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Score [Pop]
The Raah Project is a collaboration between Melbourne based composer/producers Ryan Ritchie and Tamil Rogeon.
Taken on as a means to musically investigate the grey areas between genres and express themselves through writing and performance, The Raah Project’s “Score” explores classical, jazz, hip hop, electronic and drum’n’bass, utilising the full potential of some of Melbourne’s most exquisite musicians and a breadth of production expertise from the core duo. It is an original contemporary music project embracing both traditional and new principles of jazz improvisation and arrangement plus 20th century composition, song, verse and flow.
“Score” was created with a 17-piece string section, a full big band (the Australian Show Band), and a selection of jazz/funk players from Melbourne’s vibrant music scenes. The thirteen tracks combine big band vocals and orchestration, soaring cinematic string arrangements, hip hop beats, soul motives and simple pop melodies with surprising and absorbing results. The project was funded by Arts Victoria and its live presentation (incorporating a full chamber ensemble) was developed with the assistance of the Victorian Arts Centre’s SMASHLAB program.
Ritchie and Rogeon share a love of diverse musical formats and gain equal enjoyment. From pounding modern electronic beats and traditional orchestral music, the two work and tour as part of critically acclaimed ensemble, True Live, as well as on various individual projects as producers, arrangers and performers.
Ritchie is the founder of and writer/producer behind True Live and the writer/producer behind Paris Wells. He completed a BA in music composition/performance at the VCA in 2003, and has performed in support of artists such as The Roots, De La Soul, Roots Manuva, Justin Timberlake and Moby, as well as playing at most major festivals throughout Australia. He has scored films including Melbourne International Film Festival documentary winner ‘Rash’. A multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Ritchie is currently writing a solo vocal record.
Rogeon completed a BA in music performance at the VCA in 1997. His special interests in jazz and Brazilian music have been consolidated through study, performance and recoding stints in New York and Rio, and he currently works in music performance, production, education and composition for film/TV and dance. As a founding member of the Melbourne based ensemble True Live, Rogeon has performed at major arts and rock festivals across the country including Meredith Music Festival, Falls Festival, Big Day Out and the Adelaide and Melbourne international arts festivals. He has also toured with the live film music ensemble Blue Grassy Knoll at Singapore Arts Festival 2006. Recently, Rogeon has composed an orchestral score for the AFC funded film ‘The Hedge’ and a Bollywood funk score for the ABC documentary ‘Beyond The Back Yard’.
During the height of Summer Festival madness, British tastemaker Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 1) picked “Score” as his biggest find of his Australian tour, playing ‘Will You Be There’ and ‘All Of Your Things’ two weeks in a row on his show ‘Worldwide’.
“There was a project out of Melbourne called the Raah Project. They gave me a CD, I checked it out on the way home, I couldn’t believe how good it was – it was definitely up there and beyond. It was a bit of Matthew Herbert, a little bit of Sa-Ra Creative Partners, but with its own melodic Australian vibe going on.” – Gilles Peterson in The Independent February 2009
(Quelle: Groove Attack, 2009)
FORMAT: CD
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