KIASMOS 黑胶唱片和CD

Review: Kiasmos is the duo of Icelandic composer olafur Arnalds and Faroese musician Janus Rasmussen. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of their iconic debut album, it now gets reissued on a limited blue vinyl pressing of only 2000 copies. This album has been streamed over 100 million times on Spotify and is a cornerstone of experimental and ambient music that has inspired many artists around the world. Following the success of their recent album II, this anniversary release reminds us of the pair's beginnings when two friends were simply experimenting and creating music together in the studio. It has aged well and prices a great release from busy modern life into a world of supple rhythm and delicate, tender melody.

Review: As of now, Kiasmos - the duo of Olafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen - are superstars on the international progressive electronica circuit. It crept up on us that they've only released one other album to date, with the bulk of their output having been limited so far to EPs and singles. II is the follow-up to its apt nominal counterpart, Kiasmos (I), and yet this time hears the pair strike out against the stark piano and electropop influences for which they were initially celebrated. Another key difference is that while the first Kiasmos record was made in the space of two weeks - getting at the sense of effortlessness that might accompany the initial burst of inspiration felt by artists when they start a new alias - II was made over the course of ten years and charts a remarkably different approach to music production.

Review: Kiasmos, the dynamic duo of olafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen, returns with their long-awaited second album, II. This vinyl is a celebration of their evolution over a decade since their self-titled debut in 2014. Known for blending minimal techno with orchestral flourishes, Kiasmos has refined their sound, adding richer textures and a sense of place and space. II opens with Grown, setting a delicate atmospheric tone that showcases their matured sound design. Tracks like 'Dazed' highlight their innovative use of traditional Balinese percussion and field recordings, creating immersive auditory landscapes. The album seamlessly transitions from electronic to classical and rave, maintaining their signature style of whisper-quiet ambience evolving into explosive dance beats. Songs like 'Sailed' and 'Laced' exemplify their knack for blending intricate percussion with organic synths, resulting in tracks that are both effervescent and serene. olafur's cinematic influence and Janus's DJ experience shine through, pushing the boundaries of genre with frenetic broken beats and catchier melodies. The grand strings recorded with SinfoniaNord add a majestic layer to the complexities, making II a truly expansive work.

Review: Kiasmos are a Reykjavik based duo comprised of BAFTA awarded composer Olafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen from the band Bloodgroup. The sounds of classical music and electro-pop collide fantastically on this release. First track "Drawn" is a sublime and emotional serving of trip-hop with Arnald's signature piano style floating on top of Rasmussen's immaculately programmed beats. And then that lush string section comes drifting in, its magnificent! "Gaunt" features some mutant pan pipes accompanied by a bleepy melody and sub-bass pulsations, but once again balanced out by Arnalds' lush piano and strings arrangements. On the flip "Swept" is a dreamy and melancholic deep house cut that could have come out on Kompakt, it's that good. There's even a remix of it by men of the moment Tale Of Us, who revise the track into one of their signature dark and adrenalised journey tracks, it's well done!