Song of the Day: Kiasmos - Looped

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. This week, we’re presenting songs by artists performing at the 2014 Iceland Airwaves Festival. Today’s song is “Looped” by Kiasmos from the 2014 self-titled album on Erased Tapes.

Kiasmos - Looped (MP3)

Kiasmos sounds like nothing that either band member has done before, but that was the point. Ólafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen have been friends for years (and before his own career took off, Arnalds was a sound engineer for Rasmussen's band, Bloodgroup). While the two Icelanders had developed diverging sounds, together they share their love for experimental electronic music. Kiasmos's self-titled debut, out last month on Erased Tapes, is both earthy and ethereal, featuring organic sounds expressed digitally, through bass heavy downtempo beats, minimal orchestral melodies and grainy ambient textures. Today's featured song, "Looped", is a gorgeous presentation of all of those elements in a head-noddingly chill six-minute stretch – just a sample of the fully flowing album best heard in its entirety.

You'll be able to hear more of Kiasmos' debut tomorrow, as they will be performing live on KEXP’s 2014 Iceland Airwaves broadcast on Wednesday, November 5th, at 06:00AM PST/ 09:00AM EST live on air and streaming video at KEXP.ORG. Keep up with Kiasmos at their website and Facebook, and below, watch the official visual video for the Kiasmos track "Burnt":