Icelandic composer Gabríel Ólafs’ new album Polar is a work of speculative fiction in musical form. Polar provides the soundtrack to a frozen world. A world of towering mountain ranges, desolate tundra, forbidding oceans, and the monolithic remnants of a lost civilization...

Polar, by Icelandic composer Gabríel Ólafs is a 12 track (39 min, 22 sec) classical album which the artist has intricately woven around an intriguing narrative. The music acts as a sort of soundtrack to a fictional tale of exploration.

Whilst the story is intriguing and certainly helps to set the scene, it's not overly important that you are versed in it, as the pieces stand as a work in their own right. This is a classical music release with a lot of heart and soul. It uses familiar sounds, like the church organ and harp, of the past to thrust us into a futuristic setting.

It's impressive how a feeling of isolation in space is instantly conjured up, with the church organ as the focus instrument, on the opening 'Entrance'. Likewise, 'Whale Overture' subtly uses the orchestra to conjure up low key images of an ocean full of whale song.

It's little touches like this that make for an intriguing listen. The album is packed full of melancholic themes and reflective moments. The entire collection is perfectly layered to bring forth a strong emotional response in the listener. Overall, a moving collection of original compositions which are as timeless as they are current.

9

Darren Rea