ÓLAFUR ARNALDS RELEASES BEAUTIFUL NEW ALBUM, some kind of peace

FEATURING NEW TRACK "THE BOTTOM LINE" FT. JOSIN, LATEST SINGLE "LOOM" FT. BONOBO, AND MORE

“Icily cinematic, Arnalds has a widescreen future”

- Mojo ****

“Arnalds has once again crafted an genre-defining album that serves as a much needed moment of reflection”

- The Line of Best Fit, 9/10

some kind of peace is Rough Trade’s Album of the Month

06 NOVEMBER 2020 (TORONTO, ON) - some kind of peace is the stunning new album from the ground-breaking composer and producer Ólafur Arnalds, available now on Mercury KX/Universal Music Canada, the country's leading music company. The record features a brand new track "The Bottom Line" ft. Josin, alongside a beautiful video featuring the work of Japanese flower artist Azuma Makoto out today, and "Loom", Arnalds' collaboration with Bonobo. Also out now is 'finding some kind of peace’, a very special behind the scenes film about the new album, which you can watch here.

Ólafur has been confirmed as the closing act for Iceland Airwaves’ virtual festival, ‘Live from Reykjavík’, on November 13th, where he will perform mostly new material played live for the very first time. Ólafur's music will also play a major role in the forthcoming Netflix documentary on Shawn Mendes, 'In Wonder', which is set to be released on November 23rd. Ólafur has also recently surpassed a staggering 1 billion streams, an incredible milestone for the Icelandic multi-instrumentalist.

More than anything he’s ever made, some kind of peace is the story of Ólafur Arnalds' life - and there is quite the life-story to tell. Throughout Ólafur urges you to embrace all that life throws at you, and above all to react, and contemplate, to find your kind of peace. Within, you'll find a self-confessed perfectionist grappling with the messier realities of the everyday: the possibilities of love, of settling down, and how to navigate all of that during a global pandemic (the album was half-written prior to lockdown, and completed at Arnalds' harbour studio in downtown Reykjavik). What's emerged on 'some kind of peace' is a record about letting your guard down, and ultimately what it means to be alive. Within the expansive, grand sonics is a form of intimacy and even reassurance, Ólafur masterfully balances the two throughout.

It's a point made in style on 'The Bottom Line', featuring German-Korean singer and producer Josin, which Ólafur describes first and foremost as being a song "about growth. Josin spent a week with me in my studio in Iceland during a transformational period in both our lives. She is someone I have admired for years and I am thrilled that we were able to connect and share our experiences through this piece of music." Josin, meanwhile, comments that "this piece is about finding salvation by breaking it down to nothing but your existence, only being able to react. Sinking to your deepest inner self and accepting all the emotions that you have successfully held down. Working with Olafur was so much fun. It was intuitive and very inspiring for me in terms of writing process and production. The main idea was captured in Iceland, but we finished it over time and distance. I am so grateful for this track to have happened."

Ólafur Arnalds is a global powerhouse of composition and sound design and some kind of peace is the journey of his personal and creative growth, set against the backdrop of a chaotic world. Within, you’ll hear hints of those private experiences - sometimes even samples of the significant events themselves – woven into an album that is remarkable in its openness, and its beauty. “It's so personal that I'm still trying to find the words to talk about it,” Arnalds says. “I felt it was important that the album would tell my story in a very honest way.” We’re all searching for our kind of peace and it’s clear that Ólafur’s stunning new album would definitely be the place to start.

some kind of peace - tracklisting:

Loom feat. Bonobo
Woven Song
Spiral
Still / Sound
Back To The Sky feat. JFDR
Zero
New Grass
The Bottom Line feat. Josin
We Contain Multitudes
Undone