Sounds of summer
An interview with
Arman Naféei
We sat down with the Directeur d’Ambiance to discuss what he loves about summer in the Engadin and how he selects the soundtracks for Kulm’s bars and restaurants.
What’s beautiful about the Engadin, especially in the summer, which I love, is the sounds of nature. You have all these insects, you have the birds, you have the winds, and the water. There’s so much water around.
All that for me is the ultimate soundtrack – more than any music in the world. That’s what really makes it so special. I definitely want to incorporate an element of that into the music itself. Keep it light. Keep it happy. Sunshine-y. But not beachy, if that makes sense.
I’m looking at a record here: Tony Bennett’s Songs for the Jet Set. So, something along those lines. I do have, of course, some very traditional Swiss sounds that if you throw them in, it evokes that summer feeling. And without going too cliché, having a little cowbell here and there, having the lightness of a little acoustic guitar, of a violin coming in and out, the sound of the small Italian guitar, that evokes it as well, because of course you have some Italian influence in with this area’s culture.
I love the spa and the health aspect of the Kulm. Sauna, every day of course, 6pm. That’s the highlight, for sure. And of course being outside in the Jacuzzi, looking out, that’s incredible in any season.
I do love getting massages and also having the window open so you can actually hear and feel the air coming in. There are also sounds in the underwater speakers in the pool, which is great. And for the ultimate Swiss experience, I love eating at Chesa al Parc in the summer, with the sun shining onto the mountains and the Kulm Hotel.
“I also love the hike in Sils Maria.”
What I love about the Engadin – I personally prefer summer over winter because I’m not the greatest skier – is that it’s outdoorsy and there’s so much you can do there.
One thing I really enjoyed: at the end of last summer, I took an e-bike down from Kulm into St. Moritz-Bad. Basically, you come down the hill into Bad, cycle around the big lake into the forest and along the bike path there are outdoor workout stations and that’s fun – you actually go from station to station to different workouts and you warm up and then you jump into the lake and cool down. It’s very doable.
I also love the hike in Sils Maria. I love going to the top and mountain biking down, stopping by the brooks and the rivers that are there, just putting my feet into the ice cold water. It’s just full of life, that water. If you get a chance, you have to do it. You’re literally at the source and you feel it’s alive. That water is alive. It was just born; it’s incredible. And you can soak up that energy. The sun is so intense, so powerful, but beautiful. Because it’s high altitude, it sounds weird, but you’re one step closer to the universe, to God. You know, you’re getting closer. Less layers, less filters. You’re getting closer to the source of energy. It’s really incredible. That’s the power of being up at high altitude.
Yes, nature in general is my source of inspiration. It doesn’t matter what season; the Engadin has so much to offer; it is so rich and so broad. I get a lot of inspiration from the mixture of all these sounds: the crickets, the insects buzzing around the water, the winds, and the birds. That’s really what makes this so special.
The idea is to do one or two weekends and invite friends and guests to come experience the Kulm and the Engadin in the summer, with programming around the sounds of the Engadin. But it’s less about music actually and more about the outdoor activities and the health aspect, and what the Kulm Spa has to offer. That’s the idea, but we need to work some things out.
Of course, every weekend during the season, we’ll still have our music programming at the Kulm Country Club. It’s a music series I curate of other incredible music curators-slash-DJs from within Europe. The idea is: come by for a drink and sit on the patio with amazing music playing on Friday, Saturday, and Sundays throughout the whole season. It has bar lounge energy, but with sophisticated, curated music. In the winter, it does get dancier, especially on busy weekends – then it’s a full-on party.
The way I approach any space is, first of all, what’s the purpose of the room? What’s the theme of the room or space, and who are you trying to talk to? And then also, what’s the progression of day to night, right? There are different needs: morning, afternoon, evening, late night, and they’re all completely different.
I usually ask the client first to send me a mood board and any references. For Amaru with Luke, it was pretty straightforward. We know each other. We’ve done stuff together before. I know his aesthetic. I know the Peruvian vibe. We also asked the chef for her playlist and started dissecting it all into different moments, building it throughout the evening, tempo-wise, energy-wise.
The music; it’s always meant to be a shadow. In a restaurant especially, the sound just follows the energy of the room – it never dictates. Then it would take away from the experience – from the food, from the design, and from the mood, you know?
And of course, we slightly update and change the energy a little bit for each season. But yes, each area has its own soundtrack, according to the needs of the space and the identity of the space. The Peruvian restaurant is completely different to Kulm Country Club and Altitude Bar, which are completely different to Chesa al Parc as well. I love doing spas because you can play with sound as another element of relaxation and healing. You know, playing with different hertz, so it really becomes part of the visceral experience.
“How can you take the past and combine it with today...?”
It feels great. It’s my speciality; playing with nostalgia without being retro. How can you take the past and combine it with today and bridge those worlds in a very authentic way? That’s really what I enjoy doing, so for me, working with a brand like Kulm is perfect. It’s a fun challenge because it’s about where was it, where is it, and where can it go? Those are the three questions. I enjoy playing around with ideas, music, different sounds and different artists to take it to the next step without losing the past and the heritage – and without being too disruptive to the future. You have to find the right balance of what’s coming next.
For most of them, it’s going to be a first-time beautiful introduction to the Kulm and to the Engadin. I want them to be mesmerized. I want them to want more, to want to come back. That’s generally my thing, no matter what the space is, I want people to feel better about themselves and the world when they leave than when they arrive.
About Arman
Arman Naféei, Directeur d’Ambiance at Kulm Hotel, is a celebrated music curator who has crafted soundscapes for luxury brands and iconic venues like Chateau Marmont, while also hosting the acclaimed interview series “Are We On Air?”