Rrao - Hara

30 Oct

Hara (2023) by Rrao is a dizzying blend of Eastern culture and electronics. Achieving an esoteric club vibe through authentic use of traditional Bengali music. It would be easy to comment on Asian mysticism being perfect for trippy minimal club music, but Rrao runs the parallels much deeper than that, as customary percussive and vocalisation techniques are observed and challenged by juxtaposing Western dance aesthetics and electronic elements. After initially jumping into the line of sight through her inclusion in Anthony Naples and DJ Pythons' spear-headed compilation album Air Texture VIII (2022). an album that explores the outer borders of the electronic music landscape, drawing inspiration from ambient, techno and leftfield music, to name a few, and released on the label of the same name, Air Texture. This time, Rrao is back with some killer club vibes, mixing traditional music and minimalism into a gorgeous mashup of cultures.

Whereas most techno-affiliated music will keep the consistency in the low-end with throbbing bass or the obligatory four to the floor, Rrao switches things up on 'Infinity is Natural'. Keeping true to the verbal repetition of Indian ragas frees up wiggle room for the low end to switch things up. The vocal acts and the constant, the through line while the excitable kick drums are free to manoeuvre between beats, illicit that mediative response. It isn’t until the next track that things flip again and return to more familiar territory. A more rigid 2-step percussive pattern is laid as a foundation on 'Ramanujan Prime'. This isn't a cop-out due to a lack of creativity. Instead, the classic hi-hat pattern acts as a metronome for the super melodic vocal samples that play with both rhythm and phrasing. Rrao plays with the vocal chops, giving each section a unique personality. Hara's title track takes things up a notch percussively. Outsourcing rhythmic rolls to more traditional "folk" percussion in a surprising and seamless move. ‘Hara’ is the most minimalist track on the release, and this minimalism allows these unorthodox changes to shine. An understated groove runs throughout as Rrao feathers on wobbling pads that echo the call and response of the past to tracks reserved for their percussion and vocals, respectively.

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