Beautiful in the same way the arctic is.

Fragile, emotional, classical indie music would maybe be the best term to describe Ólafur Arnalds’ music. Combining classical instrumentation with an indierock aesthetic there are obvious comparisons to Sigur Ros, but Arnalds is sculpting his own epic, string-laden compositions.

Only 21 years of age, Ólafur hails from the suburban Icelandic town, Mosfellsbær, just a few kilometres outside Reykjavík. He as immersed himself completely in the world of delicate symphonic compositions in a near weightless orchestral undertaking. Mixing strings and piano with loops, ambiance, electronics and beats. Debut album 'Eulogy for Evolution' (Now out in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, UK and Iceland!) takes the listener on a journey, representing different periods in life, from birth to death. The follow-up 5-track EP ‘Variations of Static’ so far has only been available as a limited tour edition. While keeping the classical foundations of his debut album, here Arnalds incorporates crackling electronics and the dead voice of a machine; like vague memories of tradition lost within the digital age we all live in.

Ólafur has just released his new album 'variations of Static' through Erased Tapes Records.

Here's what the press say:

ÓLAFUR ARNALDS
Variations Of Static
ERATP8
Erased Tapes 2008
05 Tracks. 21mins39secs
Format: CD/10″/Digital

Hailing from the small Icelandic town of Mosfellbær, situated just outside of Reykjavik, young classical musician Ólafur Arnalds released his debut album, Eulogy For Evolution, at the end of 2007. His approach shares with that of compatriot Jóhann Jóhannsson a taste for combining often melancholic piano or string compositions with found sounds and electronics and, more surprisingly, occasional elements of indie rock.

Variations Of Static, Arnalds's second offering, was originally made available as a limited tour edition. Recorded at home, with Arnalds on the piano and a string quartet providing the accompaniment, these compositions feature more prominent electronics, while a recurring computerised voice appears at regular interval, evoking a similar use on Jóhann Jóhannsson's 2002 album Englabörn. The music on this EP evolves extremely slowly, as if caught in iced seas, reinforcing the moving tone of Arnalds's previous release. The minimal settings upon which each track is rooted give this collection a particular desolate touch, but, very much as was the case on Eulogy, beneath the emotionally charged surface often lie some wonderfully furtive uplifting moments which surface when least expected.

Opening piece Fok is focused entirely on a short recurring piano line which progressively gets surrounded by delicate string work, giving it added weight as the strings become more prominent, and later, an increasingly complex and vivid beat slides underneath, casting a strangely grave shadow over the piece. The following piece, Vid Vorum Smá… rises from the sonic debris of its predecessor and looped computer voice phrases. Once these have dissipated, a lone piano carves an autumnal theme reminiscent of Max Richter's Blue Notebook album, but then, it is the string quartet which assumes the primary role on Haust, with the piano only drifting away in the background. This shift, which also informs, to a lesser extant, closing piece Himininn Er Ad Hrynja, En Stjörnurnar Fara Pér Vel, shows for a moment the cinematic overtones that Arnalds displayed on his debut album. On the latter composition, the balance between the orchestral section and Arnalds's piano is progressively levelled out as the piece progresses. In between, Lokadu Augunum casts another veil of melancholy over this record, with piano and strings circling around each other and casting a distinctive shadow over the additional sonic layers which appear for a moment toward the end.

There is, in Ólafur Arnalds's work, a certain elegance and fluidity that is very much his own. The five compositions presented here are all versatile and hint at rich soundscapes without ever actually reaching them, leaving an element of want and expectation hanging over this work. This conscious restraint is very much the strength of Arnalds's work and makes this release a beautiful companion to Eulogy For Evolution. One can only wish Arnalds's talent gets the recognition it deserves sooner rather than later.

4.4/5 - By themilkman

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

ÓLAFUR ARNALDS - Variations Of Static
ERASED TAPES
CD // £8.99
HOME LISTENING / MODERN CLASSICAL
Catalogue Number: ERATP8CD

Sounding unreasonably mature for a 21-year old composer, Olafur Arnalds has already got one well-received album behind him (Eulogy For Evolution), and this follow-up EP can only add to his growing reputation. It'd be all too easy to compare Arnalds with fellow Icelanders Nico Muhly and Johann Johannssonn, so that's precisely what I'll do: in general there's a sense of very tangible, heartstring-tugging romance common to the work of all three (and for that matter Max Richter) but to be more specific, the weary, bereft-sounding intonation of a computer voice runs throughout the course of the record, something directly reminiscent of the singing CPU on Johannsson's Englaborn - no bad thing to be associated with. Beyond that, Arnalds supplies ample evidence of great things to come, and given how emotive and grandly melancholic these compositions are, you might earmark him as a future superstar of film scoring - indeed, Zbigniew Preisner is bound to be another name that springs to mind listening to these skilfully fashioned miniatures. In addition to the strings and pianos that form the foundations of his sound, Arnalds isn't afraid to embrace more contemporary instrumentation: a careful, sparing use of micro-beats further assists the young composer in the establishment of a distinct voice within the community of current neo-romantic composers, within which he should surely be regarded as a rising talent. Utterly lovely - highly recommended.

