For the third instalment of our exploration of the Nordvis roster, we turn to Swedish ritual ambient artist Draugurinn.
Draugurinn commented:
Ask me about my music, my creative process, or my spiritual beliefs and I probably won’t tell you very much. However, ask me about trail or long-distance running and I’m likely to never stop talking. And perhaps, in that process, you could even find some answers about my music, experience some of my creative process, or even catch a glimpse of my spiritual path. But probably not fully – not until you’ve spent a few hours by yourself, running alone in a rainy autumn forest while listening to the wind, the birds, as well as your own heartbeat and heavy breathing.
For those of you who know me, or have followed me for a while, it should come as no surprise that I spend as many hours as I can running in the forest. That’s where I find inspiration, solve problems, relax, meditate, and feel free. As the one and only Henry David Thoreau said: “the moment my legs begin to move, my thoughts begin to flow". Unless I'm rehearsing for one of my rare live rituals, I never listen to music while running. All I need to hear is the pace of my beating heart, my breathing, and the sounds of nature herself. I prefer running by myself, preferably in the forest or the mountains.
I don't have to run fast or compete, but I love the feeling of being physically exhausted. Sometimes, I compete just to experience new trails at places I wouldn't otherwise have gone to. It’s now been ten years since I ran my first-ever ultramarathon. It took place in Iceland: 55 kilometres, from Landmannalaugar to Þórsmörk. My third album, “Móðuhardindin”, was written immediately upon my return home. But in many ways, one could say that all my releases are born and processed during long-distance running.
