 3:31
  4. Tomorrow's Song 2:57
  5. Ágúst 3:05
  6. Lag fyrir Ömmu 3:32
  7. This Place is a Shelter 2:12

Ólafur Arnalds’ second full-length album continues his mission to lure an indie-generation of pop and rock fans into an emotive world of beguiling electronic chamber music and delicate classical arrangements. Co-produced by Barði Jóhannsson of Bang Gang.

  1. Þú Ert Sólin 3:25
  2. Þú Ert Jörðin 4:34
  3. Tunglið 4:27
  4. Loftið Verður Skyndilega Kalt 5:48
  5. Kjurrt 4:44
  6. Gleypa Okkur 5:48
  7. Hægt, Kemur Ljósið 5:33
  8. Undan Hulu 5:08
  9. Þau Hafa Sloppið Undan Þunga Myrkursins 4:01

Ólafur Arnalds created the 7-song series 'Found Songs' - recording a song a day for 7 days and instantly making each track available at that time. foundsongs.erasedtapes.com

  1. Erla's Waltz 2:14
  2. Raein 3:06
  3. Romance 1:47
  4. Allt Varð Hljótt 3:22
  5. Lost Song 3:41
  6. Faun 2:47
  7. Ljósið 3:29

This 5 song EP follow-up to Eulogy for Evolution featured Ólafur’s first experiments with electronics with some help from Justin Lockey. The album featured a haunting robotic voice designed to make us wonder about the essence of consciousness.

  1. Fok 4:29
  2. Við vorum smá... 2:22
  3. Haust 5:28
  4. Lokaðu augunum 3:44
  5. Himininn er að hrynja, en stjörnurnar fara þér vel 5:37

Ólafur’s first studio album. A culmination of his first experiments piano and strings. With it, Arnalds set out to document the journey of life, from birth to death.

  1. 0040 4:28
  2. 0048/0729 5:24
  3. 0952 3:04
  4. 1440 6:56
  5. 1953 8:05
  6. 3055 5:28
  7. 3326 3:38
  8. 3704/3837 2:35

On the 28th of July 2015 Nils Frahm and Ólafur Arnalds invited Alexander Schneider and his camera to document an improvised session at Nils’ studio in Berlin. The result was several new pieces written and recorded in 8 hours with no overdubs and no edits. You can watch the film here.

Also available on the “Collaborative Works” CD.

  1. 20:17 5:55
  2. 21:05 5:15
  3. 23:17 5:20
  4. 23:52 5:54
  5. 00:26 5:52
  6. 01:41 4:09
  7. 03:06 5:02

Containing five synthesizer-led pieces, ‘Loon’ was recorded in autumn 2014 across five days at Durton Studio in Berlin, and continues on from the ambient sounds of ‘Stare’ but with the addition of more percussive elements and dub influences. For this new EP the duo wired an Oberheim 4 Voice and a Korg PS3100 to the mixing desk and performed live takes on both instruments. With all four hands on its pots, all mixes were recorded straight onto 2-track ½-inch tape.

Also available on the “Collaborative Works” CD.

  1. Four 3:07
  2. Three 4:18
  3. Wide Open 5:47
  4. w 6:42
  5. m 5:13

Ólafur and Nils’ 2-track release ‘Life Story Love and Glory’ is a live improv affair on two pianos, recorded in 2012 at Nils’s Durton Studio in Berlin but kept hidden until 2015.

Also available on the “Collaborative Works” CD.

  1. Life Story 5:41
  2. Love and Glory 5:23

Ólafur Arnalds collaboration with acclaimed German-Japanese pianist Alice Sara Ott. Themes of Chopin in a new context with Olafur's own recompositions.

  1. Verses
  2. Piano Sonata No. 3: Largo
  3. Nocturne in C Sharp Minor (ft. Mari Samuelsen)
  4. Reminiscence
  5. Nocturne in G Minor
  6. Eyes Shut / Nocturne in C Minor
  7. Written in Stone
  8. Letters of a Traveller
  9. Prélude in D Flat Major ("Raindrop")
  10. Étude in E Minor (ft. Rubin Kodheli)

Kiasmos is made up of Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen from the Faroe Islands (Bloodgroup, Byrta). Ólafur used to work as a sound engineer, often for Rasmussen's other projects, where the two musicians discovered their common love for minimal, experimental music. They eventually became best friends, often hanging out in their studio, exploring electronic sounds. KIASMOS is the duo’s debut album.

