Ra (U.S. band)
Encyclopedia
Ra is an American alternative metal
band from Los Angeles
, California
, taking their name from the Egyptian sun god
. The band has been around since the 1990s, but did not actually evolve into its current form until 2002. Their music was described as "exotic yet familiar, heavy yet funky, direct yet sophisticated, sensual yet soulful, unrelenting yet cathartic."
The band is known for their hit songs "Do You Call My Name", "Fallen Angels", "Don't Turn Away" and "Broken Hearted Soul
". To date, Ra has sold around 350,000 albums in North America.
was chosen as a drummer who fit in well with the blend of funk and hard rock in Sahaj's writing style. R&B bassist Kirk Lyons and guitarist Ben Mauro, the latter of whom would later play with Lionel Richie
and Britney Spears
, completed the initial configuration of the band. The members' influences did not completely mesh, but the lineup did produce one commercial track in "Crazy Little Voices," which appeared as the end title track for the movie The Rage: Carrie 2
.
. Ra recorded many tracks including "Rectifier", "Fallen Rock Zone", "Only", "End of Days", "U Need Me", "What I Am", "Sky", "The Foundation" and the first real version of "Do You Call My Name". Edel, unbeknownst to the band, was on its last legs and was weeks away from closing shop upon album completion.
who had otherwise not seen the band perform live.
Sahaj's friend, Will Pendarvis (K-rock NYC, Sirius), introduced him to a friend, Hip-hop Producer/Engineer Paul Logus (Puffy
, Jennifer Lopez
, 112, Notorious BIG, Pantera
) with whom the band spent over $170,000 redoing "One" and turning it into "From One
".
was released October 22, 2002. The lead single, "Do You Call My Name," reached number 10 in early 2003.
Originally slated to co-produce the next LP with Sahaj was super-engineer Dave Schiffman (Rage Against the Machine
, Audioslave
, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Mars Volta
), a health condition of a close family member forced Sahaj to produce the record at home alone. Universal was unhappy with the album the band delivered to them and they recommended using Bob Marlette (Saliva
, Seether
, Shinedown
) to record an additional few songs to give the album more radio potential. The band had an additional budget of more than $400,000 to produce new songs. With Bob, Ra would record "Got Me Goin'", "Take Me Away" and "Say You Will" and would submit these songs to Universal only to receive yet another lukewarm reception. Desperate and very unsure of the right course of action, Ra went to Los Angeles to make one last attempt at a first single for Duality. The outcome would be "Tell Me", a huge arena rock anthem shouting out to the world for guidance. The song was approved by Universal, but the executives initially decided to leave the record unreleased instead of spending more money on what had become an expensive record to make.
In the winter of 2004, Universal/Republic hired a hungry radio promotion director named Dave Downey. One of his first activities was listening to all the records that he might potentially work. After listening to "Duality" he made the executives upstairs aware that they may have made a mistake with Ra and that they were missing out on a potentially great record. By this point, drummer Skoota Warner had left the band to find a more stable income. Universal released the album June 21, 2005, albeit with little promotion. However, the album sold 80,000 copies on the strength of tracks like "Fallen Angels" and "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic", a Police
cover.
and signed with Cement Shoes Records
. On October of 2006, Ra released their third album entitled Raw
, which includes 11 live tracks and one new studio track, "Don't Turn Away". The new song (and single) was meant to be a teaser for their next album, Black Sun
, which was said to be "dynamic."
Black Sun
was released September 23, 2008, under Sahaj's new label, Sahaja Music Records. It featured their newest single, "Broken Hearted Soul
". "Faulty Information" was going to be the second single and would hopefully receive a music video, but through a lack of funds and time, neither occurred.
Sahaj's solo album is tentatively titled, "Sahaj - Another Minute", named after the first single, "Another Minute".
In August of 2011, Ra released the single "Running Blind", perhaps the first piece of their next studio album. On Sahaj's facebook (Sept. 13, 2011), he stated that a new Ra record will be released in in the first 3 months of 2012.
