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Johann Johannsson

A Prayer to the Dynamo

Deutsche Grammophon
Release Date: September 8, 2023

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Iceland Symphony Orchestra, Daniel Bjarnason, Paul Corley – A Prayer to the Dynamo – Part 1
Johann Johannsson - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)
Last And First Men - Teaser Trailer
1 Suite from The Theory of Everything I_ A Model of the Universe  
2 II_ Domestic Pressures  
3 III_ The Origins of Time  
4 IV_ Forces of Attraction  
5 V_ Cambridge, 1963  
6 A Prayer to the Dynamo Part 1  
7 A Prayer to the Dynamo Part 2  
8 A Prayer to the Dynamo Part 3  
9 A Prayer to the Dynamo Part 4  
10 Suite from Sicario I_ Target  
11 II_ Desert Music  
12 III_ Melancholia  
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Deutsche Grammophon is proud to release the world premiere recording of Jóhann Jóhannsson’s A Prayer to the Dynamo. This major orchestral work was inspired in general by the composer’s fascination with technology, and in particular by field recordings he made at Iceland’s Elliðaár power plant and the writings of Henry Adams. It is paired on this new album with two suites compiled and arranged by the composer from existing material drawn from his Academy Award-nominated scores for Sicario and The Theory of Everything, also recorded here for the first time. 

Daníel Bjarnason conducts the Iceland Symphony Orchestra in recordings made at the Harpa concert hall in Reykjavík. With booklet notes by renowned music writer and radio host John Schaefer, in conversation with Jóhannsson’s father, Jóhann Gunnarsson, A Prayer to the Dynamo will be released on CD, vinyl (2 LPs) and digitally on 15 September 2023. Three taster tracks will be shared over the summer: “A Model of the Universe” and “Forces of Attraction” (both from The Theory of Everything) on 30 June and 28 July respectively, with Part 1 of A Prayer to the Dynamo following on 25 August. 

A Prayer to the Dynamo was written in response to a commission from the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. It received its first, and so far only performance at the orchestra’s New Music Festival on 3 February 2012. As noted by the festival’s curator, composer Matthew Patton, it represented a turning-point in Jóhannsson’s career, having been written without any of the narrative constraints involved in composing for film. “He never wrote a piece for orchestra this big, this long, and with this much freedom.” This recording will turn a much-deserved spotlight on to a work Patton has described as a “lost symphony” and introduce it to audiences worldwide. 

  • ACME performs the music of Johann Johannsson at UG's Ramsey Concert Hall / UGA TODAY
    Posted At: February 2, 2024
    UGA TODAY's Mark Mobley writes…..On Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m., the American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME) will perform the music of Jóhann Jóhannsson presented by the Performing Arts Center at Ramsey Concert Hall.The Icelandic composer was most widely known for his Golden Globe Award-winning and Oscar-nominated film scores for “The Theory of Everything,” “Arrival” and “Sicario” but was equally adept in the c...

  • Johann Johannsson - Drone Mass makes NPR's 'Best Albums of 2022'
    Posted At: December 14, 2022
    A year like this one makes hand-wringing about the death of the album seem silly (if anything we should be concerned about the single). Musicians gave us experiences in 2022. Immersive, ambitious, focused, sprawling, explosive, swerving albums expressed their power in any number of ways: Vibes to make summer stretch on into the year's cold months. Bottomless layers of invention. History lessons that sparkle...

  • Johann Johannsson - Drone Mass makes 'NPR's 10 Best Classical Albums of 2022'
    Posted At: December 8, 2022
    The previously unrecorded Drone Mass was described by its composer, the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, as “a contemporary oratorio”. Written for voices, string quartet and electronics, it was commissioned and premiered by the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, aka ACME, who toured and recorded with Jóhannsson for almost ten years. Now they have made the world premiere recording of this richly atmospheric w...

