Olafur Arnalds is a multi-instrumentalist, record producer, musician, and composer. He is from Mosfellsbær, Iceland. Arnalds loves to mix strings and piano with different beats and loops to create sounds ranging from electronic ambient to atmospheric pop. Before he went as a solo artist, he also worked as a former drummer for metal and hardcore bands like Celestine, Fighting Shit, and more.
In 2009, he formed an experimental techno project, called Kiasmos along with Icelandic electro-pop band Bloodfroup member, Janus Rasmusse. He also announced his electronic debut album in 2014. Olafur’s grandmother was the person who introduced him to the music of Frederic Chopin at a young age.
Early career
Olafur composed and recorded in 2004 the intro and two outros for an album Antigone of Heaven Shall Burn, a German metal band. He shared that he was only a die-hard fan of the band. One day, he made a demo for them with dramatic prog-rock songs. The sound was classic with computerized piano and strings. In just a few months, the band reached out to him and asked if he can make them intros and outros for their upcoming album using the strings and piano elements. That was a success and a few months thereafter, the label asked him to make the compositions of the full album. He started there but now, he has his album which is renowned in the world.
Some of his best albums and tracks
- Olafur released his first solo album on October 12, 2007, titled, Eulogy for Evolution. In 2008, he then followed it with an album, Variations of Static.
- In April 2009, he released the track for seven days, Found Songs and Dyad. It was a collection of tracks he made.
- His second album was in April 2010 entitled And They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness. This year, he received an Asian Tour organized by Split Works, a China-based promoter.
- The fourth solo album was entitled re:member. The algorithm of his tracks is impressive which gathers many praises from critics. It was released in August 2018.
Recent album
Olafur Arnald’s recent album entitled, some kind of peace. This album is the most influential record he made which created many fanbases. It shows his vulnerability and how much he grew throughout the years. The album features a more melodic piano sound but has plenty of passion coming from him. The sound generates a sense of calmness and works well as background music. It is packed with intricacies and textures which makes it one of the best headphone albums worldwide.
