While the artificial intelligence tasked with composing music over these past few years have not produced anything particularly poignant, the Icelander Ólafur Arnalds has initiated a new relationsh... Olafur Arnalds
Ólafur Arnalds is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer who started as a drummer for a series of metal bands in his native Iceland. His entry into the neo-classical field was somewhat accidental. After German band Heaven Shall Burn heard some solo demo material, they asked him to provide piano-and-string pieces for their 2004 album Antigone. The label Erased Tapes heard the album, was impressed with Arnalds' contributions, and contacted him about recording a full album of material in that vein. The life-cycle concept album "Eulogy for Evolution", released in 2007, was the result, with Arnalds – primarily on piano – supported by a string quartet. A trio of EPs followed in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, Arnalds provided the scores for the 13-minute short Blinky TM and the feature-length Órói (Jitters), and he also released "…And They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness", his second proper album. His score for Sam Levinson's "Another Happy Day" (2011) greatly increased his profile, as he continued to release works like "Stare" (2012) – a collaborative EP with Nils Frahm – and "For Now I Am Winter" (2013). Later that year, Arnalds' scored the BBC television series "Broadchurch", which produced its own soundtrack.
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albums sorted by Most acclaimed
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Classical - Released August 24, 2018 | Decca Music Group Ltd.
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While the artificial intelligence tasked with composing music over these past few years have not produced anything particularly poignant, the Icelander Ólafur Arnalds has initiated a new relationship between man and machine with this album. Over the past two years he has worked on a software called Stratus, which allows two pianos to automatically play computer-generated music. But how does that work? Arnalds sits in his living room at the piano, equipped with the Moog Piano Bar, a device that transforms acoustic pianos into MIDI controllers. When he presses a note on his piano, the software generates a sequence on the other two pianos installed in the studio. "I’m basically playing the piano, but I’ve created a different instrument out of the piano", he explained in a video on his YouTube channel at the beginning of 2018. “And it often reacts in a very unexpected way. For example, when I play a C, the other pianos are going to play notes that I’m not necessarily expecting. So I’ll have a completely different reaction. Something like this really messes with the way you create stuff and affects the ideas that come out - you get ideas that you would never get otherwise.”
He deploys this revolutionary method throughout the record, mixing his pianos with ethereal string sections, live percussion and beats that are co-produced by Bngrboy (notably with the addictive opening track that is sure to be a future classic). Above all, nothing sounds forced, everything flowing with an Olympic-level lightness. By using machines to change how we view human creativity, Ólafur Arnalds’ avant-garde creation paves the way for a new musical direction. © Smaël Bouaici/Qobuz
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Classical - Released March 16, 2015 | Mercury (Universal France)
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Classical - Released August 24, 2018 | Decca Music Group Ltd.
The fourth studio album from Icelandic composer, producer, and songwriter Ólafur Arnalds, re:member was recorded using the Stratus software designed by Halldór Eldjárn. The software utilizes two self-playing pianos connected to a regular piano to play complex notes and compositions. Arnalds also brings in elements from genres that inspire him, creating a mix of anthemic piano, string, and electronic-based tracks. ~ Rich Wilson
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Classical - Released October 28, 2016 | Mercury (Universal France)
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Film Soundtracks - Released April 1, 2017 | Mercury (Universal France)
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Film Soundtracks - Released January 1, 2015 | Mercury (Universal France)
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Classical - Released October 28, 2016 | Mercury (Universal France)
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Film Soundtracks - Released January 5, 2015 | Mercury (Universal France)
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Film Soundtracks - Released April 1, 2017 | Mercury (Universal France)
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Film Soundtracks - Released April 1, 2015 | Mercury (Universal France)
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Classical - Released February 8, 2019 | Decca Music Group Ltd.
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Film Soundtracks - Released April 1, 2015 | Mercury (Universal France)
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Film Soundtracks - Released March 11, 2014 | Milan Records
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Classical - Released January 1, 2013 | Mercury (Universal France)
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Classical - Released February 8, 2019 | Decca Music Group Ltd.
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Olafur Arnalds in the magazine
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Olafur Arnalds : futuristic music !
While the artificial intelligence tasked with composing music over these past few years have not produced anything particularly poignant, the Icelander Ólafur Arnalds has initiated a new relationsh...