Ólafur Arnalds

There’s something about those Icelandic folks that instills a deep passion for delicately crafted, chamber music-inspired string and piano arrangements. Few details are necessary to get a decent idea about what Ólafur Arnalds’ music sounds like: He’s toured with Sigur Rós, and he has a penchant for blending electronic textures with acoustic and classical instrumentation. There are plenty of folks releasing pleasant-enough background music that neatly fits this description, but few release anything as inspired and inspiring as Arnalds’ album ...And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness. Drawing as much influence from modern minimalist composers like Philip Glass and Max Richter as from Icelandic post-rockers, Arnalds has came a long way from his time as a drummer for the hardcore band Fighting Shit.

Updated 01/19/2011