Raji Rags

Whether you know him as a DJ, a label head, an A&R or behind the scenes at institutions like Boiler Room, Warp, Bleep, Livin’ Proof, OTIH Records, he has refused to be boxed into one category, constantly evolving. A mainstay of the London music scene, Raji Rags skips across genres gracefully, epitomised by his long standing NTS radio show. The British-South Asian creative has already lived many lives, and now it is time for the next one. ‘Congratulations’ is the debut EP from Raji Rags, released on 30th April. A culmination of his influences merged together, the EP spans breakneck percussive rhythms across five tracks, melding together string arrangements and orchestration with hip-hop methodology. It’s full of vigour and purpose, not a note out of place, melodic and layered, the EP is gratifyingly hard to categorise. “Collaboration has been key on this record,” Raji Rags says. “It’s been essential to my process.” Raven Bush and Peter Bennie from Speakers Corner Quartet (fellow OTIH label-mates) add instrumentation to three of the five tracks; and there is a collaborative track with Taiwanese producer, Sonia Calico as Raj spent parts of the creation of this EP living in Taipei around the time of the birth of his son, Kiran. ‘Kiran’s Bike’, the first single of the EP, weaves in live violin from Bush with warped synth plucks, rolling bass and saturated sine waves. A perfect soundtrack to Kiran’s bike rides around South London.