About six months ago, I became completely obsessed with zombies films, mostly due to the brilliance behind Robert Kirkman‘s The Walking Dead books and the airing of the series on AMC. As Season 1 comes out on DVD and BluRay today, I figured the time was right to post this. So I buckled down and finished my zombie soundtrack podcast, filled with songs I felt perfect for a zombie film. Be assured: this will not be your typical zombie mix.

Ólafur Arnalds is a Icelandic neo-classical artist whose work is at the forefront of the clash between classical and indie music. After debuting in 2007 with Eulogy for Evolution, the Arnalds is now set to release its follow-up LP, …And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness. The first single is “Þú ert sólin” and it translates roughly to “You Are The Sun”. Stacked up next to Eulogy for Evolution, Arnalds continues his to impress with a song both emotive and uplifting. “You Are The Sun” …

Let me tell you a story. In 2007 some notable things happened. I attended the annual music festival SXSW (the image above is of myself and The Lovely Sparrows’ Shawn Jones, taken by Abandoned Love Records/Virgin Of The Birds’ Jon Rooney), I grew a mustache, and I met a beautiful girl named Andi at the Capitol Hill Block Party. We hit it off and ditched the after-party to get a sprite (her) and coffee (me) at Denny’s in Ballard (sadly no longer there) at 1:30am. I …

In “Ljósið”, Ólafur Arnalds takes classical music in a new direction, giving the song visual treatment – color that swirls like smoke. It moves in a representation between volume and composition. Part of Arnald’s Found Songs collection, in which the composer wrote and recorded one song per day for seven days, “Ljósið” is borderline transcendental; it has the capability to lift you up to a new plane of existence while soothing the mind and body. Arnalds has proved here that he is at the forefront of becoming one …

Iceland’s Bloodgroup creates dark electronic pop, or so they say. It’s so dark and so electronic, the pop sensibilities are practically lost, or at least buried beneath layers of electronics beats and synth loops. However, they do loop in a wonderful little string part put together by Ólafur Arnalds. Here they perform live during Iceland Airwaves for Seattle’s (and the world’s) best radio station, KEXP. The tight space doesn’t constrict the videographers from expertly capturing the performance, which you’ll soon see.

Countless are the artists that dabble in classical, but it is virtually a given that included will be an added genre or two. Rare is the modern composer that edges above and makes classical music cool, yet Ólafur Arnalds does so with grace and simplicity. Arnalds’ latest were simultaneously written one per day, recorded, and released as aptly titled Found Songs.