{"id":287516,"date":"2011-10-12T14:15:00","date_gmt":"2011-10-12T14:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wdev.rochester.edu\/College\/translation\/threepercent-dev\/2011\/10\/12\/olafur-arnalds-tunglid-icelandic-music\/"},"modified":"2018-04-16T16:16:55","modified_gmt":"2018-04-16T16:16:55","slug":"olafur-arnalds-tunglid-icelandic-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/College\/translation\/threepercent\/2011\/10\/12\/olafur-arnalds-tunglid-icelandic-music\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00d3lafur Arnalds, "Tungli\u00f0" [Icelandic Music]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sorry for yesterday’s minor hiccup re: Icelandic Week. TMI<\/span>: On Saturday, a car of deaf kids ran a red light and slammed into me. (Yes, I know this sounds like the set-up to a joke.) I had my two kids with me, so it was exceptionally scary, but we’re all fine. As a result though, I’ve spent the past two days dealing with the insurance company, arranging to get a rental car, figuring out how to renew my recently expired license in order to get a rental car, etc. etc. Anyway, all back to normal(ish) today, so prepare to be flooded with all things Icelandic.<\/p>\n

First up is today’s morning song—“Tungli\u00f0” by \u00d3lafur Arnalds from his recent album . . . And They Have Escaped the Weight of Darkness.<\/i> This album is filled with peaceful, emotive pieces that are perfect for easing into your day (or recovering from the spook of a car accident?). <\/p>\n

Here’s a bit of the Pitchfork (“World’s Most Obnoxious Music Website”(tm))1<\/a><\/sup> review of this album:<\/p>\n

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\u00d3lafur Arnalds is a young Icelandic musician whose work defines “architectural,” as bulky strings are built around skeletal frameworks of piano, sometimes with sparse electronic loops for detail. He has a strong ear for proportion and balance, as if a single misplaced sound could trigger a collapse. At worst, his music can feel conservative and utilitarian, or overly cautious. There’s a thin line between having an indelible personal stamp and charting by numbers. But at best, Arnalds’ lucid forms and themes produce an agreeable opulence.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Not surprisingly, \u00d3lafur Arnalds played with Sigur R\u00f3s . . . He’s also all of 25 years old. I suspect he’ll be putting out pretty albums for quite some time to come. <\/p>\n