All on the Boomkat Records front page: http://boomkat.com - VERY NICE!

'For once, instruments don't need to evolve in order to make a difference, this being Ólafur's major accomplishment – the bare simplicity of music in its wholeness becomes unrelenting. The universe would most definitely crumble, should all musicians rely on transmitting sheer passion without a solid compositional ground. Impressively enough, Iceland's boy wonder manages to steer clear of that and delivers an utterly complex piece. From its inception to the very last second, Variations of Static explores basic human perceptions, the changing qualities of the most common sounds, and raw sensations, musically recreating scraps of an imaginary impressionist painting. Under the siege of strings, the world slowly becomes a skinless place, like a wide steppe safely pinned to the big bones of separation.' - The Silent Ballet (US)

Read full review: www.thesilentballet.com

Ant at Norman Records (UK) wrote this:

This record left our Ant feeling happy!

'Oooh what we appear to have here is some gentle and tender icelandic modern classical music, strings, piano, electronics all composed by a lad of a mere 21 years of age. Beautiful stuff on erased tapes.Fans of Max Richter take note and get the kleenex at the ready for this tear jerker! It's remarkably mature sounding for someone so young. I reckon he was one of those lads at school that had a full beard in first year.'

'Iceland's best new export comes in the shape of Eulogy For Evolution!' – Clash Magazine

'With this impressive first album, Ólafur Arnalds is sure to gain a well deserved place amongst the new generation of classical composers that have been emerging in recent years. Eulogy For Evolution is a truly accomplished work which shows not only a good understanding of contemporary music forms, but also a great musical maturity.' (4.6/5) – The Milk Factory

'The sound plays like an open mouth preparing a whisper; fullness of breath on lips, ready to send a mouthful of warm wind and words to another, hoping they understand, both verbally and emotionally. Add this up a multitude of times and weave in a series of orchestral movements that pull the heartstrings like a marionette, and you have a decent idea of where the album stands... Hamlet à la headphones, but prettier.' (8/10) – No. 14 in top 50 albums of 2007 The Silent Ballet

'Arnald's work is brave, unique and defiantly outré. True to its name, Eulogy for Evolution is enough to send creationists running to Darwin.' (9/10) – CD Times

'One of the most intelligent, well-crafted and utterly beautiful records of the year.' – In It For The Money Zine

'Slow moving melodies that ache with meaning, forcing themselves in and out of focus. Sublime!' – Chiller Cabinet / Chill Radio

'His debut full-length isn't just a eulogy for one man, it's the eulogy for all mankind.' Record of the Week – Radio K, Minneapolis (US)

'One of my favourites this year!' – Radio 100 (NL)

'No.9 in Top 20 Albums of the year 2007' – Caleidoscoop (NL)

'No.17 in Top 20 Albums of the year 2007' – The Milkfactory (UK)

(9/10) – Visions (GER)

(4/5) – Laut. de (GER)

'A majestic debut album! Achingly beautiful classical indie from Iceland!' (7/10) – Rock Sound

'If you thought Sigur Rós had the patent on hauntingly beautiful and meticulously compelling music coming out of Iceland, then Ólafur Arnalds is here to educate you otherwise.Eulogy For Evolution is perhaps this years most hauntingly emotive sounding experience' – UK Music Search

'An auspicious debut from a promising young talent.' (7/10) – Drowned In Sound

'Gentle, epic, beautiful, visceral, masterful and utterly essential. Juxtapositions fully intended.' (5/5) – Is This Music?

'Arnalds' highly cinematic approach has that same instantly digestible quality that Johannsson, and for that matter Max Richter, are able to tap into. Gorgeous!' - Boomkat Records

'Ólafur Arnalds is definitely going places on the strength of this album.' – Oban FM

'Album of the week' – Urban Desire (GER)

'Best debut I've heard in a long time' (4/5) – Rjominn (IS)

(4.5/5) – Poisonfree. com

(4/5) – Morgunblaðið (IS)

(9/10) – Sound Mag (GER)

(8.5/10) – Rock Hard (GER)

Music Videos
* Live at the Projekt 7 (2007)
* Ólafur Arnalds performs for the Iceland Airwaves podcast
* Untitled New Song (the postrock song) on TV
* 'Fok' live on Kastljós, RÚV TV Iceland

For further information, visit the Ólafur's site www.olafurarnalds.com