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The complete Ólafur Arnalds collection
Step into the unique sonic world of GRAMMY-nominated and BAFTA-winning composer and producer, Ólafur Arnalds. The collection brings together five stunning libraries that showcase the Icelandic artist’s unique vision and methods, bridging the gap between orchestral and progressive; organic and electronic.
Featuring a diverse palette of sounds, from the generative piano polyrhythms of Stratus and evolving textures of Cells to the iconic felt piano of Composer Toolkit, these instruments include Ólafur’s signature sounds and techniques designed to inspire. Whether you are scoring a Scandi Noir drama or adding organic depth to Kiasmos-inspired minimal techno, this collection gives you the tools to create sophisticated, emotional music with speed and nuance.
Complete your bundle
Bundle
- Kontakt Player included, free download
- Some products are compatible with NKS
-
Spitfire Audio App required
What's included
Listen to Ólafur Arnalds the Collection
Solstice - Oliver Patrice Weder
Soft Entrance - Biggi Hilmars
Remember The Snow - Homay Schmitz
Diogenes - Louis Rugg
Evolutionary Trail - Oliver Patrice Weder
Procedural Stratagem - Paul Thomson
Grace - Ólafur Arnalds
Selects: The Ólafur Collection
Writing Modern Trailer Music
Cells
Cells is a generative harmonic engine that bridges the gap between the organic fragility of the SinfoniaNord orchestra and the grit of Ólafur’s vintage Korg and Juno synthesisers. At its core, the intelligent Scale Mode algorithm transforms simple triads into evolving, aleatoric textures. It doesn't just loop; it listens. The engine generates polyphonic swarms and harmonic shifts that lock strictly to your key, emulating the intuitive response of live players reacting in a room. From granular warmth to cinematic swells, this is deterministic chaos, unpredictable inspiration, and the call-and-response feel of playing in the room with real players.
Chamber Evolutions
Widescreen emotion that breathes. This is the definitive "Scandi" sound, captured at AIR Studios with a specialized 4,3,3,3,3 chamber ensemble (Violin I + II, Viola, Cello, Double Bass), led by Viktor Orri Árnason. Far from static samples, this library’s core innovation is the Waves articulation. Unlike a standard sustain, these notes follow a pre-recorded dynamic arc—swelling from silence, blooming, and fading back to nothing. This removes the need for mechanical fader riding; you simply play a chord, and the ensemble breathes together, creating sophisticated, self-evolving phrases that feel impossible to programme. Paired with the Evo Grid, which pegs evolving, granular textures to specific ranges of the keyboard, this is an instrument of fragility and movement. It delivers the specific, haunting intimacy of Broadchurch out of the box..
Composer Toolkit
The sonic bedrock of the "Scandi Noir" modern scoring aesthetic. Recorded in Ólafur’s Reykjavik studio, this is the definitive Felt Piano – an antique 1904 Bechstein Grand prepared to dampen the attack and highlight the mechanical, breathing resonance of the instrument. Captured with extreme intimacy using vintage KM84s and Coles ribbon mics, the signal is pushed through a chain of Pultec EQs and an 1178 compressor, delivering a sound so quiet and close it feels like the player is in the room. Beyond the keys, the library expands into a curated suite of Ólafur’s analogue synths and textural warps processed through a Roland Space Echo - a masterclass in texture, offering the granular, organic warmth required to ground any modern production.
Stratus
The Polyrhythmic Ghost. While Composer Toolkit provides the foundation, Stratus provides the motion. Born from necessity after a hand injury, this dedicated rhythm engine hallucinates complex, polyrhythmic patterns from simple input. You play a chord; Stratus distributes the notes across two self-playing Yamaha DU1E3 pianos, scattering them through an 8x8 matrix of loops, swells, and granular textures. The result is a washing, organic wall of sound that constantly shifts and evolves, never repeating exactly the same way twice. Whether you need driving momentum or the absent-minded beauty of a cloud formation, Stratus transforms static harmony into kinetic motion.
Evolutions
The Frozen Quartet. Our first collaboration with Ólafur: this is the dry, granular counterpart to the widescreen Chamber Evolutions. Recorded in the acoustics of Vox-Ton Studios, Berlin, it features a hand-picked quartet capturing the fragile, motionless intensity that defined the Broadchurch score. The engine is the Evo Grid. Inspired by the EMS VCS3 synthesiser, it allows you to peg different evolving textures to different ranges of the keyboard. Unlike standard samples that loop statically, these recordings mutate subtly over time: bow pressure changes, harmonics shift, and the timbre "freezes" and thaws. It creates a custom instrument that generates infinite, non-repetitive textures from a single chord. The sound of silence being broken.
The story behind Ólafur
Stratus
Composer Toolkit
Chamber Evolutions
Evolutions
FAQs
What is a bundle?
A bundle is a cost-effective way to purchase a curated selection of libraries at a discounted rate.
What's the difference between Ólafur Arnalds Evolutions and Ólafur Arnalds Chamber Evolutions?
Ólafur Arnalds Evolutions features a hand-picked string quartet, capturing the fragile, motionless intensity that defined the Broadchurch score. These samples are laid out in our ‘Evo Grid’, allowing you to peg different evolving textures to specific ranges of the keyboard.
Ólafur Arnalds Chamber Evolutions features a Chamber Orchestra recorded at AIR Studios. It introduces two new concepts - “feathering” and “waves”. Have a look at Paul’s walkthrough video to find out more.
Are Ólafur Arnalds Toolkit and Evolutions now available in Kontakt Player?
Yes, these libraries are part of our Kontakt Player range (free version). This also means you can now see them in the Library Browser window alongside the other libraries in the Olafur Collection.
You can download Native Access here to install Kontakt Player (free version):
https://www.native-instruments.com/en/specials/native-access/
If you are struggling to install these libraries, please see this article: How do I install a Kontakt Player library?