Ólafur Arnalds

© Anna Maggy
Ólafur Arnalds (1986) is an Icelandic musician, composer and producer. A former hardcore, punk and metal drummer, he is part of the experimental electronic duo Kiasmos (with Janus Rasmussen) and an acclaimed composer of film and television scores. On his solo albums, Arnalds combines classical orchestration with post-rock dynamics and elements of electronic music, ambient, pop and Nordic folk. For his 2020 album “Some Kind of Peace”, he received two Grammy nominations.
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