{"title":"Kiasmos","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKiasmos is a Faroese-Icelandic minimal, experimental techno duo, composed of Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen. Their unique blend of electronic music has captivated audiences worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith influences ranging from *Rival Consoles* to *Nils Frahm*, Kiasmos creates immersive soundscapes that push the boundaries of traditional techno. Their music combines intricate melodies with pulsating beats, resulting in a hypnotic and mesmerizing experience for listeners.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKnown for their dynamic live performances, Kiasmos has gained a reputation as one of the most exciting acts in the electronic music scene. Whether performing at renowned festivals or intimate venues, their energy on stage is infectious and leaves fans craving more.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"kiasmos","title":"Kiasmos","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter dropping several tracks and performing at select festivals throughout the years, Olafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen dedicated the year 2014 to explore the area in-between Olafur's more acoustic, piano-based solo work and Janus's synth-heavy electro pop, with their collaborative electronic project Kiasmos. By focusing solely on their self-titled debut album, Ólafur and Janus have been able to combine and further develop their unique sound aesthetics to complete an album driven by their mutual love for electronic music. Made in Olafur's newly build studio in Reykjavík, Iceland, a majority of the album was recorded using acoustic instruments next to a variety of synthesisers, drum machines and tape delays. It features a live drummer, string quartet and Olafur performing on the grand piano, producing an ambient, textured sound, which makes it a perfect home listen and equally danceable record. If you listen closely, you can spot them record the thumb piano, finger snapping and even the sound of the metal grinder of a lighter slowly to replace the usual electronic hi-hat sounds, giving the album a far more intimate and unique atmosphere.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Erased Tapes","offers":[{"title":"Blue LPx2.","offer_id":50695881457995,"sku":"2228182","price":46.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Blue LP","offer_id":50695880802635,"sku":"2228181","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Tape","offer_id":50426062897483,"sku":"1020165","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"3''","offer_id":50695881916747,"sku":"2228237","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50390545695051,"sku":"379992","price":27.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50426063192395,"sku":"379991","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/45b3a197-6caf-4bc6-9da3-f7e0af5b3b48_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726392039"},{"product_id":"ii-26","title":"II","description":"\u003cp\u003eAlbums of the Year 2024 - Number 46\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKiasmos\u003c\/strong\u003e – Icelandic composer \u003cstrong\u003eÓlafur Arnalds\u003c\/strong\u003e and Faroese musician Janus Rasmussen – are returning, renewed and restored, with \u003cem\u003eII\u003c\/em\u003e. The triumphant follow-up to their universally acclaimed self-titled debut in 2014, which re-envisioned minimal techno with orchestral flourishes and weightless production.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThey’d made most of that album in just two weeks; this time it’s been 10 years. The making of \u003cem\u003eII\u003c\/em\u003e was a test of their friendship, but also testament to how great musical chemistry can always go the distance and be just the same as it ever was.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThey worked on a lot of \u003cem\u003eII\u003c\/em\u003e during the lost year of 2020-2021, including a trip to Ólafur’s studio in Bali. “We spent a month there and wrote a few songs that ended up on the record,” says Janus. The pair sampled traditional Balinese percussion like the gamelan and incorporated Janus’s field recordings of their natural surroundings – the sound of birds, crickets and, on standout track ‘Dazed’, echoing the sunrise over the lush landscape.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKiasmos\u003c\/strong\u003e have an enviable knack for conveying complex emotions and evocative visuals with instrumental music. But this time they’ve got more experience as producers to draw on. The album’s expansiveness can be linked to Ólafur’s intervening years as a Grammy-nominated composer and prominent soundtracker in film and TV. And they’ve subtly shifted from four-to-the-floor to the frenetic broken beats of UK dance music, experimenting more with BPMs, echoing Janus’s time spent DJing in major venues worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThere are still those aching melodies that fans know and love but they’re catchier too: tracks like ‘Laced’ and ‘Bound’ have an irresistible, elastic bounce beneath the ethereal palette. “We just want to make electronic music that there isn’t so much of right now,” says Janus, “to take you on a great journey that is a little bit unconventional.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e“You have to develop into a new space,” Ólafur adds. But they had to impose limits, too, to keep them both on track and make something memorable. Often Ólafur would refuse to move on to the next idea until they’d perfected a chord progression or beat, to help them stay focused and forge, he says, a “deep understanding of what the song is.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e“\u003cem\u003eII\u003c\/em\u003e is livelier,” says Janus, “but it still retains the signature \u003cstrong\u003eKiasmos\u003c\/strong\u003e style of transitioning from a whisper-quiet ambience to an explosive dance beat that can blow your socks off.