Starting out as drummer for several hardcore/metal bands, Ólafur was asked to write instrumental intros and outros for the album "Antigone" of German metal band Heaven Shall Burn. This led to more work in the field of neo-classical strings and piano based music, and ultimately to the release of Eulogy for Evolution and the beginning of Ólafur's partnership with Berlin based label Erased Tapes. In 2008 he embarked on a tour with fellow Icelanders Sigur Rós.
In 2009 he started a week-long project of composing one track by day, making it immediately available online to his fans. The collection was later officially released under the title Found Songs. He repeated the same experiment in 2011 under the title Living Room Songs. Also in 2009 the ballet Dyad 1909 premiered with a score composed by Ólafur. Choreographed by Wayne McGregor and performed by Wayne McGregor Random Dance, the ballet was inspired by Ernest Shackleton’s Nimrod Expedition to the South Pole in 1909. That year he also started Kiasmos, together with Janus Rasmussen. Kiasmos is a minimal techno based project. Their self titled debut album was released in 2014, preceded by the Thrown EP.
In April 2010 Ólafur released his second full-length album entitled ...And They Have Escaped The Weight Of Darkness, which was backed up with an extensive tour, including his first trip to China.
His third album, and the first to be released under his new partnership with Universal Music's Mercury Classics imprint, is titled For Now I Am Winter and planned for international release in February 2013. Expanding on his previous work the new album features a full orchestra and – for the first time – introduces vocals to his soundworld. Icelandic singer Arnór Dan is to be heard on four tracks of the album.
More recently Ólafur has been venturing into the world of films, writing his first Hollywood film score to Another Happy Day. He also had music in the hit film The Hunger Games and has been featured several times on popular American television show So You Think You Can Dance. For 2013 his scores include the music to the ITV thriller series Broadchurch, starring David Tennant and Olivia Colman, as well as to the film Gimme Shelter, directed by Ron Krauss and starring Vanessa Hudgens and Brendan Fraser.
In 2014 Arnalds won the prestigious BAFTA Television Craft Award for his score to the BBC's hit detective series 'Broadchurch'.
Reclaim
Ólafur Arnalds Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
woe
Winds wore shivers and longing for thrills
woe
Veil the night wakeful stars blow dread astray.
Dread astray.
Veil the night wakeful stars blow dread astray.
Shake the dawn, aweless dare
throw along youngest stare
Arms reclaim stars unnamed.
Morning light reunites
fallen flames
a flawless frame
Through ember eyes
Over night, hearts arise
All the same
a solace shame
through
Veil the night,
Veil the night, wakeful stars
Reunite, arms reclaim
fallen flames.
The lyrics of "Reclaim" by Ólafur Arnalds feat. Arnór Dan Arnarson can be interpreted in various ways. The first two lines express a sense of melancholy and despair through the use of personification. The arms, symbolizing strength and power, are now reduced to rivers, which are often associated with fluidity and vulnerability. The sinuous hills add to the imagery of instability and wavering. The next two lines describe the winds wearing shivers and longing for thrills, which may signify the restlessness and uncertainty that the singers are feeling.
The chorus repeats the phrase, "Veil the night, wakeful stars blow dread astray," emphasizing the darkness and the negative emotions that the singers are feeling. However, the repetition of "dread astray" may imply a sense of escape from the negative emotions that they are experiencing. The second half of the chorus, "Arms reclaim stars unnamed," is more optimistic and hopeful. The stars, which represent hope and guidance, are now reclaimed by the arms, symbolizing strength and support.
The second verse begins with the phrase, "Shake the dawn, aweless dare," which signifies a sense of courage and defiance. The next two lines, "throw along youngest stare, Arms reclaim stars unnamed," are similar to those in the chorus, signifying the determination and resilience of the singers. The last two lines of the verse, "Morning light reunites fallen flames, a flawless frame/Through ember eyes," symbolize the idea of rebirth and renewal. The fallen flames represent the singers' past struggles, which are now extinguished, and the flawless frame represents their hopes for the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Arms were rivers, through sinuous hills, woe
The singer is feeling sorrow and heaviness, as if their arms have become rivers flowing around winding hills.
Winds wore shivers and longing for thrills, woe
The singer is still feeling sadness, longing for excitement but feeling the chill of fear.
Veil the night wakeful stars blow dread astray. Dread astray.
The night is dark and full of anxiety, but the stars serve to blow that fear away, calming the singer.
Shake the dawn, aweless dare throw along youngest stare Arms reclaim stars unnamed.
The artist is urging the listener to be daring and brave with the coming of the dawn, and to reach for the stars by reclaiming their youthful fearlessness.
Morning light reunites fallen flames a flawless frame Through ember eyes
As the morning light comes, it reveals that the flames that had fallen have been reunited, creating a perfect scene that can only be seen with the eyes of someone who has been through hardship and come out the other side.
Over night, hearts arise All the same a solace shame through
Even though things may seem bleak, the singer knows that everyone's hearts will rise again in the morning, but feels shame in taking comfort in that knowledge.
Veil the night, Veil the night, wakeful stars Reunite, arms reclaim fallen flames.
The singer repeats the urging to let the stars calm our fears and to reach for the stars, reclaiming the hope that had once been lost.
Contributed by Julia N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@yokoyume6359
Arms were rivers, through sinuous hills, oh
Winds wore shivers and longing for thrills, oh
Veil the night wakeful stars blow dread astray, dread astray
Veil the night wakeful stars blow dread astray, dread astray
Shake the dawn, aweless dare
Throw along youngest stare
Arms reclaim
Shake the dawn, aweless dare
Throw along youngest stare
Arms reclaim stars unnamed
Morning light reunites
Fallen flames, a flawless frame
Through ember eyes
Over night, hearts arise
All the same, a solace shame through…
Veil the night, veil the night
Wakeful stars reunite
Arms reclaim
Veil the night, veil the night
Wakeful stars reunite
Arms reclaim fallen flames
@yokoyume6359
Arms were rivers, through sinuous hills, oh
Winds wore shivers and longing for thrills, oh
Veil the night wakeful stars blow dread astray, dread astray
Veil the night wakeful stars blow dread astray, dread astray
Shake the dawn, aweless dare
Throw along youngest stare
Arms reclaim
Shake the dawn, aweless dare
Throw along youngest stare
Arms reclaim stars unnamed
Morning light reunites
Fallen flames, a flawless frame
Through ember eyes
Over night, hearts arise
All the same, a solace shame through…
Veil the night, veil the night
Wakeful stars reunite
Arms reclaim
Veil the night, veil the night
Wakeful stars reunite
Arms reclaim fallen flames
@bonjouralyson4011
yoko yume 横 夢 thanks a lot
@nickdulli
Greetings from Greece! We love you Olafur!
@maccciable
i guess that's how afterlife sounds like!
@OSCGUP
God... this perfect sound, amazing vibe
@xavierofficialmusic
......., dude, come to Australia, we need you.
@demi-godcrisis849
I want an instrumental version.
@raissaqueirozz
Essa música é tão linda! O instrumental , o vocal, tudo é sensacional! ❤️ Venham para o 🇧🇷
@f.fratello2311
Amour por y para siempre
@barbarameier1367
⭐️