Iceland composer Ólafur Arnalds and Berlin-based contemporary composer Nils Frahm (above), along with the German pianist and composer known as Hauschka, are performing this Tuesday, October 1st at the First Unitarian Church in Los Angeles.

Frahm’s string of west coast concerts are to pre-promote his album, Spaces, due Nov. 19 on Erased Tapes, and showcase a unique combination of piano motifs on the upright, grand piano and Fender Rhodes electric piano with heavy synthesizer sounds.  Besides his collaboration with Arnalds, he’s also worked recently with Sarah Neufeld of Arcade Fire.   His current tour includes stops at last week’s Decibel Festival in Seattle and at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco this weekend.

Spaces expresses Frahm’s love for experimentation and was recorded over the course of two years in different locations and on various mediums, including old portable reel-to-reel recorders and cassette tape decks.  Frahm returns stateside on Nov. 25 with a special album release concert at NYC’s Le Poisson Rouge.

Arnalds’ third album, For Now I Am Winter (Mercury Classics), released last February, has received positive reviews including NPR which called it “stunning, perfect music.” He scores the music for BBC’s #1 hit drama, Broadchurch, and has had his music featured on The Colbert Report.  He has scored numerous films and TV shows including Another Happy Day and Gimme Shelter, and has had tracks featured on the soundtracks to such Hollywood hits as The Hunger Games and Looper.

 

Photo of Nils Frahn is by Scott Kaplan – Photo of Olafur Arnalds is by Janet Dziekanowski