Monday, December 21, 2009

EIC'S10Q'S w/Ólafur Arnalds

"..piano accompanied by lush string arrangements, accompanied by quiet-crunchy electronic beats and frigid atmospheres. If you like Neo Classical/Classical Piano/IDM music this guy will be right up your alley.."


Ólafur Arnalds
Hyperborean Symphonious Designer


Ólafur Arnalds Bio:
Ólafur Arnalds (born 1986) is a multi-instrumentalist and producer from Mosfellsbær, Iceland.
Arnalds was a drummer of hardcore/metal bands Fighting Shit and Celestine as well as a other bands. He also contributed banjo, guitar and piano for in his friend's solo project "My Summer as a Salvation Soldier".
In 2004, Arnalds composed and recorded the intro and two outros for tracks on the album Antigone (album) by German metal band Heaven Shall Burn. He has also composed string arrangements for the English band 65daysofstatic.
On October 12, 2007, Arnalds' first solo album Eulogy for Evolution was released. It was followed by the EP Variations of Static in 2008. In the same year, Arnalds toured with Sigur Rós. He is also reported to have sold out The Barbican Hall in London.
In April 2009 Arnalds composed and released a track daily for seven days instantly making each track available within 24 hours from http://foundsongs.erasedtapes.com The collection of tracks was entitled Found Songs. The first track was released on Monday April 13th.
Ólafur Arnalds mixes strings and piano with loops and edgy beats crossing-over from classical to pop.


Hello, how are you?
I'm fine, sitting on an airplane on the way back to Iceland from Norway where I gave a talk about creative ways to release music at Nordic Music Week.

What are you currently listening to?
At this moment I'm listening to Alligator by The National. But i have been listening to the latest Mew album lately.

If you weren't a professional musician what career path would you have chosen?
I would probably be in music management, as i have a lot of interest in the music industry and creative ways to make that sustainable - especially in the days of endless illegal downloads that we live in.

You recently did some soundtrack work for a ballet titled “Dyad 1909” by Wayne McGregor, how did this collaboration come up?
Wayne McGregor came across my music a while ago and has been keeping me in mind for a while now. He contacted me this summer about it, coincidentally just after i had discovered his work and was getting very much into it. We premiered the piece in London in October and it's now on tour (without me).

Found Songs” was a pretty brilliant idea with a terrific outcome, do you plan on doing any more “concept” albums like that in the future?
Most of what i do has some sort of a concept, but if you are referring to a release concept like with Found Songs i have no plans at the moment, although i'm always brainstorming and currently thinking very much about some creative ways I could release my next album.

What was you favorite track off of “Found Songs“?
I think my favorite track is the least popular track of the series, "Romance". Also "Allt varð hljótt"

I like the work you did under the moniker “Kiasmos”, any plans on continuing with that project?
We are currently both very busy with our main projects (me with my solo work and Janus with his band, Bloodgroup). But as soon as we both have some free time we'll get back into the studio. We already have a few unreleased songs and are hoping to make a few more soon and release an EP.

Who is you favorite current Classical/Neo-Classical artist?
I think at the moment it would be Nils Frahm. A german guy who is about to be released on Erased Tapes records.

You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
I'd probably prefer silence. I can't think of any album that i would like to listen to for the rest of my life.

Are you living your dream?
I guess...

Thanx Óli!

Ólafur Arnalds just recently released "Dyad 1909", it's pretty f-n' amazing (exactly how I like my Neo-Classical music), go get that NOW...

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