1. A rock band from California… Read Full Bio ↴There are several artists with this name:
1. A rock band from California, United States
2. A psychedelic trance group from Norway
3. A post-punk band from Sweden
4. A dark metal/ambient project from Romania
5. An IDM artist from France
6. The electronic project of Ricardo Remédio
7. A jazz band from Noway
8. A hard rock band from Finland
9. A hardcore band from Massachusetts, United States
1) Musicality is the connective tissue binding and bridging Ra’s past to its present. It is also responsible for a sound so enigmatic it continues transcending time, resonating with a fan base that has yet to allow Ra to release its melodic grip on them. That grip is a culmination of years fraught with trials and triumphs and many lessons learned; however, perseverance and a passionate resolve pushed Ra far past its genesis to become a band still relevant in today’s ever-changing musical landscape.
Ra was conceptualized in 1996 under its first name “Cross Of Snow”. It was the vision of Sahaj Ticotin, who was born in NYC into an entertainment family in which his brother David would become highly regarded feature film assistant director, his sister Nancy would star on Broadway, TV and film and his sister Rachel make her name as a well known movie actress. Sahaj’s brother, Marcus, who created several entertainment properties, was one of the first to believe and invest in the band. The band went through a few lineup changes before settling on Skoota Warner, Ben Carroll and ultimately Pj Farley but those early years were spent chasing the identity of a sound they couldn’t quite catch. In 1998 the song Crazy Little Voices was chosen as the end title track for the movie “Carrie 2-The Rage”, becoming its first commercially-released track. By the end of 1998, the band recorded the demo for what would later become its most impactful introduction to the masses, Do You Call My Name.
By 1999, the band was signed to Edel America and aggressively working to record several tracks of which Do You Call My Name, Rectifier, Fallen Rock Zone, The Only One, and Sky were a few. On the surface, things were coming together; however, unbeknownst to Sahaj, Edel was restructuring and the American subsidiary was to be closed. The album and the songs were shelved.
Several months later, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 would put a stop to the world. The magnitude of loss and devastation had a profound impact on Sahaj, stoking his passion for what he knew to be his destiny…music. With songs the band could believe in and at the suggestion of Ben, the band focused on the more vibrant rock scene of New England.
Within months, the band was playing in Boston convinced they could build a strong base in what was believed to be a haven for hard rock. The fledgling Ra played at the 2002 Nemo Fest for an abysmal crowd of 18. As luck would have it, one of the 18 was a firefighter and friend of Ben’s named Jimmy Garrity, who believed so strongly in the band, he took a copy of their demo to well-known radio personality Mistress Carrie of WAAF. One spin on the air was all it took—the phones started ringing and people started showing interest. Ra’s EP “One”, was then released at the insistence of their manager, selling nearly 20,000 CDs in 2 months.
People were clearly listening and record labels were watching. In a surprising move, Universal/Republic Records, who had passed on the band only a few months before, signed the band to a two-record deal having never seen them live, but there was a catch—they had 30 days to record an album. The band completed the album in the otherwise daunting time frame. With an additional six songs recorded, co-produced and mixed by Paul Logus at Puff Daddy’s Sound on Sound studios, “One” was retitled “From One” becoming the band’s freshman release selling over 200,000 copies, while Do You Call My Name reached #10 on the active rock chart. From the delicate vulnerability delivered in Walking and Thinking to the melodic anarchy achieved in Fallen Rock Zone and Sky—”From One” showcased the band’s versatility in a manner that would secure their place in rock music.
Ra began touring and sharing the stage with industry titans such as Disturbed, Seether, Stone Sour, Korn, Shinedown, Sevendust, Breaking Benjamin and Staind to further promote the album. They would play over 200 shows that first year.
In 2004, once touring had come to an end, Sahaj returned home to prepare writing the band’s second album with co-producer Dave Schiffman. Unfortunately, due to personal hardships, he was forced to record a majority of the second album from his home, thus forfeiting the collaboration with Dave. After several months, Sahaj presented record executives with the first cut of Duality and though the record was well-written and composed, it didn’t satiate their appetite for a single. The label recommended the band work with Bob Marlette in order to produce songs that might better align with radio. From this collaboration came Tell Me, an anthem for the misguided whose lyrics are so deeply woven into the fabric of despair, you freely surrender yourself to it. Despite the colossus that is Tell Me and the valiant effort made on all accounts, the label chose to abandon the album. Simply put, Uni/Republic had spent more money than they thought they could recoup.
