Released at the end of August, re:member is the latest masterpiece by the genius Icelandic composer Òlafur Arnalds. An inner and experimental journey!
We discovered him late during his Chopin Project …Since then he has become one of our favorite artists.
Òlafur Arnalds is the sweetness and sensitivity of Iceland in one being. It is this emotion that does not let go and comes to haunt you in every note. And what we already knew about him has continued to confirm this throughout his projects. On August 24th, re:member, his latest album, was finally released, after the appearance on the web of 3 titles: two mysterious clips seeming to follow each other and tell the same story ; and a last, simple live unannounced at a piano dealer.
Between enchantment and curiosity, re:member leaves an impression of a moment in suspense, of an unfinished story.
It opens with the 3 pieces that we already know, as if not to waste time with the presentations, before plunging us into a fine stardust. As if we were crossing the veil of time, everything seems to dissolve and here we are projecting at the heart of this project. Brot, where each archer's stroke leads us to descend a little more into ourselves.
The album offers a journey where neo-classical will combine with more pop rhythms to punctuate this journey. Accompanied by his robot pianos, Òlafur Arnalds has fun decorating each of his titles, giving them this sparkle, this intensity. He adds woodwinds, throws the strings lyrically, softens everything, returns to calm, seeks beauty at the bottom of each chord and melody.
One has the impression that sometimes a dialogue is established between the instruments, as in they sink: the cello responds to the piano and the echoes of its robots. The violin tickles this exchange… Or undir, real chatter, hubbub supported by a rhythm both slow and eager.
In the song ypsilon, are added more electro sounds, a kind of sound ballad that ends with a squeaky transition to partial. In this disturbing and hypnotic title, emerges an atmosphere both dark and deep that allows us to explore contrasting and strong sensations and feelings. An emergence, a kind of rebirth. The end crescendo gives chills.
momentary
We descend back into the melancholic tenderness with which Òlafur Arnalds is so familiar. He excels at creating moments of grace where the simplicity of the keys of a piano become of incomparable emotional power.
re:member plays a lot on the superimpositions of rhythms, random or controlled, the accumulation of melodies and variations on the same theme… but with different instruments: one taking precedence over the others, then giving way to the next. There is a rise, an intense and subtle musical tension at the same time.
The album concludes with nyepi. Once again a sublime title on the piano, caressing and touching, which concludes the whispers of his algorithmic pianos and the breath of the violins.
If listening to the album already gives us goosebumps, know that a concert of Òlafur Arnalds is a privileged moment. This musician, shy in appearance, is incredibly generous. He will not fail to take advantage of this almost intimate moment to evoke his work, his approach before immersing you in the heart of his music to offer it body and soul.
He will be in concert on October 24th at the Salle Pleyel!
