Recommended by us on 22nd February 2012
...according to our Phil on Wed 22 Feb, 2012.
It's a well known fact that I like Olafur Arnalds. Perhaps as well known as that water is wet and without it we'd all be very thirsty. So, pretty well known then. I grabbed this all excitedly and here I am writing a review. This is the soundtrack to 'Another Happy Day' which features Demi Moore (who?) and Ellen Barkin (who?). I've not seen the film and I've no idea what it's about but I'm guessing there's a whole load of misery and beauty in there (probably more misery...) judging by what I've heard of Mr Arnalds and this album so far! There's some beautiful pieces of music on this album. It does sound more like a soundtrack than some of his other albums as some of the music sounds more incidental as it pootles along all incidentally. But sandwiched in between the pootling incidentals are more 'songy' pieces which are comprised with that there strings and piano business he does so well. Hugely maudlin and sentimental sounding but it's so good you'd be inhuman (or dead) not to feel at least slightly affected by the power of his music. It's just that moving! God damn he does it so well too. If I was in Iceland I'd go and find him and take him to the pub and buy him a drink (if I could afford one). I've said this before but if you're a fan of the Max Richter strings and piano misery then this is for you! An album of gorgeousness.
Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds set to release his first Hollywood film score. Ólafur Arnalds' original motion picture soundtrack for Sam Levinson's feature film debut 'Another Happy Day', starring Ellen Barkin and Demi Moore, will see a worldwide release via UK modern classical label Erased Tapes Records on February 27, 2012. In his own words: 'In mid-December 2010 I was on a holiday in China when I received an email from Sam Levinson about the film. We got on the phone at like 4 in the morning Beijing time and ended up talking all through the night, instantly connecting. He told me that they had been listening to my music while making the film, so the film was already very influenced by my music. However, it was not until Ellen Barkin - the beautiful force that she is - had pestered the producers for a week, calling them every day about how I am the right one for this film, that they finally gave in. The only catch was that it had to be done two weeks later, in the first week of January. So I ended up scoring nonstop all throughout Christmas, making my mother mad in the process.' - Ólafur Arnalds Born in the suburban Icelandic town of Mosfellsbær, a few kilometers outside of Reykjavík, the 24-year old composer has always enjoyed pushing boundaries with both his studio work and his live-shows. Through relentless touring and determination this young artist has steadily gained recognition worldwide since his 2007 debut Eulogy for Evolution. 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. After recently having supported Ryuichi Sakamoto throughout Germany, Ólafur will return with a European 'Trio Tour' in spring 2012.
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