The Raah Project to Launch New Album at Arts Centre Melbourne

With musical influences as diverse as Charlie Parker, Kanye West, Igor Stravinsky, Roots Manuva, hyper dub and King Tubby - The Raah Project returns to Arts Centre Melbourne for the debut of their sophomore album, Take Me Elsewhere on Friday 13 March.

Melbourne vocalist/composer Ryan Richie and violinist/composer Tamil Rogeon lead a 22 piece orchestra (string, brass, woodwind, rhythm section and electronics) to combine the diverse worlds of contemporary classical, electronica, hip hop and jazz. This is an original contemporary music project that embraces both traditional and new principles of jazz improvisation and arrangement plus 20th century composition, popular song, verse and flow.

The Raah Project's debut album Score was revered by tastemakers world-wide, including Giles Peterson, Vogue Italy, Rolling Stone, and Wax Poetics and it reached number 6 on the iTunes Jazz charts in the UK. The follow up record Take Me Elsewhere is set to be the dark 'down tempo' soundtrack of 2015. With a record of orchestral arrangements, big beats, and hefty poetic content this launch will feature debut performances of new works including the single Kill Me in The Summer for Drum Machine and string section, as well as selections from Score.

Ryan Ritchie is a VCA-trained Melbourne-based singer, composer, songwriter and producer whose work draws from the traditions of jazz, classical, 20th century music, soul, R&B, hip hop and dance. As a vocalist, Ritchie is a baritone, crooning soul singing, rapper. Cutting his teeth as an MC in Melbourne's late 90s drum and bass scene, and more recently with his hip hop group True Live. As a producer/writer, he has reached the top 50 ARIA charts for Kimbra's Cameo Lover, Paris Wells' Various Small Fires and True Live's The Shape of it. As an arranger/composer Ritchie has recently completed work with indie outfit Oh Mercy, and Australian Hip Hop stalwarts TZU, Pez and TUKA of Thundamentals.

Tamil Rogeon is a composer and violinist. He has collaborated with the Australian Youth Orchestra, ANAM and Orchestra Victoria. He has also worked with artists ranging from Aloe Blacc to Kate Ceberano. Tamil's orchestral oratorio, 24 Hours In Lapa, premiered as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival 2012. In 2013 Tamil was commissioned to write an original composition as part of the Monash Academy Orchestra's celebrations for the centennial of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring. Rogeon composed the score for the feature filmBlame, which screened at the Cannes, Toronto and Chicago International Film Festivals.

Together The Raah Project have performed sold out shows for the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, The Perth International Arts Festival, The Melbourne International Arts Festival as well as their own headline shows at Recital Centre Melbourne.

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