About

“Having been available exclusively as the second disc to 2015’s ‘Collaborative Works’, Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm's improvised audio recordings ‘Trance Frendz’, taken from their 45-minute studio film of the same name, have been given their own vinyl release.” - Arnalds Frahm Official

“Trance Frendz” is the title of the pair’s newest set (the term “album” is firmly rejected by both Frahm and Arnalds), which features music from an evening of improvisation at Berlin’s Durton Studio. It began as a video session of the two performing an improvised duo, in promotion of a different album titled “Collaborative Works: An Evening with Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm.”

But instead of ending the session after the first take, the two continued to improvise throughout the night, ending up with a number of new pieces written and recorded on the fly, with no overdubs and no edits.

What started as a short promo video quickly turned into a 45-minute studio film titled “Trance Frendz,” and the music was included as a second disc in their “Collaborative Works” album.

Each piece in the set is named after the time in the night when it emerged, with the mood clearly modulating throughout the hours. And yet, the pieces all blur together, unified by the relaxed mood, organic movement, striking intimacy, and genuine honesty behind each one. …

The improvisations are slow-moving and patient, at first led primarily by twinkling piano melodies. But as the night wears on, the delicate piano motives gradually expand to feature growling organ basslines, rumbling drones, and some serious synth.

As the pair continues wandering into the early hours of the morning, the shimmering hum of the piano returns to the forefront with a series of whimsical music-box-worthy melodies, complimented by sweet, subtle vocal humming atop the creaking of antique piano lids and tape recorders. The set comes to a close with soft, hazy piano melodies sparkling amidst a nocturnal calm. …

It’s the perfect soundtrack for a quiet night in with a friend—charming, sincere, organic, and ambient.” – Second Inversion

Watch the studio film, “An Evening with Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm”, below:

About Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm:

“Since 2012 Erased Tapes peers Ólafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm have spent many hours together in their studios across Berlin and Reykjavik, freely improvising and occasionally capturing the music for their fans. The duo's sound is an astoundingly rich, tonally pure example of synth-driven experimentation, conceived and performed by two prolific collaborators.

Ólafur Arnalds is a BAFTA-winning multi-instrumentalist and producer from Iceland. Ólafur is known for his unique mix of strings, piano with loops and edgy beats crossing-over from ambient/electronic to pop. Ólafur was a drummer of hardcore metal bands Fighting Shit and Celestine, as well as others. In 2014 Ólafur announced his electronic debut album under the Kiasmos project with Bloodgroup front man Janus Rasmussen to much acclaim.

Nils Frahm works as an accomplished composer and producer from his Berlin-based Durton Studio. His unconventional approach to an age-old instrument, played contemplatively and intimately, has won him many fans around the world. For a musician this early in his career, Frahm displays an incredibly developed sense of control and restraint in his work, catching the ear of many fans.” – Erased Tapes Records

Item description: