Friendship Survival Guide: Jóhann Jóhannsson and Adam Wiltzie Complete a Shared Legacy
Some albums tell a story not only of music, but of a friendship. Friendship Survival Guide, the joint work of Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson and American sound artist Adam Wiltzie, was released on 18 September 2026 by Deutsche Grammophon. It gathers recordings made during shared sessions between 2013 and 2017, which Wiltzie carefully continued and completed after the death of his companion. Read more about their friendship and the making of the album in this interview with Adam Wiltzie on grains.
Friendship Survival Guide: A Collaboration Years in the Making
Jóhannsson and Wiltzie were bound by far more than a single project. The two worked closely together for over a decade: Wiltzie was part of Jóhannsson’s live band and served as his sound engineer before they first wrote and recorded together in 2013, among other things for the film score to The Theory of Everything. Their ideas often took shape in separate studios, Jóhannsson in Berlin, Wiltzie in Belgium, in an easy and playful exchange. With the blessing of Jóhannsson’s family, Wiltzie later returned to these tapes to finish what had been started, in the spirit of his friend.
The Album: Orchestral Breadth, Electronics and Floating Drones
Sonically, the album moves through a wide open space: sustained orchestral textures meet electronic layers and long, floating drones. Wiltzie himself describes the music as orchestral psychedelic drone compositions. Despite all the later work, the intimacy of the original sessions remains audible, enriched by subtle additions that stay true to the character of the material. Contributions from guests such as Tim Hecker, Francesco Donadello and Steve Albini deepen this sound world further. The result is a work that invites listeners to surrender to a slowly unfolding soundscape.
Jóhann Jóhannsson and Adam Wiltzie: Two Sound Worlds, One Friendship
Jóhann Jóhannsson ranks among the most influential film composers of his generation. His music for films such as Sicario, Arrival and The Theory of Everything combined orchestral depth with electronic exploration. In 2016 his acclaimed album Orphée appeared on Deutsche Grammophon, before the Icelandic artist passed away in 2018.
Adam Wiltzie, in turn, is a central figure in contemporary ambient and drone music, as co-founder of Stars of the Lid (together with Brian McBride) and as one half of the duo A Winged Victory for the Sullen. In Friendship Survival Guide these two signatures merge into a shared whole. Listeners wishing to explore Jóhannsson’s musical language at the piano will find another way in through Alice Sara Ott’s album Jóhann Jóhannsson: Piano Works.
Friendship Survival Guide on Vinyl, CD and in Hi-Res Audio
Friendship Survival Guide is available in several editions. Alongside the CD, the album is available on vinyl, including an edition that pairs the LP with a Hi-Res audio download. This lets you experience the work both on the turntable and in high-resolution digital sound.
An album about friendship and the enduring life of music: Friendship Survival Guide by Jóhann Jóhannsson and Adam Wiltzie is available from Deutsche Grammophon.
➤ Order now at the DG Store and discover more from Jóhann Jóhannsson.
