Wolf Rune

Being in a room with Sinikka Langeland is like being charmed into a northern forest under a night sky. Her presence and her voice are magical enough, but when she plays her kantele you can almost feel nature itself quivering with joy. But Langeland doesn’t just play this traditional Finnish zither, she has a deep bond with it, and in her hands it reveals its special secrets.

This is her sixth album for ECM which have included some memorable collaborations, but it’s her first solo album for them. Her inspiration comes from the folk heritage of Finnskogen (the Finnish forest) region of Norway where she lives, and her music draws on traditional songs, rune songs and poems as well as her own compositions and improvisations. On Wolf Rune she plays three different kanteles: the seductively earthy 39-string five-and-a-half octave concert kantele, the 15-string kantele whose bell-like tones shimmer in the hymn-like ‘I See Your Light’, and the small but gently bewitching five-string kantele. This is a must-have release, with Langeland casting an exquisite spell over every track, including inviting us to a traditional Finnskog dance and unfolding a ballad of terror and beauty in the title-track.