"for once, instruments don’t need to evolve in order to make a difference, this being ólafur’s major accomplishment – the bare simplicity of music in its wholeness becomes unrelenting. the universe would most definitely crumble, should all musicians rely on transmitting sheer passion without a solid compositional ground. impressively enough, iceland’s boy wonder manages to steer clear of that and delivers an utterly complex piece. from its inception to the very last second, variations of static explores basic human perceptions, the changing qualities of the most common sounds, and raw sensations, musically recreating scraps of an imaginary impressionist painting. under the siege of strings, the world slowly becomes a skinless place, like a wide steppe safely pinned to the big bones of separation."
- the silent ballet
- the silent ballet
