Interview
KIASMOS
Matt Mullen talks second albums with Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen
© Maximilian König
Second albums have a reputation for being difficult, but they rarely take ten years to materialise.
Kiasmos debuted in 2014 with a self-titled record that sketched out a distinct sonic blueprint; delicate piano and soaring strings backed up by icy electronics and an urgent rhythmic pulse. It was minimal techno with a composerly sensibility, a synergy between acoustic and electronic sounds that brought the grandeur and subtlety of modern classical music to the dancefloor.
A decade later, and the duo has returned with a second album, II – but it’s not as if they haven’t been keeping busy. Kiasmos is Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds and Faroese musician Janus Rasmussen, two artists with thriving solo careers. Starting out as a drummer in hardcore punk bands, Arnalds has become an unlikely star of modern classical, known for breathtaking solo releases and film soundtracks that wring pure emotion from the keys of his piano. A truly 21st-century composer, Arnalds is also a gifted producer, making liberal use of synths, effects and recording techniques to expand the scope of his compositions.
Both a musician and producer, Rasmussen too spent formative years playing in bandsmost notably the synth-pop outfit Bloodgroupbefore going solo in 2019, recording experimental electronica that shares much of Kiasmos’ sonic DNA. Showcasing a talent for adventurous sound design, Rasmussen’s work has earned him a nomination for the prestigious Nordic Council Music Prize.
Reuniting for Kiasmos’ next chapter, Arnalds and Rasmussen were committed to reimagining the sound of the project. The songs that make up II build on the foundations laid down by their debut, but they’re bigger, brighter and more expressive: a testament to what a decade spent making music can teach you. Where the first record borrowed rigid grooves from techno, the sequel loosens up with the swing of UK garage, and solo strings have been exchanged for a full-blown orchestra.
Kiasmos’ II recalls a host of contemporary electronic artists that reorient club rhythms towards a more emotive end; we can hear Burial’s shuffled woodblocks in Flown, and Jon Hopkins’ tearful ambience in Dazed. Their work remains unique, though, channelling the stark beauty of their homelands into poignant and cinematic dance music. Much has been said about the music of Iceland evoking the nation’s landscapes, but it’s hard not to draw parallels between its windswept majesty and Kiasmos’ epic sound; it isn’t the grey Icelandic sky that II conjures up, though, but the numinous glow of the Northern Lights.
We caught up with Kiasmos to find out more about the making of their latest project.
When did you begin working on the tracks that would become your latest project?
Janus: “The oldest song on the album is from 2017. It’s pretty much right after the Blurred EP, then we didn’t write much for a few yearswe were busy with other projects.” Ólafur: “We got back to it full-on in 2021 and spent two or three years actually writing.”
Would you say that your dynamic as creative partners has changed during that time?
Ólafur: “Not a huge amount, actually. We both still have similar focuses. I would tend to focus more on like… these four bars of music. I like to get that totally right and Janus is usually focusing more on where that then goes. That’s a cool combination.”