  • 20 Things You Didn't Know About 'Arrival' / WhatCulture
    Posted At: November 28, 2022
    Take a deep dive into a captivating story of language, time and first contact.WhatCulture's DAVID NG'ETHE writes…Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of the short story ‘Story of Your Life’ by Ted Chiang is one of the filmmaker’s best cinematic efforts. Arrival features impressive visuals, an eerie yet beautiful score from the late Johann Johannsson, restrained yet impactful performances (especially from Amy Adams...

  • 'Drone Mass.' A posthumous masterpiece from Johann Johannsson / YourClassical
    Posted At: April 28, 2022
    Three years before his sudden death at age 48 in 2015, Jóhann Jóhannsson finished 'Drone Mass,' a kind of electroacoustic cantata for string quartet, voices and electronics which may be his finest work.The previously unrecorded Drone Mass was described by its composer, the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, as “a contemporary oratorio”. Written for voices, string quartet and electronics, it was commissioned and p...

  • Artists discuss what Johann Johannsson's powerful work means to them / GRAMOPHONE
    Posted At: March 24, 2022
    The previously unrecorded Drone Mass was described by its composer, the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, as “a contemporary oratorio”. Written for voices, string quartet and electronics, it was commissioned and premiered by the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, aka ACME, who toured and recorded with Jóhannsson for almost ten years. Now they have made the world premiere recording of this richly atmospheric w...

  • Paul Hillier on Johann Johannsson's 'Drone Mass' / GRAMOPHONE PODCAST
    Posted At: March 14, 2022
    The previously unrecorded Drone Mass was described by its composer, the late Jóhann Jóhannsson, as “a contemporary oratorio”. Written for voices, string quartet and electronics, it was commissioned and premiered by the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, aka ACME, who toured and recorded with Jóhannsson for almost ten years. Now they have made the world premiere recording of this richly atmospheric w...

  • 'Last and First Men,' directed by Johann Johannsson is a compelling exploration of the human existence / Morning Star
    Posted At: August 27, 2020

    SILENCE and darkness. From the void, a whisper of wind. Then we see distant hills beneath a vast layer of menacing grey cloud. An object begins to fill the sky - its ambiguous geometry suggests a colossal spacecraft. The sound segues into an eerie choral effect and a voice urges us to "listen patiently." Good advice, because Last and First Men is an unhurried and complex contemplation of loss, memory...

  • Johann Johannsson's final work is an extraordinary cinematic odyssey / The Film Stage
    Posted At: March 1, 2020

    If any film composer of the last decade defined the period best, it might've been Jóhann Jóhannsson, whose synthy, epic tones captured the turbulent, globalized environment of the new century. His work with Denis Villeneuve (Prisoners, Sicario) turned him into a Hollywood name, but the Icelandic instrumentalist was also a musician in his own right who toured the world and released his own r...

  • Take a look at Johann Johannsson's trailer for 'Last and First Men' and tell us you're not intrigued / Vanyaland
    Posted At: February 19, 2020

    One of the greatest losses to both avant-garde music and cinema in the past decade was the tragic death of Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. Known best for his score for Mandy and his work with Denis Villeneuve on films like Sicario and Arrival, Jóhannsson's work became quickly beloved by cinema-heads the world over, which made his passing at 48 even more bitter; he had a lot of ...

  • Johann Johannsson - Arrival makes THE WRAP '10 best film scores of the 2010s'
    Posted At: December 12, 2019

    Not all movie scores have the potency to stick with viewers long after the credits rolled. But a great film score not only stands out in our minds, it can bring back the emotions we felt during a particular scene. We can relive the thrill of danger or adventure, tears can well up in our eyes over romantic or mournful notes. Without looking, some scores can even conjure up images from the movie, clear and...