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Erased Tapes","offers":[{"title":"Orange LP | Rough Trade Exclusive","offer_id":50440775369035,"sku":"2196599","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Green LPx2","offer_id":50440774287691,"sku":"2196597","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Clear LPx2","offer_id":50440774943051,"sku":"2196598","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50440775958859,"sku":"2207484","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50440773796171,"sku":"2196596","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/7b39f00f-8ea2-c0f2-ad33-d1aacb64b086_863522a8_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726967190"},{"product_id":"blurred-ep","title":"Blurred EP","description":"\u003cp\u003eKiasmos return with a new 12” EP titled Blurred. Since their 2015 Swept EP, the duo have been performing shows extensively across the world. After writing and recording together in their native Iceland this year, the pair will be bringing a glimpse of light to a particularly gloomy time of year as their light sounds are brighter than ever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWords from Ólafur and Janus, August 2017:\u003cbr\u003e“To write new material felt like a new beginning for us after two years of touring. The plan was to write something a tad darker than our previous stuff. Spring in Reykjavík had other plans though, as this turned out to be our brightest release to date.” — Janus Rasmussen\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Stimming was one of the reasons we started making four-on-the-floor music and we have been listening to Bonobo since we were young, so it was a great honour that they wanted to contribute remixes for the EP.” — Ólafur Arnalds\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe EP closes with remixes from British producer Bonobo and German electronic musician Stimming, taking tracks Blurred and Paused into different coloured realms. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Erased Tapes","offers":[{"title":"12\"","offer_id":50466818818379,"sku":"1015931","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/8f28f73d-81ed-477c-ad0e-958aca5d2882_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727323247"},{"product_id":"swept-ep","title":"Swept EP","description":"\u003cp\u003eKiasmos reveal new EP featuring three new original tracks and a 'Tale of Us remix. Following on from their Record Store Day 'Looped EP' release, which featured remixes by Dauwd and Lubomyr Melnyk, Kiasmos - made up of Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen - return with three new tracks and a remix by Tale Of Us. Recorded in various locations including Reykjavík and Berlin, the EP opens with 'Drawn', a four-minute percussion fuelled track with gentle piano motifs. 'Gaunt' features the addition of ambient synths and a drum loop, underpinned by slow-moving chords. Title track 'Swept' which the duo offered to fans as a surprise gift in form of a free download card at previous show dates, showcases a more club-oriented beat structure alongside Kiasmos' signature emotive instrumentation. Closing the EP is a remix from Berlin-based duo Tale of Us who met Kiasmos in London and twist the original downbeat title track into their distinctively dark aesthetic. Pulsating hats and a driving bass loop add pace as the track builds toward an epic breakdown.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Erased Tapes","offers":[{"title":"12\"","offer_id":50467920707915,"sku":"396179","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/cd0602cd-5093-42a2-9113-735f983bc0ee_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727343309"},{"product_id":"ii-2","title":"II","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe second album from the hugely influential electronic duo Kiasmos, comprised of Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen. The duo released their self-titled debut album in 2014 and have since grown the Kiasmos fanbase, and anticipation for what’s next, considerably. 2024 sees the duo return with a brand new 11 track album and live shows.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Vinyl Me Please","offers":[{"title":"Clear LP","offer_id":50782886756683,"sku":"2225150","price":42.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/test_c29963e1_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1731047066"},{"product_id":"ii-reworked","title":"II Reworked","description":"\u003cp\u003eKiasmos – Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen – have invited five trusted artists to completely reimagine their second album,\u003cem\u003e II.\u003c\/em\u003e Released in July 2024 to critical and fan acclaim, the comeback album took the duo across four continents to sold-out audiences worldwide over the following 18 months.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe two friends entrusted the task to LA-based composers\/producers\/multi-instrumentalists Rachika Nayar and Nina Keith (AKA Disiniblud), fellow Icelandic composers Kjartan Holm and Sin Fang, and long-time friend and American composer Alex Somers. The result is a sprawling and shimmering trip back through the album’s melodies, with a dream-like haze more suited for after the dancefloor and when the lights have faded.  The entirety of II has been reworked in sequence by the artists, each bringing their own distinctive colouring to the original songs. Nayar and Keith use electronic experimentation to reshape the emotional core, unveiling and highlighting stems that lay in the background of their original forms. Holm and Fang emphasise the simple beauty of the compositions, while Somers, working with analogue studio equipment, detunes pianos and strings and slows the pieces down, allowing the songs to reach new emotional heights.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Erased Tapes","offers":[{"title":"2LP - Translucent","offer_id":57466085605707,"sku":"R6252-1618","price":32.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"2LP - Bio Black","offer_id":57466085638475,"sku":"R6252-1096","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":57466085671243,"sku":"R6252-8554","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/1094e0b0-730c-e6c7-33bd-495c8a9b9064.jpg?v=1780053892"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_09b8f1b5_thumbnail_4096_1a74f779-a515-4b21-9817-f3cd5481bde0.jpg?v=1726392021","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/fr\/collections\/kiasmos.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}