Hania Rani

When Hania Rani reintroduced herself this spring with Hello, the preliminary taster for her new album, Ghosts, it most likely startled many who’ve come to love her work – otherworldly yet upbeat, the song serves as a perfect initiation to the pianist and composer’s supernatural talent.

Both a welcome to Ghosts’ universe and a farewell of sorts to the past, Hello is a siren’s call -over 13 tracks of unfolding ambience and endlessly refracting synths, Rani passes gracefully between distinct, richly textured worlds joined by bassist and Moog player Ziemowit Klimek as well as a host of guest musicians including Patrick Watson, Portico Quartet’s Duncan Bellamy and Ólafur Arnalds.

Rani, who grew up in Gdansk, Poland, has always embraced broad horizons – far broader than her strict, two-decade training as a pianist might initially suggest. Alongside her classical activities, most notably award-winning collaborations with cellist Dobrawa Czocher, she was also one half of Poland’s respected alternative pop duo Tęskno, and even scored Piotr Domalewski’s I Never Cry, winner of the 2020 Polish Film Festival’s Best Score award.