Things looked bleak for the band—that was until Dave Downey, the recently hired ambitious radio promotion director heard Fallen Angels (active rock peak #21). Had it not been for the insistence of Dave that the label reconsider its investment, Duality may have never seen the light of day. Original drummer Skoota Warner left the band and was replaced by a young and eager Andy Ryan who brought a more “metal” but still very funky feel to the band live. In 2005, 2 years after writing began on the album, it was released to the public. The differences between “From One” and “Duality” are notable. “From One” was a statement record, heavy hitting and in-your-face. Conversely, the vulnerable, lyrical reverence that is laced throughout “Duality” was created to re-imagine some of the band’s biggest influences. Songs like Undertaken uncover a delicate balance of sensuality and poeticism reminiscent of artists outside the genre. The ability to make rock both sensual and poetic, while remaining heavy and relevant elevated Ra to a league of their own.
In 2006, following the moderate success of “Duality”, the band and label parted ways amicably. Shortly after, Ra recorded its live album “Raw” independent of a label. Dave Downey once again advocated for the band, connecting them to Cement Shoe Records which promised the release of “Raw” as well as another studio album under a Cement Shoes contract. With the agreement in place, the band embarked on the Congress of Corruption tour with Ill Nino, Godhead, and The Dreaming. Though the label agreed to an advance and a studio album, the band saw neither. Things were amiss and Sahaj knew it. The label released “Raw”, featuring the single, Don’t Turn Away (active rock peak #26) illegally, without permission and the band aggressively left Cement Shoes in the past.
By this time, Ra had amassed a loyal following. Sahaj, determined not to allow the misguided promises and failures of the label to cause the band from releasing another album, found independent promoter Elizabeth Hodges to invest in the next record while Sahaj launched Sahaja Music Records (SMR). He then reached out to Universal to strike a distribution deal under which “Black Sun” was released. Broken Hearted Soul spent 18 weeks as a current on the charts went top 20 at active rock and the album Soundscanned 28k copies. The band toured minimally as Sahaj turned his focus to a career as a producer.
In between albums Ra released “Black Sheep” which featured b-sides going all the way back to 1994 as well as one brand new song. Supernova was featured in many lead in and lead outs for the Howard Stern Show on Sirius leading to the single getting 77k downloads on Itunes alone.
In 2013, after a successful Kickstarter, the band released Critical Mass, a seemingly effortless evolution of the band’s sound that didn’t compromise its identity. It was also a return to the bands heavier roots as well as the return of Skoota Warner on drums. The single Supermegadubstep was a wild ride that punched you in the gut from start to finish. While wildly under-promoted, many Ra fans took to the album and it received high marks from critics. The band played some shows in 2014 but was definitely more of a passion project for Sahaj at that point.
In 2016, Sahaj wrote and recorded the song We Won’t Back Down for the NHL’s Washington Capitols. It has gone on to be one of the band’s highest streamed songs.
In the 7 years since Ra’s last studio release, Sahaj has been hard at work replicating the formula for his success by producing other artists while the rest of the band has pursued independent projects; however, collectively, they feel now is the time for a comeback. What makes the timing so special is that all original members of the band will be together again to not only create the new album, but tour it as well. After a very successful re-emergence on 2020’s Shiprocked, the band has again tapped into the fan based that sustained them all these years. Intercorrupted.
In 2020 RA signed to Wake Up! Music Rocks.
Ra’s brand new album Intercorrupted has been released in 2021.
