Kiasmos announce reimagined version of second album, II Reworked

II was first released by the pair in 2024. Working with executive producer Robert Raths, Arnalds and Ramussen have invited five artists to completely reimagine the tracks, including composer Alex Somers, producers/multi-instrumentalist duo Rachika Nayar and Nina Keith (aka Disiniblud), and fellow Icelandic composer duo Kjartan Holm and Sin Fang. II Reworked will receive a physical release on CD and vinyl on 3 July, with the digital release to follow on 7 August.

Speaking about the album, Arnalds and Ramussen say, “There are so many layers within this music, and we were curious to see what might emerge when other artists shone a light on them. Bringing together this dream team felt very special. It was fascinating to discover what each artist connected with and what rose to the surface through their perspective.”

Each artist had their own unique approach to how they would revamp the songs, with Somer using analogue studio equipment, detuned piano and strings, Nayar and Keith using electronic experimentation, and Holm and Sin Fang bringing in more ambient, drone-forward sounds. They've also picked visual artists to expand on each song, with contributions from Japanese video artist and musician Takagi Masakatsu, who has created his first images in almost ten years, Portland-based artist Jayden Becker, who made stop-motion visuals for Nayar & Keith's five reworks, and Icelandic filmmaker Kjartan Trauner, who utilises raw VHS footage to show life in inner city Reykjavík.

“We're thrilled to see what everyone has come up with and how emotive the reworks become when set to video," Arnalds and Ramussen say of the full concept. "It now feels like a marriage between music and visuals, with both complementing each other perfectly."

II Reworked artwork

II Reworked tracklist

"Grown (Alex Somers Rework)"
"Burst (Rachika Nayar & Nina Keith Rework)"
"Sailed (Rachika Nayar & Nina Keith Rework)"
"Laced (Rachika Nayar & Nina Keith Rework)"
"Bound (Alex Somers Rework)"
"Sworn (Alex Somers Rework)"
"Spun (Kjartan Holm & Sin Fang Rework)"
"Flown (Rachika Nayar & Nina Keith Rework)"
"Told (Kjartan Holm & Sin Fang Rework)"
"Dazed (Rachika Nayar & Nina Keith Rework)"
"Squared (Kjartan Holm & Sin Fang Rework)"