Rewika Records Promotion

Olafur Arnalds - Eulogy For Evolution

Label/Vertrieb: Progression/Soulfood
VÖ: 16.11.2007

Zerbrechlichkeit, Emotionalität, epische String- und Piano-Arrangements, Klassik, Indie - das alles sind Begriffe, die man der Musik des gerade mal 20jährigen ÓLAFUR ARNALDS aus Mosfellsbaer, einem Reykjaviker Vorort, zuschreiben kann. Dass in der Kombination von klassicher Instrumentierung und Indieästhetik neben SIGUR ROS Platz für mehr ist, zeigt ARNALDs Debüt "Eulogy For Evolution" auf eindringliche Weise.

Verständlich, wenn man sich die musikalischen Interessen dieses jungen Mannes anschaut. So spielt er nicht nur Schlagzeug bei den isländischen Hardcore Bands FIGHTING SHIT und CELESTINE, sondern auch Piano, Banjo, Gitarre und Schlagzeug bei MY SUMMER AS A SALVATION SOLDIER. Zu Hören ist er darüber hinaus als Komponist des Intros und Outros auf "Antigone", dem letzten Album der Saalfelder Metalcore-Combo HEAVEN SHALL BURN. Damit wir uns Recht verstehen: Mit Metal-Core hat "Eulogy For Evolution" jedoch rein gar nichts zu tun. Einige unter Euch kennen den jungen Mann bereits als Support der letztjährigen CURSIVE-Tour. Auf seiner myspace Seite liest sich das folgendermaßen:


“Beautiful in the same way the Antarctica is”

Fragile, emotional, classical indie music would maybe be the best term to describe Ólafur Arnalds’ music. Combining classical instrumentation with an indierock aesthetic there are obvious comparisons to Sigur Ros, but Arnalds is sculpting his own epic, string-laden compositions.

Ólafur is just 20 years old, hails from the suburbian town Mosfellsbær, just a few kilometers out of Reykjavík. Besides his soloproject, Ólafur plays drums in two hardcore bands, Fighting Shit and Celestine, and he also plays piano, banjo, guitar and drums in his friend’s soloproject, My Summer as a Salvation Soldier. His first solo album, “Eulogy for Evolution”, has been highly praised by the media and local music fans in Iceland and has already created quite a buzz around Europe and even all the way to Japan despite several delays of it’s release. The album is finally being released in Europe, USA and Japan by Progression Records and in the UK by Erased Tapes Records in autumn 2007

Ólafur recently supported american indie-rock band Cursive on a tour around Germany. Despite the musical differences of the two bands, the tour went really well and the audiences were amazed by the unexpected slow-building and hauntingly melodic chamber music, accompanied by electronic ambience, loops and sometimes heavy electronic beats.

The Artists
Ólafur Arnalds

Tracklisting
01. 0040 / 02. 0048/0729 / 03. 0952 / 4. 1440 / 05. 1953 / 06. 3055 / 07. 3326 / 08. 3704/3837

Discography
Eulogy For Evolution (Progression/Soulfood, CD, 2007)