Ólafur Arnalds is releasing a new album this week

The album contains Arnalds seven "audio-visual collaborations" from earlier this year, plus a bonus track titled "Study for Player Piano (ii)". It's available as a CD/DVD, which also contains each accompanying short film, as well as a vinyl package.

The AV collabs were recorded across Arnalds' native Iceland with a variety of high-profile figures, including Nanna Bryndís of Of Monsters and Men, Hollywood composer Atli Örvarsson, and the South Iceland Chamber Choir.

Island Songs was recorded across seven locations and seven weeks. Speaking about the concept, Arnalds says: “I always want to make everything sound perfect, but I also know that perfection doesn’t necessarily make for good music. So these projects grew out of an internal fight with myself, a need to create something spontaneous and improvised.”

Read our Longread feature about the project, and visit Arnalds' website to find out more.

Tracklist:

1. Árbakkinn (ft. Einar Georg Einarsson)
2. 1995 (ft. Dagný Arnalds)
3. Raddir (ft. South Iceland Chamber Choir)
4. Öldurót (ft. Atli Örvarsson & SinfoniaNord)
5. Dalur (ft. Brasstríó Mosfellsdals)
6. Particles (ft. Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir)
7. Doria
9. Study for Player Piano (ii)