My favourite project I got to work on this year was working on an album of Brahms Cello Sonatas, performed by German cellist Leonard Elschenbroich and recorded in Studio Two.

It was such a wonderful experience because it arrived hot on the heels of recording a score for a video game, and was followed by a couple of days with a pop star, but for two fabulous days in the middle we were doing some old school classical recording: straight to stereo ½” tape! Proper!

The experience was all the more enjoyable for being able to spend it with two Abbey Road legends - Simon Kiln producing and Arne Akselberg engineering.

Working for my Icelandic namesake Ólafur Arnalds was definitely one to tick off the bucket list in 2021. It was for a fairly low-key EP release called A Sunrise Session. I've been a fan of his for a long time so for that one to come across my desk was a joy.

I was fortunate enough to work with Muse for a few weeks in the summer. I’ve always been a fan of the band and used to spend hours trying to play Knights Of Cydonia on guitar as a teenager so it really was a privilege to work with such a talented and friendly bunch. I can’t wait to hear the end result.

My favourite album of the year.… a tough one. I might have to be a cop-out and declare it a tie! I’m going to pick two albums, both similar and dissimilar. Both instrumental Guitar albums, ostensibly in the jazz field. No prizes for guessing what I play. Firstly, Julian Lage – Squint. Is his first album recorded and released on blue note records, and is a fabulous example of how much space a trio can fill. Three fabulous players in a room, having at it.

Secondly, Mark Lettieri – Deep: The Baritone Sessions Vol2,wWhich happens to Grammy-nominated for Best Contemporary Instrumental
album (good luck with that Mark!) at the 2022 awards. What makes that accolade all the more incredible is this album was created
remotely, over lockdown, without ANY of the long laundry list of amazing players ever setting foot in the same room as each other.

Without doubt, it's HEY WHAT by Low. Thanks to Alex Gordon for putting me on to that.

Rare Forever - Leon Vynehall. Leon Vynehall was probably my most listened to artist this year. The album flows so well and the quality of the production still impresses me after all these listens. Every track is great on here, especially An Exhale.

At the moment for 2022, I’m most looking forward to the prospect of Kinnaris Quintet releasing a follow up album to 2018’s Free One.
An incredibly talented group of women whose work is deeply rooted, but never mired, in the traditional folk Genres. I’ve seen on their socials that they’ve been hard at work in the studio, and I for one can’t wait: I played their last album to death.

I would have to say, Brijs.

Navy Blue. Navy dropped one of my favourite projects this year with Navy’s Reprise. There’s so much great new hip-hop coming out of the US at the moment and I really feel he’s one of the artists at the forefront of this new wave.