Author: Riley Urbano
Header image: Photo by Marino Thorlacius
Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds, who counts among his fans legends such as Ryuichi Sakamoto and the members of Sigur Ros, will be performing at the Moore Theater this Saturday night (1/26). Often mentioned in the same breath as contemporaries Nils Frahm and the late Johann Johannson, Arnalds is one of the reasons why music writers reflexively answer “composer” when someone says “Icelandic.” Since beginning his career in 2009, Arnalds has made a name for himself through a host of classical compositions and film scores mostly centered around the piano. His stylistic approach has gradually expanded in scope and emotional resonance with his profile, culminating in 2018 with the release of re:member, a record that struck off in a million new directions for Arnalds while retaining the core of the sound. Needless to say, his live show will probably be pretty sweet.
Piano sits firmly at the center of Ólafur Arnalds’ music, but his live show is pretty well known at this point for involving a whole host of other performers, ranging from synth and keyboard players to string sections to looped samples of the audience, as directed by the man himself. And even without any bells and whistles, Arnalds is a pretty stellar songwriter with a knack for emotional builds and crescendos that feel incredibly cinematic, even when they’re performed simply as solo piano pieces. His most recent record, re:member, is perhaps his most sonically explorative, frequently employing programmed drum beats reminiscent of Aphex Twin’s lighter moments as well as buzzy, resonant synth patches and ambient soundscapes as icy as Nordic winds. Point being, I’m not exactly sure how Ólafur is going to play it with this tour, but I’m really excited for what he does no matter what.
If ambient music, film scores, or classical piano composition are up your alley, I really recommend you try to make it out to this show. I know it may all sound kind of stuffy, but Arnalds’ really imbues these usually restrained and boring styles with a ton of heart, character, and fun. He’ll be playing at the Moore Theater this Saturday night, doors at 7 PM.
RILEY URBANO | KXSU MUSIC REPORTER