VA - Olafur Arnalds: Late Night Tales

"With his star very much ascendant, Olafur Arnalds seems like an excellent choice for the latest Late Night Tales compilation, particularly as his mix happens to follow on from that of his friend and frequent collaborator Nils Frahm. His work with the Berlin-based musician is just one facet of Arnalds’ career: he’s made three critically acclaimed studio albums, won a BAFTA for his work on ITV’s Broadchurch, and teamed up with Janus Rasmussen to wow techno enthusiasts and festival crowds alike with their electronic side-project, Kiasmos.

With Arnalds himself describing his mix as 'the soundtrack of my life', it’s not surprising that much of his past work is touched upon here, either directly or indirectly. But the first thing that he chooses to reference is his heritage, with a traditional Icelandic song called ‘Ýta Eigi Feldi Rór’. He’s then quick to demonstrate his skill as a curator by following it up with the heavenly choral loops of Julianna Barwick’s ‘Forever’, seamlessly segueing old into new...Arnalds says he spent months agonising over this mix, and the effort shows. This latest addition to the Late Night Tales catalogue isn’t just a seamless journey into his music collection - by the end, you definitely feel like you can relate to him too." - Drowned In Sound