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
Taken
Ra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Falling to a hole inside myself
I can't remember hardly anything
But I remember holding your hand
And winter colors all but fade away
The sun seems motion to take the sky
You used to keep me warm within your purity
But now I'm lost in an empty space
Reeling
A broken soul
This lie that I'm forced to live in
Taken
Now that you've been ripped from me
My memory is a fog too thick to see
I must have sold your thoughts to stop the pain
And while it always rains inside of me
My love for you will never ever let you die
Reeling
This broken soul
This lie that I'm forced to live in
Taken
Now that you've been ripped from me
Can't you see?
Can't you see?
I'm not me
I can't let go
Your softness touched me
Without your touch
I weaken like a flower burned
If this is gone
I promise you anything – miss me
So I could hold you in my arms forever
Reeling
This broken soul
This lie that I'm forced to live in
Taken
Now that you've been ripped from me
The lyrics of Ra's song Taken convey a deep sense of loss and grief that the persona feels after losing someone close to him/her. The first verse suggests that the persona has been feeling empty and disconnected with everything around him/her since the other person left. The use of imagery like "Falling to a hole inside myself" and "winter colors all but fade away" paint a picture of the persona's emotional state. Even though the persona can't remember much, they do remember holding the other person's hand - a poignant reminder of what they have lost. The second verse suggests that the pain of loss is overwhelming, and the persona's memory has become a protective shield against the pain. They might have suppressed memories of the other person to deal with the pain of separation.
The chorus reinforces the sense of loss, with the persona repeating the words "reeling," "broken soul," and "taken" to express their deep sadness and grief. The third verse is a cry of desperation - the persona cannot let go of the memories and their love for the other person. They know they are not themselves without the other person's touch and presence, and they are willing to do anything to have that back. The final line - "So I could hold you in my arms forever" - suggests that the persona is either imagining being reunited with the other person in the afterlife or that they are so lost in their grief that they are not fully rational.
Overall, the lyrics of Ra's song Taken are a powerful expression of grief and loss. The persona's feeling of emptiness and the pain of separation come through strongly, even with minimal lyrics. The imagery used in the song helps to create a picture of the persona's emotional state, and the repetition of certain phrases strengthens the message of loss and grief. The song speaks to anyone who has experienced the pain of losing someone close to them and can resonate with their own grieving process.
Line by Line Meaning
This has always been the way it has been
I've always existed in this state
Falling to a hole inside myself
I'm struggling to cope within myself
I can't remember hardly anything
My memory is fading
But I remember holding your hand
Your touch has left a lasting impression
And winter colors all but fade away
The season has changed but I'm still hurting
The sun seems motion to take the sky
Time seems to stand still
You used to keep me warm within your purity
When I was with you I felt safe and loved
But now I'm lost in an empty space
Without you, I feel alone and empty
Reeling
I'm in turmoil
A broken soul
I'm shattered
This lie that I'm forced to live in
My reality is painful
Taken
You were taken from me
Now that you've been ripped from me
Losing you has torn me apart
Can't you see?
Do you understand?
I'm not me
I don't feel like myself anymore
I can't let go
I can't move on
Your softness touched me
Your tenderness left a mark on me
Without your touch
Being without you hurts
I weaken like a flower burned
I'm fragile without you
If this is gone
If I lose this love
I promise you anything – miss me
I ask that you remember me
So I could hold you in my arms forever
I wish I could be with you always
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BENJAMIN M CARROLL, DANIEL TICOTIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind