A journey from birth to death, transporting the listener through life itself. Originally written as a teenager, the record has now been restored with the help of his friends, remixed by Ólafur himself and remastered by Nils Frahm. The cover art was redesigned and enhanced by Torsten Posselt at FELD using the original photographs taken by Stuart Bailes during a trip to Ólafurs home in Iceland in 2007.
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.
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.
A limited 7 vinyl single featuring two rarities from dance works.
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.
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.
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
This 5 song EP follow-up to Eulogy for Evolution featured Ólafurs 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.
Ólafurs 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.
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.
Ólafur and Nils 2-track release Life Story Love and Glory is a live improv affair on two pianos, recorded in 2012 at Nilss Durton Studio in Berlin but kept hidden until 2015.
Also available on the Collaborative Works CD.
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.
Ólafur Arnalds collaboration with acclaimed German-Japanese pianist Alice Sara Ott. Themes of Chopin in a new context with Olafur's own recompositions.
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 duos debut album.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Winner of the Sundance Film Festivals 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.
Ólafur first attempt at a film score was for this horror thriller short by Academy Award nominated director Ruari Robinson.
Ólafur collaborated with the Icelandic Dance Company and choreographer Alan Lucien Oyen on Endalaus.
Órói was Ólafurs first full film score as well as directors Baldvin Z first feature film. A touching story of teenagers coming to terms with life.
Collaboration with acclaimed choreographer Wayne McGregor / Random Dance Company. Inspired by Shackeltons expedition to the South Pole the piece ran at Sadlers Wells in London as a part of In The Spirit of Daghiliev.