Release Date: August 31,2026
Akron Soul Train Artist in Residence Óskar Þór Arngrímsson Releases Fjöður, a Sonic Portrait of Akron
New album built from Akron field recordings debuts September 3; free live performance scheduled for September 23 at the McDonough Museum of Art
AKRON, Ohio — Akron Soul Train is proud to announce the release of Fjöður, a new album by 2026 Artist in Residence Óskar Þór Arngrímsson, performing under the artist name Ótal. Officially releasing September 3, 2026, the album is the culmination of Arngrímsson's residency project.
Built from field recordings gathered throughout Akron, Fjöður weaves together the sounds of water, wildlife, wind, plants, trains, and industrial machinery. Layered with modular synthesis and electronic instrumentation, the recordings become slowly evolving compositions that reveal the often-overlooked relationship between Akron's natural and industrial environments.
"During the recording process, I became increasingly aware of a deeper presence within the environment—something ancient that seemed to remain beneath the roads, factories, railways, rivers, and vegetation," Arngrímsson explains. "Fjöður explores this sensation through sound, memory, and transformation, searching for the unseen qualities that can be felt within a place."
Created using a Buchla 200, Oberheim OB-6, Make Noise Modular System, and extensive field recordings, the album reflects Arngrímsson's continued exploration of place-based composition and the emotional landscapes that exist beyond language.
Originally from Iceland and now based in Akron, Arngrímsson creates music under the name Ótal, an Icelandic word meaning "a large unknown number," "a myriad". His work embraces these ideas, using sound to explore the indescribable qualities of memory, environment, and human experience. Since relocating to the United States in 2023, he has presented work through Cleveland's Re:Sound Festival, composed music for exhibitions at the Kent State Museum, and received international recognition for his previous album, Heyr, which has been featured on WXPN's renowned Star's End ambient radio program and released in a special Japanese edition through Heima Records. Most recently, Arngrímsson was commissioned by Experimental Sound Studio (ESS) to create a new quadraphonic sound installation for the 25th anniversary of Florasonic at Chicago's Lincoln Park Conservatory.
As part of his Akron Soul Train residency, Arngrímsson immersed himself in the city's landscapes, collecting sounds from its neighborhoods, waterways, rail corridors, and industrial sites. The resulting work offers a deeply personal yet universally resonant portrait of Akron—one experienced through listening rather than observation.
"Fjöður exemplifies the spirit of Akron Soul Train's residency program by encouraging artists to engage deeply with our community and create work that offers new ways of experiencing place," said Colleen Suich, Executive Director of Akron Soul Train. "Óskar's project invites us to hear Akron differently, revealing beauty and history in the sounds that surround us every day."
The album will be available beginning September 3 through Ótal’s official channel:
- Bandcamp: https://otal.bandcamp.com/album/fj-ur
To celebrate the release, Akron Soul Train will present a free live performance of Fjöður on Wednesday, September 23, at 5:30 p.m. at the McDonough Museum of Art in Youngstown. Presented in partnership with one of Akron Soul Train’s regional cultural collaborators, the performance extends the residency beyond Akron and creates an opportunity to share the city’s sounds, stories, and creative identity with audiences across Northeast Ohio.
Featuring live videography by Ella Medicus, the performance will transform Fjöður into an immersive audiovisual experience rooted in the landscapes and environments that shaped the album. By bringing this Akron-based project to a neighboring community, Akron Soul Train continues to strengthen regional partnerships and create new pathways for artists and audiences to connect across the region.
The performance is free and open to the public.
About Óskar Þór Arngrímsson (Ótal)
Óskar Þór Arngrímsson is an Iceland-born, Akron-based musician, sound artist, and composer. Performing under the name Ótal, he creates ambient electronic music centered on modular synthesis, field recording, and place-based composition. A graduate of the Iceland University of the Arts, Arngrímsson has performed throughout Iceland, Europe, and the United States, and his work has been presented at festivals, museums, and galleries internationally. His compositions explore the relationship between sound, memory, landscape, and the indescribable qualities of human experience.
Performance Details
Fjöður: Live Electronic Music Performance by Ótal with Ella Medicus
Location: McDonough Museum of Art, 525 Wick Avenue, Youngstown, OH 44502
Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026 | 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Album Available: September 3, 2026
FREE and open to the public
About Akron Soul Train
Akron Soul Train is a nonprofit artist residency organization dedicated to supporting visual, literary, and performing artists through unrestricted stipends, creative resources, and opportunities for meaningful public engagement. Celebrating its tenth anniversary, Akron Soul Train has supported more than 100 artists while fostering connections between artists and communities through exhibitions, performances, workshops, and collaborative projects throughout Northeast Ohio.
For more information, visit our website and events page at www.akronsoultrain.org or contact Akron Soul Train at info@akronsoultrain.org.