ÓLAFUR ARNALDS is preparing for his new album, some kind of peace, to hit turntables across the world on November 6th; and he’s followed the beautiful noir of previous single-track teasers “Back To The Sky” and “We Contain Multitudes” with another stunning audiovisual drop in “Woven Song”; let yourself be dazzled down at the end.
In “Woven Song”, a piano flits lightly in a legato so bright you’d swear it was a harp; the voice is an Amazonian shaman singing a healing song known as an icaro. Icaros are, traditionally, woven into fabric for notation. As the track progresses strings lilt and lament, bringing a sad beauty.
“‘Woven Song’ is a defining moment of ‘some kind of peace,” Ólafur says; “a metaphor for being embraced by something larger than yourself while exploring new territories, the feeling of being held while you open your heart.”
And of that amazing abstract video: “Using an acrylic pouring process called viscous fingering to obtain fractal shapes, Thomas Vanz has created a beautiful visual representation of the lifeline that anchors you to the world during a challenging experience.”
some kind of peace explores life, love and settling down, and how that plays out in a pandemic; the album was partly written prior to All-This, and completed at Ólafur’s studio in Reykjavik.
“It’s so personal that I’m still trying to find the words to talk about it,” he says.
“I felt it was important that the album would tell my story in a very honest way.”
Ólafur Arnalds’ some kind of peace will be released on digital, CD and vinyl formats by Mercury KX on November 6th, and may be pre-ordered from the label’s store, here; Rough Trade have their own exclusive clear vinyl edition, which you can get your mitts on here.
