Kiasmos

Icelandic electronic duo Kiasmos unites composer and producer Ólafur Arnalds with Janus Rasmussen of Bloodgroup, shaping measured, melody-driven techno that weaves in strands of modern classical and ambient sound. The pair titles nearly every track with a past-tense verb. Their initial appearance came via the 2009 split EP 65/Milo alongside Rival Consoles. The self-titled full-length arrived in 2014, presenting cinematic minimal techno laced with orchestral touches while the duo built a reputation as a reliable live draw. After additional EPs, among them 2017’s Blurred, they returned in 2024 with the more expansive and detailed second album II.

Rasmussen, who hails from the Faroe Islands, first crossed paths with Arnalds when the Icelandic musician engineered sessions for Rasmussen’s electro-pop outfit Bloodgroup. The two began trading ideas for techno, and Kiasmos soon joined the Erased Tapes roster already home to Arnalds’ solo neo-classical and post-rock recordings. After the 2012 EP Thrown, which carried remixes by FaltyDL and 65daysofstatic, the 2014 debut album Kiasmos appeared, followed in 2015 by a single edit of the track “Looped.” Further EPs Swept (2015) and Blurred (2017) bracketed remixes the duo supplied for Sasha, Tale of Us, Tom Walker featuring Zara Larsson, and additional artists. Work on the follow-up involved extended sessions in Bali that captured field recordings and gamelan percussion. Released in 2024, II emerged as a more richly orchestrated and panoramic statement than earlier Kiasmos material.