Most people are unfamiliar with the name Ólafur Arnalds. He’s a composer from Iceland, and is known for mixing classical and electronic music together.

Last Wednesday, Arnalds performed at The Loft in La Jolla. It’s an intimate, lounge-style venue that seats 180 audience members and is centrally located on University of California, San Diego Campus.

Although Arnalds’ music style is not intended for mainstream popularity, he still maintains a small, and loyal fan base. He has performed in major theaters throughout Europe, where he has achieved most of his success. But his current American tour is unique, considering most of the venues have smaller seating capacities from what most musicians are used to.
Typically The Aztec covers events suitable or more appealing for students; however, this event was a bit more unconventional. A large portion of the audience was surprisingly older, and there were no cell phones or relentless, drunk cheering from the audience. The atmosphere of the show was sophisticated and focused on the music.

The stage arrangement consisted of Arnalds on piano, and two other bandmates on violin and cello. Usually during his studio recordings, Arnalds’ plays with entire orchestras, but as he explained in a Q&A after the show, he doesn’t have the budget to hire 90 additional musicians. Instead, he uses computer software to loop and manipulate the cellist and violinist to build a larger wall of sound. When a viewer asked about his technical setup, he explained that the pickups on all three instruments were wired onto his laptop, which he controlled from his iPad while he simultaneously played piano.

Considering that Arnalds’ music is technical, rather than theatrical, the same features reflect on his performance. His music isn’t as immediate as a typical rock or pop show. However the beauty and the level of sophistication behind the music challenges the listener, which can be a more rewarding experience.

Information about Arnalds can be found at olafurarnalds.com.

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