  • Max Richter, Johann Johannsson & VOCES8 on this week's 'Hearts of Space'
    Posted At: March 1, 2019

    Syndicated HEARTS OF SPACE is heard on over 200 National Public Radio stations. Estimated audience: 200,000 listeners / week. HOS is the #2 contemporary Music program on public radio in station carriage, and is in the Top 20 list of all syndicated programs. Stephen Hill - Producer, Steve Davis - Associate Producer. For the week of: March 1, 2019, HOS presents: PGM 1207 : "A FRAGILE BEAUTY" ambi...

  • Remembering the vivid movie scores of Johann Johannsson / DAZED
    Posted At: February 23, 2019

    A year on from his death, DAZED speaks to those close to the Icelandic composer about his innovative soundtracks for films like Arrival, mother!, and Mandy Jóhann Jóhannsson came of age in the Reykjavik scene of the 1980s, trying his hand at shoegaze (Daisy Hill Puppy Farm) and metal (Ham) before co-founding Kitchen Motors, a musical blurring boundaries between the rock, jazz and classi...

  • KEXP releases footage of tribute concerts for Johann Johannsson / Guide to Iceland Now
    Posted At: February 4, 2019

    The late Jóhann Jóhannsson will not be forgotten. In February of 2018, Iceland mourned the sudden loss of one of their most cherished neo-classical composers and songwriters. At only 48-years of age, he was found deceased in his Berlin residence from what would later be determined as an accidental overdose. Jóhannsson was prolific in his creative outpourings both internationally and ...

  • Multiple Johann Johannsson movie scores are among top contenders at World Soundtrack Awards / Film School Rejects
    Posted At: August 16, 2018

    The annual World Soundtrack Awards may not garner as much attention as higher profile events like the Oscars, but they have an important purpose. Their goal - and the goal of the institution behind the awards, The World Soundtrack Academy - is to honor an often forgotten component of film. Music sets the tone and atmosphere of a movie and can even help alter an audience's entire viewing experience. Motio...

  • Johann Johannsson's posthumous horror soundtrack, now set for release / SPIN
    Posted At: July 15, 2018

    Jóhann Jóhannsson passed away earlier this year, but the Icelandic composer lives on in a series of recordings now being released posthumously. Just before his death in February, Jóhannsson composed the score for the upcoming horror film Mandy, and now Lakeshore Records (the label behind the Stranger Things soundtrack) and Invada Records (the label founded by Portishead's Geoff Barro...

  • Scores that unintentionally, now serve as a coda to Johann Johannsson's life / Synchrotones Soundtrack Review
    Posted At: May 22, 2018

    Jóhann Jóhannsson left this world too soon. He was born in Reykjavik in 1969 and died earlier this year in Berlin. His legacy includes a short, but impressive list of film scores such as the Golden Globe-winning Theory Of Everything, Sicario, Arrival and Prisoners. He was initially set to score Blade Runner 2049 for frequent collaborator Denis Villeneuve, but they amicably departed as ...

  • Johann Johannsson's award-winning score for 'The Theory of Everything' is to be reissued on vinyl / The Quietus
    Posted At: March 28, 2018

    Jóhann Jóhannsson's score for the 2014 film The Theory of Everything is to be reissued on vinyl next month. It's the latest in a series of reissues of work by the Icelandic composer who passed away in February, following on from the reissue of his debut album, Englabörn, this month. The score was recorded at Abbey Road Studios and featured in the film which portrayed the relati...

  • Johann Johannsson's multiple layered kaleidoscopes on Englaborn & Variations / Norfolk Daily News
    Posted At: March 22, 2018

    "Englaborn" was Icelandic composer Johann Johannsson's debut album, first issued in 2002. Best known for his soundtracks, Johannsson received Oscar nominations for "The Theory of Everything" and "Sicario." Shortly before his unexpected death on Feb. 9, he completed a series of reworkings of "Englaborn" tracks. Some he performed himself, while others were covered by musicians like stunning vocal ensemble ...