The band has also been said to use the genres of: progressive metal, modern progressive rock, and pop rock/metal. GarageBand.com says: "Twisted melodies, polyrhythmic beats, and heavy guitar chords fuse together with middle-eastern motifs, hip-hop, and melodic balladry to make a cohesive visionary statement percolating with emotional fervor." http://www.garageband.com/artist/RATHEBAND
Alternative metal
Alternative metal is a genre of alternative rock and heavy metal that gained popularity in the early 1990s. Most notably, alternative metal bands are characterized by heavy guitar riffs and experimental approaches to heavy music.-Origins:...
band from Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, taking their name from the Egyptian sun god
Ra
Ra is the ancient Egyptian sun god. By the Fifth Dynasty he had become a major deity in ancient Egyptian religion, identified primarily with the mid-day sun...
. The band has been around since the 1990s, but did not actually evolve into its current form until 2002. Their music was described as "exotic yet familiar, heavy yet funky, direct yet sophisticated, sensual yet soulful, unrelenting yet cathartic."
The band is known for their hit songs "Do You Call My Name", "Fallen Angels", "Don't Turn Away" and "Broken Hearted Soul
Broken Hearted Soul
Broken-Hearted Soul, from Black Sun, was released on Christmas Day of 2007. On the same day, it was available for a free download on Ra's myspace for only 24 hours. The single was available on iTunes as of June 17, 2008. Broken Hearted Soul received a double feature on the iTunes rock homepage and...
". To date, Ra has sold around 350,000 albums in North America.
Origin of band name
Frontman Sahaj Ticotin has commented on the origin of the name Ra in multiple interviews. "...There's an underlying theme where 80 to 90 percent of the songs have the word sun in it. So I have a little sun fetish and I thought that Ra was appropriate." He has also stated that he likes the idea of the name because it's short -- "If your name is Ra you've got two giant letters taking up the same amount of space so it looks like your name is bigger" -- melodramatic, and "sort of an odd thing and really unique."Early years: 1996–1998
Marcus Ticotin, Sahaj's older brother and Abandon Entertainment president, financed Sahaj's first record while Sahaj was living in Greenwich, CT with mentor and friend Rob Jones. They held open auditions in New York City to fill out the lineup with a drummer, guitarist, and bassist. Skoota WarnerSkoota Warner
Skoota Warner is an American musician and was the former drummer from rock band Ra. Warner is currently working on The Emeril Lagasse Show on The ION Network, Hot Tuna, G.E. Smith, Screaming Headless Torsos, KIF, Patrick Stump, Cyndi Lauper and completing his solo record due to be released early...
was chosen as a drummer who fit in well with the blend of funk and hard rock in Sahaj's writing style. R&B bassist Kirk Lyons and guitarist Ben Mauro, the latter of whom would later play with Lionel Richie
Lionel Richie
Lionel Brockman Richie, Jr. , is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Since 1968, he has been a member of the musical group Commodores signed to Motown Records...
and Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
, completed the initial configuration of the band. The members' influences did not completely mesh, but the lineup did produce one commercial track in "Crazy Little Voices," which appeared as the end title track for the movie The Rage: Carrie 2
The Rage: Carrie 2
The Rage: Carrie 2 is the 1999 sequel to the 1976 horror film classic Carrie. Directed by Katt Shea, the film starred Emily Bergl, Mena Suvari, Jason London and Amy Irving.-Plot:...
.
1999–2001
The moderate success of "Crazy Little Voices" led to the band signing with Edel MusicEdel Music
-History:Edel Music was founded in 1986 by Michael Haentjes in Germany as a mail order record company selling mostly soundtracks. With artists such as Scooter, SASH!, Holly Johnson and many others, it became a very successful pop music label...
. Ra recorded many tracks including "Rectifier", "Fallen Rock Zone", "Only", "End of Days", "U Need Me", "What I Am", "Sky", "The Foundation" and the first real version of "Do You Call My Name". Edel, unbeknownst to the band, was on its last legs and was weeks away from closing shop upon album completion.
