Olafur Arnalds

Four years in the making, "Are You Still Somewhere?" sees Lavinia Meijer combine original compositions with her long stated dream of interpreting modern composers and musicians for the harp. Works by Ryuichi Sakamoto, Ólafur Arnalds, and Alexandra Stréliski all feature, as do collaborations with Dutch pianist Pieter de Graaf and punk legend Iggy Pop. Over the years, Lavinia Meijer experimented with electronic music, jazz, theatrical music, and avant rock. It was these experiments that led her to the ideas behind "Are You Still Somewhere?", and provided inspiration for her own compositions.

Over three hours of calming music to create the perfect atmosphere for mindfulness. Remove all distractions and journey into the spirit of sound. With pieces by Ludovico Einaudi, Erik Satie, Michael Nyman, Claude Debussy, Ola Gjeilo, Eric Whitacre, John Tavener, Gustav Holst, Ólafur Arnalds and many more, this album will help you relax, meditate and focus in the frantic world we live in. Open yourself to the physical and emotional experience of listening. Each CD has been carefully curated for moments of profound reflection, sensitivity and spirituality. This stunning collection of popular piano, choral splendour and celestial contemporary works is perfect for those simply looking for a moment of tranquillity to escape from the pressures of the day.

Kiasmos, the duo of Icelandic composer Ólafur Arnalds and Faroese musician Janus Rasmussen, announce details of their long-awaited second album II, set for release on July 5th.

An album the majority of whose contents consists of harp arrangements of music by Philip Glass might seem a bit arcane for a major label, but it seems that Sony knows what it is doing here. The Glass Effect double album is one of those releases that succeed on two different levels, an explicit one and one that, although not mentioned, is perhaps even more important. The former level here is the one denoted by the title, as Meijer picks up the rather neglected theme of Philip Glass' influence by offering, on disc two, a group of works by younger composers who follow Glass in varying degrees but who, it's safe to say, wouldn't have the styles they do without Glass having gone before. Much of the album consists of arrangements by Meijer herself, and these include, at the end, a remix of music from Koyaanisqatsi that's delightful and would be spoiled by description. But there's also solo harp music: sample the Suite for Harp by progressive rock musician Bryce Dessner, who certainly seems to have absorbed Glass' style far enough to make it his own.

More than the compilation series, more than the lovingly organised events, more than the radio shows: "Le Café Abstrait" is a philosophy of lifestyle: relaxed and culturally open-minded.
It was "Le Café Abstrait" and its mastermind, Raphaël Marionneau, who pioneered chill-out culture at Hamburg's internationally renown Mojo club in 1996: "Le Café Abstrait" reinvented nightclubbing in a new relaxing way. Once a month, stylish sofa installations and light projections transformed Mojo's dancefloor into a gigantic living room. There, up to 400 laid-back nightlife connoisseurs indulged in relaxation and Raphaël Marionneau's very special downtempo music selections. A new lifestyle was born: the couch culture…