Straight off the success of their single ‘Waterproof Coat’ New Zealand outfit, Raw Collective returns with a timeless album ‘For The Ancients.’
‘For the Ancients’ was aptly named from the band’s fascination with ancient megaliths, the band felt like old souls, like they’ve lived that time before.
“The album lyrically gets deep, but, like an old fairy tale, it can be played in any future decade, devoid of fashion and phases, it’s timeless, even monumental, like the pyramids,” said lead member Raw Deezy.
Recorded in 2016 the album compromises from a selection of the band’s favourite tracks and demos, from two years performing around NZ, and recording in their home-based studio in Wellington.
“We spent so long recording, getting every piece perfect; along with 20+ instruments and several vocalists it was always going to be a mammoth project!” said Raw.
“The topics/lyrics are inspired by personal life experiences and a love of history, the Cosmos and psychology. Each track reflects a different side of the psyche, inspired by Carl Jung’s theories, eg, the ego, the shadow, the self, persona etc… Also reflecting on the battles we have mentally, that life is supposed to be hard, and to survive is to find meaning in the suffering. It appears dark, but on that note, this album is a celebration. A celebration of our personal struggles, of our friendships, and the music we’ve worked so hard to create, this is our story, every lyric expresses our feelings and philosophies on the world around us and it’s everlasting impact on our short lives,”
The ups and downs, light and dark, is not only a lyrical journey but in the music itself. When writing the music the band used a balance of major and minor chords so that the music reflects the lyrics just as much. A good example of the formula is starting with a dark groove, just bass guitar, drums and some samples pulled by Raw Deezy.
Accompanied by the album is visuals for their single ‘Pictures’ which sheds light on mental illness. Watch it below.
Links
Link to album
