On 2007's Vid og Vid, Ólöf Arnalds makes a lot happen with very few ingredients: The Icelandic singer/songwriter uses her pristine voice and an instrument or two to conjure a strange, mysterious world (I imagine fields, brooks, old stones, ivy). Creating a denser, still crystalline sound, she adds layers and multiple voices on the forthcoming Ókídókí (pronounced like it looks it'd be pronounced). As an example, we have an unmastered take of album opener "Vinur Minn." Arnalds explains:
This song starts with a small melodic poem about missing the one you love at sunset that I wrote when I was 19. Now 10 years later I finally found a way to turn it into a whole song, with a lalala melody inspired by the first melody, sung by an Icelandic family and friends choir. I recorded it live with a band playing the strings later myself and had my friend Stulli play some french horn as well.
Keep your ears pealed for Arnalds' 16 month-old son crying in the background when the choir hits its stride.
Ólöf Arnalds - "Vinur Minn (Rough Mix)" (MP3)
You can see Arnalds performing the song live at Le Poisson Rouge in this Dig For Fire documentary. She asks the audience to help her create that festive background chorus -- they do a decent job of it.
Ókídókí will be out sometime in the future. You'll find more at MySpace. If you're in the NYC area, maybe you can sing along, too. She's opening for the Björk/DP piece at Housing Works.
05/5 - Brooklyn, NY @ Union Hall
05/6 - Brooklyn, NY @ Sycamore
05/7 - New York, NY @ Scandinavia House (Volvo Hall)
05/8 - New York, NY @ Housing Works Bookstore Cafe %
% w/ Björk and the Dirty Projectors
[Photo by Julia Staples]