  1. Lit 6:24
  2. Held 5:01
  3. Looped 6:00
  4. Swayed 4:23
  5. Thrown 8:59
  6. Dragged 5:00
  7. Bent 5:45
  8. Burnt 9:20

Erased Tapes label mates and close friends Ólafur and Nils record and mix their first collaborative record between Reykjavík and Berlin as a surprise release for label founder Robert Raths.

  1. A1 7:04
  2. A2 4:46
  3. B1 13:43
  4. A2 (Max Cooper Remix) 9:26

Ólafur wrote the original score to ITV's hit series Broadchurch. His work on the series won him several awards including Televisual Bulldog Awards and BAFTA.

  1. Main Theme
  2. Danny
  3. The Journey
  4. So Close
  5. Suspects
  6. What Did They Ask You?
  7. She's Your Mother
  8. Excavating the Past
  9. The Meeting
  10. Broken
  11. I'm Not the Guilty One
  12. So Far
  13. Beth's Theme

Ólafur collaborated with So You Think You Can Dance choreographer Travis Wall and Shaping Sound Co. on this crowd-funded funded dance film.

Ólafur wrote the score to Gimme Shelter. Directed by Ron Krauss, starring Vanessa Hudgens, Brendan Fraiser and Rosario Dawson. A pregnant teenager flees her abusive mother in search of her father, only to be rejected by her dad and forced to survive on the streets until a compassionate stranger offers a hopeful alternative.

  1. Highway 2:49
  2. Born To Die (Lana Del Rey) 4:45
  3. In a Strange Place 0:56
  4. Sonar 1:37
  5. What Was Meant To Be 2:11
  6. Streets 2:40
  7. Price Tag (Jessie J) 3:08
  8. Runaway 1:36
  9. Overcome 1:28
  10. Never Alone 2:12
  11. And I Will Hear You 1:47
  12. Leave With Me 1:17
  13. A Threat 0:52
  14. The Apple of my Eye 4:46
  15. Abandonment 1:57
  16. To Build a Home (Cinematic Orchestra) 6:07
  17. Someday 3:03
  18. The Walk Back Home (Paul Haslinger) 2:51
  19. A Mother's Prayer (Céline Dion) 3:41

Ólafur wrote the score for this Icelandic Box Office hit using only a dampered piano. The film, directed by long time collaborator of Ólafur, Baldvin Z, became one of the most successful films in Iceland history.

Ólafur joined German media artist Joachim Sauter (art-com) in making this collaborative, interactive art installation at MADE in Berlin. The show won several ADC awards including for music and sound.

Winner of the Sundance Film Festival’s prestigious Screenwriting Award, Another Happy Day is the feature film debut of writer and director Sam Levinson. The film is a powerful, darkly comic story of a woman struggling to find her place in a volatile family dynamic and features an outstanding ensemble cast including Ellen Barkin, Demi Moore and Thomas Hayden-Church.

  1. The Land Of Nod 2:32
  2. Through The Screen 1:42
  3. Before The Calm 1:19
  4. Lynn's Theme 1:56
  5. Alice Enters 2:57
  6. The Wait 3:35
  7. A Family Stroll 2:10
  8. Poland 3:30
  9. Out To Sea 4:10
  10. Autumn Day 3:26
  11. Everything Must Change 6:37

Ólafur collaborated with the Icelandic Dance Company and choreographer Alan Lucien Oyen on Endalaus.

Collaboration with acclaimed choreographer Wayne McGregor / Random Dance Company. Inspired by Shackelton’s expedition to the South Pole the piece ran at Sadler’s Wells in London as a part of “In The Spirit of Daghiliev”.

  1. Frá upphafi 1:46
  2. Lokaðu augunum 3:53
  3. Brotsjór 3:53
  4. Við vorum smá 3:16
  5. 3326 3:38
  6. Til enda 4:09
  7. Og lengra 3:55

Órói was Ólafur’s first full film score as well as director’s Baldvin Z first feature film. A touching story of teenagers coming to terms with life.

Ólafur first attempt at a film score was for this horror thriller short by Academy Award nominated director Ruari Robinson.