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2) Ra is a Norwegian psychedelic trance group. Ra was first founded in 1994 by Christer Borge-Lunde, also of Dimension 5, and Lars W.Lind. In 1998 they went their separate ways and Christer Borge-Lunde continued Ra primarily as a solo project. In 1998 Ra was signed with Blue Moon Productions UK and the first single Azure Child was released. In 1999 and 2000 Christer Borge-Lunde was working with Blue Moon Thailand and collaborated with Charlie Clarke which contributed on the album "To Sirius". The album was first released in Thailand in 2000 and later re-released world wide in 2001 by the German label Velvet/GTN.
In 2006 he joined Suntrip Records, releasing tracks on the compilations "Twist Dreams" (2007) and "Opus Iridium" (2008).
Ra's 2nd full length album "9th" was released on Suntrip Records in May 2008.
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3) RA is a post-punk/psychrock band formed in Malmö (Sweden) by Simon Minó, Erik Blondell, Felix Mårtensson, Martin Nilsson and Anton Gustafsson. After first releasing two singles on youtube the band recorded the EP "Bloodline" that was released in June 2013 on the record label Double Sun. The band is influenced by bands like Spacemen 3, Bauhaus and Singapore Sling.
Vocals/drums: Simon Minó
Guitar: Felix Mårtensson
Guitar: Martin Nilsson
Percussions: Anton Gustafsson
Bass: Erik Blondell
https://www.facebook.com/ramalmo
http://ramalmo.tumblr.com/
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4) RA was a dark metal/ambient project hailing from Romania, brainchild of Andrei Rusu, also known as Vlad Dracul of Agathodaimon fame. They have released two albums, "Geniu pustiu" (Hollow Genius - 1998) and "Sinnocence" (2002). One of the most notable collaborators within the project was Dan Byron, a guest of Agathodaimon, who later went to sing in Kumm, Urma and Byron.
The project is currently on hold. New demo music is available on the official MySpace page: TribalDome
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5) Ra is an IDM artist fron France named Raoul Sinier. His profile has been moved to http://www.last.fm/music/Raoul+Sinier
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6) RA (Rei Abutre) is the project of Ricardo Remédio which englobes the spectrum of IDM, witch house, 'casio-doom' and post-rock. For more information visit http://ramusicdoom.bandcamp.com/
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7) Ra is a Norwegian jazz band. Winner of Jazzintro 2000.
Ronny Andreassen (reeds), Morten Qvenild (Fender Rhodes), Ole Jørn Myklebust (trumpet), Kjetil Lunde (guitar), Karl-Erik Rønsen (bass), Erlend Lygren (drums), Stig Værnes (drums) og Andreas Veire (sound)
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8) RA is a Finnish Pharaoh-theme heavy rock band, and all the members are born in 1995. Their debut album Punainen Virta was released 25.2. 2009. Their lyrics are in Finnish.
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9) RA are the initials for Rude Awakening, A hardcore band from Merrimack Valley, USA featuring members of Death Before Dishonor, Hammer Bros. and more. MVHC
http://www.facebook.com/RudeAwakeninghc?sk=info
Do You Call My Name
Ra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They always know what's best for you
Their little minds try to
Create a world to keep you still
The bolt is thrown, the cage is locked
You saw this, don't you lie
At first you cry and then you hate
Do as you are told
And maybe then we'll let you out
You might be dead and cold
You might be full of doubt
Don't try to escape
'Cause you don't have nowhere to go
If nothing is your fate
There's no scenario
No nothing
Do you call my name?
Do you stain my brain?
My eyes are blurry
And I can't see you anymore
Do you call my name?
Do you breed my pain?
My heart is bloody
And I can't take it anymore
So you just sit there stuck
Afraid to risk reality
Afraid to cause yourself more pain
To face insanity
But nothing ventured, nothing gained
You see, your fear's your cage
You beg for help but you're alone
Stuck in a helpless rage
Do as you are told
And maybe then we'll let you out
You might be dead and cold
You might be full of doubt
Don't try to escape
'Cause you don't have nowhere to go
If nothing is your fate
There's no scenario
(It's me)
(I see)
(Please)
(Let me out I'm petrified)
Do as you are told
And maybe then we'll let you out
You might be dead and cold
You might be full of doubt
Don't try to escape
'Cause you don't have nowhere to go
If nothing is your fate
There's no scenario
C'mon
Do you call my name?
Do you stain my brain?
