Ólafur Arnalds live from Hafursey, in Iceland for Cercle performing live with his band from the volcanic wilderness of Iceland, in Hafursey, Myrdalssandur, Kötlujökull, Katla, Iceland for Cercle.
Icelandic composer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Ólafur Arnalds explores the crossover from classical to pop by mixing chamber strings and piano with discreet electronics. In addition to forming the experimental techno duo Kiasmos with Janus Rasmussen, Arnalds has produced a magistral repertoire of spine-tingling neo-classical works and film scores since the late 2000s.
63° 32' 26.0" N 18° 48' 01.4" W
☞ About the location
Hafursey is a palagonite mountain located on the north side of Mýrdalssandur and near the Katla volcano in Iceland. The lonely Inselberg is surrounded by vast valleys of volcanic sand, sanders, glaciers, and waterfalls that render one of the most special, almost lunar sceneries in the world.
☞ About Hafursey (Yfir) by Ólafur Arnalds (Cercle Records)
« Yfir » ("Above") is a musical journey through Iceland's various moods and seasons. At times, the music swells with a powerful surge, mirroring the crashing waves against rocky cliffs or the thunderous roar of a distant volcano. Other moments evoke a sense of stillness and serenity, echoing the peacefulness found in secluded valleys and hidden fjords near the inselberg of Hafursey.
The song is the continuation of another track written by Ólafur, Undir: “We’ve been playing Undir for 5 years, and rearranged it every time for each set, changing every element one by one. Last year, we realized the latest version of Undir was not the same track that the one we originally composed! On the occasion of our Show with Cercle, I decided to take the track back to the studio, rearranging it especially for the Show to meet Cercle’s energy”.
______
Video credits:
Artist: Ólafur Arnalds
Drummer : Christian Tschuggnall
Violin : Vaka Eythorsdottir & Petur Björnsson
Viola : Karl James Pestka
Cello : Unnur Jonsdottir
Venue: Hafursey, Myrdalssandur, Kötlujökull, Katla, Iceland
Produced by Cercle
Executive producers: Derek Barbolla & Philippe Tuchmann
Film directed by: Pol Souchier & Derek Barbolla
Director of photography & Post-production: Mathieu Glissant (Saison Unique Production)
Cameramen: Mickaël Fidjili, Mathieu Glissant
Drone pilots: Alexis Olas, Jérémie Tridard, Aurélien Moisan
Production team: Armand Prouhèze, Anaïs De Framond, Dan Aufseesser, Mollis Schulze Elshoff
Technical manager : Aurélien Moisan
IT & Internet: Eric Caucheteur (Paris WebCube)
Sound engineers: Jonathan Lucas, Terence Goodchild, Ólafur Arnalds
Sound mastering: Zino Mikorey
Photographer & location manager: Elli Thor Magnusson
Icelandic producers: Covert Productions, The Empire, Steve Lewis, Will Morris, Eddie Lewis
Artist production: Brace Productions, Finn Zitscher
Driver: Kristjan Sveinsson
Communication: Pol Souchier, Lola Lebrati, Louise Dorne & Jeremy Maurin
Graphic Design: Anaëlle Rouquette & Stanley Obobogo
Label Manager: Clémence Maillard
Finance: Andy Cheremond & Kevin Benisty
Executive assistant: Marcelo Ernesto Velit Castillo