On Location: The Icelandic Conductor Behind Rosalia's 'Lux'

"With lyrics in 13 languages across 18 tracks and nods to musical traditions spanning everything from flamenco to opera, Spanish pop star Rosalía's new album, 'Lux,' is an aural feast. Since its November 7 release, critics and reviewers have debated: Is it a pop album? A contemporary classical album? Both? Neither? But what everyone can agree on is that its blend of global influences and reference points is unique."

"The team behind the project is notably international as well: Icelandic Björk and American Yves Tumor joined the album's first single "Berghain" while Yahritza Y Su Esencia, known for making regional Mexican music out of Washington state, and fado singer Carminho, appear on "La Perla" and "Mémoria" respectively. The renowned London Symphony Orchestra creates the backbone of it all, with none other than Icelandic conductor and composer Daníel Bjarnason at their helm."

""It was a happy coincidence that I ended up working on this project," says Bjarnason, whose classical background and past work with artists like Sigur Rós makes him well positioned to straddle the many genres of 'Lux.' "I come from classical music, but I've worked in pop and electronic music and even jazz, so it's easy for me to move from one world to the next.""

Lux features lyrics in 13 languages across 18 tracks and draws on musical traditions from flamenco to opera, creating a genre-blurring sound. The project includes international collaborators such as Björk, Yves Tumor, Yahritza Y Su Esencia and fado singer Carminho, with the London Symphony Orchestra providing orchestral foundation. Icelandic conductor and composer Daníel Bjarnason led the orchestral sessions and brought a background spanning classical, pop, electronic and jazz. The album was recorded in London in about a week with intensive studio collaboration, and Rosalía took a very hands-on role in the process.

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