ÓLAFUR ARNALDS
Dyad 1909
ERATP19
Erased Tapes 2009
07 Tracks. 24mins33secs

Amazon UK: CD | LP Amazon US: CD | DLD Boomkat: CD | LP | DLD iTunes: DLD

Only a few months after Erased Tapes released Peter Broderick’s score for Adrienne Hart’s contemporary dance production Falling From Trees, it is the turn of Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds to present the work British choreographer Wayne McGregor commissioned for his piece Dyad 1909, which his company, Random Dance, premiered at Sadler’s Wells in London last October as part of In The Spirit Of Diaghilev, a series of performances dedicated to the creator of the famous Ballets Russes, which were set up a hundred years ago. McGergor’s Dyad 1909 is inspired by the great technological development between two expeditions to reach the South Pole, one, in 1909, on foot, and another, twenty years later, the year the Ballets Russes were dissolved, by plane. Continue Reading »

NILS FRAHM
The Bells
ERATP21
Erased Tapes 2009
11 Tracks. 40mins12secs

NILS FRAHM
Wintermusik
ERATP18
Erased Tapes 2009
03 Tracks. 29mins58secs

The Bells
Amazon UK: DLD Boomkat: CD | DLD iTunes: DLD

Wintermusik
Amazon UK: CD Amazon US: DLD Boomkat: CD | DLD iTunes: DLD

London imprint Erased Tapes continues in its quest to unleash some of the most beautiful music around with its latest signing, German pianist and composer Nils Frahm, who delivers not one, but two releases in as many weeks. During his formative years, Frahm studied piano with Nahum Brodski before going on to work on his own music. Based in Berlin, where he has established his studio and shares his time between production and composition, Frahm has already featured on a number of releases and has worked with the likes of Peter Broderick or Machinefabriek’s Rutger Zuyderveltd. Continue Reading »

ÓLAFUR ARNALDS
Found Songs
ERATP17
Erased Tapes 2009
07 Tracks. 20mins26secs

CD: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Boomkat LP: Boomkat Download: Amazon UK | iTunes | Boomkat

In the last year, Twitter has become the hottest social network phenomenon around, and it was only a matter of time before someone used its format as part of a specific project. This someone is Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds who, in the space of seven days last April, composed and recorded seven original tracks, which were then made available, one at a time, on a special page on the Erased Tapes website, for free. Each day, the public was invited to post pictures on Flickr that they felt related to the day’s track. Some of these have now been compiled in a booklet accompanying this remastered version, now made available as a limited edition CD and 10” mini album. Continue Reading »

Rival Consoles first appeared two years ago with a first EP released on London-based Erased Tapes. Since, Ryan Lee West he has delivered two more EPs spanning quite a wide sound world, from Aphex-like abstract drum’n’bass to razor-sharp techno. His debut album, released on Erased Tapes once again, expands greatly on the latter by collecting eleven thumping techno cuts with enough edges to last a lifetime. We took this opportunity to talk to the man about how the album came together, how he uses beats against melody, what it feels like to have his album out in the open and which console is the one. Continue Reading »

RIVAL CONSOLES
IO
ERATP16
Erased Tapes 2009
11 Tracks. 46mins05secs

Buy: CD

Behind Rival Consoles is Ryan Lee West, a relative new comer hailing from Leicester, who, in the space of just three EPs for London-based Erased Tapes, has confidently established himself as one of the most exciting new British talents. While his first two EPs, The Decadent, released two years ago, and Helvetica, which appeared earlier this year, showed West in a variety of moods, placing him loosely between Aphex Twin and μ-ziq, his latest delivery, coming as a split EP with Icelandic classical composer Ólafur Arnalds, operating under his techno alter ego Kiasmos, showcased a much more focused, sharp and dance floor orientated sound.

IO continues on the tone of the EP by collecting all three tracks featured on it plus another eight cuts of a similar calibre. Continue Reading »

PETER BRODERICK
Music For Falling From Trees
ERATP15
Erased Tapes 2009
07 Tracks. 28mins46secs

Buy: CD | MP3

In just over a year, Peter Broderick has gone from largely unknown to highly respected composer and musician. Beside publishing two albums last year, the classical-orientated Float, on Type, then Home, on Bella Union, on which he showcased his folk compositions, as well as an-all piano exercise, Docile, on Kning Disk, Broderick has been busy touring all over Europe and the US as part of Danish avant-folksters Efterklang.

His latest project sees him returning to modern classical composition. Music For Falling From Trees is a half hour piece written for a contemporary dance production created by London-based choreograph Adrienne Hart. Continue Reading »

RIVAL CONSOLES
Helvetica
ERATP12
Erased Tapes 2009
04 Tracks. 12mins51secs
Format: 7”/Digital

KIASMOS/RIVAL CONSOLES
65/Milo
ERATP13
Erased Tapes 2009
05 Tracks. 24mins36secs
Format: 12”/Digital

One of the most iconic type faces of our times, Helvetica celebrated its fiftieth anniversary a couple of years ago amidst a wide range of events across Europe, including the ABC123 EP by To Rococo Rot. Created in 1957 by designer Max Miedinger, Helvetica has since infiltrated just about every form of visual communication and become one of the most ubiquitous and versatile fonts, used equally successfully on public signage, record covers, advertising and art.

Versatile is an adjective that can also be applied to Ryan Lee West’s Rival Consoles, whose debut release, The Decadent EP, was published on Erased Tapes at the end of 2007. Released as a four track seven inch single and digital EP, Helvetica is a hell of an eclectic release. Continue Reading »

FINN
The Best Low-Priced Heartbreakers You Can Own
ERATP11
Erased Tapes 2008
16 Tracks. 49mins53secs

Finn is the project of German multi-instrumentist Patrick Zimmer, who also doubles as a fashion designer. Born in 1977, the man, who spends his time between his home town of Hamburg and London, has been releasing music since early 2003, when his first collection of delicate pop/folk songs, Expose Yourself To Lower Education, was released on German imprint Sunday Service. He has since delivered regular singles and albums, but his latest is the first of his records to be released on London-based Erased Tapes. Continue Reading »

Twenty one year old Icelandic musician Ólafur Arnalds first appeared last year with his debut album, Eulogy For Evolution, released in the UK on the excellent Erased Tapes imprint, and instantly gathered some impressive critical praises for his widescreen contemporary classical music tinted with discreet electronics and hints of indie. Earlier this year, Arnalds returned with a more minimal EP, Variations Of Static, on which he let electronics texture his work more prominently. With an opening slot for Sigur Rós during the summer and a major tour already in full swing, Ólafur took a few moments to talk about his musical background, the elitism in modern classical music and the challenges of taking the genre to a young audience, and being the next big thing to come out of Iceland.

Continue Reading »

Young Icelandic classical artist Ólafur Arnalds will be performing at London’s Barbican Centre on Friday 20 June, with support from UK band Yndi Halda. Arnalds recently released the Variations Of Static EP, follow up to his debut album, Eulogy For Evolution, on London-based Erased Tapes.

Twenty-one year old Arnalds is set to showcase his stunning blend of electronic and indie-infused contemporary classical music.

Ólafur Arnalds | Erased Taped | Barbican Centre