Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Orchestral Ice

After thwarting the month of May's nefarious plans to kill me, I find myself trying to return my life to some sense of normalcy. The first step in this process is always, and will always be, music. It started with a healthy dose of listening and now I'm back to trying to write again.


It is therefore appropriate that today, I write about an artist who carried me a lot through the past couple of months. I began listening to Icelander, Olafur Arnalds, back at the start of April, however, it's only now that I'm able to return the favour and share the love with you.

Arnalrds is part of a new movement of mixing together traditional orchestral instruments - strings, pianos, etc. - with electronic loops and ambient sounds. It sounds like it could be massively disastrous, however, he pulls it off with a grace and elegance that make his songs euphoric listening experiences. He rise to indie fame through online collaborations and distribution has made him a name in both the pop and classical circles and earned him a few opportunities to have his songs played with full orchestral accompaniment.



-Beat my vestigial heart to hurt my vestigial brain