Band of the week 06/2024
Origin: Siberia
Genre: Nordic Dark Folk
Hier geht’s zur deutschen Version.
The band about itself:
The magic of the Ancient North. Music, skillfully balancing on the brink of ritual ambient and the traditional folk of Northern Europe, is born in the heart of Siberia. The instruments created by the musicians of the band awaken something sacred, long forgotten. And the beats of the drums, amplified by throat singing, lead the Siberian shamans’ path far through the vast taiga.
Editorial commentary:
Welcome to the ritual!
Breathtaking and atmospheric, that’s how I would describe Nytt Land from Siberia in just two words. But that wouldn’t do them justice by far. Their appearance also reminded me of Heilung, but without all the fuss and focused on the essentials, the music. But let’s start from the beginning:
Nytt Land accompanied the Dutch Heidevolk on their tour and I therefore had the pleasure of experiencing the duo twice. The formation consits of Natasha and Anatoly Pakhalenko, who founded the band in 2013. Deep throat singing that completely captivates you, clear vocals that give you goosebumps, and accompanied by a drum and a tagelharpa. These are the biggest features of the two, but by no means the only ones.
While Anatoly, seated quietly in a chair, played the percussion with one foot, the harpa or jaw harp, or set the beat with two drumsticks, Tasha, equipped with a frame drum, danced across the stage when she wasn’t singing. Even though there was very little movement otherwise, both managed to immediately captivate the audience with their mystical sounds. The fog, which hovered heavily and densely over the stage, and the appropriate lighting arrangement, which always supported the performance of the two. Be it through intense red light or almost soft white beams of light from behind, clear blue or a natural green. Those who didn’t let themselves be carried away by the ritual music with their eyes closed were able to enjoy a really well thought-out and perfectly coordinated light show.
Thematically, Nytt Land are inspired by Siberian nature, mythology, historical themes and ancient shamanic culture. But life, death and rebirth are also thematised. They sing not only in Russian, but also in Old Norse and Khanty, the language of indigenous Siberian tribes.
I couldn’t escape the sounds and the intense throat singing and, to be honest, I didn’t want to at all. For me, dark folk music or ritual folk is always something special. Especially live, this is where the strengths of these genres lie. Simply closing your eyes and letting yourself drift along with the drums is exactly what makes these performances so intense. If you can get involved!
Nytt Land are a clear recommendation to anyone who likes Heilung, Wardruna, Skáld or Rúnahild. If you have the chance to see them live… Don’t miss it!
The band at Dark-Art:
Live impressions:
Music recommendation:
Links:
Band of the week is our weekly posting about a band we recommend and is posted every Tuesday at 8pm (CET). These are bands that are just at the beginning of their career and that we think should recieve more attention.
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