Words by Stína Satanía The review was originally printed in Reykjavík On Stage (Issue 4) Over the years, Ólafur Arnalds has earned acclaim in both the contemporary and classical fields. His fourth solo album, re:member, was released in August on the new post-classical British label Mercury KX, which had already published his 2017 Island Songs as the first album under their umbrella. This time the BAFTA-winning multi-instrumentalist pushed himself out of the comfort zone and managed on just one album, to synchronise all the directions he has been spreading into – it has the classic sound of Ólafur Arnalds, with touches of his electronic dance side project Kiasmos, even hip-hop influences and the addition of hi-tech software. Bingo, or not really? There’s something magic about the way Arnalds shapes soundscapes. Building his own aesthetics on gentle piano chords and delicate orchestral strings arranged by his long-time collaborator Viktor Orri Árnason…

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