KATI RÁN
Witchy vibes meet Norse culture and mythology in a sumptuous Nordic folk package
WORDS: LIZ SCARLETT
Kati Rán: northern soul
PRESS/NONA LIMMEN
LIKE THE GREAT roots of an ancient tree, Kati Rán’s musical world is vast. Over the nine years it took to create, the Dutch Nordic folk artist’s second album, Sála, saw her travel overseas to source rare historical instruments, spend hundreds of hours learning ancient languages, and converse with academics to uncover an even deeper understanding of what inspires her mostNorse mythology.
“It’s been a long time in the making,” she admits with a wry chuckle.
Sála (Old Norse for ‘soul’ and ‘sea’) is a rich tapestry of cinematic, oceanic soundscapes and multilingual folk melodies derived from poetry, ancient texts and spellcraft, enhanced by Kati’s playing of numerous historical instruments. The gorgeously meditative Stone Pillars features the use of a lava stone marimba (a percussive instrument similar to a xylophone), which was obtained from a stonemason in Iceland.