“You Are Here” is the debut solo album of film composer Atli Örvarsson. After a fifteen-year stint working and living in Los Angeles, Atli returned with family to his native Iceland. He took up residence in his hometown of Akureyri. From his studio window, Atli can witness the natural drama unfold along Iceland’s longest fjord, Eyjafjörður. It is here he places inspiration for music that contemplates place, time, and relationships through full-bodied strings and pressed keys.

Returning home brought Atli a strong urge to create You Are Here. The initial track “Flying” arrived with urgency, when friend and fellow composer Jóhann Jóhannsson passed away in 2018. It was February, and snow buntings flitted past Atli’s studio window as he composed. Partnering measured piano with a bittersweet swell of strings, “Flying” is an uplifting tribute to Jóhann’s memory.

“Flying” propelled the subsequent assembly of tracks on You Are Here. Spacious and air-light, “Húm pt. 1” warms up the listener through tonal ascent for the album’s uplift. “Húm pt. 2” expands on its melodic counterpart with rhythmic anticipation, string plucks, and zither picks. With “Dropar,” rain thrummed against the window as Atli began this track, resulting in a bevy of prepared piano texture and breathy cello.

“You Are Here” features a divine partnership between Atli and Sinfonia Nord. Gyða Valtýsdóttir gifted “Dropar” while Viktor Orri Árnason played violin on “Solid Ground”.