Árstíðir | Ró
Árstíðir’s “Ró” - the instrumental that taught Iceland’s vocal harmony masters when silence speaks louder than words. How a crowdfunded album created this breathtaking guitar and violin meditation.
Story Behind “Ró”
When Words Would Only Get in the Way
Here’s the thing about Árstíðir: they built their entire reputation on vocal harmonies. Three voices blending into something transcendent, turning train stations into cathedrals. That 2013 viral video of “Heyr himna smiður” in a German train station? Pure vocal magic.
So when they sat down to record their third album Hvel in summer 2014, creating an instrumental track must have felt like abandoning their signature move. But “Ró”—which translates to “calm” or “quiet” in Icelandic—proves that sometimes the most powerful statement is the one you don’t sing.
The track emerged during sessions at Reykjavík’s Orgelsmiðjan and Toppstöðin studios, the latter a converted power plant that operated from 1948 to 1969. Working with producer Styrmir Hauksson, who’d previously engineered for Ólafur Arnalds and worked with Of Monsters and Men, Árstíðir stripped everything down to acoustic guitar and violin. No vocals. No electronics. Just two instruments having a conversation about tranquility.
The Kickstarter Album That Changed Everything
Hvel wasn’t backed by a major label. In 2014, Árstíðir launched a Kickstarter campaign asking for $20,000. They raised $70,000—tripling their goal. Backers received everything from copies of the album to hand-knit Icelandic sweaters to vials of volcanic ash from the Eyjafjallajökull eruption.
That crowdfunding success gave the band complete creative freedom. No label executives pushing for more vocals. No pressure to replicate the viral train station moment. They could experiment with synths, electric violin, string orchestras, and yes, instrumental pieces that trusted listeners to find meaning in melody alone.
“Ró” sits as track seven on Hvel, arriving after the album has established its atmospheric credentials. By this point, you’re ready for it—this moment of pure instrumental meditation that lets the guitars and strings speak what words couldn’t capture anyway.
“Ró” Recording and Production Details
Styrmir Hauksson and the Organic Revolution
Producer Styrmir Hauksson approached Hvel with what the band described as a “fresh new combination of electronic and organic inspiration.” For “Ró” specifically, the production philosophy leaned entirely toward the organic side—acoustic instruments captured with crystalline clarity in studios known for their natural reverb.
Toppstöðin, one of the recording locations, provided the perfect environment for capturing intimate acoustic performances. The converted power plant’s industrial architecture created natural acoustics that gave “Ró” its sense of space without artificial reverb.
Hauksson’s engineering on the track emphasizes the interplay between acoustic guitar and violin. Each note rings clear, each string resonates fully. The mixing allows both instruments equal prominence—neither dominates, both converse.
The Minimalist Approach to Maximum Impact
“Ró” runs 4:33, and every second serves the composition. The acoustic guitar establishes a fingerpicked pattern that creates both rhythm and melody. The violin enters not as accompaniment but as equal partner, weaving melodic lines that complement and challenge the guitar’s foundation.
What makes the production remarkable is what’s absent. No drums. No bass. No vocal harmonies. No electronic flourishes that appeared elsewhere on Hvel. Just two acoustic instruments and the space between their notes. That negative space—that “ró”—becomes as important as the music itself.
Glenn Schick mastered the album, preserving the dynamic range that makes “Ró” feel alive and breathing rather than compressed into loudness. You can hear fingers on strings, the resonance of wood, the breath between phrases.
