Ólafur Arnalds on the message behind his music

ICELANDIC MUSICIAN Ólafur Arnalds loves contrasts. His latest album is a musical portrayal of seasonal weather changes, while his previous release explored the different emotions inspired by night and day.

So it comes as no surprise that the aspect of Hong Kong he loves the most is - you guessed it - its contrasts. "You have this amazingly beautiful mountain on the island and these huge modern buildings. When you're on top of the mountain looking over the other side, you're looking at a whole different world," the 26-year-old multi-instrumentalist recalls of his first visit to the city in 2010.

Arnalds will be able to relive those emotions when he returns for another show at Grappa's Cellar on September 16. On his previous visit, Arnalds, one of Iceland's best-regarded and most in-demand performers and producers, was promoting his album … .

This time he'll be bringing a smaller ensemble - a trio of piano, violin and cello - to recreate the stirring pieces from .

"I like contrasts and I like matching things that people wouldn't expect to go together," he explains. "With modern buildings and nature, people would think one would intrude on the other. But they can work together in harmony. There's something fascinating about the way that happens in Hong Kong."

Born in Mosfellsbær, just outside Reykjavik, Arnalds is one of a string of acts to emerge from Iceland that have won acclaim overseas. He follows in the footsteps of 1980s indie poppers The Sugarcubes, whose leader singer Björk achieved worldwide success. More recently Sigur Rós have established themselves as ambient behemoths of post-rock.