One and From One: 2001-2002
"Do You Call My Name" received heavy airplay on WAAF in Boston, Massachusetts. Based on this local success, the band released the EP One with the guidance of their then manager, Arma Andon. The band sold 7500 CDs in a month and a half, which led to a two-album deal with Universal RecordsUniversal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
who had otherwise not seen the band perform live.
Sahaj's friend, Will Pendarvis (K-rock NYC, Sirius), introduced him to a friend, Hip-hop Producer/Engineer Paul Logus (Puffy
Puffy
Puffy can refer to one of the following:* Puffy or Puffy AmiYumi , a Japanese pop duo** Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi, animation series about fictional adventures of Puffy AmiYumi** Puffy: P.S...
, Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, 112, Notorious BIG, Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
) with whom the band spent over $170,000 redoing "One" and turning it into "From One
From One
From One is rock band Ra's first major label album released October 22, 2002. It features the band's hit single, "Do You Call My Name," which had a music video and was followed by their second single, "Rectifier." "From One" reached #154 on the Billboard 200...
".
Duality: 2003–2005
From OneFrom One
From One is rock band Ra's first major label album released October 22, 2002. It features the band's hit single, "Do You Call My Name," which had a music video and was followed by their second single, "Rectifier." "From One" reached #154 on the Billboard 200...
was released October 22, 2002. The lead single, "Do You Call My Name," reached number 10 in early 2003.
Originally slated to co-produce the next LP with Sahaj was super-engineer Dave Schiffman (Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
, Audioslave
Audioslave
Audioslave was an American rock supergroup that formed in Los Angeles, California in 2001. It consisted of former Soundgarden lead singer/rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell and the former instrumentalists of Rage Against the Machine: Tom Morello , Tim Commerford and Brad Wilk...
, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
), a health condition of a close family member forced Sahaj to produce the record at home alone. Universal was unhappy with the album the band delivered to them and they recommended using Bob Marlette (Saliva
Saliva
Saliva , referred to in various contexts as spit, spittle, drivel, drool, or slobber, is the watery substance produced in the mouths of humans and most other animals. Saliva is a component of oral fluid. In mammals, saliva is produced in and secreted from the three pairs of major salivary glands,...
, Seether
Seether
Seether is a post-grunge/alternative metal band from Pretoria, South Africa, formed in 1999. The band is currently signed to Wind-up Records...
, Shinedown
Shinedown
Shinedown is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed in 2001 and founded by members Brent Smith , Brad Stewart , Jasin Todd , and Barry Kerch . A few line-up changes followed, and the band's current line-up consists of Smith and Kerch, the band's only two remaining original...
) to record an additional few songs to give the album more radio potential. The band had an additional budget of more than $400,000 to produce new songs. With Bob, Ra would record "Got Me Goin'", "Take Me Away" and "Say You Will" and would submit these songs to Universal only to receive yet another lukewarm reception. Desperate and very unsure of the right course of action, Ra went to Los Angeles to make one last attempt at a first single for Duality. The outcome would be "Tell Me", a huge arena rock anthem shouting out to the world for guidance. The song was approved by Universal, but the executives initially decided to leave the record unreleased instead of spending more money on what had become an expensive record to make.
In the winter of 2004, Universal/Republic hired a hungry radio promotion director named Dave Downey. One of his first activities was listening to all the records that he might potentially work. After listening to "Duality" he made the executives upstairs aware that they may have made a mistake with Ra and that they were missing out on a potentially great record. By this point, drummer Skoota Warner had left the band to find a more stable income. Universal released the album June 21, 2005, albeit with little promotion. However, the album sold 80,000 copies on the strength of tracks like "Fallen Angels" and "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic", a Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
cover.
Raw and Black Sun: 2006-2008
The band left Universal RecordsUniversal Records
Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:...
and signed with Cement Shoes Records
Cement Shoes Records
Cement Shoes Records is an independent record label based in Hollywood, California. It is not known if the label is still in existence, as its website has not been updated in over a year and still makes mention of bands that have been long gone from the label such as Ill Niño and...
