Ólafur Arnalds delivers a timeless performance with his band in Hafursey, Katla, Iceland.

ABOUT ÓLAFUR ARNALDS

Icelandic composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Ólafur Arnalds explores the crossover from classical to pop by mixing chamber strings and piano with discreet electronics. In addition to forming the experimental techno duo Kiasmos with Janus Rasmussen, Arnalds has produced a magistral repertoire of spine-tingling neo-classical works and film scores since the late 2000s.

ABOUT THE LOCATION

63° 32' 26.0" N 18° 48' 01.4" W

Hafursey is a palagonite mountain located on the north side of Mýrdalssandur and near the Katla volcano in Iceland. The lonely Inselberg is surrounded by vast valleys of volcanic sand, sanders, glaciers, and waterfalls that render one of the most special, almost lunar sceneries in the world.

ABOUT HAFURSEY (YFIR) BY ÓLAFUR ARNALDS (CERCLE RECORDS)

« Yfir » ("Above") is a musical journey through Iceland's various moods and seasons. At times, the music swells with a powerful surge, mirroring the crashing waves against rocky cliffs or the thunderous roar of a distant volcano. Other moments evoke a sense of stillness and serenity, echoing the peacefulness found in secluded valleys and hidden fjords near the inselberg of Hafursey.

The song is the continuation of another track written by Ólafur, Undir: “We’ve been playing Undir for 5 years, and rearranged it every time for each set, changing every element one by one. Last year, we realized the latest version of Undir was not the same track that the one we originally composed! On the occasion of our Show with Cercle, I decided to take the track back to the studio, rearranging it especially for the Show to meet Cercle’s energy”.

TRACKLIST

00:00 Ólafur Arnalds - Loom feat Bonobo
05:15 Ólafur Arnalds - Brot
07:55 Ólafur Arnalds - Only The Winds
14:39 Ólafur Arnalds - re:member
20:58 Ólafur Arnalds - Still / Sound
24:54 Ólafur Arnalds - saman
27:20 Ólafur Arnalds - Doria - Island Songs VII
31:30 Ólafur Arnalds - Ypsilon
36:11 Ólafur Arnalds - Hafursey (Yfir)
44:10 Ólafur Arnalds - ekki hugsa
48:58 Kiasmos - Blurred
54:00 Ólafur Arnalds - Near Light
59:19 Ólafur Arnalds - We Contain Multitudes
1:04:45 Interview with Ólafur Arnalds