Hildur Guðnadóttir Essentials

There's a deceptive serenity on the surface of Icelandic cellist/composer Hildur Guðnadóttir's music—but just underneath are waves of darkness, mystery, and danger. She's best known for her film-scoring work, and on a piece like "Call Me Joker" from 2019 blockbuster Joker, Guðnadóttir utilizes sweeping strings and pounding percussion to evoke intense dread. Solo tracks such as "Elevation" highlight her knack for creating a hazy alternate universe of twilight ambience with her electro-acoustic dabs and smears. Her sounds are consistently as intoxicating as they are unsettling.