  • Johann Johannsson gets multiple entries on this week's CLASSIC fM chart
    Posted At: February 19, 2018

    Jóhann Jóhannsson, the Oscar-nominated Icelandic composer of movie soundtracks including The Theory Of Everything, Arrival and Sicario, who was found dead in his apartment in Berlin last weekend, has two entries in the Classic FM Chart. The first is a re-entry of his album Orphee at no. 5, and his most recent work, the soundtrack for The Mercy, enters the chart at no. 26. In the rest of...

  • Johann Johannsson KEXP perf. makes npr - favorite sessions
    Posted At: February 12, 2018

    "I don't like to use the [verb] 'perfect,' " Jóhann Jóhannsson told KEXP: Seattle - Kevin Cole during his visit to the Seattle member station last summer, where he played selections from his 2016 album, Orphée, an interpretation of the Orpheus myth. "It's just finished when it needs to be finished." In speaking with Cole, or in performance at venues as grand as th...

  • Remembering Johann Johannsson / musicOMH
    Posted At: February 11, 2018

    The work of Jóhann Jóhannsson was richly emotive and deeply human in its approach, drawing vivid parallels between mankind and the world we inhabit. It's a claim not many artists can make. The Icelander's death at the unjustly young age of 48 comes as a shock on many levels. He had been releasing music for over 15 years. The early focus was on concepts; his ambition immediately made...

  • For Blade Runner 2049, Johann Johannsson's score pays homage to Vangelis' original / POP DUST
    Posted At: July 18, 2017

    A new trailer for " Blade Runner 2049" has dropped over 2 months after the first preview was released. "Good Morning America" debuted the extended look at the long-awaited sequel Monday morning. While the first trailer introduced us to Ryan Gosling's character, LAPD Blade Runner, Officer K, this new clip reveals more about Harrison Ford's character, who says that he and his fellow Blade Runners w...

  • Johann Johannson debuts new multimedia work at MIF / Manchester Evening News
    Posted At: July 9, 2017

    Jóhann Jóhannsson has created a huge body of work over his career. He is a composer, solo artist and film maker and has received countless awards nominations including two Oscar nods for best soundtrack (Theory of Everything and Sicario). As part of 2017's MIF, he presented the world premiere of Last and First Men. Billed as an extraordinary new multimedia work - Last and First Men is based...

  • Johann Johannsson set for LA Phil - Reykjavik Festival / CRAVE Q&A
    Posted At: April 8, 2017

    When you think of music capitals of the world you envision London, Austin, Berlin, Vienna. Reykjavik may not be the first city that pops in your head, but it's slowly working itself into the conversation. Iceland's capital city has a rich history in music, from Viking folks songs that date back to the 14th century to the 21st Century art-pop of Bjork. The Los Angeles Philharmonic is doing its par...

  • Johann Johannsson - Arrival makes 'celebritycafe top 10 soundtracks for 2016'
    Posted At: December 28, 2016

    2016 was another great year for movies. We explored the Pacific with Moana, got weird with Deadpool, teared up to Me Before You and met some new aliens in Arrival. As is always the case, none of these adventures would have been as rich or fulfilling without the immense skill of each music team. Composers, musicians, singers, music directors and songwriters make these movies what ...

  • Johann Johansson scores Blade Runner 2049 / Ice News
    Posted At: December 22, 2016

    The newly released trailer for Blade Runner 2049 saw the light of day this week. The movie is awaited with great anticipation, it features Ryan Gosling in the leading role and none other than Harrison Ford who also played the leading role in the first film, released in 1982 and is by many considered one of the top films in history. Icelandic composer, Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Johann Johansso...

  • Johann Johannsson score for 'Arrival' gets '2017 Golden Globe Nomination' / Brooklyn Vegan
    Posted At: December 13, 2016

    The Hollywood Foreign Press has just announced nominees for the 2017 Golden Globe Awards. La La Land, Moonlight and Manchester by The Sea were tops in most nomimations on the film side, and Stranger Things, Westworld, The People Vs. OJ Simpson, and Donald Glover's Atlanta all picked up multiple nods on the television side. On the musical side, Iggy Pop & Danger Mouse‘s theme song to Matthew...