My eyes are blurry
And I can't see you anymore
Do you call my name?
Do you breath my pain?
My heart is bloody
And I can't take it anymore
Do you call my name?
Do you stain my brain?
My eyes are blurry
And I can't see you anymore
Do you call my name?
Do you breath my pain?
My heart is bloody
And I can't take it anymore
The lyrics to RA's song Do You Call My Name explore the theme of being trapped in a figurative internal cage. The singer dismisses certain people who believe they always know what is right for you while creating a world, trapping one inside it between its bars. The singer, on the other hand, takes the world and sees it for what it is, locks in the cages and bolts them. The singer calls the attention of someone they are addressing, asking if they are being called; if they are the cause of the feelings of being trapped and the emotional distress that they are experiencing. The singer also adds lyrics asking the thought-provoking question of whether these people who are trapped in their cages are allowed out, and whether, after being allowed out, they are then dead and cold, or full of doubt. It appears the people inside the cages are afraid to face reality and risk causing themselves harm. Ultimately, the lyrics show the need for people to take risks and confront their fears at the risk of being trapped in their cages forever.
Line by Line Meaning
Some people seem to think
There are individuals who believe they know what is best for you, even when they do not truly understand your situation.
They always know what's best for you
These people are convinced that they know what is best for you without regard to your feelings or needs.
Their little minds try to
Their limited perspective influences them to create conditions that aim to constrain and control you.
Create a world to keep you still
They make an environment that restricts you from exploring new possibilities and experiencing personal growth.
The bolt is thrown, the cage is locked
You are stuck in a situation that you did not choose, and it seems impossible to escape from it.
You saw this, don't you lie
You are aware of the factors that brought you to this situation, and you cannot deny it.
At first you cry and then you hate
You initially react to the situation with sadness and then transform into frustration and resentment.
Those people stole your will
The individuals who imposed this situation on you have taken away your freedom and self-determination.
Do as you are told
They command you to conform to their wishes and do not listen to your desires or aspirations.
And maybe then we'll let you out
They imply that by complying, they will relinquish their control and allow you to be free.
You might be dead and cold
Even after you acquiesce, you may feel a hollow emptiness inside.
You might be full of doubt
You are left questioning whether you made the right decision or not.
Don't try to escape
They prohibit any attempts to flee from this situation.
'Cause you don't have nowhere to go
Leaving this situation seems impossible because you have no options or alternatives.
If nothing is your fate
If you do not take any action, you are doomed to remain trapped in this situation.
There's no scenario
The outcome of this situation will always be the same, regardless of your choices or actions.
Do you call my name?
Are you present in my mind, even when you are not physically here?
Do you stain my brain?
Are you leaving a permanent mark in my thoughts?
My eyes are blurry
Emotions are clouding my judgment.
And I can't see you anymore
I am unable to understand this situation or comprehend your motives.
Do you breed my pain?
Are you the cause of my suffering?
My heart is bloody
I am emotionally hurt and wounded.
And I can't take it anymore
I am at my breaking point and cannot endure this any longer.
So you just sit there stuck
You are still stuck in this situation and cannot move on from it.
Afraid to risk reality
You are hesitant to leave your comfort zone and face the unknown.
Afraid to cause yourself more pain
You are avoiding any actions that may lead to more suffering.
To face insanity
You are avoiding taking actions due to fear of losing control of your mind or mental breakdown.
But nothing ventured, nothing gained
Taking risks can lead to new opportunities and personal growth.
You see, your fear's your cage
You feel trapped in this situation due to your fears.
You beg for help but you're alone
You seek the help of others, but there is no one to assist you.
Stuck in a helpless rage
You feel an intense emotion of anger, but you cannot break free from the situation.
(It's me)
The author of the song is stating that the situation they're singing about has happened to them.
(I see)
The author sees clearly what is happening and is still trying to break free.
(Please)
The author is desperately asking for help.
(Let me out I'm petrified)
The Author is frightened and pleading to be freed from this situation.
C'mon
A plea for someone else to join them in escaping from their situation.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DANIEL TICOTIN, ORRIS GREGORIE WARNER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind