Ólafur Arnalds’ album “…and they escaped the weight of darkness.” is not an album you will find on many top 10 lists in the blog-o-sphere. His name isn’t quite as large yet (at least in Europe and America), but it may be more different in his home country Iceland. Additionally his music is not that of pop. It is far from it. But the music he makes is beautiful and it is pushing the boundaries of classical music.
Ólafur’s music is what I like to call neo-classical. It is modernizing the classical genre by injecting mild influences of electronica and rock. Regardless the emphasis is the classical portion. He is a skilled pianist and an intricate composer of quartet pieces. Ólafur even had a chance in 2010 to command a full orchestra with some of his excellent work in his album. The reason I like Ólafur’s music is because he is different and he is a breath of fresh air. When listening to music I feel like I can close my eyes and dream without a care in the world. He has lush piano lines, mellow electronic guitar riffs, and atmospheric violins that fill and flow intricately though-out each of his pieces. I’ve been a fan of his music for 2 years now and my goal is to see him live. My goal may come to realization as he is coming to San Francisco early 2011.
Favorites from the album
Ólafur Arnalds – Hægt, kemur ljósið by erasedtapes