...and they have escaped the weight of darkness

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Ólafur Arnalds’ second full-length album ‘…and they have escaped the weight of darkness’, continues his mission to lure an indie-generation of pop and rock fans into an emotive world of beguiling electronic chamber music and delicate classical arrangements. The sense of an organic crossover recording is reinforced by the involvement of co-producer Barði Jóhannsson of eccentric pop/rock/electronica-formation Bang Gang. Barði has successfully coloured the brittle minimalism of previous releases through the addition of an array of new instruments. Those expecting a mere continuation of the minimal melancholia of his previous albums are therefore in for a surprise, as the record may be the most uplifting and richly orchestrated work of his career: “The album has a very clear theme”, Arnalds relates, “which is that there is always light after darkness. To me, it has a more positive note than my previous works.” When Ólafur saw how the opening scene of a Hungarian indie film metaphorically described a solar eclipse, he instantly connected it to the concept, naming the album after a key line of the film’s introductory monologue.

Staying true to this positive note, ‘…and they have escaped the weight of darkness’ will herald another intense year for Ólafur Arnalds, with the album being accompanied by a world tour, starting in China in March 2010. Born in the suburban Icelandic town of Mosfellsbær, a few kilometres outside of Reykjavík, the 23-year old composer has always enjoyed pushing boundaries with both his studio work and his live-shows.