Hype Machine Premieres Ólafur Arnalds' New Album

Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds is offering an exclusive first listen of his forthcoming studio album,For Now I Am Winter, due out on April 2nd with Mercury Classics at the Hype Machine now. Composer Nico Muhly provides orchestral arrangements on the album, and Arnalds introduces vocals to his songs for the first time through Icelandic singer Arnór Dan. After a lauded set at last year'sIceland Airwaves, including an intimate KEXP live broadcast performance, Ólafur returned to the US with laptop and string section in tow for several marquee live performances at this year's SXSW. Deemed one of the Top 15 highlights of the festival by NPR, his song 'Old Skin' is featured on NPR'sAll Songs Considered today. He will return to the US for an intimate one-off album release show inNYC on Thursday, April 18 at Le Poisson Rouge with Ensemble LPR and special guest appearances.

Watch Lil Buck Perform to Ólafur's music on the Colbert Report

Watch "Old Skin" with Arnór Dan

Arnalds continues to steadily build a reputation as one of the world's most bright and able young composers. Purveying a neo-classical style with an array of influences which range from electronica to minimalism, Arnalds is an artist who draws from a variety of sources whilst maintaining his own unique sound. Since the release of his 2007 debut, Eulogy for Evolution, the 26-year-old, has put his name to a variety of projects and collaborations ranging from Emma Watson to Peter Broderick to Nils Frahm. Since 2009 he has scored films and TV shows including Another Happy Day, ITV's upcoming drama Broadchurch and the Vanessa Hudgens-starring feature film Gimme Shelter, as well as having tracks featured on the soundtracks to Hollywood hits The Hunger Games and Looper. He's also released two EPs each composed in a week; Found Songs in 2009 and Living Roongs in 2011. Both of these collections featured works written and recorded in a day, the former innovatively released through Twitter and the latter released to his fan

s with accompanying videos through his social media channels and website.