King of the Mountains

King of the Mountains directed by Arnar Þórisson, is set in the South of Iceland close to Landmannalaugar. In spring the Icelandic sheep are let loose and get to roam around freely in the highlands during summer. In autumn they are brought back home before winter hits. In this documentary we are adorned with cinematic views of the highland in the South, as we follow the incredible process of searching for and rounding up the wandering sheep.

Searching for lost sheep on mountain tops is no ordinary undertaking and requires a big search party, covering a vast area on foot, horseback and using vehicles and drones. For decades this operation has been led by the same man: The King of the Mountains.

Just like the film, I wanted the score to feel like a rough ride through a world of natural beauty. To find the right sound for that I created my own little search party of incredible musicians who performed on the recording including theremin by Hekla, strings by Karl James Petska and Þórdís Gerður Jónsdóttir, guitar and lap steel work by Ómar Guðjónsson, harp by Katie Buckley, bass by Óttar Sæmundsen and drums by Magnús Trygvason Eliassen.