  • Johann Johannsson uses theme of communication between humans & extraterrestrials for 'Arrival' soundtrack / Variety
    Posted At: December 2, 2016

    There are many classic science-fiction scores, from the all-electronic "Forbidden Planet" to the all-classical "2001: A Space Odyssey." So the challenge for today's film composer working in the sci-fi genre is to find a fresh approach. For "Arrival," Iceland-born, Berlin-based Johann Johannsson used the film's theme of communication between humans and extraterrestrial visitors as his starting point, with...

  • Johann Johannsson on composing for Blade Runner 2049 & Arrival / iNews
    Posted At: December 1, 2016

    Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson has a diverse portfolio. His music has soundtracked the war on drugs in Mexico, the early life of Stephen Hawking and, most recently, a mysterious alien invasion. This versatility perhaps derives from his "schizophrenic" music taste: "It goes from black metal to early electronic music from the 1950s." Next up for the composer – who is currently pre...

  • Johann Johannsson - 'People are hungry for new sounds' / theguardian
    Posted At: November 26, 2016

    Whether it's a John Carpenter classic or Jonny Greenwood's experimental modernism, the film soundtrack is becoming ever more popular as a standalone listen. Contemporary Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson reckons that's because "people are hungry for new sounds, and for the experience of listening to unfamiliar music that you don't hear on commercials and in every TV show". He should know...

  • Johann Johannsson on 'Arrival' score / Vulture - Song Exploder podcast
    Posted At: November 18, 2016

    This fall, Vulture is partnering with the podcast Song Exploder for a series of episodes on the most interesting film scores of the year. Here, host Hrishikesh Hirway interviews Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson about the music of Arrival, his third collaboration with director Denis Villeneuve. (His fourth, the Blade Runner sequel, is coming in 2017.) Jóhannsson was nominated twic...

  • Johann Johannsson talks about 'Arrival' soundtrack with NPR - All Things Considered
    Posted At: November 13, 2016

    Icelandic composer Johann Johannsson talks about how he scored the science fiction movie Arrival with inspiration from the movie's images.   LISTEN TO All Things Considered SEGMENT.    Here's the Transcript MICHEL MARTIN, HOST: "Arrival" has arrived. In the sci-fi mystery film, Amy Adams plays a linguist hired by the government to try and decipher the language of a...

  • Johann Johannsson Q&A's with 'Den of Geek' about new Arrival score
    Posted At: November 12, 2016

    Arrival might be one of the most thought-provoking science fiction films released in the last few years. And given how many recent, smart films there have been in that genre, this is saying something. Indeed, the film deals with hefty concepts like linguistic relativity, as well as the challenges that might exist if we actually attempted to communicate with aliens on Earth-or know why they're here. B...

  • Billboard exclusive premiere of 'Heptapod B' from Johann Johannsson's 'Arrival' soundtrack
    Posted At: November 10, 2016

    With major motion picture soundtracks like The Theory of Everything under his belt, Academy Award-nominated composer Johann Johannsson is back with "Heptapod B," a song from his next film project. The song will be featured in the new sci-fi movie Arrival, starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner, and it's premiering exclusively on Billboard. "'Heptapod B' is featured in a montage sequence which d...

  • Johann Johannsson Q&A with Film Music Magazine
    Posted At: November 6, 2016

    Maybe it's something in the water in Iceland that's produced an invasion of mournfully beautiful and stylistically innovative musicians, each setting out to revolutionize the word with a tonal language of ear-opening, futuristic art. In much the same way that Bjork has caught the world's attention with her mind blowing take on pop, Johann Johannson has been terraforming a sometimes typical landscape of f...
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