Kids today, y'know? Thinking that all they need to figure out transcendental psychedelia is a tube of face paint, some Jodorowsky DVDs and a handful of funky -looking mushrooms. Pshaw!
They should take a cue from their peers in Prince Rama, a Brooklyn-based act specializing in profoundly psychedelic tuneage. Sisters Taraka and Nimai Larson and their (now former) bandmate Michael Collins compose the band, and the three met while living in a Hare Krishna-heavy Florida community. Named after the hero of the ancient Ramayana Hindu epic, Prince Rama has released four albums in as many years, including last year's Animal Collective-produced Shadow Temple.
Now touring as a duo, the Larson sisters have a new disc, the weird and deep Trust Now, out this month. It's a more feminine take on the Sanskrit chants, drones and mystic shit that should appeal to those who vibe on Sun Ra, Pharaoh Sanders, and the krautrocking artsplosion of Amon Düül and Tangerine Dream.
If it seems like Prince Rama's members are especially mindblower at this week's show opening for Gang Gang Dance, maybe it's because they'll have just made the grueling 10-hour drive from after immersed in the mystery lights of Marfa, Texas.
The world goes on within you and without you, sure, but good music requires people to create and perform it. Prince Rama seems happy to play that role -- at least while occupying this plane.
Check out this video for the new album track "Golden Silence," directed by Julian Bozeman of trashy psych-pop band Quiet Hooves.
Prince Rama is scheduled to perform at the Crescent Ballroom on Wednesday, October 5.