. On October of 2006, Ra released their third album entitled Raw
Raw (Ra album)
Raw is a 2006 live album by rock band Ra.Songs are taken from their former albums, "From One", and "Duality". "Don't Turn Away" is a newly recorded track and is also included in their 2008 album "Black Sun"....
, which includes 11 live tracks and one new studio track, "Don't Turn Away". The new song (and single) was meant to be a teaser for their next album, Black Sun
Black Sun (Ra album)
Black Sun is the third studio album from the hard rock band Ra, released on September 23, 2008. A single, Broken-Hearted Soul, from Black Sun was released Christmas Day 2007, later becoming available on iTunes June 17, 2008. Black Sun was released to iTunes on September 16, 2008...
, which was said to be "dynamic."
Black Sun
Black Sun (Ra album)
Black Sun is the third studio album from the hard rock band Ra, released on September 23, 2008. A single, Broken-Hearted Soul, from Black Sun was released Christmas Day 2007, later becoming available on iTunes June 17, 2008. Black Sun was released to iTunes on September 16, 2008...
was released September 23, 2008, under Sahaj's new label, Sahaja Music Records. It featured their newest single, "Broken Hearted Soul
Broken Hearted Soul
Broken-Hearted Soul, from Black Sun, was released on Christmas Day of 2007. On the same day, it was available for a free download on Ra's myspace for only 24 hours. The single was available on iTunes as of June 17, 2008. Broken Hearted Soul received a double feature on the iTunes rock homepage and...
". "Faulty Information" was going to be the second single and would hopefully receive a music video, but through a lack of funds and time, neither occurred.
Black Sheep: 2009-present
On June 10, 2009, Ra released a fourth studio album called Black Sheep. It contained 13 rare tracks including their debut single, "Crazy Little Voices", as well as their new single, "Supernova". The album is only available digitally.Sahaj's solo album is tentatively titled, "Sahaj - Another Minute", named after the first single, "Another Minute".
In August of 2011, Ra released the single "Running Blind", perhaps the first piece of their next studio album. On Sahaj's facebook (Sept. 13, 2011), he stated that a new Ra record will be released in in the first 3 months of 2012.
Musical style
Ra is generally called "nu metal with an exotic twist". The twist is the Indian or Arabian mode that is used in many songs. Sahaj says, "The great thing about it is that you can play the meanest Meshuggah, heaviest rock riff you could possibly imagine under any scale and you [sic] if you sing over it in a harmonic minor scale it doesn’t lose its heaviness, but it also doesn’t lose its melody. It still manages to be cool, but also melodic." Notable songs that use this scale are "Do You Call My Name", "Violator", "Skorn", "The Only One", and "Broken Hearted Soul".The band has also been said to use the genres of: progressive metal, modern progressive rock, and pop rock/metal. GarageBand.com says: "Twisted melodies, polyrhythmic beats, and heavy guitar chords fuse together with middle-eastern motifs, hip-hop, and melodic balladry to make a cohesive visionary statement percolating with emotional fervor." http://www.garageband.com/artist/RATHEBAND
Albums
| Date of Release | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | One One (Ra EP) One is Ra's debut EP and was released in 2000. The songs 'End of Days' and 'What I am' were not included on their debut album, From One. However, 'What I Am' is included in their album Black Sheep .... |
(Self-released) |
| 2002 | From One From One From One is rock band Ra's first major label album released October 22, 2002. It features the band's hit single, "Do You Call My Name," which had a music video and was followed by their second single, "Rectifier." "From One" reached #154 on the Billboard 200... |
Universal Records Universal Records Universal Records was a record label owned by Universal Music Group, and it is now owned by Manny Patino and Michael Jackson, and operated as part of the Universal Motown Republic Group.-History:... |