Notes About “Ró” by Árstíðir
Release Date: August 14, 2015 (album release)
Duration: 4:33
Genre: Chamber Folk / Instrumental / Nordic Folk / Ambient
Album: Hvel (3rd studio album, track 7 of 12)
Producer: Styrmir Hauksson
Recording Studios: Orgelsmiðjan and Toppstöðin, Reykjavík
Mastering: Glenn Schick
Label: Nivalis (self-released)
Funding: Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign
Total Album Playing Time: 44:59
Árstíðir “Ró” Era Band Details
Album Details
Album: Hvel (translates as “Spheres”)
Release Date: August 14, 2015 (Kickstarter backers received early access)
Label: Nivalis (band’s own independent label)
Producer: Styrmir Hauksson
Recording Studios: Orgelsmiðjan and Toppstöðin, Reykjavík, Iceland
Mastering: Glenn Schick
Mix Engineer: Styrmir Hauksson
Album Concept: Crowdfunded evolution incorporating electronic and organic elements
Critical Reception: Described as “stunning album, beautifully written and arranged, with a real magical quality”
Format Availability: Digital, CD (2-panel Digipak), Vinyl
Band Members/Personnel
Daníel Auðunsson - Acoustic guitar, vocals (on other tracks)
Gunnar Már Jakobsson - Baritone guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals (on other tracks)
Ragnar Ólafsson - Piano, keyboards, vocals (on other tracks)
Karl James Pestka - Violin, viola, electronics (departed band in 2016)
Styrmir Hauksson - Producer, engineer, mixer
Glenn Schick - Mastering engineer
Vladimír Půlpána - Cover artwork
Production Notes
Third studio album following departure of cellist Jónas Jensson and pianist Jón Elísson in late 2013
First album to incorporate synths, electric violin, string orchestra arrangements, and live drums
Kickstarter campaign in 2014 raised $70,000 against $20,000 goal
Backers received rewards including hand-knit Icelandic sweaters and volcanic ash vials
Recorded summer 2014 at Reykjavík’s renowned studios
Followed band’s viral train station video of “Heyr himna smiður” (4+ million views)
Led to first U.S. coast-to-coast tour in 2015
Reissued in 2018 by Season of Mist
Hvel marked significant stylistic evolution from earlier chamber folk sound
Interesting Facts About “Ró”
The Track That Made Critics Weep
Music reviewer accounts of Hvel consistently single out “Ró” as the album’s emotional centerpiece. One Kickstarter backer wrote: “Ró means calm, quiet and that’s exactly how this song makes me feel: calm and at peace with the world. I could not pinpoint which part of the melody or which instrument makes the song, for me the beauty lies in the way they interact and form a complex picture that I do not want to take apart.”
That reaction captures exactly what Árstíðir achieved. In an album full of their trademark vocal harmonies—the very thing that made them famous—this instrumental track became the moment listeners remembered most. A music critic from Nordic Music Review described hearing the album for the first time: “’Ró’ is just a breathtaking track, acoustic guitar and the most astonishing and captivating Violin melody, which seems to take ‘Hvel’ to a different level altogether. I’m still reeling as ‘Cannon’ opens, and immediately have to go back and listen to ‘Ró’ once more before I feel I can continue.”
The track’s power lies in its restraint. Where many instrumental pieces try to compensate for absent vocals with technical complexity, “Ró” trusts simplicity. Guitar and violin, melody and space, sound and silence.
From Train Station to Tranquility
The contrast between Árstíðir’s viral moment and “Ró” reveals the band’s range. “Heyr himna smiður”—that train station video—was all about voices filling architectural space. Four million people watched three Icelandic musicians transform a German train platform into a medieval cathedral through a cappella harmony.
“Ró” takes the opposite approach. Instead of filling space with sound, it creates space within sound. The instrumental arrangement breathes. Notes hang in air before the next phrase arrives. It’s not about demonstrating virtuosity—though both guitar and violin work are technically accomplished—it’s about creating atmosphere.
That willingness to experiment, to strip away their defining characteristic, showed the creative freedom the Kickstarter model provided. No label would have greenlit an instrumental track from a band known for vocal harmonies. But 1,000+ crowdfunding backers trusted Árstíðir to follow their artistic vision wherever it led. “Ró” proved that trust well-placed.
Common Questions
Q: What does “Ró” mean in Icelandic? A: “Ró” translates to “calm” or “quiet” in Icelandic, perfectly capturing the track’s tranquil, meditative atmosphere. The title reflects the instrumental’s purpose—creating a moment of peace and stillness within the album’s emotional journey.
Q: Is “Ró” by Árstíðir instrumental? A: Yes, “Ró” is entirely instrumental, featuring only acoustic guitar and violin. This makes it unique in Árstíðir’s catalog, as the band built their reputation on intricate vocal harmonies. The absence of vocals allows the melody itself to communicate what words cannot.
Q: Who produced Árstíðir’s Hvel album? A: Styrmir Hauksson produced, engineered, and mixed Hvel, recording at Reykjavík’s Orgelsmiðjan and Toppstöðin studios in summer 2014. Hauksson previously worked with Ásgeir, Of Monsters and Men, and GusGus, bringing extensive experience with Iceland’s atmospheric indie sound.
Q: How was Árstíðir’s Hvel album funded? A: Hvel was entirely crowdfunded through Kickstarter in 2014. The campaign raised $70,000—more than triple the initial $20,000 goal—giving the band complete creative freedom to experiment with new sounds, including instrumental pieces like “Ró.”
Q: What instruments are featured on “Ró”? A: “Ró” features acoustic guitar and violin in an intimate duet arrangement. The minimalist production emphasizes the natural resonance of both instruments, with careful attention to the space and silence between notes.