Olavur Arnalds is one of the most popular multi-instrumentalists in Iceland. From year to year, the maestro pleases fans with emotional shows, which are seasoned with aesthetic pleasure and catharsis.
The artist mixes together strings and piano with loops as well as beats. More than 10 years ago, he "put together" an experimental techno project called Kiasmos (with the participation of Janus Rasmussen).
Childhood and youth Ólafur Arnalds
The artist's date of birth is November 3, 1986. He was born on the territory of Mosfellsbær (Høvydborgarsvaidid, Iceland). From early childhood, the young man was imbued with a passionate love for music. Interest in creativity motivated the guy to master playing the piano, guitar, banjo and drums.
He owes his love for music to his grandmother. In an interview, the composer said:
“My grandmother adored the musical works of Frederic Chopin. It was with great pleasure that I kept her company in listening to the classics. Those were priceless moments for which I am very grateful.”
The creative path of Oulavyur Arnalds
During his school years, he finally decided to connect his life with music. The talented musician and composer gained his first experience of working for the general public in the bands Fighting Shit and Celestine. He was also listed as a member of the solo project My Summer as a Salvation Soldier. In the band, he played several musical instruments.
In 2004, the composer recorded several tracks for the LP Antigone by Heaven Shall Burn. In addition, he was responsible for the string arrangements for 65daysofstatic. The maestro was doing really well, and this allowed him to think about creating a solo LP.
A few years later, the premiere of the solo album Eulogy for Evolution took place. On the wave of popularity, he also presented a mini-disc Variations of Static. Then, together with Sigur Rós, the musician went on tour.
In 2009, the artist released a collection called Found Songs. A year later, his discography became richer for a full-length album. Longpei was named …and They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness. The collection was incredibly warmly received not only by fans, but also by music critics. Since 2010, the career of the Icelandic composer and musician began to rise dynamically.
Olavur Arnalds: the peak of the composer's popularity
Olavur Arnalds was sure that in the modern world it does not make sense to tailor music to a certain genre. In his opinion, some tracks can be both classic and "pop".
With such thoughts, he began to warm up the audience at the performances of Sigur Rós. Somewhat later, together with Alice Sarah Ott, he created The Chopin Project, which was designed to revive and convey the mood of Chopin's works in a modern way.
Proper use of computer software is the main secret of the musician. He repeatedly processes live parts, thus, the compositions achieve a pure and unearthly sound. By the way, not all music critics are ready to accept such experiments. He is often called a sound producer, but not a composer. But, the artist does not accept unreasonable criticism in his address, adding: "If Chopin lived in our time, he would definitely work in Pro Tools."
Reference: Pro Tools is a family of software and hardware systems for recording studios for Mac and Windows, manufactured by Digidesign.
He is called the master of short pieces for piano. The compositions performed by the musician are inevitably endowed with a sense of proportion and tact. By the way, this is one of the main advantages of the maestro's compositions. In his work, he rarely uses the "shouting" crescendos that are so common in Icelandic folk music.
Olavur Arnalds: minimalism in art
He is a minimalist, and certainly proud of it. It gradually enriches the sound from LP to LP. The Icelander is not one of those who are ready to release pompous works, but in his case, this is more a plus than a minus.
In 2013, the premiere of the album For Now I Am Winter took place. The chamber staff took part in the recording of the work. Despite this, the works of the collection still sound restrained, concise and transparent. In the same year, he composed the soundtrack for the English television series Broadchurch, and also published the "tasty" EP Only the Winds.
Of particular note is the sophisticated etude Island Songs, which served as the soundtrack to the first episode of Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams. In 2018, he released the amazing LP re:member.
The record features his new music system called Stratus. Stratus Pianos are two self-playing pianos that are activated by the center piano played by the musician. It was created as a result of two years of work of the maestro with the developer. When an artist plays a musical instrument, the music system generates two different notes.
Olavur Arnalds: details of the maestro's personal life
Ólafur Arnalds does not talk about his personal life. It is only known that his sister is also professionally engaged in music. In addition, Arnalds recently eliminated meat products from his diet. Observing his inner feelings, he came to the conclusion that heavy food makes him think in a negative way. Plus, he could not "catch the muse."
Interesting facts about the composer
- He approves of the ideas of fans to use his musical works for their own purposes, for example, as a soundtrack for short films.
- Composer loves works Frederic Chopin, Arvo Pärt, David Lang. It was they who inspired him to take up music seriously.
- The crowning achievement of the maestro was his own music festival OPIA, which opened up new facets of modern classical music.
Olafur Arnalds: our days
In 2020, the LP Some Kind of Peace premiered. According to the artist, this is one of his most personal works. The musician's signature sound - a combination of ambient electronic music with strings and piano - has remained unchanged. Close friends and colleagues of Oulawur such as Bonobo, Josin and JFDR took part in the creation of the album.
In 2021-2022, the musician has planned a grandiose tour, within which he plans to visit the CIS countries. So, in the summer of 2022, the composer will perform at the venue at the MCCA PU (October Palace), Kyiv. By the way, he has already visited the capital of Ukraine, however, as part of the electronic duo Kiasmos.
