Raja Ram
Encyclopedia
Raja Ram is an Australia
n musician and the owner of the UK
record label
Tip World. Raja Ram left Australia in the 1950s to begin the hippie trail
. He returned to Australia later and studied flute
at the Melbourne Conservatory. Raja Ram also went to New York
in 1965 to study jazz
. He was founding member of the band Quintessence in the late 1960s and early 1970s, playing at the first two Glastonbury Festival
s (then 'fayres') in 1970 and 1971.
Shortly after, Raja Ram was forced to retire for personal reasons and became a used car salesman. In the 1980s, he decided to return to the music scene as he then became interested in the emerging genre of electronic music
. He was one of the first people to make what is today considered psychedelic trance
.
Raja Ram formed TIP Records in 1994 with Graham Wood
and Ian St. Paul. It soon became one of the most well-known goa trance labels. After the label folded in 1998 Raja Ram then founded Tip World in 1999.
He collaborated with Simon Posford on the Shpongle
and The Mystery of the Yeti
projects and is a founder of 1200 Micrograms
. He often plays the flute
on ambient
tracks.
Raja Ram is married to Nita Devi, with whom he has a daughter named Sastra. He also has a granddaughter named Bella.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n musician and the owner of the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
Tip World. Raja Ram left Australia in the 1950s to begin the hippie trail
Hippie trail
The hippie trail is a term used to describe the journeys taken by hippies and others in the 1960s and 1970s from Europe overland to and from southern Asia, mainly India, Pakistan and Nepal...
. He returned to Australia later and studied flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
at the Melbourne Conservatory. Raja Ram also went to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
in 1965 to study jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. He was founding member of the band Quintessence in the late 1960s and early 1970s, playing at the first two Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or even Glasto, is a performing arts festival that takes place near Pilton, Somerset, England, best known for its contemporary music, but also for dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and other arts.The...
s (then 'fayres') in 1970 and 1971.
Shortly after, Raja Ram was forced to retire for personal reasons and became a used car salesman. In the 1980s, he decided to return to the music scene as he then became interested in the emerging genre of electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
. He was one of the first people to make what is today considered psychedelic trance
Psychedelic trance
Psychedelic trance, psytrance or just psy is a form of electronic music characterized by hypnotic arrangements of synthetic rhythms and complex layered melodies created by high tempo riffs. It appeared in the mainstream in 1995 as with reporting of the trend of Goa trance. The genre offers variety...
.
Raja Ram formed TIP Records in 1994 with Graham Wood
Graham Wood
Graham Wood is a Jazz Pianist from Perth, Western Australia born 15 September 1971. He is Program Director of Music at The Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts...
and Ian St. Paul. It soon became one of the most well-known goa trance labels. After the label folded in 1998 Raja Ram then founded Tip World in 1999.
He collaborated with Simon Posford on the Shpongle
Shpongle
Shpongle is an English psychedelic downtempo/psybient music project formed in 1996. The group includes Simon Posford and Raja Ram . Their musical style combines eastern ethnic instruments and vocals with contemporary western synthesizer-based psychedelic music...
and The Mystery of the Yeti
The Mystery Of The Yeti
The Mystery of the Yeti is a psychedelic ambient music project consisting of the members of The Infinity Project, Total Eclipse and musicians Hallucinogen and Doof. The Mystery of the Yeti was influential to later evolution of Goa trance music....
projects and is a founder of 1200 Micrograms
1200 Micrograms
1200 Micrograms is a psychedelic trance act from Ibiza. The members are Riktam and Bansi from GMS, Raja Ram and Chicago. Raja Ram is Australian, but has lived in London for over 30 years. Bansi and Riktam are Dutch, Chicago is American, and the 3 live on Ibiza Island, Spain...
. He often plays the flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
on ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
tracks.
Raja Ram is married to Nita Devi, with whom he has a daughter named Sastra. He also has a granddaughter named Bella.
Projects
- ShpongleShpongleShpongle is an English psychedelic downtempo/psybient music project formed in 1996. The group includes Simon Posford and Raja Ram . Their musical style combines eastern ethnic instruments and vocals with contemporary western synthesizer-based psychedelic music...
Chill out Music Project - 1200 Micrograms1200 Micrograms1200 Micrograms is a psychedelic trance act from Ibiza. The members are Riktam and Bansi from GMS, Raja Ram and Chicago. Raja Ram is Australian, but has lived in London for over 30 years. Bansi and Riktam are Dutch, Chicago is American, and the 3 live on Ibiza Island, Spain...
Full-on/Psychedelic trancePsychedelic trancePsychedelic trance, psytrance or just psy is a form of electronic music characterized by hypnotic arrangements of synthetic rhythms and complex layered melodies created by high tempo riffs. It appeared in the mainstream in 1995 as with reporting of the trend of Goa trance. The genre offers variety...
Music Project
Discography
- Spaceships Of The Imagination (2000)
- Raja Ram's Stash Bag (2002)
- Raja Ram's Stash Bag Volume 2 (2003)
- Raja Ram's Stash Bag Vol. 3 - Smokers Jokers and Midnight Tokers (2004)
- Raja Ram's Stash Bag Vol. 3 - Smokers Jokers and Midnight Tokers (Unmixed Edition) (2004)
- Most Wanted Presents: Raja Ram the Godfather (2005)
- Evolution Of Expanded Consciousness (2006)
- Raja Ram's Stash Bag Volume 4 (2006)
- The Anthology (2007)