The album Om by jaw harp virtuoso ULTAN KAI is a northern poem recorded in an intimate atmosphere. Each track on the album is an improvisation that incorporates the folklore of the Far Eastern Evenki, ritual chants, jaw harp, and drum. The compositions are intended to relieve stress and harmonize the listener’s mind with their emotions.
In ancient times, as researchers of the North note, every person had their own song. Like a unique document, it revealed the performer’s identity, soul, and ancestral roots. Such songs were rarely performed in the presence of strangers and were often lost in the flow of time. Nevertheless, the special ritual of performing these songs still exists among the Evenki. The album’s title, Om, echoes the sacred sound in Mahayana Buddhism—the most widespread branch of Buddhism in Siberia. At the same time, in the Evenki language, om translates as «soul.»
The album was recorded in a single take during a nighttime studio session. Alongside ULTAN KAI, the recording featured musicians and researchers of northern folklore: Artemy Novoselov (guitar), Grigory Zelenko (keyboards, drum), and Nikita Kot (Tibetan percussion, gong). The musicians sought to preserve the authentic ritual atmosphere and ceremonial traditions associated with performing traditional Evenki songs. To achieve this, they performed a juniper smudging ritual—juniper being considered a sacred plant among the Evenki—followed by an hour-long meditation session and the recitation of ritual mantras. This helped the musicians convey the mysterious atmosphere of a custom that is rare in our time.