In April 2025, dark nordic, pagan folk singer and multi-instrumentalist Kati Rán celebrates the ten-year anniversary of her debut album LYS (meaning “light” in Norwegian) with a brand-new physical release, available through Svart Records. The 2025 Anniversary Edition of LYS features the album’s ten original songs and the acoustic bonus track “Vinda” (ft. Helisir).
In 2015, LYS was recorded, produced, and released by Kati Rán and producer Christopher Juul (Heilung) at the renowned LAVA Studios in Denmark. Together, they shaped, recorded, and performed all the tracks, bringing Kati Rán’s inner world, voice, and historical instrumentation to life. LYS contains ten original tracks performed in Norwegian, English, German, and Old Norse, including the hit song “Suurin,” featuring Kai Uwe Faust and Maria Franz of the Danish act HEILUNG.
Svart Records is re-releasing LYS in its very first vinyl format for listeners and collectors of the Nordic & Dark Folk music genre, along with a digipack CD format. All editions include updated artwork, a booklet with original lyrics and English translations, and the bonus track “Vinda Acoustic.”
As a testament to her passion for music and her determination to stay true to her vision, Kati Rán originally released LYS in 2015 as a solo artist after her folk band L.E.A.F dissolved over artistic differences. During this transition to a solo career, Christopher Juul provided his immersive audio production expertise, which continues to shape the Nordic folk genre today through various projects and bands. The magic of their collaboration is evident in the LYS album, as well as in Kati Rán’s singles “Blodbylgje” and “Unnr Mindbeach,” which were featured on her latest album, SÁLA, in 2024. Since its original release, LYS has sold out all physical editions, garnered over 10 million streams across music platforms, and is widely considered a genre-defining record in Nordic Dark Folk.
LYS impresses not only with its sound but also through its collaborations with various artists and bands. These include Oliver S. Tyr of the German pagan folk act Faun, Kai Uwe Faust’s signature throat vocalizations on “Suurin,” a duet with Maria Franz (Heilung, Euzen) on “Vinda,” soothing harmonizing vocals by drummer Kristian Uhre (Euzen) on “Sol,” and instrumental contributions from Kati Rán’s former bandmates in L.E.A.F. The album also features Rán’s first duet recordings with HEILUNG’s Kai Uwe Faust on the opening track “Flamme.”
LYS was originally crowdfunded by listeners and supporters of Kati Rán’s dark pagan folk band L.E.A.F and her solo musical journey. Several international artists contributed campaign support videos, helping to make her first album an international success.
The 2025 anniversary edition of LYS offers an exclusive vinyl print with a bonus track, alongside other formats available through Kati Rán’s label, Svart Records.
This release is a must-have for music collectors and listeners worldwide. The LYS 2025 Anniversary Album will be released on 18th April 2025.
LYS Album Music Video ‘Vinda Acoustic’ (Bonus Track)
https://youtu.be/B907iS6ugFs?feature=shared