| 2005 | Duality Duality (Ra album) Duality is a 2005 album from the band Ra. The style from this album has noticeably changed since Ra's debut album of "From One". The album boasts a hard rock and medolic vibe whereas their first album had more of a nu-metal feel. The middle-eastern influences in the CD are still present, but are... |
|
| 2006 | Raw Raw (Ra album) Raw is a 2006 live album by rock band Ra.Songs are taken from their former albums, "From One", and "Duality". "Don't Turn Away" is a newly recorded track and is also included in their 2008 album "Black Sun".... (live album) |
Cement Shoes Records Cement Shoes Records Cement Shoes Records is an independent record label based in Hollywood, California. It is not known if the label is still in existence, as its website has not been updated in over a year and still makes mention of bands that have been long gone from the label such as Ill Niño and... |
| 2008 | Black Sun Black Sun (Ra album) Black Sun is the third studio album from the hard rock band Ra, released on September 23, 2008. A single, Broken-Hearted Soul, from Black Sun was released Christmas Day 2007, later becoming available on iTunes June 17, 2008. Black Sun was released to iTunes on September 16, 2008... |
Sahaja Music Records |
| 2009 | Black Sheep Black Sheep (Ra album) Black Sheep is a rarities album by American rock band Ra; being their fifth release total, including their live album. It includes a collection of B-sides and demos that go back to 1994. Ra's newest single "Supernova" is featured on the album - "Supernova" was digitally released on June 9, 2009.The... |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Main |
|||
| 2002 | "Do You Call My Name" | 14 | From One From One From One is rock band Ra's first major label album released October 22, 2002. It features the band's hit single, "Do You Call My Name," which had a music video and was followed by their second single, "Rectifier." "From One" reached #154 on the Billboard 200... |
| "Rectifier" | 30 | ||
| "Skorn" | — | ||
| 2005 | "Fallen Angels" | 29 | Duality Duality (Ra album) Duality is a 2005 album from the band Ra. The style from this album has noticeably changed since Ra's debut album of "From One". The album boasts a hard rock and medolic vibe whereas their first album had more of a nu-metal feel. The middle-eastern influences in the CD are still present, but are... |
| "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" | — | ||
| "The Only One" | — | ||
| 2006 | "Don't Turn Away" | 36 | Black Sun Black Sun (Ra album) Black Sun is the third studio album from the hard rock band Ra, released on September 23, 2008. A single, Broken-Hearted Soul, from Black Sun was released Christmas Day 2007, later becoming available on iTunes June 17, 2008. Black Sun was released to iTunes on September 16, 2008... |
| 2007 | "Broken Hearted Soul Broken Hearted Soul Broken-Hearted Soul, from Black Sun, was released on Christmas Day of 2007. On the same day, it was available for a free download on Ra's myspace for only 24 hours. The single was available on iTunes as of June 17, 2008. Broken Hearted Soul received a double feature on the iTunes rock homepage and... " |
38 | |
| 2009 | "Supernova" | — | Black Sheep Black Sheep (Ra album) Black Sheep is a rarities album by American rock band Ra; being their fifth release total, including their live album. It includes a collection of B-sides and demos that go back to 1994. Ra's newest single "Supernova" is featured on the album - "Supernova" was digitally released on June 9, 2009.The... |
| "Crazy Little Voices" | — |
Band members
- Sahaj Ticotin - (vocals, guitar)
- Andy Ryan - (drums)
- Ben Carroll - (guitar)
- P. J. Farley - (bass)
Appearances
- Vocals by Sahaj Ticotin on "Drown You Out" by Crossfade
- Vocals by Sahaj Ticotin on "Ghost Town" by Action Action
- Vocals by Sahaj Ticotin on "Walk Around The Sky", "Eternity", and "Downfall" by Nate Bailey
- Vocals by Sahaj Ticotin on "Swimming Upstream" (cover) by Janel Elizabeth
- Vocals by Sahaj Ticotin on "Broken" by Seether (live only; on Seether/Ra/Socialburn/Noise Therapy 2003 tour)
External links
- Official Website
- [ Allmusic Entry for Ra]
- melodic.net Entry for Ra
- Ra's official MySpace
- Tour Video