Art is a constant dialogue with ourselves, past, present and future. Music’s part of this conversation is to communicate through shared sounds we all understand. On New Vessels, Ra Gerra have their voices heard. An album as artistically exuberant as it is strikingly singular, this debut has a character all of its own.
Indeed, Ra Gerra comprises two distinct musical elements, Amsterdam-based electronic producer Kobina and Limerick rapper Murli. Collaborating on New Vessels, these dual prisms of artistic expression are in direct dialogue throughout. Opening with ‘Terrified’, Kobina’s slow-burn electronic pulse creates a moving backdrop for Murli to paint words upon. This melding of beats and lyrics makes for an instantly compelling over-arching milieu. As we move seamlessly to ‘Medicine’, every sound and syllable has its place within the greater expression of the album.
New Vessels continues to build on the core creative verbalization that inspired it. Ra Gerra sounds free, enjoying every second of the music they are articulating. From the gentle stop-start of ‘Feels’ to the tense atmosphere of ‘Bee In The Car’ and finally the genre-blending closer ‘Whispers’, New Vessels portrays two artists riding the crest of an artistic wave.
‘Pressure’ is where New Vessels and Ra Gerra themselves hit their zenith. Set against swirling sirens and taut synths, the words hit with the same mood as the music. Lines like “You want my heart to leak every time I split my mouth to speak. The imbalance favors those who can lie through their teeth like a toothpick” merge instantly with the tension of the beat. This mirroring of what we are hearing and what we are told is integral to New Vessels and Ra Gerra in equal measure.
And so it goes, Ra Gerra is a new voice in the ever-evolving conversation that is art and New Vessel is their first expression. Styles, sounds and meaning are all in unison within an album created by two artists clearly dedicated to the craft. New Vessels is an album alive with the act of expression heard in both the performance and the creation.
